The Minnesota Twins are reshaping their franchise with an injection of youth and prospects.
Every Thursday for the rest of the season, FOX Sports North will take a closer look at some specific young players -- as well as noting others who might be stepping up -- measuring, highlighting and evaluating their progress. Please note the glossary of advanced stats at the bottom of the story.
This is the 11th edition of the Young Twins Tracker.
IN THE MAJORS
Byron Buxton (age 22)
Last week: 5 games, 18 PA, 18 AB, .167 BA, .167 OBP, .278 SLG, .444 OPS
Season (Triple-A): 29 games, 129 PA, .336 BA, .403 OBP, .603 SLG, 1.007 OPS, 9 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 4 SB, 11 BB, 26 SO
Season (MLB): 42 G, 143 PA, 132 AB, .189 BA, .227 OBP, .326 SLG, .553 OPS, 13 R, 25 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 6 SB, 6 BB, 57 SO, 46 OPS+, -0.2 WAR, .316 BAbip
Notable: It was another tough week for Buxton, who picked up just three hits in 18 at-bats.
Max Kepler (age 22)
Last week: 6 games, 24 PA, 21 AB, .238 BA, .333 OBP, .476 SLG, .810 OPS
Season (Triple-A): 30 G, 128 PA, 110 AB, .282 BA, .367 OBP, .455 SLG, .822 OPS, 16 R, 31 H, 4 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 1 SB, 16 BB, 14 SO
Season (MLB): 35 G, 115 PA, 102 AB, .245 BA, .322 OBP, .431 SLG, .753 OPS, 13 R, 25 H, 10 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB, 11 BB, 29 SO, 99 OPS+, 0.6 WAR, .310 BAbip
Notable: Kepler was one of six Twins players to homer during a 7-1 win over the Yankees last week. It was just the third time that six different Twins players have homered in the same game, and the first since the Harmon Killebrew era.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Jose Berrios (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 2 game (2 starts), 2-0, 0 ER, 15 IP, 4 H, 0 HR, 0 R, 4 BB, 15 K
Season (Triple-A): 11 games (11 starts), 68 2/3 IP 7-3, 2.62 ERA, 1.034 WHIP, 9.6 K/9
Season (MLB): 4 games (4 starts), 15 IP 1-1, 10.20 ERA, 2.133 WHIP, 12.0 K/9
Notable: Berrios pitched his best start of the season last Thursday, striking out nine while allowing just three hits over eight shutout innings. He continued his strong pitching into his start Tuesday, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
Nick Burdi (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: N/A
Season: 3 games (no starts), 1-0, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.32 WHIP
Notable: Burdi hasn't pitched since April 28 and has been on the disabled list since May 5 for a bone bruise on his right arm.
Stephen Gonsalves (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 K
Season (High Single-A): 11 games (11 starts), 65 2/3 IP 5-4, 2.33 ERA, 43 H, 19 R, 2 HR, 20 BB, 66 K, 0.959 WHIP
Season (Double-A): 1 game (1 start), 5 IP 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 6 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 4 BB, 6 K, 2.000 WHIP
Notable: The statistics indicate that Gonsalves wasn't particularly sharp Saturday in his first Double-A start. Then again, six strikeouts in five innings isn't bad.
Nick Gordon (age 20/High Single-A)
Last week: 5 games, 18 AB, 6 H, 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 SB, .333 BA
Season: 58 games, 228 AB, .289 BA, .344 OBP, .412 SLG, .756 OPS, 27 R, 66 H, 14 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 10 SB, 14 BB, 47 SO
Notable: Gordon has been on a tear at the plate recently, and now has 11 hits and two doubles in his last eight games.
Tyler Jay (age 22/High Single-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Season: 12 games (12 starts), 65 2/3 IP, 60 H, 24 R, 5 HR, 20 BB, 66 K, 3.02 ERA
Notable: Jay did not earn a decision in his start last Thursday and left the game with his team trailing 3-2.
