Twins Minor League Performers of May

System Hitter of the Month: Ben Revere 

It is hard NOT to pick Ben Revere as the hitter for the month of May. 
Revere hit .339 and his only dinger of the year, this month.
That may seem great but the truly amazing ability was his patience.
Revere went on a streak of 83 ABs without a strike out, a streak that spanned 22 days from May 6 to May 28.  Revere will likely get sent up to Rochester later in the season. Revere’s quick line-drive type swing and speed make him a remarkable fit for a pitchers’ ballpark in Target Field, where he can turn doubles into triples.

System Pitcher of the Month: Kyle Gibson

Just like Ben Revere, Kyle Gibson was a no-brain per say as pitcher for the month of May for the Twins system. Gibson, who was the first round draft pick for the Twins in the 2009 draft, has been highly touted as the
most advanced pitcher to
ever come into the Twins organization, and rightfully so.
The Missouri graduate |posted a 1.64 ERA and a record of 5-0 between
High A- Ft. Myers and
Double A-New Britain. Gibson’s success has
earned him a spot at the
top of my prospect list.
Expect to see Gibson in Rochester later this summer.

Rochester Redwings 10-19

Hitter of the Month: Danny Valencia

After coming off a slow April in which he hit .256, Rochester Redwings’
third basemen Danny Valencia rebounded in May and put up a phenomenal batting average of .330. Valencia still
has a lot in store for Twins fans, as he has still to hit a HR
in almost 200 plate appearances. Last year at this time, Valencia had already knocked six out of the park.
Expect to see Valencia as a September call-up this fall.
If all goes well this year, Valencia is a prime candidate
to be starting at third base in Target Field in 2011.

Pitcher of the Month: Kyle Waldrop

Kyle Waldrop is not your prototypical reliever. Most relievers are hard throwing.  Waldrop is the opposite. Waldrop’s fastball rarely tops 93 mph and has extremely good control. In fact, Waldrop has so much control that it caused hitters to ground out 63% of the time in May. Waldrop’s ERA was .84 during May. Expect Waldrop to be the middle to late inning type of guy for the Twins in the future. I could see him turning out like Matt Guerrier

New Britain Rock Cat 10-20

Hitter of the Month: Ben Revere

(See Above)

Pitcher of the Month: Kyle Gibson

(See Above)

Ft. Myer Miracle 13-16

Hitter of Month: Chris Parmalee

Chris Parmalee was the clear cut choice for hitter of the month for the Ft. Myers Miracle. Chris hit .340 and hit 2 HRs.
In 61 plate appearances, struck out eight times and walked eight times which raised his OBP to .426.

Pitcher of Month: Bruce Pugh

Bruce Pugh had by far the best month of any Miracle pitcher. Pugh went 1-1 with an ERA of 1.89. He has both started and been in the bullpen the past two years, but this year, he has solely been a starter. The most encouraging fact was his 5:1 Strikeout: Walk ratio. Pugh continued to show potential all the way up until his injury sidelined him mid-May. I look forward to Pugh returning to form later this season.

Beloit Snappers 14-17

Hitter of the Month: Anderson Hidalgo

One of the most consistent players in the Twins organization is the Snappers third basemen Anderson Hidalgo.  In 110 plate appearances, Hidalgo hit .317 in May, almost the exact same he batted the month before (.314). The main difference between April and May was his patience. He cut his strike outs in half during May while raising his walk % only slightly. Hidalgo is also astonishing with the glove.  With time, Hidalgo will develop into a fine third basemen.

Pitcher of the Month: Dakota Watts

The 6’ 6” Dakota Watts is my pick for pitcher of the month for the month of May. Watts, a mid- inning reliever, posted a 2.21 ERA during May. Watts is a power pitcher who is becoming familiar with his secondary pitches.  Watts was recently interviewed on my podcast; you may listen at this link.

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