Minnesota Twins minor league players

David Clemente Banuelos (born October 1, 1996) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Banuelos attended Damien High School in La Verne, California, graduating in 2014.[1] As a senior, he batted .395 with four home runs and 24 RBIs.[2] Undrafted out of high school in the 2014 MLB draft, he enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, and played college baseball for the Long Beach State Dirtbags. He became the Dirtbags' starting catcher as a sophomore in 2016.[3] During the summer of 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast League.[4] In 2017, he batted .289 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs and was named a First-Team All-American by Baseball America[5] and one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award.[6]

The Seattle Mariners selected Banuelos in the fifth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[1] He signed with the Mariners, receiving a $300,000 signing bonus,[7] and made his professional debut with the Everett AquaSox, where he spent his first professional season, posting a .236 batting average with four home runs and 26 RBIs in 36 games.[8]

On December 6, 2017, in an attempt to sign Shohei Ohtani during the 2017–18 offseason, the Mariners traded Banuelos to the Minnesota Twins for $1 million in international signing bonus money.[9] He spent the 2018 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, batting .220 with two home runs and 22 RBIs in 73 games.[10]

Banuelos begin 2019 with Cedar Rapids[11] before being promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle in May. Over 63 games, he slashed .177/.232/.263 with two home runs and twenty RBIs. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Matthew James Canterino (born December 14, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Canterino grew up in Southlake, Texas and attended Carroll Senior High School. He was named the District 7-6A Pitcher of the Year as a senior after posting 7-1 record with 57 strikeouts and an 0.64 ERA.[12]

Canterino played college baseball for the Rice Owls, where he was a starting pitcher for three seasons. He was named first team All-Conference USA after going 7-5 with 3.06 ERA and 116 strikeouts against 22 walks in 94 innings.[13] As a junior, he went 6-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 99.1 innings pitched and was named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year in addition to repeating as a first team all-conference selection.[14][15] In 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star.[16]

Canterino was selected in the 2nd round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins.[17] After signing with the team, he was initially assigned to the Gulf Coast League Twins before being promoted to the Class-A Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League.[18] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] He pitched only 23 innings in 2021 due to injury.[20]

• Rice Owls bio

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Keoni Cavaco
Cavaco with the Gulf Coast League Twins in 2019
Minnesota Twins
Shortstop
Born: (2001-06-02) June 2, 2001 Chula Vista, California
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Keoni Kealakekua Cavaco (born June 2, 2001) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Cavaco attended Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California. In 2019, his senior year, he hit .433 with eight home runs and 16 steals along with pitching to a 0.67 ERA.[21] He committed to play college baseball at San Diego State University.[22]

Cavaco was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first round with the 13th overall selection of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[23][24] He signed for $4.05 million.[25] After signing, he was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Twins with whom he spent all of his first professional season.[26] Over 25 games, he hit .172 with one home run and six RBIs.[27] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28] For the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels of the Low-A Southeast, slashing .233/.296/.301 with two home runs and 24 RBIs over sixty games.[29] He returned to Fort Myers to begin the 2022 season.[30]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (born December 1, 1999) is an American baseball first baseman and third baseman in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Encarnacion-Strand grew up in Pleasant Hill, California and attended College Park High School.[31] As a senior, he was named the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division MVP after batting .455 with 40 hits and 27 RBIs.[32]

Encarnacion-Strand began his college baseball career at Yavapai College. As a freshman, he was named the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year after he batted .402 and led the conference with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs.[33] Encarnacion-Strand was selected in the 34th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft by the Seattle Mariners, but did not sign with the team. He was hitting .430 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs in 25 games as a sophomore before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.[34] Encarnacion-Strand transferred to Oklahoma State University for his remaining collegiate eligibility.[35] In his only season with the Cowboys, he batted .361 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs and was named the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year.[36]

Encarnacion-Strand was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins.[37] He was assigned to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels of Low-A Southeast after signing with the team.[38] Encarnacion-Strand began the 2022 season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the High-A Midwest League.[39]

• Yavapai Roughriders bio
• Oklahoma State Cowboys bio

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)

Ronny Henríquez (born June 20, 2000) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Henríquez signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent on July 3, 2017, for a $10,000 signing bonus.[40] Henríquez made his professional debut in 2018 for the DSL Rangers of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, going 5–0 with a 1.55 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 58 innings.[41] He played for the Hickory Crawdads of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2019, going 6–6 with a 4.55 ERA and 99 strikeouts over 82 innings.[42][43] Henríquez did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[44][45] Henríquez opened the 2021 season with the Hickory Crawdads of the High-A East, going 1–3 with a 3.75 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 24 innings.[46][47] He was promoted to the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Central on June 10.[46] With Frisco he went 4–4 with a 5.04 ERA and 78 strikeouts over 69+2⁄3 innings. On November 19, 2021, Texas selected Henríquez to the 40–man roster.[48][49]

On March 12, 2022, Texas traded Henríquez and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Mitch Garver.[50]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)

William Christopher Holland (born April 18, 1998) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Holland graduated from Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia.[51] As a senior, he hit .436 with two home runs and 13 stolen bases.[52] Undrafted out of high school in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at Auburn University to play college baseball for the Auburn Tigers.

