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Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Luke Keaschall, Dylan Lee and Jordan Lawlar
FANTASY BASEBALL WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS Luke Keaschall (2B Twins): Rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues After nearly three months off due to a fractured forearm suffered on a HBP, Keaschall is back playing baseball again and will resume partaking in official games as he kicks off a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Friday. Most likely, he'll stay there at least a week. If it doesn't look like he's missed a beat, he could rejoin the Twins afterwards. If he's slow out of the gate, then maybe he'll be optioned to the minors for a spell. Still, we're going to hope here for the former scenario. It wasn't perfectly clear that Keachall was ready for the majors when he got the call just three weeks into the season, but he certainly looked the part, opening up on a six-game hitting streak before getting hurt in his seventh game. Most impressive was that he walked five times and struck out just twice in 26 plate appearances. He was 5-for-5 stealing bases. He went without a homer, but he had two barrels and five other hard-hit balls among his 17 balls in play. Just those seven games still place him seventh in WAR among the Twins' 18 position players with at least 20 plate appearances this season. And that's why he really ought to get another chance quickly. Give him the spot of Brooks Lee or Ty France or Trevor Larnach and let him go. He's not going to be a big power hitter just yet, but he can certainly help a team currently ranked 21st in the majors in OBP and 26th in steals. It'll be some time before it pays off, but he should be stashed now. Dylan Lee (RP Braves): Rostered in 8% of Yahoo leagues Which reliever not currently closing has the best chance of sliding into the closer's role because of a trade deadline move? Let's throw out some names: Angels: Reid DetmersAthletics: Elvis Alvarado?Guardians: Cade SmithOrioles: Yennier Cano (assuming Seranthony Domínguez is gone)Rays: Edwin Uceta, Kevin Kelly, eventually Drew Ramsussen?Red Sox: Jordan HicksRoyals: Lucas ErcegTwins: Griffin Jax Braves: Dylan LeeCardinals: JoJo Romero, Riley O'Brien (Phil Maton goes, too, if Ryan Helsley goes)D-backs: Shelby Miller or Ryan Thompson if they eventually come back healthyMarlins: Calvin Faucher (if Ronny Henríquez and Anthony Bender are both traded)Nationals: Brad LordPirates: Carmen Mlodzinksi, Braxton Ashcraft (Dennis Santana is a goner)Reds: Tony Santillan, Scott Barlow (also both trade candidates) Of everyone here, I'd say Lee is the best bet. Raisel Iglesias seems much more likely to be traded than Aroldis Chapman, Emmanuel Clase or Ryan Helsley, and unlike some other guys here, Lee is a clear No. 2 on the depth chart. Lord is also rather interesting, since Kyle Finnegan is very likely to be dealt, but I think he's a breakdown candidate after a heavy first-half workload in his first stint as a reliever. Jax, along with Smith, probably has the most upside of the group, but I don't think the Twins will wind up selling. Erceg is also intriguing, but the Royals will probably keep Carlos Estévez and try to hang in the race unless these next 10 days go badly. Jordan Lawlar (SS Diamondbacks): Rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues That Lawlar hasn't already been picked up in more leagues is an obvious reaction to his latest injury, a Grade 1 hamstring strain that has had him on the shelf for Triple-A Reno since June 26. There haven't really been any updates on his status since, but players typically return from Grade 1 strains within a month, meaning Lawlar should be about ready to join the Diamondbacks infield right around the trade deadline, when the team is nearly certain to ship out free agent-to-be Eugenio Suárez. Lawlar's first major league stint this season saw him go hitless in 19 at-bats, but that was in a bit role. He'll play regularly next time around, and he'll show off the power-speed combination that has allowed him to amass 17 homers and 22 steals to go along with a .334/.420/.590 line in 81 career Triple-A games. The durability concerns are real and might need to be factored into his long-term dynasty value, but if he's up on Aug. 1 as hoped, he could be good for around eight homers and a dozen steals over the final third of the season. Waiver Wire Quick Hits - The Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar is only 46% rostered in Yahoo leagues as he returns from his second IL stint of the year. That's above my threshold for being featured in this column, but he needs to be picked up in leagues in which he's available. He's been somewhat disappointing in his 32 games while healthy, but he was plenty useful last year and he really should be better now; his strikeout rate is just 22%, compared to 29% last year, and his hard-hit rate has jumped from 40% to 44%. Statcast gives him an xBA of .303 and an xSLG of .500. - I featured Shane Bieber seven weeks ago before his setback in his return from Tommy John, so I won't do it again now. However, he's back on a rehab assignment, having thrown two scoreless innings Tuesday, and he's currently available in 64% of Yahoo leagues. He could turn out to be pretty helpful during the final two months.
