Minnesota Twins minor league standouts in July 2017
The Minnesota Twins minor league system had a very good month in July. The Twins have a winning record currently at every minor league level, with four teams currently set up to be in the playoffs if the season ended on July 31st.
We’ll open looking at the current season-long minor league top 5 in various statistical categories, and then the monthly performeance and season-long leaders for each individual affiliate.
We’ll start with the season long leaders:
Organizational Leaders (minimum 150 PA/50 IP for rate stats)
BA: Zack Granite .361, Chris Paul .351, Jermaine Palacios .319, Jonathan Rodriguez .317, Max Murphy .301 OBP: Zack Granite .414, Jonathan Rodriguez .413, Chris Paul .402, LaMonte Wade .393, Max Murphy .376 SLG: Andy Wilkins .523, Jonathan Rodriguez .516, Mitch Garver .509, Jermaine Palacios .505, Chris Paul .495 R: Jermaine Palacios 72, Jonathan Rodriguez 68, Max Murphy 67, Nick Gordon 61, LaMonte Wade 58 H: Jermaine Palacios 130, Max Murphy 119, Matt Hague 113, Nick Gordon 112, Jonathan Rodriguez 110 2B: Lewin Diaz 27, Thomas Field 26, Nick Gordan and Jonathan Rodriguez 24, Max Murphy and Zander Wiel 23 3B: Travis Blankenhorn 10; Jermaine Palacios 9; Nick Gordon 7; Christian Cavaness, Ryan Walker, Yeltsin Encarnacion 6 HR: Jonathan Rodriguez and Mitch Garver 15; Jermaine Palacios and Jaylin Davis 13; Aaron Whitefield, T.J. White, Lewin Diaz 10 RBI: Jonathan Rodriguez and Jaylin Davis 58, Lewin Diaz 57, Jermaine Palacios 56, Nick Gordon 53 SB: Tanner English 29, Aaron Whitefield 27, Zack Granite 18, Jermaine Palacios 16, Samuel Vasquez 13 W: Aaron Slegers 12, Clark Beeker and Fernando Romero 10, Dereck Rodriguez 9, Four with 8 IP: Sean Poppen 119 1/3, Aaron Slegers 118, Clark Beeker 113, Eduardo Del Rosario 112 1/3, Dereck Rodriguez 110 1/3 ERA: Sam Clay 1.29, Tyler Wells 2.14, Nik Turley 2.17, Luke Bard 2.31, Clark Beeker 2.31 WHIP: Clark Beeker 0.97, Tyler Wells 1.02, Nik Turley 1.02, Ryan Eades 1.02, Stephen Gonsalves 1.04 SV: John Curtiss 18, Hector Lujan 11, Thomas Hackimer and Sam Clay 9, Nick Anderson and Trevor Hindenberger 6 K: Fernando Romero 112, Nik Turley 109, Sean Poppen 105, Eduardo Del Rosario 98, Dereck Rodriguez 95 K/9: Luke Bard 13.3, Nik Turley 12.5, Tyler Wells 12.3, Stephen Gonsalves 10.3, Michael Theofanopoulos 10.1
BA: Matt Hague .302 OBP: Kennys Vargas .403 SLG: Mitch Garver .567 HR: Mitch Garver 8 SB: Niko Goodrum 5 G: John Curtiss, Jake Reed 9 IP: Aaron Slegers 36 1/3 K: Tim Melville 28 ERA: Michael Tonkin 0.90 WHIP: Alex Wimmers 0.80
Hitter of the month:Mitch Garver has been pushing himself forward every step of the way since he was the third catcher the Twins drafted in his draft year. His offensive performance in July forced him into the lineup on an every day basis, and his work behind the plate allowed the Twins to feel comfortable trading away John Ryan Murphy and bringing in more of a true backup behind Garver at Rochester. In July, he hit .244/.340/.567, scoring 21 runs, hitting 5 doubles and 8 home runs, driving in 16 runs, and even stealing a base.
Pitcher of the month: Standing a towering 6’10” on the mound, Aaron Slegers is already an imposing presence on the mound, but when he is locked in and pounding the zone with his pitches that get tremendous downward plane due to his height, it’s near impossible to hit him. While Slegers has been having a tremendous season all year, he took it to another level in July, making 5 starts and winning all 5, throwing 36 1/3 innings with a 0.99 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and a 4/22 BB/K ratio.
