The Twins new approach to starting rotation success

It has been the result of deep and secret discussions during the All Star break. What can the Twins do to have more success in their starting rotation. Should they trade for one or two new starters who would put them over the top? Should they try to create better game plans? Change their approach? Look at potential mechanics issues?

I am happy to report no in all the above.

Instead they decided to create a picture of unity and have an anthem. Their inspiration and anthem follow:

Inspiration:


Anthem:

Young man, there's no need to feel down
I said young man, pick yourself off the ground
I said young man, 'cause your in a new park
There's no need to be unhappy

Young man, there's a thing you can do
I said young man, when you're short on your stuff
You can do that and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good start

It's fun to grow facial hair
It's fun to grow facial hair
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can strike out all the boys

It's fun to grow facial hair
It's fun to grow facial hair
You can throw yourself strikes you can have a good start
You can win whanever you pitch

Young man, are you listening to me
I said young man, what do you wanna be
I said young man, you can make real your dreams
But you've got to know this one thing

No man does it all by himself
I said young man, put your pride on the shelf
And just grow facial hair
I'm sure they can help you today

It's fun to grow facial hair
It's fun to grow facial hair
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can strike out all the boys

It's fun to grow facial hair
It's fun to grow facial hair
You can throw yourself strikes you can have a good start
You can win whanever you pitch

Young Man, I was once in your shoes
I said I was, down and out with the blues
I felt no man cared if I were alive
I felt the whole world was so jive

That's when someone came up to me
And said young man go look at the mirror
There's a thing called growing facial hair
That can start you back on your way

It's fun to grow facial hair
It's fun to grow facial hair
Young man, young man there's no need to feel down
Young man, young man pick yourself off the ground

Facial hair and just grow facial hair

Pat Neshek, the forgotten man in the Twins organization

Exactly three months ago, I made the case that Pat Neshek should be the Twins' closer, in the absence of Joe Nathan. Unfortunately, these days he seems to be the forgotten man in the Twins organization by the fans, by the media and, unfortunately by the team.

Calls for improvement of the bullpen, either focus on acquiring second class outsize talent (Aardsma) or promoting one of the "Rochester studs", referring to Slama and Waldrop. I think that the solution is much easier: Promote Pat Neshek.

Pat played in 8 games already in Rochester and other than a single unfortunate outing when he was used in back to back games, he has been lights out. Here are his numbers compared to those of Slama and Waldrop, if you exclude that single outing:



There is no comparison. Pat has been twice as effective as Anthony Slama and is way ahead of Kyle Waldrop. Also he is on the 40-man roster.

I had the opportunity to watch Pat pitch against the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs (on the TV) a few days ago on June 29th. He pitched 2/3 of an inning and retired both batters he faced, striking out one of them. His velocity is back (the stadium radar was indicating between 88 and 91 fastball) and more importantly his movement, control and command are back. He needs to be in the bigs. The Twins need him in Minessota, instead of Ron Mahay, who has been an one batter pitcher and taking a spot from better players.

Is this another case of cutting your nose to spite your face situation, that Ron Gardenhire is so used to? If you remember, Pat was misdiagnosed earlier this year with a finger ailment by the Twins' medical staff. When he was correctly diagnosed with a palm ailment, he was frustrated and voiced his frustration publicly. Ron Gardenhire did not like that. I think that the Twins should really look into having the best players in Minnesota (I can make a similar case about Jose Morales vs. Drew Butera, but that's a whole different story) and do not try to stand behind the proven inept medical staff of this team.

Free Pat Neshek now!

Who is Hot in the Twins' Minors: Version 5

The latest installment of the Who is Hot in the Twins' minors, includes players from all levels of play, since all leagues are underway, including the 3 rookie leagues (Dominican Summer League, Gulf Coast League and Appalachian League.) Several recent Twins' draftees who have signed and started their pro careers appear in the listing.