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins draft slick-fielding shortstop Marek Houston, then focus on high-upside picks
Wake Forest shortstop Marek Houston is widely considered one of the elite fielders in a shortstop-heavy 2025 MLB Draft class, and the Minnesota Twins are big enough believers in the strides he made offensively this season to select the 21-year-old with the No. 16 pick on Sunday. Even first-round picks drafted as shortstops often wind up sliding down the defensive spectrum to other positions as they face higher-level competition and mature physically. Some recent Twins examples of that include Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Nick Gordon, Trevor Plouffe and Michael Cuddyer. Advertisement That's unlikely to be the case with Houston, who is seen as a legit shortstop with the ability to stick there long-term. There are some questions about his offensive upside even after a breakthrough junior season in which Houston hit .354/.458/.597 with 15 homers in 61 games for the Demon Deacons. Keith Law of The Athletic rates Houston as the No. 19 prospect in the class, calling him 'a no-doubt shortstop' and 'a high-floor, lower-ceiling prospect, unless someone foresees more power in his future than I do.' Baseball America (No. 14), (No. 15) and (No. 23) ranked Houston in a similar range, touting his smooth fielding and bat-to-ball skills while generally expressing less enthusiasm about his power potential despite a sturdy 6-foot-3 frame. 'My first two years, I was always known as a shortstop,' Houston said. 'My freshman year, I didn't hit very well, but I was always the guy at shortstop pitchers could count on. I always took pride in that. I think the work I put in this year, and the coaches around me, kind of proved the bat is there.' Twins select Wake Forest SS Marek Houston at 16 — CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 13, 2025 Of course, if Houston is as good defensively as most draft analysts seem to think, with some making the case for him as the best defender in the entire class, there's certainly a path for him to develop into an all-around impact player at a premium position even without substantial power. 'We thought (Houston) was the best college shortstop on the board,' said assistant general manager Sean Johnson, who oversees the draft. 'We've seen him for a long time at Wake Forest and really love to watch him play shortstop. We feel like he's a really good shortstop.' Houston made significant year-over-year improvements offensively while at Wake Forest. After posting a punchless .625 OPS as a freshman in 2023, he boosted it to a .949 OPS as a sophomore and a 1.055 OPS as a junior, with as many walks (46) as strikeouts (46) and 19 steals in 21 tries. Advertisement 'I go into each year thinking about what I can do to get better,' Houston said. 'And that was impacting the ball more than I did the year before. I went into the year trying to gain a little bit more muscle, trying to get a little bit stronger and faster. Hitting-wise, it came together really well.' However, his exit velocities and other batted-ball metrics were somewhat underwhelming, and 11 of his 15 homers this season came at Wake Forest's power-inflating ballpark. But taking a high-contact hitter with a line-drive swing and trying to add power has been part of the Twins' draft approach. 'That's where the value is in really getting to know a player,' Johnson said. 'How they're wired, how they've been training. Knowing he's put on weight since he's been at Wake Forest. (Houston) is a worker who's driven to be a really good player, so we're hoping to carry that forward.' Twins shortstop Carlos Correa is signed through at least 2028. Last year's first-round pick, Kaelen Culpepper, is also a shortstop with a chance to stay there long-term, and he's already thriving at Double A. But there's no such thing as too many good shortstops. It's one of those nice problems to have. 'It's very hard to play everyday big-league shortstop,' Johnson said. 'Very high bar to clear. But we think Marek can do it. He's got great instincts and great reads off the bat. He's got plenty of arm strength. He's got range. All the things you need to stay at short, we think he can do it.' Why not add No. 9? Q is through 6.0 IP for the first time in his career too!@rileyquick12 I #RollTide — Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) May 3, 2025 With the No. 36 pick awarded by MLB as part of the Competitive Balance Round, the Twins selected University of Alabama right-hander Riley Quick, who flashed upper-90s fastball velocity in an encouraging first season back from Tommy John surgery. Quick is a 6-foot-6, 250-pound former offensive lineman who turned down Division I football offers to play baseball, so his high-octane raw stuff also comes with an intimidating presence on the mound. He posted a 3.92 ERA for Alabama this season, with 70 strikeouts and 24 walks in 62 innings. Advertisement Three drafts ago, the Twins used their second-round choice on left-hander Connor Prielipp, another Alabama starter whose Tommy John surgery knocked him out of the first round after once projecting as a possible top-10 pick. Prielipp is now a healthy top prospect pitching well at Double A. The Twins are no doubt hoping for similar success with Quick, whose raw stuff returned from surgery intact and is among the best in the class. In addition to a mid-90s fastball that topped out at 99 mph, Quick introduced a cutter this season as part of what is now a four-pitch mix. 