July Record: 22-8 Overall Record: 70-38, 28-10 second half, 1st place North division (already clinched playoff spot with first half division title)
Overall Leaders
BA: Carlos Paulino .375 OBP: Carlos Paulino .461 SLG: Andy Wilkins .523 HR: Jonathan Rodriguez 15 SB: Nick Gordon 12 G: Luke Bard 32 IP: Felix Jorge 107 2/3 K: Fernando Romero 112 ERA: Nik Turley 0.37 WHIP: Nik Turley 0.53
Month Leaders
BA: Jonathan Rodriguez .383 OBP: Jonathan Rodriguez .455 SLG: Jonathan Rodriguez .652 HR: Andy Wilkins, Jonathan Rodriguez 6 SB: Ryan Walker 4 G: Luke Bard, Nick Anderson 10 IP: Kohl Stewart 33 K: Fernando Romero, Stephen Gonsalves 36 ERA: Raul Fernandez 0.59 WHIP: Nick Anderson 0.39
Hitter of the month: Signed as a minor league free agent this season after spending the previous 8 years in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Jonathan Rodriguez has been one of the biggest positive surprises in the entire Minnesota Twins system this year. Leading the entire Twins system in OPS, home runs and RBI. In July, he had his best month yet, hitting .383/.455/.652 with 28 runs scored, 13 doubles, 6 home runs, 22 RBI, and even stole a base for good measure. Rodriguez may be earning a chance at AAA and maybe even a look at the major league level with his production this season.
Pitcher of the month: The Chattanooga bullpen has had multiple big name arms this season, from Nick Burdi to Jake Reed to Tyler Jay to many more. One of the guys who didn’t start with the team and found his way up to AA after a successful start of the year at high-A was Nick Anderson, a right-hander who was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers but had worked his way to independent ball before the Twins signed him in 2015. This year, Anderson was tremendous at Fort Myers before being promoted, and in July, Anderson had his best month as one of the closers for the Lookouts. He pitched in 10 games, throwing 10 1/3 innings and saving 4 games with a 0.87 ERA, 0.39 WHIP, and putting up a stellar 1/14 BB/K ratio.
July Record: 17-14 Overall Record: 56-51, 23-16 second half record, 3rd in South Division
Overall Leaders
BA: Chris Paul .351 OBP: Chris Paul .402 SLG: Chris Paul .495 HR: Zander Wiel 8 SB: Tanner English 23 G: Sam Clay 35 IP: Brady Anderson 85 K: Cody Stashak 72 ERA: Andrew Vasquez 0.00 WHIP: Nick Anderson 0.79
Month Leaders
BA: Sean Miller .313 OBP: Max Murphy .367 SLG: Sean Miller .427 HR: Tanner English 4 SB: Tanner English 13 G: Thomas Hackimer, Alex Muren 10 IP: Sean Poppen 32 1/3 K: Sean Poppen, Lewis Thorpe 24 ERA: Sam Clay, Andrew Vasquez 0.00 WHIP: Eduardo Del Rosario 0.64
Hitter of the month: Though his batting average wasn’t great and he strikes out plenty, there was no one as dynamic in the Fort Myers lineup in July as Tanner English. He had a line on the month of .216/.345/.412 with a 129-point OBP delta and 196 ISO, with 20 runs scored, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 14 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.
Pitcher of the month: With a performance good enough to earn him a promotion and no hesitation once he reached Fort Myers, Eduardo Del Rosario is really coming into his own more as the season wears on. While not an elite prospect, Del Rosario has quality stuff across the board that should allow him to work deep into games as a potential quality #3/4 starter. Just two days ago, Ben Chase of Puckett’s Pond put up a scouting report on Del Rosario, and he went out with a peculiar, albeit quality performance that evening in his second start with Fort Myers. Overall, his July stats between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers were 27 innings with a 1.33 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and a 5/17 BB/K ratio.
July Record: 13-15 Overall Record: 57-52, 18-21 second half, 5th in Western division, clinched playoff spot in first half
Overall Leaders
BA: Jermaine Palacios .320 OBP: Jermaine Palacios .362 SLG: Jermaine Palacios .544 HR: Jaylin Davis 12 SB: Aaron Whitefield 27 G: Colton Davis 34 IP: Clark Beeker 113 K: Eduardo Del Rosario ERA: Hector Lujan 1.48 WHIP: Thomas Hackimer 0.58
Month Leaders
BA: Lewin Diaz .296 OBP: Caleb Hamilton .347 SLG: Joe Cronin .417 HR: Joe Cronin 3 SB: Aaron Whitefield 9 G: Patrick McGuff, Ryan Mason, Hector Lujan 9 IP: Clark Beeker 32 K: Patrick McGuff 25 ERA: Colton Davis 0.00 WHIP: Patrick McGuff 0.75
Hitter of the month: While he’s had better months than July, the down month of July for the Cedar Rapids offense really brought forward how dynamic Aaron Whitefield‘s season truly has been. He very well could finish with 10+ doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases (he’s already achieved all but triples). His current season line of 10 home runs and 27 stolen bases is an example of just how dynamic his athleticism is on the field, though his strikeout rate is plenty high, and that was evident in July as well. Whitefield’s July line was .245/.309/.378 with 12 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 11 RBI, and 9 stolen bases.