Alex Meyer (age 26/Triple-A)
Last week: N/A
Season (Triple-A): 3 games (2 starts), 1-1, 1.04 ERA, 17 1/3 IP, 0.865 WHIP, 11 H, 0 HR, 4 BB, 19 K
Season (MLB): 2 games (1 starts), 1-1, 12.27 ERA, 3 2/3 IP, 3.273 WHIP, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 BB, 15 K
Notable: Meyer remains shelved with right shoulder inflammation and hasn't pitched in a game since his May 3 start for the Twins. Rochester placed him on the disabled list on June 3.
Jorge Polanco (age 22)
Last week: 7 games, 32 AB, 1 R, 6 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 2 SO, .188 BA
Season (Triple-A): 49 G, 191 AB, .283 BA, .338 OBP, .482 SLG, .820 OPS, 21 R, 54 H, 11 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 18 BB, 31 SO
Season (MLB): 13 games, 32 PA, .231 BA, .344 OBP, .462 SLG, .805 OPS, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 1 SB, 4 BB, 3 K, 120 OPS+, .217 BAbip, 0.3 WAR.
Notable: Polanco continues to rack up hits in the minors, and now ranks fourth on the Red Wings in hits.
Eddie Rosario (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 7 games, 28 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 7 SO, 0 SB, .074 BA
Season (Triple-A): 38 games, 150 AB, .307 BA, .329 OBP, .513 SLG, .842 OPS, 46 H, 13 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 24 R, 23 RBI, 5 SB, 6 BB, 24 SO
Season (MLB): 32 games, 121 PA, .200 BA, .218 OBP, .313 SLG, .532 OPS, 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 15 R, 9 RBI, 3 SB, 3 BB, 31 K, .244 BAbip, 45 OPS+, -0.7 WAR
Notable: It was a rough week for Rosario, who saw his 19-game on-base streak come to an end, picking up just one hit in seven games.
Miguel Sano (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 19 AB, 3 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 4 BB, 7 SO, .158 BA
Season (Triple-A): 6 games, 19 AB, .158 BA, .304 OBP, .474 SLG, .778 OPS, 3 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 4 BB, 7 SO
Season (MLB): 50 G, 211 PA, 179 AB, .235 BA, .341 OBP, .458 SLG, .799 OPS, 25 R, 42 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 27 RBI, 1 SB, 29 BB, 71 SO, 117 OPS+, 0.9 WAR, .313 BAbip
Notable: Sano began his rehab stint in Triple-A last week, a six-game stretch that included this gem of a near miss. Just watch.
Kohl Stewart (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-1, 3 ER, 7 IP, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 2 K
Season (Single-A): 9 games (9 starts), 3-2, 2.61 ERA, 51 2/3 IP, 39 H, 19 R, 2 HR, 19 BB, 44 K, 1.12 WHIP
Season (Double-A): 5 games (5 starts), 1-3, 4.56 ERA, 25 2/3 IP, 29 H, 16 R, 2 HR, 10 BB, 14 K, 1.519 WHIP
Notable: Stewart had his longest start of the season on Monday, throwing 102 pitches over seven innings. He's struggled some since his move to Double-A earlier this month and has seen his strikeout rate dip from 7.7 per nine innings at Single-A to 4.9 per nine innings at Double-A.
Adam Walker (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 21 AB, 7 H, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 9 SO, 0 SB, .333 BA
Season (Triple-A): 68 games, 271 AB, 52 H, 11 2B, 1 3B, 14 HR, 31 R, 34 RBI, 27 BB, 114 SO, 3 SB, .218 BA
Notable: No home runs for Walker this week, who now sits in second place in the International League with 14 homers.
A glossary of some of the advanced statistics used:
OPS: On base percentage + slugging percentage
OPS+: OPS compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
sOPS+: OPS for the split (in our case the last 7 days) compared to the league's split OPS (100 being average).
BAbip: Batting average on balls in play.
WHIP: Walks plus hits divided by innings pitched.
ERA+: ERA compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
FIP: Fielding Independent Pitching. Measures a pitcher's effectiveness at presenting home runs, walks and hit by pitches while causing strikeouts. The MLB average FIP is the same as the MLB average ERA.
WAR: Wins Above Replacement value. Represents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player would add (we are using WAR from baseball-reference.com).
Statistics courtesy baseball-reference.com and milb.com
