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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. Please note the glossary of advanced stats at the bottom of the story.
This is the seventh edition of the Young Twins Tracker.
IN THE MAJORS
Byron Buxton (age 22)
Last week: 2 games, 8 PA, 8 AB, .250 BA, .250 OBP, .375 SLG, .625 OPS
Season (Triple-A): 29 games, 129 PA, .336 BA, .403 OBP, .603 SLG, 1.007 OPS, 9 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 4 SB, 11 BB, 26 SO
Season (MLB): 19 G, 57 PA, 53 AB, .170 BA, .214 OBP, .302 SLG, .516 OPS, 5 R, 9 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 2 BB, 27 SO, 40 OPS+, -0.1 WAR, .346 BAbip
Notable: Buxton was recalled by the Twins in time for Tuesday's game against the Oakland A's, and is 2-for-8 with three strikeouts and a double since returning to the lineup.
Max Kepler (age 22)
Last week: 1 game, 4 PA, 4 AB, .125 BA, .222 OBP, .250 SLG, .472 OPS
Season (Triple-A): 30 G, 128 PA, 110 AB, .282 BA, .367 OBP, .455 SLG, .822 OPS, 16 R, 31 H, 4 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 1 SB, 16 BB, 14 SO
Season (MLB): 10 G, 18 PA, 16 AB, .125 BA, .222 OBP, .250 SLG, .472 OPS, 2 R, 2 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 2 BB 7 SO, 30 OPS+, 0.1 WAR, .222 BAbip
Notable: Kepler made his first appearance for the big club on Wednesday since late April, striking out twice in four at-bats.
Miguel Sano (age 22)
Last week: 5 G, 20 PA, .375 BA, .500 OBP, .938 SLG, 1.438 OPS, .333 BAbip
Season: 50 G, 211 PA, 179 AB, .235 BA, .341 OBP, .458 SLG, .799 OPS, 25 R, 42 H, 7 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 27 RBI, 1 SB, 29 BB, 71 SO, 117 OPS+, 0.9 WAR, .313 BAbip
Notable: Sano had a solid week, hitting three home runs on six total hits and driving in six runs, before a hamstring injury in a loss to the A's on Tuesday sent the Twins' primary slugger to the DL.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Jose Berrios (age 21)
Last week: 2 game (2 start), 0-2, 3.25 ERA, 11.0 IP, 17 H, 7 HR, 9 R, 4 BB, 7 K
Season (Triple-A): 6 games (6 starts), 3-2, 3.27 ERA, 33.0 IP, 1.36 WHIP, 9.5 K/9
Notable: Berrios went six innings for the Red Wings on Thursday, allowing seven hits and picking up just one strikeout, before striking out six batters through five innings of work while allowing 10 hits on Tuesday.
Nick Burdi (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: N/A
Season: 3 games (no starts), 1-0, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1.32 WHIP
Notable: The Chattanooga Lookouts placed Burdi on the seven-day disabled list May 5 for a bone bruise on his right humerus. He hasn't pitched since.
Stephen Gonsalves (age 21/High Single-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 6 IP, 2 ER, 9 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 0.99 WHIP
Season: 9 games (9 starts), 2.01 ERA, 53.2 IP, 35 H, 13 R, 8 HR, 18 BB, 50 K, 2.01 ERA
Notable: Gonsalves allowed nine hits through six innings work on Saturday while striking out a season-high seven batters in a loss to Charlotte.
Nick Gordon (age 20/High Single-A)
Last week: 4 games, 16 AB, 2 H, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB, .296 BA
Season: 41 games, 166 AB, .289 BA, .341 OBP, .371 SLG, .708 OPS, 22 R, 48 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 7 SB, 10 BB, 32 SO
Notable: Gordon had a quiet week at the plate, picking up just two hits and reaching base four times, but he now leads the Fort Myers Miracle in hits with 48 on the season.
Tyler Jay (age 22/High Single-A)
Last week: 1 game ( 1 start), 8 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K, 1.06 WHIP
Season: 9 games (9 starts), 51 2/3 IP, 41 H, 15 R, 1 HR, 14 BB, 55 K, 2.44 ERA
Notable: Jay turned in his best start of the season on Tuesday, racking up 11 strikeouts through eight shutout innings and allowing just two hits.
Alex Meyer (age 26)
Last week: N/A
Season (Triple-A): 3 games (2 starts), 1-1, 1.04 ERA, 17 1/3 IP, 0.865 WHIP, 11 H, 0 HR, 4 BB, 19 K
Season (MLB): 2 games (1 starts), 1-1, 12.27 ERA, 3 2/3 IP, 3.273 WHIP, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 BB, 15 K
Notable: Myers hasn't pitched since the Twins optioned him to Rochester on May 4.
Jorge Polanco (age 22)
Last week: 7 games, 25 AB, 5 R, 10 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SO, .293 BA
Season (Triple-A): 22 games, 80 AB, .313 BA, .374 OBP, .525 SLG, .899 OPS, 11 R, 25 H, 4 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, BB 9, 14 SO
Season (MLB): 13 games, 32 PA, .231 BA, .344 OBP, .462 SLG, .805 OPS, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 1 SB, 4 BB, 3 K, 120 OPS+, .217 BAbip, 0.3 WAR.
Notable: Polanco has hits in nine consecutive games for Rochester dating back to May 6, and has reached base successfully 19 times over that same span.
Eddie Rosario (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 7 games, 30 AB, 3 R, 13 H, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0 SB, .309 BA
Season (Triple-A): 13 games, 55 AB, .309 BA, .309 OBP, .473 SLG, .782 OPS, 5 R, 17 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 0 BB, 10 K
Season (MLB): 32 games, 121 PA, .200 BA, .218 OBP, .313 SLG, .532 OPS, 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 15 R, 9 RBI, 3 SB, 3 BB, 31 K, .244 BAbip, 45 OPS+, -0.7 WAR
Notable: Rosario has reached base in all but four games since being sent to Rochester, and went 4-for-5 on Saturday.
Kohl Stewart (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-1, 3 ER, 6 IP, 8 H, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K
Season (Single-A): 9 games (9 starts), 3-2, 2.61 ERA, 51 2/3 IP, 39 H, 19 R, 2 HR, 19 BB, 44 K, 1.12 WHIP
Notable: Stewart was bumped up to Double-A Chattanooga on Tuesday, but has yet to pitch for the Lookouts.
Adam Walker (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 21 AB, 2 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 SB, .224 BA
Season (Triple-A): 44 games, 157 AB, 34 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 20 R, 20 RBI, 16 BB, 76 SO, 2 SB, .217 BA
Notable: It was a down week for Walker, who went just 2-for-21 through six games, but he still ranks third in the International League with 10 home runs.
A glossary of some of the advanced statistics used:
OPS: On base percentage + slugging percentage
OPS+: OPS compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
sOPS+: OPS for the split (in our case the last 7 days) compared to the league's split OPS (100 being average).
BAbip: Batting average on balls in play.
WHIP: Walks plus hits divided by innings pitched.
ERA+: ERA compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
FIP: Fielding Independent Pitching. Measures a pitcher's effectiveness at presenting home runs, walks and hit by pitches while causing strikeouts. The MLB average FIP is the same as the MLB average ERA.
WAR: Wins Above Replacement value. Represents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player would add (we are using WAR from baseball-reference.com).
Statistics courtesy baseball-reference.com and milb.com