Here is the list of who is hot in the minors:

Catchers:
Felix Gallardo (RHB, 19, R-DSL) .273/.543/.318 0 HR, 4 RBI, 35 PA
Jairo Rodriguez (RHB, 21, R-GCL) .333/.333/.500 0 HR, 2 RBI, 12 PA

Infielders:
D'Angelo Jimenez (SHB, 32, AAA) .349/.457/.546 11 HR, 69 RBI, 374 PA (incl. Mex. League stats)
Matt Macri (RHB, 28, AAA) .295/.362/.452 3 HR, 16 RBI, 164 PA
Andy Leer (RHB, 22, R-ELZ) .458/.500/.667 1 HR, 7 RBI, 24 PA
Hyeong-rok Choi (RHB, 20, R-ELZ) .313/.350/.500 1 HR, 3 RBI, 20 PA
Juan Blanco (RHB, 21, R-DSL) .364/.397/.473 0 HR, 4 RBI, 13 SB, 59 PA
Miguel Sano (RHB, 17, R-DSL) .315/.441/.556 3 HR, 9 RBI, 68 PA

Outfielders:

Joe Benson (RHB, 25, AA/A+) .262/.353/.536 4 HR, 34 RBI, 11 SB, 289 PA
Angel Morales (RHB, 20, A/A+) .286/.372/.444 4 HR, 38 RBI, 19 SB, 303 PA
Oswaldo Arcia (SHB, 19, R-ELZ) .455/.526/.939 4 HR, 9 RBI, 38 PA
Danny Ortiz (LHB, 20, R-ELZ) .290/.314/.645 2 HR, 6 RBI, 31 PA
Eddie Rozario (LHB, 18, R-GCL) .333/.391/.571 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 35 PA
Candido Pimentel (SHB, 19, R-GCL) .360/.407/.480 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SB, 25 PA
Kelvim Ortiz (RHB, 18, R-DSL) .391/.462/.609 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 SB, 52 PA


1st basemen/DH:

Brock Peterson (RHB, 26, AAA) .262/.339/.488 12 HR, 41 RBI, 290 PA
Kennys Vargas (SHB, 19, R-GCL) .435/.480/.652 1 HR, 3 RBI, 25 PA
Kelvim Sylvania (LHB, 19, R-GCL) .286/.348/.524 1 HR, 5 RBI, 23 PA


RH Starters:

Kyle Gibson (22, A+/AA) 3.10 ERA, 1.178 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 3.25 K/BB
Bobby Lanigan (23, A+) 2.25 ERA, 0.944 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 4.83 K/BB
Liam Hendricks (21, A/A+) 1.66 ERA, 0.826 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 9.78 K/BB
Tom Stuifbergen (21, A) 1.49 ERA, 1.128 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 4.00 K/BB
BJ Hermsen (20, A) 3.75 ERA, 1.192 WHIP, 4.7 K/9, 2.36 K/BB
Pedro Guerra (20, R-GCL) 0.90 ERA, 0.600 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 2.00 K/BB
Cesar Ciurcina (19, R-GCL) 1.64 ERA, 0.663 WHIP, 4.9 K/9, INF K/BB
Ezequiel Zarzyla (19, R-DSL) 2.05 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 2.57 K/BB
Sterling Bonilla (18, R-DSL) 0.95 ERA, 0.895 WHIP, 5.2 K/9, 3.67 K/BB
Jose Jimenez (18, R-DSL) 2.81 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 3.4 K/9, 0.86 K/BB
Orlando Villaroel (20, R-DSL) 2.84 ERA, 1.066 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 1.91 K/BB

LH Starters:

Dan Osterbrock (23, A/A+) 2.59 ERA, 1.115 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 3.50 K/BB
Martire Garcia (20, R-ELZ) 0.000 ERA, 1.167 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, 2.67 K/BB

RH Relievers:

Anthony Slama (26, AAA) 1.40 ERA, 0.889 WHIP, 10.2 K/9, 2.43 K/BB
Kyle Waldrop (24, AAA) 1.02 ERA, 1.038 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 3.27 K/BB
Kane Holbrooks (23, A) 1.56 ERA, 1.116 WHIP, 12.7 K/9, 4.75 K/BB
Mark Trau (19, R-GCL) 0.00 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 13.5 K/9, 3.00 K/BB
Angel Mata (17, R-DSL) 3.75 ERA, 1.083 WHIP, 12.8 K/9, 5.67 K/BB
Edgar Martinez (19, R-DSL) 2.25 ERA, 1.083 WHIP, 3.8 K/9, 2.50 K/BB
Junior Subero (18, R-DSL) 2.92 ERA, 1.135 WHIP, 5.1 K/9, 1.75 K/BB

LH Relievers:

Spencer Steedley (25, AA) 2.60 ERA, 1.096 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 2,57 K/BB
Jose Gonzalez (20, A+) 1.20 ERA, 0.867 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 2.63 K/BB
Andrei Lobanov (20, A+/R-ELZ) 1.91 ERA, 1.129 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, 5.00 K/BB
Nelvin Fuentes (21, R-ELZ) 1.80 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 3.00 K/BB

Thoughts about the Twins rotation

The Twins have just finished their annual interleague series, with results that did not fulfill expectations, posting an overall losing record, for the first time since 2005. This fact, in addition to an 11-game winning streak by the White Sox and a decent interleague performance by the Tigers, which brought these 2 teams one-and-a-half and half a game respectively, behind the Twins in the standing, has triggered a lot of speculation about the team with most fingers pointing towards the starting rotation. Trade speculation that will bring in pitchers like Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt to the Twins has been rampart, and in the national media as well.