'I think we're lucky he chose baseball over football,' Johnson said. 'Not all 6-6 guys have the same amount of athleticism. So a guy who is that nimble and big, and coordinated with his delivery, was really appealing. We think there's even more to unlock with the way he uses his pitches.' In rating Quick as the No. 23 prospect in the class, Law notes he might wind up as a reliever but also 'has such a great foundation of arm strength, ability to spin the ball, and a present off-speed weapon in the changeup that he could be a No. 2 starter or better with some mechanical fine-tuning.' First summer look at the So Cal Giants. Quentin Young (2025, Oaks Christian ) taking some hacks#MLBDraft@PG_Scouting @PG_Draft @SoCalGiants — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 22, 2025 With their second-round pick, the Twins took California high school slugger Quentin Young at No. 54. Young has big-league connections as the nephew of Dmitri Young, the No. 4 pick in the 1991 draft, and Delmon Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft who played four seasons for the Twins. Young was technically drafted as a shortstop, but he's a prime example of that not mattering because there's almost no chance the 6-6 teenager stays there for long. He has the athleticism and elite arm strength for third base, but massive raw power is the carrying tool that enticed the Twins. 'His tools are so loud and big,' Johnson said. 'Some of the highest upside in the whole draft. That's probably the highlight of our scouts for the night. We thought he'd be off the board. To be able to get him, our scouts are probably in the room still trying to do gymnastics. Just tremendous upside.' Advertisement With their final Day 1 selection, the Twins used their third-round pick, No. 88, on Dallas Baptist University right-hander James Ellwanger. He racked up 95 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings this year and topped out at 100 mph, but shaky control and durability concerns may lead to the bullpen eventually. 'Ellwanger is a big-time athlete,' Johnson said. 'He's got one of the better breaking balls on the board. And that's a guy we think we can do more with (developmentally) as well to keep him as a starter long-term.' (Photo of Marek Houston: Saul Young / News Sentinel / USA Today via Imagn Images)
New York Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brooks Lee's perfect bunt delivers Twins a walk-off win over Rays
MINNEAPOLIS — Before Saturday, Brooks Lee had only bunted once in his professional career — and he was yelled at for it. When he bunted again on Saturday afternoon, it resulted in a different kind of yelling. Lee's teammates hollered with delight as he perfectly executed a safety squeeze for a game-winning single, the hit resulting in a 6-5 walk-off victory for the Twins over the Tampa Bay Rays at Target Field. The comeback win helped the Twins earn their first series victory in a month. Advertisement Royce Lewis drove in two runs, and Kody Clemens belted a game-tying homer for the Twins, who can come away with a series sweep with a win Sunday. Jhoan Duran earned the victory — the 500th of manager Rocco Baldelli's career — with two scoreless innings pitched. 'I was like, 'Are we bunting?'' Lee said. 'I had to go make sure. But yeah, I was comfortable with it. I thought I was going to get it down, and I saw it happen in my mind, and I did. … It's definitely a different feeling when you walk it off, and it's just a good clubhouse feeling.' The Twins need all the good vibes they can muster. WALK IT OFF, BROOKS!! — (@twinstv) July 5, 2025 They limped home Thursday five games under .500 after a disappointing road trip in which the offense was dormant, losing four of six games in Detroit and Miami. Though Harrison Bader's walk-off home run Friday provided some relief, none of the energy seemed to carry over to Saturday. Early on, the Twins looked like a sad-sack offense, scoring only once while squandering a golden opportunity with the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning. After Lewis singled in a run with an infield nubber, the Twins went down in order and only led 1-0. Tampa Bay took advantage of the Twins' early misfire and raced out to a 5-1 lead, doing most of its damage against rookie pitcher Travis Adams in the middle of a bullpen day. Making his major league debut, Adams yielded nine hits, which tied a Twins record with three other rookie pitchers. But somehow, the Twins battled back. First came a Lewis two-out RBI single and then a three-run bolt from Clemens in the sixth. And after an outstanding escape by Duran in the ninth, Lee received a chance to lay down a bunt and receive kudos instead of criticism. Following the lead of Duran, who struck out Yandy Díaz with the go-ahead run at third and one out and retired Junior Caminero on an inning-ending fly ball, the Twins perked up. Advertisement Byron Buxton drew a leadoff walk against Rays lefty Garrett Cleavinger and raced to third base on Willi Castro's bounder through the right side. Castro's hit set the stage for Lee, who's never been credited for a successful sacrifice bunt either in the pros or in three seasons at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. 