Minnesota Twins' Max Kepler watches his two-run double against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Wednesday, June 29, 2016. Chicago won 9-6. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
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 12th edition of the Young Twins Tracker.
IN THE MAJORS
Byron Buxton (age 22)
Last week: 3 games, 13 PA, 12 AB, .417 BA, .462 OBP, .750 SLG, 1.212 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 K
Season (MLB): 46 G, 159 PA, 147 AB, .211 BA, .248 OBP, .367 SLG, .616 OPS, 17 R, 31 H, 12 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 6 SB, 7 BB, 61 K, 62 OPS+, 0.2 WAR, .345 BAbip
Notable: Buxton picked up a hit in each of the three games he played in this past week, including two hits in the Twins' 17-5 win over Texas on Saturday and two more in the win over Oakland on Tuesday.
Max Kepler (age 23)
Last week: 6 games, 25 PA, 21 AB, .238 BA, .333 OBP, .667 SLG, 1.000 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 K
Season (MLB): 42 G, 144 PA, 127 AB, .244 BA, .322 OBP, .472 SLG, .794 OPS, 18 R, 31 H, 11 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB, 14 BB, 35 K, 108 OPS+, 0.2 WAR, .287 BAbip
Notable: Kepler had arguably his best game in his major-league career this past Saturday, hitting a pair of three-run homers in the win over Texas. He played every game this past week and has an RBI in five straight games including Saturday.
Eddie Rosario (age 24)
Last week (MLB): 3 games, 11 AB, 0 R, 2 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 SB, .182 BA
Last week (Triple-A): 3 games, 10 AB, 2 R, 5 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 SB, .500 BA
Season (MLB): 35 games, 133 PA, .198 BA, .214 OBP, .325 SLG, .539 OPS, 5 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 15 R, 11 RBI, 3 SB, 3 BB, 32 K, .237 BAbip, 41 OPS+, -1.4 WAR
Season (Triple-A): 41 games, 160 AB, .319 BA, .343 OBP, .538 SLG, .881 OPS, 51 H, 14 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 26 R, 25 RBI, 5 SB, 7 BB, 25 K
Notable: Rosario was recalled Sunday and picked up a couple of RBI and a triple. His batting average on balls in play this season (.237) is nearly a whole point below his BAbip of last season (.332), when he finished sixth in American League Rookie of the Year voting.
Miguel Sano (age 22)
Last week (MLB): 6 games, 20 AB, 4 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 6 BB, 8 K, .200 BA
Last week (Triple-A): 2 games, 6 AB, 1 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 3 K, .167 BA
Season (MLB): 56 G, 237 PA, 199 AB, .231 BA, .346 OBP, .462 SLG, .808 OPS, 30 R, 46 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 13 HR, 33 RBI, 1 SB, 35 BB, 79 SO, 114 OPS+, -0.6 WAR, .231 BAbip
Season (Triple-A): 8 games, 25 AB, .160 BA, .300 OBP, .440 SLG, .740 OPS, 4 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 4 BB, 10 K
Notable: Sano returned from the disabled list after a rehab stint this past week and saw mixed results. He hit home runs in Minnesota's wins Saturday and Tuesday but struck out in every game. His .385 on-base percentage indicates it wasn't such a bad week, however.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Jose Berrios (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 1 ER, 9 IP, 4 H, 0 HR, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K
Season (Triple-A): 12 games (12 starts), 77 2/3 IP 7-3, 2.43 ERA, 0.966 WHIP, 9.3 K/9
Season (MLB): 4 games (4 starts), 15 IP 1-1, 10.20 ERA, 2.133 WHIP, 12.0 K/9
Notable: Berrios saw his streak of 15 straight innings without allowing a run snapped in the first inning of Sunday's start vs. the Syracuse Chiefs. He started a new streak in the third inning, however, not allowing a Syracuse run over the final six innings. Berrios threw just 87 pitches in the complete game win, with 67 of them for strikes, facing two batters over the minimum and walking none. He has a 1.72 ERA over his past five starts.
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 K, 1.32 WHIP
Notable: Hasn't pitched since April 28 because of a right arm bone bruise.
Stephen Gonsalves (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 9 2/3 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 7 BB, 13 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): 3 game (3 start), 14 2/3 IP, 2-1, 4.91 ERA, 15 H, 8 R, 1 HR, 11 BB, 19 K, 1.773 WHIP
Notable: Gonsalves struggled last Friday in his second Double-A start, allowing a season-high six earned runs in a season-low 3 2/3 innings. He rebounded with a three-hit, zero-earned-run start Wednesday, though he did allow five walks.
Nick Gordon (age 20/High Single-A)
Last week: 6 games, 27 AB, 8 H, 3 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 SB, .296 BA
Season: 65 games, 259 AB, .290 BA, .341 OBP, .405 SLG, .746 OPS, 30 R, 75 H, 14 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 10 SB, 15 BB, 51 K
Notable: Gordon notched two three-hit games this past week, accruing a triple and an RBI in a three-hit game Saturday and two RBI in a three-hit outing Tuesday.
Tyler Jay (age 22/High Single-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Season: 13 games (13 starts), 69 2/3 IP, 64 H, 24 R, 5 HR, 21 BB, 68 K, 2.84 ERA
Notable: Jay threw 62 pitches over four scoreless innings Sunday. He was promoted to Double-A on Thursday morning.
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 hasn't pitched since his May 3 start for the Twins because of right shoulder inflammation.
Jorge Polanco (age 23)
Last week: 6 games, 21 AB, 2 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 1 K, .333 BA
Season (Triple-A): 57 G, 217 AB, .286 BA, .354 OBP, .479 SLG, .833 OPS, 23 R, 62 H, 12 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 25 BB, 32 K
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 had a nice week, notching a hit in five of six games and five walks for an on-base percentage of .462.
Kohl Stewart (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 0 ER, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 HR, 2 BB, 7 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): 6 games (6 starts), 2-3, 3.58 ERA, 32 2/3 IP, 33 H, 16 R, 2 HR, 12 BB, 21 K, 1.378 WHIP
Notable: Stewart on Sunday had arguably his best start of the season, winning his first game in nearly a month and lowering his Double-A ERA by nearly a full point. The righty had struggled since his promotion to Double-A last month but has allowed just three runs over his last 14 innings.
Adam Walker (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 22 AB, 7 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K, 1 SB, .318 BA
Season (Triple-A): 76 games, 268 AB, 60 H, 13 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 35 R, 40 RBI, 30 BB, 124 K, 3 SB, .224 BA
Notable: Walker had another productive week, noting hits in five of six games. He's second in the International League with 16 home runs but leads the league with 124 strikeouts, 24 more than the next player.
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
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