As a freshman at Auburn in 2017, Holland batted .209 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 45 games.[53] He was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the week of March 13–19 after going 6 for 15 at the plate, hitting one home run with four RBIs and three runs scored.[54] He played in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League that summer.[55] In 2018, as a sophomore, Holland had a breakout year in which he slashed .313/.406/.530 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 66 games.[56][57][58] He was named to the All-SEC Second Team and to the ABCA All-South Region Team.[59][60] After the season, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks along with playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.[61][62] Prior to the 2019 season, Holland was named a preseason All-American by multiple outlets including Perfect Game and D1Baseball.com.[63][64] He struggled his junior year, finishing the season batting .246 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs over 64 games.[65]

Holland was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fifth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft,[66] and he signed for $575,000.[67] He made his professional debut with the Elizabethton Twins of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, batting .192 with seven home runs, 16 RBIs, and eight stolen bases over 36 games.[68] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28] For the 2021 season, Holland was assigned to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels of the Low-A Southeast, slashing .214/.336/.401 with ten home runs, 27 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases over 76 games.[69] He was assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the High-A Midwest League to begin the 2022 season.[70]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Auburn Tigers bio

Kevin Custer Merrell (born December 14, 1995) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Merrell was on the Citrus Park team that advanced to the 2008 Little League World Series. He attended Steinbrenner High School. In 2014, as a senior, he hit .462.[71] He was not drafted in the 2014 MLB draft and he then enrolled at the University of South Florida where he played college baseball.[72][73] In 2016, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[74] In 2017, Merrell's junior year, he slashed .384/.464/.569 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs in 52 games. After the season, he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[75]

Merrell signed with Oakland and was assigned to the Vermont Lake Monsters where he batted .320 with two home runs, nine RBIs, and a .786 OPS in 31 games.[76] He spent 2018 with the Stockton Ports, with whom he was named a California League All-Star, slashing .267/.308/.326 with 24 RBIs in 62 games.[77] He began 2019 with the Midland RockHounds.[78]

On July 14, 2019, Merrell was traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Homer Bailey.[79] Following the trade, he was assigned to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals,[80] with whom he finished the year. Over 124 games between Midland and Northwest Arkansas, Merrell batted .242/.287/.330 with two home runs, 47 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Merrell hit .200/.288/.300 in 54 games between Northwest Arkansas and the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. Merrell was released by the Royals on October 13, 2021.[81]

On January 16, 2022, Merrell signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins.[82]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Spencer Gordon Steer (born December 7, 1997) is an American professional baseball infielder in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Steer attended Millikan High School in Long Beach, California.[83] He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 29th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft but did not sign and played college baseball at the University of Oregon. In 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[84] Steer was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft.[85]

Steer made his professional debut Elizabethton Twins and Cedar Rapids Kernels.[86] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 because the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[87] He started 2021 with Cedar Rapids before being promoted to the Wichita Wind Surge.[88] Over 110 games between the two teams, Steer slashed .254/.348/.484 with 24 home runs and 66 RBIs.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Andrew Gregory Strotman (born September 3, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Strotman attended Homestead High School in Cupertino, California.[89] In 2014, his senior year, he went 6-3 with a 0.54 ERA.[90] He was not drafted out of high school, and enrolled at Saint Mary's College of California where he played college baseball.

In 2015, Strotman's freshman year at Saint Mary's, he pitched 34+2⁄3 innings, going 2-3 with an 8.57 ERA. As a sophomore in 2016, he pitched in 22 games (making three starts), compiling a 3-5 record with a 3.96 ERA. In 2017, his junior season, Strotman pitched to a 6-1 record and a 4.57 ERA over 18 games (seven starts), striking out 75 batters over 67 innings.[91] Following the year, he was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[92]

Strotman signed with the Rays and made his professional debut with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League, going 2-3 with a 1.78 ERA over 11 games (seven starts).[93] He was named an All-Star.[94] In 2018, he pitched with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Class A Midwest League where he went 3-0 with a 3.52 ERA over 46 innings. He missed the last three months of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.[95] He returned to the mound in 2019 with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, pitching to an 0-2 record and a 5.06 ERA over 16 innings.[96] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[97] On November 20, 2020, Strotman was added to the 40-man roster.[98] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Durham Bulls of the Triple-A East.[99] Over 13 games (12 starts) with Durham, he posted a 7-2 record and a 3.39 ERA.[100]

On July 22, 2021, Strotman was traded alongside Joe Ryan to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Nelson Cruz and Calvin Faucher.[101] He was assigned to the St. Paul Saints of the Triple-A East.[102] Over 12 starts with St. Paul, Strotman went 3-3 with a 7.33 ERA and 42 strikeouts over 54 innings.[103] He returned to St. Paul to begin the 2022 season.[104]

Chris Ryan Vallimont (born March 18, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization.

Vallimont attended Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania.[105] He attended Mercyhurst University, where he played college baseball for the Lakers.[106] In 2017, he briefly played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[107] Vallimont was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 5th round, with the 147th overall selection, of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, and signed with the Marlins.[108][109]

Vallimont made his professional debut in 2018 with the Batavia Muckdogs, going 0–2 with a 6.21 ERA in 29 innings.[110][111] He opened the 2019 season with the Clinton LumberKings, going 4–4 with a 2.99 ERA in 69 innings.[111] Vallimont was named to the Midwest League All-Star team.[112] He was promoted to the Jupiter Hammerheads on June 22.[111]

On July 27, 2019, Vallimont was traded, along with Sergio Romo and a PTBNL, to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Lewin Díaz.[113] He was assigned to the Fort Myers Miracle following the trade,[111] and ended the season there. Over 23 starts between Clinton, Jupiter, and Fort Myers, Vallimont pitched to an 8-9 record with a 3.24 ERA, striking out 150 over 127+2⁄3 innings. Vallimont did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[114] In 2021, Vallimont split the year between Fort Myers and the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge, posting a 5-7 record and 5.84 ERA with 136 strikeouts in 94.0 innings of work across 22 starts. He was selected to the 40-man roster following the season on November 19, 2021.[115]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Mercyhurst Lakers bio