This is the first installment of a new weekly feature that highlights the top performers in the Minnesota Twins' minor-league system. Each week we'll take a look at the top pitcher and position player from the team's four main affiliates: Triple-A Rochester, Double-A New Britain, High-A Fort Myers and Low-A Cedar Rapids. Though there have been plenty of impressive performances early, none have been more dazzling than Cedar Rapids left-handed pitcher Stephen Gonsalves, who earns the honor as the overall Minor League Player of the Week, as awarded by FOX Sports North. Here's a look at all eight players who made this week's list.
TRIPLE-A ROCHESTER
Player of the Week: CF Eddie Rosario
2015 stats: .255/.293/.436, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB in 13 games
Recent highlights: After a slow start to the season, Rosario has started to heat up in recent days. He's batting .282 in his last nine games and has seven RBI during that stretch. Rosario's biggest hit of the year so far was a grand slam last Friday in Rochester's 6-4 loss to Pawtucket. The 23-year-old Rosario also homered Wednesday and scored a pair of runs against Syracuse. One of the Twins' top prospects, Rosario is knocking on the door of the major leagues as he awaits his MLB debut.
Pitcher of the Week: LHP Pat Dean
2015 stats: 1-0, 0.75 ERA, 15 K, 3 BB in 12 IP
Recent highlights: Dean, a third-round pick of the Twins back in 2010, is not one of Minnesota's more heralded pitching prospects but is off to a good start in his second season with Triple-A Rochester. The former Boston College pitcher has made two starts of six innings each and allowed just one run combined. That came in his season debut April 14 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In Dean's most recent outing, the lefty struck out seven and walked just one while giving up just two hits in six shutout innings against Pawtucket.
DOUBLE-A CHATTANOOGA
Player of the Week: LF Travis Harrison
2015 stats: .304/.396/.500, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 2B in 13 games
Recent highlights: On a team that includes uber prospects Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, Harrison has been one of the more solid hitters through the early going in Chattanooga. The 22-year-old outfielder's .304 batting average is third overall on the team, while his eight RBI and six doubles are both tops on the club. A 2011 draft pick of Minnesota, Harrison is in his first season at Double-A after playing all of 2014 with High-A Fort Myers.
Pitcher of the Week: RHP D.J. Baxendale
2015 stats: 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 12 K, 4 BB in 12 1/3 IP
Recent highlights: The Lookouts have gotten strong pitching performances from several players this season, but Baxendale has been the most consistent in his two starts. After his debut on April 12 in which he struck out four in 6 1/3 shutout innings, Baxendale followed it up with another scoreless outing. He held Birmingham to just three hits while tallying eight strikeouts in six innings en route to his second victory of the young season.
HIGH-A FORT MYERS
Player of the Week: 2B Logan Wade
2015 stats: .273/.314/.455, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 2B in 10 games
Recent highlights: No one player has exactly carried Fort Myers' offense so far, but Wade leads the Miracle in average, slugging percentage and OPS (on-base plus slugging). His best game of the year came against Tampa in a 7-6 loss in which Wade hit a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game at 6. The Miracle went on to lose in the 10th inning, but Wade's big home run was the highlight.
Pitcher of the Week: RHP Chih-Wei Hu
2015 stats: 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 20 K, 1 BB in 18 IP
Recent highlights: Not a name that's been mentioned much among Twins minor leaguers, Hu is off to a blazing start for the Miracle. The best of his three starts was last Friday against St. Lucie in which the Taiwan native struck out 10 and allowed just two hits in seven innings. Hu followed that up with another strong performance on Thursday, surrendering just one run while striking out four in six innings, also against St. Lucie. Hu, 21, spent most of 2014 with Low-A Cedar Rapids and is in his first season with Fort Myers.
LOW-A CEDAR RAPIDS
Player of the Week: 1B Trey Vavra
2015 stats: .362/.388/.660, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 3 2B in 12 games
Recent highlights: Vavra, the son of Twins bench coach Joe Vavra, leads the Kernels in just about every offensive category. His OPS of 1.047, though not sustainable, jumps off the page. In Tuesday's 10-1 win against Wisconsin, Vavra drove in a season-high five runs, including a three-run home run. He also added a triple in that game.
Pitcher of the Week: LHP Stephen Gonsalves
2015 stats: 2-0, 0.90 ERA, 30 K, 2 BB in 20 innings
Recent highlights: It's hard to find a pitcher in the Twins' system who is off to a better start than Gonsalves, Minnesota's fourth-round draft pick back in 2013. In his first three starts, Gonsalves struck out nine, 10 and 11 batters, respectively, while giving up just one run each in his first two outings. Gonsalves' latest start was his best: seven scoreless innings, 11 strikeouts, one walk and just one hit in a 3-0 Kernels victory. With numbers like that, the 20-year-old Gonsalves might not be in Cedar Rapids for much longer.
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