I am attempting to examine the performance of the Twins starting pitchers, compare it to that of a few pitchers, including Lee's and Oswalt's, and will share my thoughts.

I will use 2 criteria to look at pitching performance:

• Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP)

and

• Expected Pitching Efficiency (xPE). I do like (and prefer) using PE, (K/9*K/BB)/WHIP, and xPE, PE*(BABIP/.295), as pitching performance indicators, but I am adding the more widely used xFIP

Here is the performance of Twins' starters, the AL average starters and a couple of other pitchers, including some historic data:

• Clearly (esp, as far as xPE is concerned, and xFIP pretty much agrees), the Twins have four above average pitchers in their rotation, and a fifth, Nick Blackburn, which is pitching at about replacement level. A quick look at the BABIP of the Twins' pitchers, will show that, with the exception of Pavano, it has been extremely high, and it is due for a correction that would result in more success, in terms of ERA and W-L, for the Twins starters. However, Blackburn's peripherals, esp. K/9 and K/BB are extremely low to make him a league average pitcher, even with the BABIP correction. I have criticized the contract extension and my reasoning was that (because of his conditionally low PE) he projects as a number 5 starter in a competitive team, and you do not lock your number five starter long term.


• Replacing Blackburn in the rotation, is pretty much imperative at this point. One of the arguments for bringing in Lee or Oswalt is that "the Twins lack a true Ace" and the newcomer will be that ace for the Twins' run in the post-season. If you look at Liriano's performance, both as far as xPE and (mostly) as far as xFIP is concerned, he is an Ace. His performance has been better than that of Johan Santana's in his last year with the Twins and that of both Lee (his 2010 xPE is off the charts, because of low BB/9) and Oswalt in both of their last 2 season. So, myth debunked: The Twins do have an ace, and his name is Fransisco Liriano.



• I think that unless Lee divides the clubhouse (and there have been a lot of questions about both his clubhouse presence and his character, and some indications of that were obvious to the Twins' fans with the infamous Gomez incident in 2008), I think that he will be a worthwhile addition, paired with Fransisco Liriano (a fellow lefty) on the top of the rotation. What will it take to pry Lee from the Mariners. There was a report that a trade was made involving Ramos, Duensing and an outfield prospect, which fell through because of Ramos oblique injury. I do not believe this trade rumor, mainly because it will be overpaying for the Twins. I think that Ramos will be the centerpiece in any package. Reportedly, Seattle wants "young outfielders" (is it because the Twins have many of those?) in addition to a young catcher. The Twins could really fit that bill with players like Benson and Roberts, but adding players like Hicks, Revere and Angel Morales will be overpaying. Personally I would like to see both Glen Perkins and Nick Blackburn go to the Mariners (the Twins might have to pay some of Blackburn's ill-advised contract), because it will be win-win situation for anyone involved: The Twins open 3 spots (Ramos' as well) on their 40-man roster, enabling them to add players like Waldrop and Slama, and a spot on the 25-man roster. The Mariners get two pitchers who had relative success in the majors in the past and they can resurrect their careers in a new environment in the Mariners' large ballpark.


• Oswalt on the other hand, would be better than Blackburn (not a tall order, Duensing will be better than Blackburn at this point) but not a top of the rotation starter. He never pitched in the AL before and all pitchers that made the NL to AL move later in their careers have not been able to translate NL success to AL success.


• How about Slowey? Disappointing season so far. In the last 3 games his velocity fell by about 2 mph (both average FB velocity and max FB velocity). I hope that he is not having injury problems and it is an adjustment that he is making that results in the decreased velocity. To be noted: Opponents hit for a 1.208 OPS off Slowey (and 1.341 OPS off Blackburn) when paired with Drew Butera vs. a .780 OPS off Slowey (and .953 off Blackburn) when paired with Joe Mauer. Slowey should always pitch at Mauer. Gardenhire, could adjusts Mauer's days off to coincide with the pitching days of Pavano (.663 oOPS with Mauer and .601 oOPS with Butera) or even Baker (.845 oOPS with Mauer and .740 oOPS with Butera.) There is no reason that Butera should not be Pavano's "personal catcher". That concept (the back up catcher catching one pitcher who has been successful with him as a catcher, unless there are injuries) has been a very wide spread practice and should be applied in this situation. I have been calling for Butera to go to AAA and be replaced by Morales since Morales was healthy, but it seems that there is a mis-understanding between Gardenhire and Morales at this point... Regardless, Butera has no business catching Slowey.


