Minnesota Twins

Opponents getting whiff of Twins prospect Gonsalves' potential

Published Jul. 20, 2017 3:31 p.m. ET

Tom Dierberger

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.