'They have guys that get swing and miss,' Baldelli said. 'We had some good at-bats, but let's not wait around too long. If Brooks can get the bunt down — and it's not an easy bunt. But if he can get the bunt down, Buck's going to be safe. I just simplified it in my mind like that. (Lee) can lay a bunt down. He's a baseball player. He said, 'That's Big West baseball at its finest.'' Even though Tampa Bay pulled in the infield, the Rays didn't appear to think Lee would bunt. He offered at Cleavinger's first pitch, a 98 mph fastball on the inner half, and perfectly pushed it up the first-base line for a single, which set off a second straight celebration. 'Practiced it like every other day in college,' Lee said. 'Bunted in pro ball, I think one time, and I got yelled at. … But yeah, I definitely practice it enough times to be comfortable, and it showed.' The Twins didn't show much against Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley, who shook off the early jam and pitched well into the middle innings. After Lewis singled with the bases loaded to make it 1-0, Bradley struck out Clemens, got Bader to hit into a fielder's choice and retired Buxton on a towering fly ball to the warning track in left field. Bradley retired 13 of 14 batters following Lewis's single in the second inning. The Twins wasted a one-out double by Trevor Larnach in the third inning and then weren't heard from until the sixth. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay took advantage of Adams' inability to miss bats, scoring a run in the third, fourth and sixth innings, along with a pair in the fifth. Working as part of a bullpen day, Adams allowed five earned runs and nine hits in four innings, striking out one. Advertisement But as quickly as the Twins seemed finished, they woke up. Carlos Correa and Ryan Jeffers started a game-tying rally with a pair of one-out singles in the sixth inning. Lewis provided his teammates with a jolt, a two-out single to right-center field to make it a 5-2 game. Clemens then followed with a stunning, opposite-field, three-run homer off Kevin Kelly to tie the game. KODY CLEMENS TIES IT! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 5, 2025 Griffin Jax followed with a scoreless seventh inning to keep the score tied. Duran then provided his first two-inning outing of the season, though it wasn't easy. The right-hander worked around a one-out double and an intentional walk during a 16-pitch eighth inning. He also surrendered a one-out single in the ninth and watched as Jeffers' throw on a stolen-base attempt by pinch runner José Caballero sailed into center field, allowing the go-ahead run to advance to third. Somehow, Duran escaped. To do so, he struck out Díaz, who whiffs only 13.7 percent of the time, the 18th-lowest rate in the majors, with a fastball above the letters. Following a two-out walk, Duran got Caminero to fly out. As impressive as Duran was, he went out of his way to praise Lee's bunt. 'It's always amazing when we do a walk-off,' Duran said. 'It was great and (credit) to Brooks Lee. The first time he did a bunt in the game and to do it for the walk-off. … It's great for us. We need it.'
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brooks Lee's perfect bunt delivers Twins' walk-off win over Rays
MINNEAPOLIS — Brooks Lee only bunted once before in his professional career and was yelled at. When he bunted again on Saturday afternoon, it resulted in a different kind of yelling. Lee's teammates hollered with delight as he perfectly executed a safety squeeze for a game-winning single, the hit resulting in a 6-5 Twins walk-off victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Target Field. Lee's ninth-inning, bunt single helped the Twins complete a comeback win and earn their first series victory in a month. Advertisement Royce Lewis drove in two runs, and Kody Clemens belted a game-tying homer for the Twins, who are seeking a series sweep when the teams meet again Sunday. Jhoan Duran earned the victory — the 500th of manager Rocco Baldelli's career — with two scoreless innings pitched. 'I was like, 'Are we bunting?'' Lee said. 'I had to go make sure. But yeah, I was comfortable with it. I thought I was going to get it down, and I saw it happen in my mind, and I did. … It's definitely a different feeling when you walk it off, and it's just a good clubhouse feeling.' The Twins need all the good vibes they can muster. WALK IT OFF, BROOKS!! — (@twinstv) July 5, 2025 They limped home Thursday five games under .500 after a disappointing road trip in which the offense was dormant, losing four of six games in Detroit and Miami. Though Harrison Bader's walk-off home run Friday provided some relief, none of the energy seemed to carry over to Saturday. Early on, the Twins looked like a sad-sack offense, scoring only once in spite of a golden opportunity with the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning. After Lewis singled in a run with an infield nubber, the Twins went down in order and only led 1-0. Tampa Bay took advantage of the Twins' early misfire and raced out to a 5-1 lead, doing most of its damage against rookie pitcher Travis Adams in the middle of a bullpen day. Making his major-league debut, Adams yielded nine hits, which tied a Twins record with three other rookie pitchers. But somehow, the Twins battled back. First on a Lewis two-out RBI single and then a three-run bolt from Clemens in the sixth. And after an outstanding escape by Duran in the ninth, Lee received a chance to lay down a bunt and receive kudos instead of criticism. Following the lead of Duran, who struck out Yandy Díaz with the go-ahead run at third and one out and retired Junior Caminero on an inning-ending fly ball, the Twins perked up. Advertisement Byron Buxton drew a leadoff walk against Rays lefty Garrett Cleavinger and raced to third base on Willi Castro's bounder through the right side. Castro's hit set the stage for Lee, who's never been credited for a successful sacrifice bunt either in the pros or in three seasons at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. 