FOX Sports North Midweek Stock Report for Aug. 12
Every Wednesday, FOX Sports North takes a look at which athletes' stock is trending up and whose is trending down.
In other words, whose value is making a meteoric rise, and whose is quickly plummeting.
With that in mind, let's "take stock" of the current sports scene in Minnesota, shall we?
Vikings' fifth-round rookies
Back in May, Minnesota spent two fifth-round draft picks on a pair of pass catchers, using the 143rd overall selection on tight end MyCole Pruitt and the 146th choice on wide receiver Stefon Diggs. On Sunday, during the Vikings' 14-3 win over the Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game, the rookies made those decisions look very smart.
Pruitt was the Vikings' top receiver, catching four passes for 51 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown. The diminutive but dynamic Diggs had just two receptions for 14 yards, but showed his playmaking ability with a 62-yard punt return in which he fell just short of the end zone. Not bad for a couple of fifth-rounders.
Wolves dunkers
We know Zach LaVine can jam. He won the 2015 NBA Slam Dunk contest as a rookie and it's already become the high-flying guard's calling card. So at the Seattle Pro Am, where last year he essentially tested out his dunk contest routine, he did his thing again, showing off a variety of windmills, 360s and off-the-wall slams.
But what about 6-foot-11 guys? During the league's rookie photo shoot on Saturday, Timberwolves top pick Karl-Anthony Towns proved big men can do more than just drop it in, unleashing a through-the-legs jam that would've rivaled his teammate in front of judges.
Maya Moore
The reigning WBNA MVP just continues to dominate. On Tuesday night, she matched her season high with 32 points and helped the Lynx clinch a playoff spot via an 83-76 win over the Stars. With Minnesota trailing San Antonio 48-37 early in the third quarter, Moore flipped on the switch and scored 12 of her team's 30 third-quarter points to give the Lynx a 65-59 lead. Then, late in the fourth quarter, after the Stars had gotten it to 79-76, Moore made four free throws to seal the victory.
Trevor May
It was a rough week for all the Twins, who won just twice last week. But won bright spot was the pitching of May, the young right-hander who's thrown much better since being moved from the rotation to the bullpen last month. May made three appearances over the past week and didn't allow a run, with four strikeouts, zero walks and only three hits allowed. He also picked up the win Aug. 7 against the Indians.
Trae Waynes
Unlike the fifth-rounders, the Vikings' first-round draft pick didn't have such a great NFL debut. Against the Steelers, the rookie cornerback drew three flags, including a 38-yard pass interference penalty. One of the flags was for defensive holding, but the penalty was declined because the result of the play was a 35-yard gain after Waynes got burned.
After the game, coach Mike Zimmer said he left Waynes in the game because he "wanted to find out what kind of toughness (Waynes) had when things happen like that and how are you going to fight back and how are you going to respond." We shall see.
Brian Dozier
Few Twins did much at the plate last week, but the expectations are higher for Dozier, and he fell well short of them. The All-Star second baseman was 4 for 25 in six games, with zero walks and seven strikeouts, resulting in a slash line of .160/.160/.320 (.480 OPS). Minnesota needs a lot more from Dozier if it hopes to contend for a playoff spot.
Twins starting pitchers
Minnesota's rotation, too, had a week to forget. In six games, Twins starters threw just 20.5 innings (averaging a little more than there innings per outing), giving up 50 hits and 38 earned runs (16.68 ERA), including five homers. In short, they got rocked. At least they showed some sign of life by Tuesday, as Kyle Gibson made his second start of the week and made a quality start (six innings, two earned runs, seven strikeouts).
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