Twins minor league report: Elizabethton has team of young sluggers

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: August 23, 2008 - 6:10 PM

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The Elizabethton Twins are completing an historic slugging season in the Appalachian League.

Through 62 games, the E-Town Twins hit a whopping 86 homers, breaking the record of 81 set by Pulaski in 1983.

The effort was led by outfielder Angel Morales, who has 15 homers, and outfielder Evan Bigley, who has 14. First baseman Jonathan Waltenbury and catcher Alexander Soto each have 10.

No other Elizabethton team going back to 1978 -- that's as far back as records were available -- had four players with at least 10 homers. And outfielder Michael Harrington entered the weekend with eight homers with five games left to play.

While impressive, it is not an indication the Twins have bushels of bashers on the way.

Since 1978, the most homers hit in a single season at E-Town was 22 --by Paul Russo in 1990. Next is 18 by Jacob Patterson in 1997. Three players hit 15 before this season --Dusty Gomon in 2003, Eric Sandberg in 1999 and Kevin Miller in 1979.

None of them reached the majors.

Of the current group, the Twins say they believe they have a fine hitting prospect in Morales, who can play all three outfield positions.

Morales, the Twins' third-round pick in 2007, was batting .313 with a .424 on-base percentage and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 1.072. He needs more experience in hitting lefthanders, as he was batting only .135 against them.

"He's got bat speed and can hit for power," said Rob Antony, Twins assistant general manager. "He could end up as a corner guy, but he can play center field."

System check

• Baseball America named Jason Pridie of Class AAA Rochester as the best defensive outfielder in the International League. Class AA's Drew Butera was named best defensive catcher in the Eastern League.

• According to Baseball America's figures, the Twins spent $6.708 million on signing bonuses for their picks in the top 10 rounds -- the eighth most in the league.

• Class A Beloit outfielder Ben Revere was held out of a few games last week because of a sore knee but was expected to return to the lineup by this weekend.

• Class AAA Rochester righthander Philip Humber pitched a complete-game victory Friday and improved to 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA since the All-Star break, forcing the Twins to consider him for a September callup. Kevin Mulvey, 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA since the break, also is under consideration.

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