Pitcher of the month: Sometimes a jewel can be found in the late rounds, and the Minnesota Twins may have one in Clark Beeker. His season stats with Cedar Rapids have been great with a 2.31 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 113 innings after being picked in the 33rd round out of Davidson College in the 2016 draft. In July, he took things to another level, with 5 starts, going 3-1, throwing 32 innings, with a 0.84 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and a 3/23 BB/K ratio.
July Record: 20-11 Overall Record: 26-14, 1st in West division
Overall Leaders
BA: Jordan Gore .389 OBP: Colton Waltner .467 SLG: Brent Rooker .588 HR: Brent Rooker, Jose Miranda 7 SB: Mark Contreras 4 G: Juan Gamez, Jose Martinez 10 IP: Melvi Acosta 35.2 K: Edwar Colina 37 ERA: Jovani Moran 0.00 WHIP: Ryley Widell 0.70
Month Leaders
BA: Shane Carrier .390 OBP: Rainis Silva .468 SLG: Shane Carrier .630 HR: Jose Miranda 6 SB: Mark Contreras 4 G: Jared Finkel 8 IP: Melvi Acosta 30 2/3 K: Edwar Colina 29 ERA: Charlie Barnes 0.44 WHIP: Ryley Widell 0.70
Hitter of the month: He doesn’t show up in a single one of the leader boards, but he is within a point or two of all three rate stats. Andrew Bechtold was drafted in the 5th round from Chipola College this year in a strong class from the school, and many assumed he’d be a guy that took a few years to develop but had a high ceiling. If July is any indication, he may be getting to that high ceiling sooner than imagined! In July, Bechtold hit .387/.467/.629 with 17 runs, 7 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI.
Pitcher of the month: The Twins signed Edwar Colina as an “older” signee, already 18 when he signed out of Venezuela in September of 2015. After a year in the Dominican Summer League in 2016, Colina jumped up to Elizabethton this season, and he’s performed very well all season, but he threw at his best in July. In 5 July starts, Colina threw 24 2/3 innings, posting a 2.19 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 10/29 BB/K ratio.
July Record: 15-12 Overall Record: 20-14, first place in the South division
Overall Leaders
BA: Alex Robles .327 OBP: Kerby Camacho .472 SLG: Kerby Camacho .464 HR: Royce Lewis and Alex Robles 3 SB: Royce Lewis 10 G: Amilcar Cruz and Vadim Balan 9 IP: Pedro Garcia 31 K: Pedro Garcia 25 ERA: Brusdar Graterol 1.40 WHIP: Blayne Enlow 0.60
Month Leaders
BA: Ben Rodriguez .343 OBP: Colton Burns .526 SLG: Ben Rodriguez .507 HR: Alex Robles, Royce Lewis 2 SB: Royce Lewis 7 G: Juan Mojica, Amilcar Cruz 7 IP: Pedro Garcia 19 1/3 K: Carlos Suniaga 18 ERA: Brusdar Graterol 1.76 WHIP: Brusdar Graterol 0.85
Hitter of the month: When the Minnesota Twins announced their 6’6″, 235-pound (more like 250, but we’ll leave that alone for now) 38th-round selection in this past June’s draft as a catcher, many were surprised to say the least, but that is exactly the position that Ben Rodriguez played at Pepperdine. In spite of his huge frame and prodigious batting practice power displays, he struggled to bring that power into games, which is how the Twins got him so late. He’s played first base for the Twins so far, and the ball hasn’t been leaving the yard, but he’s done nothing but hit, and July was impressive, as Rodriguez hit .343/.443/.507 with 9 runs, 6 doubles, a triple, a home run, 20 RBI, and 4 stolen bases.
Pitcher of the month: He’s no longer with the GCL team simply because of the strength of his performance in July, earning him a promotion to Elizabethton. Brusdar Graterol has not been healthy enough to show off the incredible abilities his arm possesses before this summer, but he’s definitely letting people know with his performance so far this season. In July for GCL, he made 4 appearances, throwing 15 1/3 innings, posting a 1.76 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and a 4/17 BB/K ratio.
Hitter of the month: There have been truly two forces with the DSL team this year. Alberoni Nunez made July his own by leading the team in all three slash categories, but he’s had a great season overall, not just one hot month. Nunez turned 18 in February but was signed last July, so he is in his first professional season, and in June, he hit .500/.554/.793 with 15 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 18 RBI, and 3 stolen bases.
Pitcher of the month: Signed last summer, Michael Montero is a big guy for just 17 years old at 6’3″ and 190 pounds, and he is one of the few DSL pitchers regularly pitching deep into his starts, but this month, he really threw well. In July, Montero made 5 starts, throwing 24 1/3 innings, with a 2.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a 9/27 BB/K ratio.
