Bat of Twins top prospect Lewis coming around

The Minnesota Twins have positioned themselves as a playoff contender, but the team still has a number of promising prospects.

Every Thursday for the rest of the season, FOX Sports North will take a closer look at some specific young players in Minnesota’s farm system — as well as noting others who might be stepping up — measuring, highlighting and evaluating their progress.

This is the 12th edition of the 2019 Young Twins Tracker.

Jordan Balazovic, SP (age 20/High-A)

Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-1, 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Season (High-A): 11 games (10 starts), 5-3, 3.02 ERA, 53.2 IP, 40 H, 3 HR, 16 BB, 68 K, .201 OBA, 1.04 WHIP

Season (Low-A): 4 games (4 starts), 2-1, 2.18 ERA, 20.2 IP, 15 H, 1 HR, 4 BB, 33 K, .195 OBA, 0.92 WHIP

Notable: Although only three were earned, the five runs Balazovic allowed on July 18 vs. Tampa were the most he’s given up in a game since last August.

Keoni Cavaco, SS (age 18/Rookie)

Last week: 4 games, 12 AB, 2 H, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 2 BB, 5 K, .167 BA

Season: 14 games, 49 AB, .204 BA, .250 OBP, .286 SLG, .536 OPS, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 3 BB, 18 K.

Notable: The adjustment to being a professional continues for Minnesota’s top pick in the 2019 draft.  He did finish the week with hits in back-to-back games for the third time in his young career, but he has yet to string hits together in three straight. Cavaco was removed from the GCL Twins’ July 24 game during the fifth inning while the Twins were in the field after an infield single to the shortstop. No other details are available.

Nick Gordon, 2B/SS (age 23/Triple-A)

Last week: 5 games, 23 AB, 8 H, 1 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 1 BB, 5 K, .348 BA

Season: 62 games, 260 AB, .292 BA, .333 OBP, .442 SLG, .776 OPS, 24 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 45 R, 36 RBI, 14 SB, 16 BB, 60 K.

Notable: Gordon has a hit in 11 of his last 12 games and in five straight. Last week he had two multiple-hit games: 2-for-3 on July 19 at Gwinnett and 3-for-5 with a double on July 24 vs. Norfolk.

Brusdar Graterol, SP (age 20/Double-A)

Last week: n/a

Season: 9 games (9 starts), 5-0, 1.89 ERA, 47.2 IP, 31 H, 2 HR, 19 BB, 46 K, .188 OBA, 1.05 WHIP

Notable: Graterol remains on the injured list, where he was placed May 19 due to a right shoulder impingement. However, he did throw a bullpen session earlier this week.

Alex Kirilloff, OF (age 21/Double-A)

Last week: 5 games, 20 AB, 7 H, 1 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 2 K, .350 BA

Season: 60 games, 236 AB, .284 BA, .352 OBP, .407 SLG, .769 OPS, 13 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 28 R, 21 RBI, 3 SB, 21 BB, 55 K.

Notable: Kirilloff had three two-hit games last week, giving him 20 multiple-hit contests on the season.

Trevor Larnach, OF (age 22/Double-A)

Last week: 5 games, 17 AB, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 2 BB, 6 K, .235 BA

Season (Double-A): 6 games, 21 AB, .238 BA, .333 OBP, .429 SLG, .762 OPS, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 2 BB, 7 K.

Season (Single-A): 84 games, 320 AB, .316 BA, .382 OBP, .459 SLG, .842 OPS, 26 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 33 R, 44 RBI, 4 SB, 35 BB, 74 K.

Notable: Larnach has a hit in five of his first six games with Pensacola. He hit his first Double-A home run on July 21 then got his first double on July 24.

Royce Lewis, SS (age 20/High-A)

Last week: 5 games, 21 AB, 8 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 BB, 4 K, .381 BA

Season: 91 games, 371 AB, .243 BA, .296 OBP, .377 SLG, .674 OPS, 17 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 54 R, 33 RBI, 16 SB, 27 BB, 89 K.

Notable: Lewis has a hit in each of his last five games, including a 3-for-5 effort with a double on July 19 and going 2-for-4 on July 20. His homer on July 23 was his third of the month, covering 12 games. He also has seven multi-hit games over his last 18 games. Lewis is hitting .308/.387/.508 in 16 July contests.

Brent Rooker 1B/OF (age 24/Triple-A)

Last week: n/a

Season: 65 games, 228 AB, .281 BA, .398 OBP, .535 SLG, .933 OPS, 16 2B, 0 3B, 14 HR, 41 R, 47 RBI, 2 SB, 35 BB, 95 K.

Notable: Rooker remains on the injured list, where he was placed July 16, retroactive to July 14.

Others:  Rochester OF Jaylin Davis (24th round, 2015) continues to swing a hot bat. He was 10-for-21 (.476) last week with four doubles, a homer, nine runs, four RBI and four walks. In 35 games with the Red Wings he’s batting .362/.441/.764 with 13 HR, 35 R and 36 RBI. … RHP Randy Dobnak went eight innings for Double-A Pensacola on July 18, allowing one run on two hits with nine strikeouts then tossed six scoreless innings on July 23 for Rochester, allowing four hits and striking out six. An undrafted free agent who signed with the Twins in 2017, Dobnak has pitched at three minor-league levels this season. … Pensacola RHP Griffin Jax (3rd round, 2016) tied his season high with seven innings pitched on July 22. He gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits with eight whiffs. … Fort Myers LHP Lachlan Wells pitched six scoreless innings on July 20, allowing just one hit and one walk while fanning five. … Cedar Rapids RHP Rickey Ramirez (15th round, 2017) had saves in all three games he pitched last week, allowing no runs and striking out nine in five innings. … Kernels OF Gilberto Celestino went 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI. … GCL Twins 3B Wander Valdez hit three home runs last week including a pair on July 19. He has four HR this season (tied for second in the Gulf Coast League) after hitting four combined in 90 games in the Dominican Summer League from 2017-18. .., Elizabethtown OF Max Smith (31st round, 2019) also hit three homers this week – in three straight games – and also had a double and triple. … Sixth-round pick RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long made his pro debut last week at Elizabethtown and in two games so far he’s tossed a combined five scoreless innings, allowing two hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.

Statistics courtesy milb.com and baseball-reference.com

Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth’s Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams – Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns