(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The soon-to-be 23-year-old could be a fast riser through the system, and given his projectability, he could be someone to keep an eye on.
Honorable Mentions: Bobby Lanigan (2-1, 1.73 ERA, 26 IP, 5 starts, 4 BB, 21 K) & Dan Osterbrock (2-0, 2.28 ERA, 27 2/3 IP, 5 starts, 2 BB, 23 K)
The Elizabethton Twins have remained a powerhouse in the Appalachian League and are off to another great season with an 8-1 record (they were 7-1 in June). They have averaged 8.4 runs per contest while surrendering under half that number (4.1).
Their team is stacked with potential, including many picks from this years draft. And what's scary for opponents is that if/when first-round pick Kyle Gibson signs, he'll likely be heading to Elizabethton.
Hitter of the "Month" (Week)
The E-Town Twins had two players jump off to outstanding starts. But the more impressive of the two (in my own opinion) was Danny Rams.
Rams hit well in a short-stint in the FSL, and wasted no time getting going in Elizabethton. The 2007 second-round pick hit .423/.531/1.115 in 26 June at-bats. While that those numbers on their own are great, when you add the fact that he also belted four home runs and drove in 15 RBI in that span is all the more impressive.
Out of 11 hits, nine went for extra-base hits.
Rams has been viewed as a catcher/first baseman tweener who has skills behind the plate, but with fear that he'll outgrow the position (he's listed at 6'2'' and 215 lbs.), the Twins have played him exclusively at first base as well.
Honorable Mention: Tyler Ladendorf (.407/.541/.704, 2 Doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 8 BB... He's already making his case for the "Award" for July)
The GCL Twins got off to a tremendous 4-1 start on the season.
What was so tremendous is that that the loss wasn't necessarily the other team playing better, as the Twins just merely played sloppy baseball.
The Twins have scored 27 runs in their first five games, an average of 5.4 runs per game. What's more impressive is the mere 11 runs they've allowed, an average of 2.2 runs per contest.
The GCL Twins have a lot of players Twins fans may be unfamiliar with, but they sure aren't any less talented.
Hitter of the "Month" (Week)
After spending the past two years playing sporadically in the GCL (primarily due to numerous injuries), Wang-Wei Lin is finally looking to establish himself within the Twins organization and is off to a good start. The six-foot, 185 lbs. outfielder from Taiwan is hitting .375/.423/.542 through 24 at-bats this season. He has a double and a home run to go along with six runs batted in. He just recently turned 21-years-old, so he's older than most in the league, but after missing nearly two full years, a fast start is a great sign.
Honorable Mention: Kennys Vargas (.308/.357/.615, Double, Home Run, 4 RBI)
Pitcher of the "Month" (Week)
This is really just a crap shoot, but one player that really impressed me is Adrian Salcedo. Although Salcedo is just one of five pitchers (of 15) with a run charged against them, he has been very impressive thus far despite being only 18 years old.
He pitched great last season on the Twins' Dominican Summer League team. The (then) 17-year-old was 4-4 with a 1.65 ERA in 12 starts. Most impressive was his command as he threw 50 strikeouts opposed to walking just 8. That has carried over to this season as he has a 1.00 ERA through nine innings but has yet to walk a batter while striking out 10. He has a projectable size and good command of his pitches.
He could open a lot of eyes before the end of Summer.
Honorable Mention: B.J. Hermsen (1-0, 0.00, 6 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 K)
Have a great day, Twins fans!
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