Minnesota Twins Fall and Winter League Update

Minnesota Twins Winter League and Fall League Update

With multiple members of the Minnesota Twins organization playing in winter and fall leagues, this is your one spot to get a check on how each is doing!

Arizona Fall League

Chris Paul – Off to an excellent start this season with Fort Myers before a broken hamate bone stalled out his season. He still finished with a .328/.380/.471 season with Fort Myers, but he was part of the AFL in part to make up for missed time. He’s certainly done that, hitting .308/.333/.346 in 6 games for surprise between 1B and 3B. He also won the Bowman Hitting Challenge on Saturday evening.

Tyler Jay – The former first-round pick has shown very well, even in one poor performance, showing good health, good velocity, and a tick up in his raw stuff out of the bullpen. He’s got a 4.91 ERA, but he had not allowed an earned run through his first 3 appearances. MLB.com Twins reporter Rhett Bollinger reported that Jay’s arm is showing health and could lead to a quick ascent to the major leagues in 2018.

LaMonte Wade – Stuck in a slump since arriving in Arizona, Wade busted out on Friday night. He’s showing his typical excellent eye at the plate, with a 3/2 BB/K ratio over 26 at bats. He’s currently hitting .231/.333/.423

Ryan Eades, Andrew Vasquez, Thomas Hackimer – The rest of the trio of relievers the Twins have in the AFL (outside of Jay) have combined for 13 innings pitched, a 2/11 BB/K, and just 2 earned runs combined, each showing well in their respective hopeful future role.

Sean Miller – The utility infielder has struggled some, but he’s showing well defensively around the infield with the AFL.

Dominican Winter League

The DWL has been playing for 10 days so far, and the Twins have four players on three teams. Williams Ramirez has yet to pitch for Aguilas Cibaenas on the season, but he is on the active roster. Gigantes del Cibao has two Twins on the roster, with lefty reliever Randy Rosario having made one appearance, throwing a scoreless inning with a strikeout. Catcher Carlos Paulino has hit .214/.267/.286 over 4 games. David Hurlbut is pitching for Tigres del Licey, and he’s thrown in one game, pitching 2 innings without allowing a run, posting a 2/1 BB/K ratio.

Puerto Rican Winter League

The rosters have not officially been announced for the Puerto Rican league, which starts in 5 days on October 27th. However, Twins Kennys Vargas, Jonathan Rodriguez, Lean Marrero, Nelson Molina, Eddie Rosario, and Dereck Rodriguez participated in the league last year, so there will certainly be Twins involved.

Venezuelan Winter League

The Twins have always populated the Venezuelan Winter League well, and 2017 is no different. Twelve days into the league and the five Minnesota Twins in the league have already shown well.

Anderson Munoz – Did not pitch with the Twins after being signed in March. Hard to find info on Munoz, but he’s started off his time in Venezuela well for sure, throwing in 3 games for Aguilas de Zulia, tallying 5 perfect innings with 5 strikeouts.

Anthony Marzi – Signed out of independent ball this season, Marzi showed well across both A-ball levels as a solid built lefty, with a 1.93 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 60 2/3 innings, with a 16/42 BB/K ratio. Marzi has struggled in 2 starts so far, with a 6.48 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 2/5 BB/K over 8 1/3 innings for Bravos de Margarita.

Leonardo Reginatto – Marzi’s teammate in Venezuela spent the season in Rochester in his second season in the Twins system, hitting well at .303/.369/.390 in 86 games playing between 2B/3B. He has shown well defensively at both places. He’s continued hitting well in the VWL over 9 games, hitting .294/.342/.294 with a 3/4 BB/K ratio.

Henry Centeno – Signed as a minor league free agent from the Rays in 2017, Centeno spent his time in the GCL, but he only made 5 appearances, throwing 9 1/3 innings. He’s made just one appearance for Navegantes del Magallanes, allowing a run without recording an out.

Edwar Colina – Colina was signed ahead of 2016 and jumped from DSL to Elizabethton in 2017, throwing well for the advanced rookie level. He’s also playing for Magallanes, and he’s made 4 appearances, throwing 2 2/3 innings, allowing a 6.75 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, and 3/1 BB/K so far.

Next: Twins 2017 Rule 5 Preview

Australian Baseball League

Not all the rosters have been announced, but the Australian Baseball League has begun to announce the “foreign” players that will be part of teams, and it does include some notable former Twins.

Delmon Young was part of one of the biggest trades in recent Twins history for the wrong reasons. The Twins traded away a quality shortstop and very solid starter for the upside of the former #1 overall selection, and they quickly found out that they got the short end of the deal by quite a ways. Young will be playing for Melbourne this winter.

His teammate in Melbourne will be Mark Hamburger, who beyond his excellent last name is probably best known as the guy the Twins traded to Texas to get back Eddie Guardado in 2008, though that return did not end well. Hamburger was originally signed as an undrafted free agent after going undrafted out of Mounds View High School where he then went to Mesabi Range Community and Technical College in Virginia. He pitched for the St. Paul Saints in 2017.

Over in Adelaide, they are bringing back one of the more notorious former Twins prospects, 7’1″ tall Loek Van Mil, who last pitched in the minor leagues with Rochester in 2016. He’s worked as the closer for Adelaide the past two seasons, being absolutely dominant in the 2016/2017 season, when he posted a 0.40 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 8 saves and a 7/25 BB/K ratio over 18 games and 22 1/3 innings.

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Minnesota Twins: Fall/Winter League Update – Paul’s Big Day

By Benjamin Chase | Oct 22, 2017