FORT MYERS, FL- MARCH 15: Stephen Gonsalves of the Minnesota Twins pitches during minor league spring training on March 15, 2015 at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida.
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 14th edition of the Young Twins Tracker.
IN THE MAJORS
Byron Buxton (age 22)
Last week: 5 games, 18 PA, 1 SB, 1 BB, 9 K, .067 BA, .176 OBP, .067 SLG, .243 OPS, -26 sOPS+, .167 BAbip
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): 53 G, 182 PA, 166 AB, .199 BA, .246 OBP, .337 SLG, .583 OPS, 18 R, 33 H, 12 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 7 SB, 9 BB, 70 K, 55 OPS+, 0.7 WAR, .330 BAbip
Notable: Buxton had just one hit last week, striking out nine times, including two games with three strikeouts.
Max Kepler (age 22)
Last week: 6 games, 25 PA, 2 R, 2 2b, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, .174 BA, .240 OBP, .522 SLG, .762 OPS, 111 sOPS+, .118 BAbip
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): 52 G, 189 PA, 166 AB, .229 BA, .309 OBP, .488 SLG, .796 OPS, 23 R, 38 H, 13 2B, 0 3B, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 2 SB, 19 BB, 42 K, 110 OPS+, 1.2 WAR, .241 BAbip
Notable: Kepler has cooled off a bit recently, but he's still making a big impact at the plate. Kepler hit another big homer on Wednesday, smacking a go-ahead bomb in the ninth inning to help the Twins to a win over the Detroit Tigers, and hit No. 10 on Wednesday, giving the Twins five players with double-digit homers.
Eddie Rosario (age 24)
Last week: 4 games, 16 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, .267 BA, .313 OBP, .846 OPS, 138 OPS+, .231 BAbip
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 K
Season (MLB): 43 games, 169 PA, .242 BA, .257 OBP, .398 SLG, .655 OPS, 8 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 23 R, 15 RBI, 3 SB, 4 BB, 35 K, 73 OPS+, -0.4 WAR, .276 BAbip
Notable: Rosario continues to rack up starts and has hits in seven of his last eight games and 11 in his last 13.
Miguel Sano (age 22)
Last week: 5 games, 22 PA, 4 H, 2 2B, 0 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 10 K, .190 BA, .227 OBP, .286 SLG, 47 sOPS+, .364 BAbip
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 K
Season (MLB): 65 G, 279 PA, 239 AB, .238 BA, .341 OBP, .456 SLG, .797 OPS, 34 R, 57 H, 10 2B, 0 3B, 14 HR, 36 RBI, 1 SB, 37 BB, 95 K, 112 OPS+, 0.4 WAR, .326 BAbip
Notable: Had career-high 10-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Jose Berrios (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 0 ER, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 HR, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Season (Triple-A): 14 games (14 starts), 89 1/3 IP, 9-4, 2.42 ERA, 1.041 WHIP, 9.5 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 six more scoreless innings on Sunday, and has now allowed just six earned runs in his last seven 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 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), 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 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): 5 games (5 starts), 3-1, 2.93 ERA, 27 2/3 IP, 21 H, 9 R, 1 HR, 13 BB, 39 K, 1.23 WHIP
Notable: In his last three starts, Gonsalves has allowed just one run (which came in his last start) over 19 innings. In that time he has given up nine hits with seven walks and 25 strikeouts. Gonsalves had pitched six scoreless innings in the first two of those starts. In his last start, July 18 vs. Mobile, he allowed his only run in the seventh inning.
Nick Gordon (age 20/High Single-A)
Last week: 7 games, 29 AB, 12 H, 7 R, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 SB, .414 BA
Season: 78 games, 313 AB, .307 BA, .352 OBP, .415 SLG, .768 OPS, 42 R, 96 H, 18 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 11 SB, 16 BB, 56 SO
Notable: Had an 11-game hit streak snapped July 17, but then had hits in his next three games, including a 4-for-5 game July 20 in which he also doubled, scored three times and drove in three.
Tyler Jay (age 22/High Single-A) GAME ONGOING
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 5 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Season (High Single-A): 13 games (13 starts), 69 2/3 IP, 64 H, 24 R, 5 HR, 21 BB, 68 K, 2.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP
Season (Double-A): 2 games (2 starts), 10 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 2 HR, 5 BB, 8 K, 7.20 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
Notable: Jay struggled again in his second start for Charlotte, throwing just 78 pitches.
Alex Kirilloff (age 18/Rookie)
Last week: 7 games, 30 AB, 10 H, 7 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB, .333 BA
Season: 19 games, 76 AB, .329 BA, .325 OBP, .487 SLG, .812 OPS, 10 R, 25 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 11 SO
Notable: The Twins' first-round pick this year is heating up at Elizabethon with a six-game hitting streak, including three multiple-hit games. He also drew his first professional walk on July 15.
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/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 26 AB, 4 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K, .231 BA
Season (Triple-A): 67 G, 259 AB, .278 BA, .341 OBP, .479 SLG, .820 OPS, 29 R, 72 H, 13 2B, 6 3B, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 26 BB, 42 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 has been flashing some power lately, with three home runs in his last seven games.
Kohl Stewart (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 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): 9 games (9 starts), 4-4, 3.35 ERA, 48 1/3 IP, 54 H, 25 R, 3 HR, 20 BB, 29 K, 1.53 WHIP
Notable: Since allowing seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings on July 8, Stewart has given up just two runs (one earned) in 12 innings on 10 hits over his last two starts.
Adam Walker (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 7 games, 23 AB, 8 H, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K, 0 SB, .348 BA
Season (Triple-A): 87 games, 308 AB, 75 H, 17 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 43 R, 47 RBI, 35 BB, 136 K, 4 SB, .244 BA, .321 OBP, .487 SLG
Notable: Walker is now tied for second in the International League in home runs and tied for eighth in total bases (150).
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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