Tag: Fort Myers Mighty Mussles

Twins minor league players of the week(s)

I missed publishing last weeks minor league players of the week so I will do both weeks here. I will start out with last week when the Twins named Double-A Wichita right-handed pitcher Ryan Gallagher and Low-A Fort Myers catcher Enrique Jimenez as the Twins minor league Pitcher and Player of the Week.

Ryan Gallagher

Gallagher, 22, made the start on Friday at Springfield, allowing two unearned runs on four hits in 6 innings pitched, with one walk and three strikeouts. Gallagher was acquired by the Twins at the trade deadline from Chicago-NL, in exchange for Willi Castro. The Sacramento, California native was selected by the Cubs in the sixth round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California, Santa Barbara and he is ranked as the club’s 16th-best prospect by MLB.com.

Enrique Jimenez

Jimenez, 19, played in four games for the Mighty Mussels, hitting .308 (4-for-13) with two home runs, two RBI, four walks, a .471 on-base percentage and a 1.240 OPS. The Barcelona, Venezuela native was acquired just prior to the trade deadline from Detroit, in exchange for Chris Paddack. He is ranked as the club’s 30th-best prospect by MLB.com.

Continue reading Twins minor league players of the week(s)

Twins minor league players of the week are Kaelen Culpepper & Dasan Hill

The Minnesota Twins have named Double-A Wichita infielder Kaelen Culpepper and Low-A Fort Myers left-handed pitcher Dasan Hill as the club’s minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week.

Kaelen Culpepper, Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge

Culpepper, 22, played in six games for the Wind Surge, hitting .367 (11-for-30) with one triple, two home runs, seven RBI and a 1.00 OPS. The organization’s fifth overall prospect and number 77 in all of MLB was selected by the Twins in the first round (21st overall) out of Kansas State University. Culpepper has been flying up the minor leagues rating scale this year.

Dasan Hill

Hill, 19, made the start for the Mighty Mussels last Saturday, pitching 4.0 shutout innings, with one hit allowed, no walks and three strikeouts. The club’s ninth overall prospect (3rd ranked pitcher) was selected by the Twins in the second round (69th overall) in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Grapevine High School in Grapevine, TX. Just promoted to High A Cedar Rapids. I can’t wait to see some of these LHP join the Twins starting rotation.

Twins Minor League Report, 8-7-2025.PDF

Twins minor league players of the week are Kyler Fedko & Adrian Bohorquez

The Twins announced that Double-A Wichita outfielder Kyler Fedko and Low-A Fort Myers right-handed pitcher Adrian Bohorquez have been named Twins minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week.

Kyler Fedko

Fedko, 25, hit .313 (5-for-16), with one double, three home runs, four RBI, five walks, three stolen bases, a .476 on-base percentage and a 1.414 OPS in five games for the Wind Surge. During the week, Fedko reached 20 home runs, giving him a 20 HR/20 SB season for the first time in his career. The Gibsonia, PA native was selected by Minnesota in the 12th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Connecticut. A 20/20 season is nothing to sneeze at.

Adrian Bohorquez

Bohorquez, 20, started and earned the win for the Mighty Mussels on July 24 at Lakeland, allowing one unearned run on two hits, with one hit batter, no walks and three strikeouts in 4.0 innings. The La Victoria, Venezuela native was signed by the Twins as a free agent in January 2023.

Twins Minor League Report, 7-26-2025.PDF

Twins minor league players of the week

The Minnesota Twins have named Double-A Wichita outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez and Low-A Fort Myers right-handed pitcher Adrian Bohorquez as the club’s minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week.

Gabriel Gonzalez

Gonzalez, 21, played in five games for the Wind Surge, hitting .400 (8-for-20) with two doubles, one home run, three RBI, five walks and a 1.170 OPS. Gabby is rated as the Twins 17th best prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Adrian Bohorquez

Bohorquez, 20, made a relief appearance on Wednesday at Bradenton, pitching 5.0 scoreless and hitless innings, with five strikeouts and one hit batter.

Twins Minor League Report, 7-6-2025

Twins minor league players of the week

High-A Fort Myers left-handed pitcher Dasan Hill and Dominican Summer League Twins infielder Haritzon Castillo have been named Twins minor league Pitcher and Player of the Week. Dasan Hill has been named two weeks in a row and for the third time this year. Hill should be moving on up I would think.

Dasan Hill

Hill, 19, made the start for the Mighty Mussels against Palm Beach, pitching 4.0 shutout innings, with two hits allowed, one walk and seven strikeouts. Hill, who is the repeat winner from last week, was selected by the Twins in the second round (69th overall) of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Grapevine High School in Grapevine, Texas. MLB Pipeline has Hill rated at the Twins 13th best prospect and seventh best pitcher.

Haritzon Castillo video

Castillo, 17, played in four games for the DSL Twins, hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one double, two triples, four RBI, four walks, four runs scored and a 1.542 OPS. The Barquisimeto, Venezuela native was signed by the Twins as an international free agent in January. Castillo is ranked as the 43rd best prospect in the 2025 International class and received a $947,500 signing bonus from the Minnesota Twins.