• The Twins are starting a critical 3 game series at home against Detroit today. Sweeping Detroit might make things a lot better, but, still, some changes (replacing Blackburn and selective use of Butera) should be in the Twins' future, as far as the starting rotation is concerned....

GIDP: It "happens" or is it part of the "Twins way"?

Phil Mackey last night had a great article at ESPN1500.com, discussing the Twins' tendencies to hit into double plays this season, which has been a rally-killer. There was a very interesting quote by Ron Gardenhire:

"It's just what it is. When you get the big boys up there, you're looking for doubles and homers. And it's not a situation where you run. You've got to have guys that can run before you run. When Kubel's on, he's not a guy you're going to run with. When Kubel's at the plate, you want to leave the hole (open) and make them leave (the first baseman) on, hoping he'll hook a ball through the hole... Double plays are going to happen."

So do double plays just "happen" or is it in the Twins' DNA?

To try to answer this question, I looked at the ranking of various Twins' teams in the MLB (and the AL) for GIDP (in descending order, so #1 is the team that hit into most double plays this season) for the past 15 seasons. There has been enough player turnover within this time period. Here are the rankings:

2010: 1st
2009: 2nd (1st in AL)
2008: 8th (5th in AL)
2007: 4th (2nd in AL)
2006: 3rd (3rd in AL)
2005: 1st
2004: 10th (6th in AL)
2003: 7th (2nd in AL)
2002: 23th
------ Tom Kelly---
2001: 14th
2000: 6th (4th in AL)
1999: 3rd (2nd in AL)
1998: 1st

So, other than a couple of seasons, the Twins have been pretty high in GIDP and leading the league several times. That happened both in the Gardenhire and Tom Kelly era, so it not on the manager. I believe that it is part of the "Twins' way" of doing things, which is ingrained in the managerial philosophy of the club.

Who is Hot in the Twins' Minors: Version 4

The fourth installment of the Who is hot in the Twins' minors, includes the DSL players, since the league starting play earlier this month. Several DSL players are included in this listing.

Here is the list of who is hot in the minors:

Catchers:
Felix Gallardo (RHB, 19, R-DSL) .375/.615/.375 0 HR, 2 RBI, 13 PA

Infielders:
Matt Macri (RSHB, 28, AAA) .286/.365/.464 3 HR, 14 RBI, 127 PA
Juan Blanco (RHB, 21, R-DSL) .440/.462/.600 0 HR, 3 RBI, 6 SB, 26 PA
Miguel Sano (RHB, 17, R-DSL) .269/.355/.654 2 HR, 5 RBI, 31 PA

Outfielders:

Jason Repko (RHB, 29, AAA) .300/.386/.450 5 HR, 24 RBI, 9 SB, 209 PA
Dustin Martin (LHB, 26, AAA) .302/.368/.459 5 HR, 33 RBI, 191 PA
Brandon Roberts (LHB, 25, AA/A+) .339/.418/.417 1 HR, 17 RBI, 10 SB, 149 PA
Kelvim Ortiz (RHB, 18, R-DSL) .375/.444/.625 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 SB, 27 PA


1st basemen/DH:


RH Starters:

Kyle Gibson (22, A+/AA) 2.28 ERA, 1.067 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 3.35 K/BB
Bobby Lanigan (23, A+) 2.70 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 7.00 K/BB
Bruce Pugh (21, A+) 3.43 ERA, 1.195 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 3.36 K/BB
Liam Hendricks (21, A) 1.60 ERA, 0.795 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 8.00 K/BB
Tom Stuifbergen (21, A) 1.49 ERA, 1.128 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 4.00 K/BB
Micheal Tonkin (20, A) 2.65 ERA, 1.176 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 4.00 K/BB
Ezequiel Zarzyla (19, R-DSL) 1.64 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 3.33 K/BB
Sterling Bonilla (18, R-DSL) 0.00 ERA, 0.188 WHIP, 5.1 K/9, INF K/BB
Jose Jimenez (18, R-DSL) 3.60 ERA, 0.800 WHIP, 4.5 K/9, 1.67 K/BB


