Opponents getting whiff of Twins prospect Gonsalves' potential
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.
This is the 12th edition of the 2017 Young Twins Tracker.
Lewin Diaz (age 20/Low-A)
Last week: 6 games, 20 AB, 4 H, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 R, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 7 K, .200 BA.
Season: 88 games, 337 AB, .276 BA, .314 OBP, .448 SLG, .762 OPS, 26 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 35 R, 53 RBI, 0 SB, 20 BB, 58 K.
Notable: Diaz only had four hits last week, but he tallied one RBI in four out of six games and has knocked in a run in three consecutive ballgames.
Stephen Gonsalves (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 1-0, 10 2/3 IP, 11 H, 4 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 17 K
Season: 10 games (10 starts), 5-3, 2.95 ERA, 58 IP, 43 H, 7 HR, 12 BB, 65 K, .200 OBA, 0.95 WHIP
Notable: Gonsalves fanned 17 hitters in 10 2/3 innings pitched, his best two-game stretch for Ks since June 15-23, when he whiffed 19 hitters -- but that was in 14 innings. The Lookouts won both games Gonsalves started last week.
Nick Gordon (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 4 games, 18 AB, 5 H, 4 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB, 2 BB, 3 K, .278 BA.
Season: 79 games, 330 AB, .297 BA, .366 OBP, .455 SLG, .820 OPS, 22 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 51 R, 46 RBI, 9 SB, 35 BB, 83 K.
Notable: Gordon’s two-run shot on Wednesday broke the ice and started a rally for the Lookouts in a 12-1 win over Mobile.
Royce Lewis (age 18/Rookie)
Last week: 5 games, 17 AB, 5 H, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 2 K, .294 BA.
Season: 18 games, 70 AB, .329 BA, .405 OBP, .571 SLG, .976 OPS, 6 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 20 R, 11 RBI, 6 SB, 7 BB, 8 K.
Notable: Lewis smacked his third homer in the Gulf Coast League on Wednesday, a two-run blast that helped the GCL Twins to a 4-1 win over the GCL Rays.
Fernando Romero (age 22/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Season: 17 games (16 starts), 7-6, 2.78 ERA, 90 2/3 IP, 79 H, 3 HR, 34 BB, 91 K, .231 OBA, 1.25 WHIP
Notable: Romero is now tied for the team lead in wins, with eight. He’s allowed just four runs in his last 24 innings pitched.
Brent Rooker (age 22/Rookie)
Last week (Elizabethton): 5 games, 20 AB, 3 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 5 K, .150 BA.
Last week (Fort Myers): 2 games, 7 AB, 0 H, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, .000 BA.
Season (Elizabethton): 22 games, 85 AB, .282 BA, .364 OBP, .588 SLG, .952 OPS, 5 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 19 R, 17 RBI, 2 SB, 11 BB, 21 K.
Notable: Rooker was promoted to Single-A Fort Myers on July 18 after hitting.282/.364/.588 with 17 RBI and seven homers in 22 games for the Elizabethton Twins. He’s still searching for his first Single-A hit through two games, but he reached base for the first time on Wednesday with a walk.
Kohl Stewart (age 22/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Season: 10 games (10 starts), 3-4, 3.83 ERA, 47 IP, 43 H, 2 HR, 26 BB, 30 K, .243 OBA, 1.47 WHIP
Notable: Stewart threw 54 of his 86 pitches for strikes during an easy 9-3 win over Jacksonville on July 14.
Others: Chattanooga OF LaMonte Wade (9th round, 2015) went 4-for-5 with four RBI – all coming in his eight-inning grand slam – on Wednesday. … Byung Ho Park hit a walk-off single to lead Triple-A Rochester to a 7-6 win. … Cedar Rapids RHP Griffin Jax (3rd round, 2016) allowed one run in seven innings. … Chattanooga scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Jacksonville 5-4 last Thursday, aided by a walk-off RBI from 2B Alex Perez (23rd round, 2015). … Rochester RHP Aaron Slegers (5th round, 2013) pitched seven scoreless innings and improved to 10-4 on the year. … Slegers hasn’t allowed a run in his last 14 2/3 innings, and he’s picked up a win in his last six starts.
Statistics courtesy milb.com
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