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 19th edition of the 2017 Young Twins Tracker.
Lewin Diaz (age 20/Low-A)
Last week: 4 games, 16 AB, 7 H, 4 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 1 K, .438 BA.
Season: 122 games, 466 AB, .292 BA, .329 OBP, .444 SLG, .773 OPS, 33 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 47 R, 68 RBI, 2 SB, 25 BB, 80 K.
Notable: Diaz hit a season-high three doubles and knocked in four runs to single-handedly lead the Kernels to victory in Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup against Kane County.
Stephen Gonsalves (age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: DNP
Season (Triple-A): 5 games (4 starts), 1-2, 5.56 ERA, 22 2/3 IP, 27 H, 4 HR, 8 BB, 22 K, .293 OBA, 1.54 WHIP
Notable: Gonsalves’ season in the minors is over, as the Rochester Red Wings narrowly missed the International League playoffs.
Nick Gordon (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 6 games, 27 AB, 8 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 1 BB, 9 K, .296 BA.
Season: 122 games, 519 AB, .270 BA, .341 OBP, .408 SLG, .749 OPS, 29 2B, 8 3B, 9 HR, 80 R, 66 RBI, 13 SB, 52 BB, 134 K.
Notable: Gordon helped the Lookouts to a 4-3 win over Montgomery on Aug. 4, collecting a pair of hits and scoring a run. Chattanooga leads the North Division playoff series 1-0.
Royce Lewis (age 18/Rookie)
Last week: 3 games, 9 AB, 0 H, 1 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 2 K, .000 BA.
Season (Single-A): 18 games, 71 AB, .296 BA, .363 OBP, .394 SLG, .757 OPS, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 16 R, 10 RBI, 3 SB, 6 BB, 16 K.
Season (Rookie): 36 games, 133 AB, .271 BA, .390 OBP, .414 SLG, .803 OPS, 6 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 38 R, 17 RBI, 15 SB, 19 BB, 17 K.
Notable: Lewis ended his first professional season with three hitless games, which brings up another impressive statistic: The Twins’ first-round pick went hitless in back-to-back games only four times the whole summer.
Fernando Romero (age 22/Double-A)
Last week: DNP
Season: 24 games (23 starts), 11-9, 3.53 ERA, 125 IP, 124 H, 4 HR, 45 BB, 120 K, .256 OBA, 1.35 WHIP
Notable: Romero will finish his season on the 7-day disabled list, placed there on Aug. 28 after allowing nine hits and six runs in his latest start.
Brent Rooker (age 22/Single-A)
Last week: 4 games, 15 AB, 3 H, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 R, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K, .200 BA.
Season: 40 games, 143 AB, .280 BA, .364 OBP, .552 SLG, .917 OPS, 6 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 23 R, 35 RBI, 0 SB, 16 BB, 47 K.
Notable: The Miracle were swept by Palm Beach in a three-game series that ultimately ended Rooker’s successful season. In 62 games at Single-A and Rookie ball combined, Rooker hit 18 homers and had a .281/.364/.566 slash line.
Kohl Stewart (age 22/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-0, 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 0 SO
Season (Triple-A): 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 7.20, 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K, .333 OBA, 1.60 WHIP
Season (Double-A): 15 games (15 starts), 5-6, 4.01 ERA, 74 IP, 68 H, 4 HR, 42 BB, 52 K, .250 OBA, 1.49 WHIP
Notable: Stewart was activated from the 7-day disabled list in time to make a start for Chattanooga on Sept. 2. He lasted three innings and gave up two earned runs, both coming in the first inning.
Others: Elizabethton RHP Edwar Colina recorded eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 scoreless innings to top Greeneville in Game 3 and advance the E-Twins to the Appalachian League championship series, a best-of-three contest beginning Thursday. … Chattanooga LHP Zack Littell (acquired in trade for Jaime Garcia) earned his 20th win of the season in the Lookouts’ 4-3 playoff win on Wednesday. … It was Cedar Rapids RF Jimmy Kerrigan who knocked in the game-winning run with a RBI single to boost the Kernels to their win in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Statistics courtesy milb.com