LH Starters:

Dan Osterbrock (23, A/A+) 2.83 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 3.73 K/BB

RH Relievers:

Matt Fox (27, AAA) 2.76 ERA, 1.112 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 2.79 K/BB
Anthony Slama (26, AAA) 1.85 ERA, 0.941 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 2.35 K/BB
Kyle Waldrop (24, AAA) 1.23 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 3.50 K/BB
Matthew Williams (23, A+/AA) 3.38 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 3.60 K/BB
Kane Holbrooks (23, A) 1.80 ERA, 1.143 WHIP, 12.3 K/9, 4.80 K/BB
Junior Subero (18, R-DSL) 0.00 ERA, 0.333 WHIP, 3.0 K/9, INF K/BB
Jose Jimenez (18, R-DSL) 0.00 ERA, 0.750 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 1.33 K/BB

LH Relievers:

Spencer Steedley (25, AA) 2.60 ERA, 1.096 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 2,57 K/BB
Jose Gonzalez (20, A+) 0.00 ERA, 0.500 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, INF K/BB
Andrei Lobanov (20, A+) 2.25 ERA, 1.313 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 5.33 K/BB

Reactions by the Twins 2010 draftees

The last three days I have been live blogging the Twins' picks of the 2010 MLB draft and have been presenting profiles of each drafted player, along with scouting reports and videos of the draftees. Here, I am attempting to summarize the reactions of the draftees on their local press. These early reactions both by the local press and the draftees will give clues about their sign-ability, especially regarding later round picks who are college Juniors, community college and high school players.

In draft pick order:

1. Alex Wimmers ,RHP, Ohio State: He was quoted in Springfield News and Sun, saying that he "feels like the Twins picked a great player in him and feels like hes fit the organization extremely well. He is just extremely excited to get the opportunity to pitch for the Twins.". His father, Jim Wimmers was quoted by the Columbus Dispatch, saying that "this is a dream coming true" for his son.



2. Niko Goodrum, SS, Fayette County HS, Fayetteville, GA. Goodrum was quoted by the Fayette County news, saying: "I've been getting phone calls non-stop. It's a great feeling. I didn't think it was going to be the Twins that drafted me, but I'm happy." Also quoted by MLB.com, saying "pro ball all the way", suggesting that he will likely sign.



3. Pat Dean, LHP, Boston College. The American Chronicle suggests that Pat "said he expects to sign a contract and report to the Twins.". The Boston Herald quotes Pat, saying: "“Absolutely it’s incredible. It’s an excellent organization and I couldn’t ask for a better organization."



4. Eddie Rosario, OF,Rafael Lopez Landron HS, Guayama, PR. At this time, there are no news reports with reactions of Eddie Rosario or his family



5. Nate Roberts OF, High Point University, NC. The Northwest Herald quotes Nate saying: “I thought it was going to be the Cubs or the Twins who drafted me. The Twins were the team I was hoping I would get drafted by.”



6. Logan Darnell, LHP, Kentucky. A press release from the University of Kentucky. MLB.com quotes Logan, saying that he is excited and the fact that his teammate from Kentuky, Lance Ray, was also drafted by the Twins, will "make the transition easier"



7. Matt Hauser, RHP, Univesity of California San Diego. The Daily Pilot reports that he "is now a Twins fan because they are allowing him to continue his baseball career." also he was quoted being surprised that he was taken that early, saying: "I thought I was going to go anywhere from the 15th round to the 25th."



8. Lance Ray, OF.Kentucky. A press release from the University of Kentucky. The Record Courrier quotes Ray saying that he "will likely either sign with the Twins and head for the minor leagues, or play summer ball in the Cape Cod League and return to Kentucky for his senior year. Either way, it's so exciting.”



9. Kyle Knudson, C , Minnesota. Knudson was quoted by MLB.com, saying: "I've been a Twins fan my whole life, so it's great. It's definitely something I've dreamed of since I was little. I'm just excited to get the opportunity to play for them." . American Chronicle has an interview with Kyle.



10. J.D. Williams, SS, Brooks-DeBartolo HS, Tampa FL. Son of former MLB player Reggie Williams, drafted the same day as his brother, Reggie Jr. His farher, Reggie, Sr. was quoted by St. Petersburg Times, saying: "That's really exciting, man. Everyone wants to get drafted in the first round, but I've told my boys now they've got to show they were worthy of getting drafted in the 10th round and prove they should have been drafted nine rounds higher. It's a great honor. You can't take it for granted." JD has committed to Maryland where he was going to play second base and bat lead off.