Twins Minor League Report, 6-13-2025.PDF

Twins minor league players of the week

The Minnesota Twins have named Double-A Wichita first baseman Aaron Sabato and High-A Cedar Rapids infielder Brandon Winokur minor league co-Players of the Week, and Low-A Fort Myers left-handed pitcher Dasan Hill has been named minor league Pitcher of the Week.

Aaron Sabato

Sabato, 26, played in four games for the Wind Surge, hitting .357 (5-for-14) with one double, two home runs, six RBI, five walks, a .526 on-base percentage and a 1.383 OPS. The Rye, NY native was selected by the Twins in the first round (27th overall) of the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina.

Brandon Winokur

Winokur, 20, played in five games for the Kernels, hitting .350 (7-for-20) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, five RBI and a 1.109 OPS. The Newport Beach, CA native was selected by the Twins in the third round (82nd overall) in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Edison High School. MLB Pipeline has Winokur rated as the Twins seventh best prospect.

Dasan Hill

Hill, 19, made one start for the Mighty Mussels at Tampa, pitching 3.0 shutout innings, with one hit allowed, two walks and five strikeouts. The Grapevine, TX native was selected by the Twins in the second round (69th overall) in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Grapevine High School. He is ranked by MLB.com Pipeline as the club’s 13th-best prospect and seventh-best pitcher.

Twins Minor League Report, 6-7-2025.PDF

Twins minor league players of the week

The Minnesota Twins announced that High-A Cedar Rapids infielder Kyle DeBarge and Low-A Fort Myers left-handed pitcher Dasan Hill have been named Twins minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week.

Kyle DeBarge

DeBarge, 21, played in six games for the Kernels, hitting .304 (7-for-23) with one double, two home runs, eight RBI, five walks and a 1.037 OPS. The Lake Charles, Louisiana native was selected by the Twins in the Compensatory Round (loss of Sonny Gray), 33rd overall, in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. The Twins agreed to a slightly below-slot signing bonus of $2.4 million with the right-handed hitting Kyle DeBarge. The 21-year-old is an elite contact hitter and just the second Ragin Cajun ever drafted in the first round.

Dasan Hill

Hill, 19, made the start with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on April 26, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings, with one hit allowed two walks, striking out eight of his 14 batters faced. The Grapevine, Texas native was selected by the Twins in the second round (69th overall) of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Grapevine High School. Hill, a lefty is the club’s 13th-best prospect according to MLB.com Pipeline.

Twins Minor League Report, 5-1-2025.PDF

Twins minor league players of the week

The Minnesota Twins have named Double-A Wichita catcher/outfielder Ricardo Olivar and Low-A Fort Myers right-handed pitcher Cole Peschl as Twins minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week.

Ricardo Olivar

Ricardo Olivar, 23, played in four games for the Wichita Wind Surge this week, going 8-for-17 (.471) with two doubles, one home run, four RBI and a 1.265 OPS. Olivar, a right-handed batter who splits his time catching and playing the outfield is ranked as the club’s 16th-best prospect, per MLB.com.

Cole Peschl

Cole Peschl, 22, made the start on Friday at Clearwater, pitching 5 shutout innings, with three hits allowed, two walks and nine strikeouts. The Fairmont, West Virginia native was selected by the Twins in the 15th round of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC.

Twins Minor League Report, 4-25-2025.PDF

Twins minor league players of the week

The Minnesota Twins have named Low-A Fort Myers right-handed pitcher Jason Doktorczyk and Double-A Wichita outfielder Kyler Fedko as Twins minor league Pitcher and Player of the Week.

Jason Doktorczyk

Jason Doktorczyk, 22, started for the Mighty Mussels on Friday vs. Bradenton, allowing three unearned runs on four hits in 5.0 innings pitched, with no walks and 10 strikeouts. The Long Beach, CA native was selected by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Kyler Fedko

Kyler Fedko, 25, played in five games for the Wind Surge, hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two home runs, five RBI, four walks, a .455 on-base percentage and a 1.121 OPS. The Gibsonia, PA native was selected by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Connecticut.

Twins Minor League Report, 4-19-2025.PDF

Twins cut minor league catcher Derek Bender for tipping pitches

The Twins released their sixth-round draft pick from July after they learned he informed opposing hitters what pitches were coming as his minor league team competed for a playoff berth, the Minnesota Star Tribune confirmed. Derek Bender, a catcher from Coastal Carolina, lasted less than two months in the Twins organization after he received a $297,500 signing bonus. Sources indicate that Bender will get to keep the money.

After Fort Myers dropped the first three games, ESPN first reported Bender tipped off pitches to Lakeland Tigers hitters in the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 6. Lakeland scored four runs in the second inning against lefty pitcher Ross Dunn, and Fort Myers was eliminated with a 6-0 loss. Fort Myers won its final two games.

Fort Myers coaches were notified by Lakeland coaches about Bender’s pitch tipping after the game, sources said. Bender’s willingness to tip pitches surprised Lakeland players, and there were no indications of wrongdoing from the Flying Tigers, sources said. Bender had told teammates he wanted the season to be over, according to sources. You have to wonder why the home plate umpire said nothing.

Bender spent the final two games of the season, which the Mussels won, in the team’s bullpen instead of his typical place in the dugout, sources said. Bender batted .200 in 19 games with two homers, two doubles and eight RBI.

UPDATE on 2/27/2025