Down on the Farm: low A report

The Twins low A team is the Beloit Snappers.


Starting Pitching
1.) Kyle Waldrop - 5-2, 3.44 ERA, 73.1 innings in 12 starts, 46-11 KK/BB
2.) Oswaldo Sosa - 4-5, 3.05 ERA, 59 innings in 11 starts, 45-23 KK/BB
3.) Ryan Mullins - 1-2, 4.97 ERA, 58 innings in 10 starts, 49-16 KK/BB
4.) Eduardo Morlan - 2-3, 2.61 ERA, 48.1 innings in 9 starts*, 57-24 KK/BB
5.) Adam Hawes - 1-2, 6.14 ERA, 29.1 innings in 5 starts**, 28-14 KK/BB

* Morlan has appeared in 15 total games
** Hawes has appeared in 9 total games

Mullins was a 2005 3rd round draft choice, Waldrop was one of the Twins staggering 5(!) first round picks in 2004, while Morlan was drafted in the 3rd round of that draft, and Hawes was a 40th round pick in 2003. Sosa was presumably not subject to the draft as a non-American player, or was acquired from another organization.

The big name here is Waldrop, who was drafted along with Trever Plouffe and Glen Perkins. His numbers are solid, but with Brian Duensing already having been promoted to Fort Myers from this Beloit team, I don't expect anyone else to get the good news of a promotion from amongst the starters until at least the very end of the season. More likely, Waldrop will be asked to finish his season in Beloit, and will be promoted to Fort Myers to start next season.

Relief Pitchers
This club really uses a closer by committee system, so I'm going to list them in ERA order, with no mention of saves. The leader has 3, and then there are a bunch with 2. Not worth mentioning individually.

1.) Jose Cordero, 0.00 ERA, 1 inning in 1 game, 0-0 KK/BB
2.) Yohan Pino, 1.62 ERA, 33.1 innings in 20 games, 42-10 KK/BB
3.) Frank Mata, 2.29 ERA, 19.2 innings in 15 games, 9-3 KK/BB
4.) David Shinskie, 2.82 ERA, 38.1 innings in 22 games, 31-10 KK/BB
5.) Danny Vais, 2.84 ERA, 31.2 innings in 19 games, 27-9 KK/BB
6.) Jose Lugo, 4.68 ERA, 25 innings in 20 games, 27-12 KK/BB
7.) Alexander Smit, 5.40 ERA, 26.2 innings in 17 games, 27-18 KK/BB

Coredero was a 44th round pick in 2005, while Vais was drafted in the 17th round of the 2003 draft, and Shinskie was a 4th round pick that year. The others I cannot find information on at this time.

Pino is having a remarkable season, and it would not be surprising to see him make the leap to high A this season. Most of the others I don't know a lot about. I guess let the numbers speak for themselves.

Catchers

1.) Caleb Moore - 48 games, .280 BA, 2 HR, 20 RBI
2.) Allan de San Miguel - 30 games, .185 BA, 0 HR, 12 RBI

Finally, a catcher that seems to actually be up to the challenge of playing at the level where he's been assigned! After seeing the relative dregs that the Twins have in the upper three levels of their system, this is a welcome find. The Twins drafted Moore in the 4th round of last year's draft. With such a weak system ahead of him, I wouldn't be surprised to see him move up quickly, unless he isn't very good defensively and needs work before moving up. I have no information on this, and so can't make a really accurate prediction on that. De San Miguel appears to be just another of the poor Catchers the Twins have throughout their system, and there isn't really any reason to say much more about him.

Infielders

1B - Erik Lis - 51 games, .337 BA, 8 HR, 32 RBI
SS - Steven Tolleson - 47 games, .287 BA, 2 HR, 16 RBI
SS - Paul Kelly - 57 games, .259 BA, 3 HR, 28 RBI
3B - Juan Portes - 14 games, .228 BA, 0 HR, 4 RBI
SS - Andrew Thompson - 42 games, .223 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI
SS - Toby Gardenhire - 32 games, .209 BA, 0 HR, 5 RBI
1B - Henry Sanchez - 42 games, .201 BA, 4 HR, 18 RBI
3B - Daniel Berg - 2 games, .167 BA, 0 HR, 4 RBI

Erik Lis was a 9th round selection in 2005, while Tolleson was drafted in the fifth round last year. Paul Kelly was also taken in 2005, one of three second round picks the Twins made. Andrew Thompson was also drafted in the second round last year, while Gardenhire was taken in the 41st round. Henry Sanchez was taken in the first round of that draft. I do not know how the Twins acquired Daniel Berg or Juan Portes.

Obviously someone is playing 2B for the Snappers, but I'm not sure who that is. You can bet it is one of the numerous shortstops on this team. It makes sense that so many of the Twins top draft picks from last year are at this level, because this is commonly the first stop for a player in his first full year in organized baseball.

While Erik Lis has been a remarkable find, the Twins have been disappointed thus far with the play of Sanchez, who hopefully will be able to turn it around. Lis is quite likely to earn a call-up if he keeps playing this well. Unless Sanchez catches on fire, a second year in Beloit next year is probably likely. With Trevor Plouffe struggling in Ft. Myers, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if Tolleson also got a call-up sometime during this season.

Outfielders

1.) Terrence Patterson - 43 games, .246 BA, 0 HR, 8 RBI
2.) Dwayne White - 37 games, .220 BA, 1 HR, 9 RBI
3.) Eli Tintor - 44 games, .265 BA, 2 HR, 18 RBI
4.) Edward Ovalle - 55 games, .255 BA, 5 HR, 24 RBI
5.) Josh Land - 13 games, .196 BA, 0 HR, 5 RBI

Land was a 38th round choice in 2004. Tintor was drafted as a catcher in the 18th round in 2003. Patterson was drafted in the 35th round in 2002. I have no information on White or Ovalle.

There aren't a lot of big names, or big expectations among this bunch. It explains why the Twins drafted for outfielders in the first round of this year's draft. Many of these guys will probably be cut casualties before next season begins, to make room for the new wave.