11. Tyler Kuresa, 1B, Oakmont HS, Roseville, CA. Kuresa has a scholarship at the University of Oregon. The Roseville Press Tribune has an excellent article with several quotes from Kuresa. The summary is that he is excited to be selected by the Twins, the Twins had informed him that they will pick him in the second round and that he expects,2nd round bonus ($500,000), otherwise we will go to College.



12. Steven Maxwell, RHP,Texas Christian University. At this time there are no news of Maxwell's reaction to the pick. He is a redshirt junior.



13. Ryan O'Rourke,LHP, Merrimack College, MA. The Eagle-Tribune quotes Ryan saying: "All the hard work has finally given me the dream that all kids try to achieve. I couldn't be happier to be a Twin and hope to work even harder once I get there." The News Telegram quotes him saying: "I’m thrilled, so happy to be with the Twins’ organization.”



14. DeAndre SmelterRHP,Tattnall Square Academy, Macon, GA. DeAndre has been characterized as a difficult pick to sign, by most media. He has a commitment to Georgia Tech, and the Twins' front office has been suggesting that because he is a 2-sport athlete, they could spread the signing bonus over 5 years, like they did with Joe Mauer. The Macon Telegraph quotes DeAndre saying "honestly, I have no clue about the timetable of the decision



15. Thomas Girdwood, RHP, Elon, NC. No past draft reaction by the Junior, but pre-draft, the Times News quotes him saying that "a top ten (round) selection, is the goal.



16. Clint Dempster LHP,Nicholls State, LA. No reaction, but Dempster is a Junior and he did not sign with the Mariners after being drafted in the 31st round of the 2009 draft out of his Junior College.



17. Devin Grigg, RHP, Cal State East Bay. He is a Senior. No reaction by Devin, but his coach was quoted saying: "This is a great opportunity for Devin. To become a major league player is something Devin always wanted to do. He is very athletic and fits the baseball profile."



18. David Gutierrez, RHP, Miami. Borther of Carlos Gutierrez, currently with the New Britain Rock Cats. Did not sign when drafted by the Twins in 2009, but currently a Senior. No reaction to the draft by David.
    
    
19. Matt ArguelloLHP, Davidson HS, Mobile, AL. Committed to South Alabama. Alabama Press-Register quotes Matt saying that he's unsure what the future holds and he has no timetable for determining whether he'll turn pro. Twins officials plan to watch him play in summer tournaments to better determine how much of a signing bonus to offer.



20. Cody MartinRHP, Gonzaga. He is a Junior. No reaction yet, just a press release by Gonzaga.



21. Nathan Fawbush, RHP, Georgia Perimeter JC,. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is talking about his destination being Elizabethton. Looks like he will sign.



22. Dillon Moyer, SS, Pendleton School, Bradenton, FL. The Philadelphia Daily News quotes Jaime Moyer's son saying on whether he will sign with the Twins or attend UC Irvine: "We'll see, it depends on a lot of things." An interesting article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, with Jamie Moyer's reactions to his son's drafting.



23. Dallas Gallant, RHP, Sam Houston State ,TX. The Huntsville Item quotes Gallant (a Junior) saying: “This is really a great opportunity for me. (Signing) depends on the offer they give me. They said that they were going to send me a contract in the mail and once we get it, we will go with it from there. It’s exciting looking forward. If it happens, then it happens. If not, I’ll come back and try again next year..



24. Mike Quesada, C, Sierra Junior College, CA. No reaction yet to the selection



25. Andy Leer, SS, Mary University, ND. The Greenwich Times report that he will travel to Ft. Myers next week for workouts with other Twins' draftees. He is a Senior, so he is expected to sign.



26. Kelly Cross, C, Pearland HS, TX. No reaction yet to the selection.



27. Brandon Henderson, OF , Fresno Community College. No reaction yet to the selection



28. Jamaal Hawkins, SS, Jacksonville University. No reaction yet to the selection by the Junior



29. Brian Burke, 3B , Lewis-Clark State, ID. No reaction yet to the selection



30. Sergio Perez (Dernal), SS,Palmetto Ridge HS, Orangetree, FL. Naples News quotes Perez saying: "“It was surprising, but at the same time it was amazing. It’s just unbelievable. I’m trying to stay humble.” Also it suggest that the Cuban-born shortstop will try to negotiate a contract with the Twins and if that doesn’t work out, he’ll choose a college. “It’s my dream to play pro ball, so we’ll see what happens in the next few days. “I’m 50-50 right now.”



31. Mark Payton, OF , St.Rita HS, Chicago, IL. Committed to Arizona State. The Southtown Star says that Payton hasn't decided whether to bypass a college career at Arizona State in favor of a pro one just yet. He'll sit down with a Twins representative at some time next week.



32. Tommy Toledo, RHP, Florida. A redshirt Sophomore. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Twins will follow him this summer in the Cape Cod league and then determine whether they will sign him.



33. Justin Parker, LHP, Consumnes River Junior College, CA. No reaction to the selection yet.



34. Kyle Necke, RHP, UC Irvine. No reactions yet, but he is a Senior and very likely to sign

.

35. Nick Alloway RHP ,Gloucester Community College, NJ. The South Jersey Courier Post quotes Nick saying: "Once I didn't get drafted (Tuesday), I tried to go to sleep because I was looking at another long day ahead. Luckily it wasn't that long. I don't mind where I got picked. I heard a couple of things that I'd be taken in earlier rounds, but I'm satisfied. It was more like a feeling of disbelief when I heard the pick. An opportunity is there. I just have to work harder. This is where it all starts and I know nothing comes easy. I'm looking forward to working hard and showing the organization what I have. This is definitely something I want."



36. Kelvin Mention, OF, Brooks-DeBartolo HS, Tampa FL. No reaction yet from the teammate of JD Williams who was drafted in the 10th round.



37. Grant Muncrief, RHP , Wichita State. The Farmington Daily Times indicates that he will be on summer watch with the organization before the two sides negotiate a contract.
    
    
38. Jared Ray, RHP, Houston. No reactions yet by the Junior, but he sat out all 2010 season following shoulder surgery.



39. Bart Carter, LHP, Western Kentucky. No reactions yet, but he is a Senior and very likely to sign



40. Vance Woodruff, RHP, Grayson Community College, TX. No reactions yet.
    
    
41. Sam Spangler, LHP, Hawaii. No reactions yet, but he is a Senior and very likely to sign



42. Brett Carroll, LHP, William Patterson University, NJ. North Jersey.com indicates that Brett, a Junior, is expected to sign and quotes him saying: "I had a tryout with the Twins at River Dell a couple of weeks ago. I was hoping, but not expecting. They made no promises, but they said I’d be on their radar."



43. Derek Christensen, RHP , Salt Lake Community College, UT. Committed to Utah. No reactions yet.
    
    
44. David Deminsky, LHP, St. Cloud University. The St Cloud Times quote Dave saying: "I had mixed feelings when I found out. I didn’t think I was going to be picked up. Right now I’m just honored to have this opportunity. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’ve always wanted to play for the Twins. It’s always been a dream of mine. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to make it up here. It will take a lot of hard work.”



45. James Buckelew, LHP, Collins Hills HS, Suwanee, GA. No reactions yet.
    
    
46. A.J. Achter, RHP, Michigan State. He is a Junior. No reactions yet.
    
    
47. Collin Reynolds, RHP, McLennan Community College, TX. Committed to University of Texas-Arlington and very likely will attend. No reactions yet.



48. Troy Scott, 1B, Washington. Junior. No reactions yet, but a very bad Junior season
    
    
49. LeAndre (Clarence) Davis, SS, Georgia Perimeter Junior College. No reactions yet, but lost his starting SS job. Also drafted by the Twins in the 13th round in 2009.
    
    
50. James Harris, 3B, Etowah HS, Woodstock, GA. No reaction yet.
    

Profile of Twins 50th round MLB draft pick: 3B James Harris

With their 50th (and final) pick the Twins selected 6-2, 210 lbs, 3B James Harris, Etowah HS, GA

Starting QB. Might or might not play football, but will be hard to sign. Committed to Georgia Perimeter College

His profile

Profile of Twins 49th round MLB draft pick: LeAndre (Clarence) Davis SS

With their 49th pick the Twins selected 5'11" 160 lbs, LeAndre (Clarence) Davis SS from Georgia Perimeter College, also selected by the Twins in Round 13 of last year's draft out of high school.

A report from MLB Bonus Baby:
The other hitting name I wanted to see was LeAndre Davis, a freshman shortstop for Perimeter who went unsigned as the Twins’ 13th round pick in 2009. Unfortunately, Davis has been in a season-long slump, losing ground both in terms of draft stock and in terms of playing time. He’s not the regular shortstop for Perimeter anymore, and he didn’t play during the game I attended. I think he’s played himself off of any sort of early draft contention for 2010, instead putting himself in a position to reestablish his value next year as a junior college sophomore, when he’ll be more signable.