'They have guys that get swing and miss,' Baldelli said. 'We had some good at-bats, but let's not wait around too long. If Brooks can get the bunt down — and it's not an easy bunt. But if he can get the bunt down, Buck's going to be safe. I just simplified it in my mind like that. (Lee) can lay a bunt down. He's a baseball player. He said, 'That's Big West baseball at its finest.'' Even though Tampa Bay pulled in the infield, the Rays didn't appear to think Lee would bunt. He offered at Cleavinger's first pitch, a 98 mph fastball on the inner half, and perfectly pushed it up the first-base line for a single, which set off a second straight celebration. 'Practiced it like every other day in college,' Lee said. 'Bunted in pro-ball, I think one time, and I got yelled at. … But yeah, I definitely practice it enough times to be comfortable, and it showed off.' The Twins didn't show much against Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley, who shook off the early jam and pitched well into the middle innings. After Lewis singled with the bases loaded to make it 1-0, Bradley struck out Clemens, got Bader to hit into a fielder's choice and retired Buxton on a towering fly ball to the warning track in left field. Bradley retired 13 of 14 batters following Lewis's single in the second inning. The Twins wasted a one-out Trevor Larnach double in the third inning and then weren't heard from until the sixth inning. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay took advantage of Adams' inability to miss bats, scoring a run in the third, fourth and sixth innings along with a pair in the fifth. Working as part of a bullpen day, Adams allowed five earned runs and nine hits in four innings, striking out one. Advertisement But as quickly as the Twins seemed finished, they woke up. Carlos Correa and Ryan Jeffers started a game-tying rally with a pair of one-out singles in the sixth inning. Lewis provided his teammates with a jolt, a two-out single to right-center field to make it a 5-2 game. Clemens then followed with a stunning, opposite-field, three-run homer off Kevin Kelly to tie the game. KODY CLEMENS TIES IT! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 5, 2025 Griffin Jax followed with a scoreless seventh inning to keep the score tied. Duran then provided his first two-inning outing of the season, though it wasn't easy. The right-hander worked around a one-out double and an intentional walk during a 16-pitch eighth inning. He also surrendered a one-out single in the ninth and watched as Jeffers' throw on a stolen-base attempt by pinch runner José Caballero sailed into center field, allowing the go-ahead run to advance to third. Somehow, Duran escaped. To do so, he struck out Díaz, who whiffs only 13.7 percent of the time, the 18th-lowest total in the majors, with a fastball above the letters. Following a two-out walk, Duran got Caminero to fly out. As impressive as Duran was, he went out of his way to praise Lee's bunt. 'It's always amazing when we do a walk-off,' Duran said. 'It was great and (credit) to Brooks Lee. The first time he did a bunt in the game and to do it for the walk-off. … It's great for us. We need it.'
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Twins beat Rays on walk-off bunt by Brooks Lee
Minnesota Twins utility man Brooks Lee supplied a walk-off hit against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. It left his bat at 38 mph. With the game tied 5-5 and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Lee squared up to squeeze in Byron Buxton from third base. Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz attempted to make a play, but the ball bounced off his glove and left the final play of the game as a bunt hit. Advertisement The Twins celebrated the walk-off all the same: It took a comeback just for the Twins to be in that position in the ninth, as they entered the bottom of the sixth inning down 5-1. A four-run rally tied the game, capped off by Kody Clemens' 10th homer of the season. Lee didn't enter the game until the seventh inning, pinch-hitting for Trevor Larnach against the left-handed Mason Montgomery. He flied out on his first at-bat, but made good with the same platoon advantage in the ninth. It's his second walk-off hit of the year, his first being a more traditional single on May 24. It was also the Twins' second straight game with a walk-off, having won on a Harrison Bader solo shot on Friday. Advertisement The win improves the Twins' record to 43-46, still good for second place in the AL Central. They remain 3.5 games back for the third wild-card spot in the AL, currently held by the Seattle Mariners, and 12 games back from the league-best Detroit Tigers.