Looks like the Twins are giving him a second chance and he should probably take it.

His Wikipedia page

Profile of Twins 48th round MLB draft pick: Troy Scott 1B

With their 48th pick the Twins selected 6-5, 205 lbs, Troy Scott 1B U of Washington.

scouting reports say Scott is a big kid (6'5" 205lb) with good power potential, quick hands, and a live swing, and He has a loose, quick swing with a frame that could add weight for power projection

His bio

Profile of Twins 47th round MLB draft pick: Collin Reynolds RHP

With their 47th pick the Twins selected 6-4, 230 lbs, Collin Reynolds RHP from McLennan Community College in TX

His stats, his bio and an article.

Profile of Twins 46th round MLB draft pick: AJ (Adam) Achter RHP

With their 46th pick the Twins selected 6-5, 215, AJ (Adam) Achter RHP, Michigan State.

MSU ace

His profile

Profile of Twins 45th round MLB draft pick: James Buckelew, LHP

With their 45th pick the Twins selected 6-2, 155 lbs, James Buckelew, LHP. Collins Hills High School, GA

committed to Belmont

An article

Profile of Twins 44th round MLB draft pick: LHP David Deminsky

With their 44th pick the Twins selected LHP 6-3, 205lbs David Deminsky St. Cloud State. Senior

His Profile, a story and an interview (excerpt:"throws in the mid 80s and can top out around 90. He has a fastball, curveball, slider and change-up. His fastball is usually a two-seamer and he likes to throw it any time".

Profile of Twins 43rd round MLB draft pick: Derek Christiansen RHP

With their 43rd pick the Twins selected 6-1, 190 lbs, Derek Christiansen RHP from Salt Lake CC, UT.

93 mph Fastball; committed to Utah

Profile of Twins 42nd round MLB draft pick: Brett Carroll LHP

With their 42nd pick the Twins selected 6-1, 210 lbs, Brett Carroll LHP, William Paterson U, NJ.

His Bio

Profile of Twins 41st round MLB draft pick: Sam Spangler LHP

With their 41st pick the Twins selected 6-2, 195 lbs, Sam Spangler LHP, U Hawaii. Senior.

His MLB.com scouting video, his profile

Profile of Twins 40th round MLB draft pick: Vance Woodruff RHP

With their 40th pick the Twins selected 6-2, 190 lbs Vance Woodruff RHP from Grayson County College, TX.

His profile, his 2010 stats

Very unorthodox delivery

In 2008, perfect game USA had to say about Vance:
"Woodruff pitches from the stretch at all times and has a full tornedo type delivery with a full back turn and lots of energy. His arm action is very long but very fast and it's not the type of delivery and release point that are going to be easy to repeat. On the other hand, hitters are seeing lots of moving parts and very little of the ball before it's coming at them. Woodruff's fastball topped out at 93 mph and jumped on hitters. He got good running action into right handed hitters and cut some of his fastballs to left handed hitters. Woodruff had a severe wrap in back to his curveball that he didn't have on his other pitches and that will be an issue in the future. He did get good spin and a big sweeping break to his curveball. Woodruff also threw a very nice change up that he maintained his arm speed well on."

Profile of Twins 39th round MLB draft pick: LHP Bart Carter

With their 39th pick the Twins selected 6-1, 208 lbs LHP Bart Carter, W. Kentucky U. Senior.

His bio,

Profile of Twins 38th round MLB draft pick: RHP Jared Ray

With their 38th pick the Twins selected 6-3 RHP Jared Ray, U Houston.

Very interesting pick. Another injured player with lots of upside. From MLB bonus babies:

"Ray was considered a possible top three rounds arm entering the season, as he was expected to anchor a solid Houston pitching rotation. However, a shoulder injury suffered last summer on the Cape ended up needing arthroscopic surgery late in 2009, and he's still recovering. Despite the free fall that has come with the shoulder injury, Ray still offers some intriguing upside if a team wants to take a flier on him, hoping to sign him for a discount and get him ready for 2011. When healthy, Ray offers a pair of potential plus pitches in a 91-94 mph fastball and an inconsistent slider, and he has a solid 6'3'' frame that bodes well for durability in the future. His changeup was less advanced than a typical college starter's before he went down, so that might be a factor in a move to the bullpen, but most teams consider him a starting prospect when healthy. He has #3 starter upside, and he might be an interesting summer follow if he gets healthy"

His Bio

Ray was Houston's ace before his injury