Monthly Duluth Roster Update

[ScottH]

Catcher: Jose Castillo (rd 1, 2028) hit .237 with 11 home runs in second half of the 2031 season. With no veteran catcher on the roster, the Minnesota native has a clear path to the number one catcher role with the Warriors. If he can stay healthy, look for the 25-year-old to catch around 110 games in 2032.

Daniel Gallacher (Rule 5, 2031) gets first chance to serve as back-up to Castillo. Gallacher was a 6th round selection in 2026. Originally from London, the Oxford graduate was a 2026 ICOL Divisional MVP, won the SS-A HL Outstanding Hitter Award and the NAFTA A BCL 2028 Platinum Stick Award. Gallacher is a switch hitter who has roughly 500 games of minor league experience.

First Base: “The Crusher” Krelis Knippschd (Rule 5, 2031) has not played above AA, but Duluth executives saw enough to give the switch hitter first crack at holding down a spot in the middle of the Warriors lineup. After 1300 plate appearances in AA where he hit 75 home runs, Knippschd finds himself in PEBA where people hope he can develop into a key member of the Warriors attack. Between college play at Rikkyo University and his six minor league seasons, Knippschd has picked up two Glove Wizard Awards, four Playoff Series MVP Awards, and four All-Star selections. If he can stick, maybe he can use some of his earnings to buy a vowel so we can pronounce his name.

Needing some experience around the infield, Pablo Medrano makes the team to help the young boys find their way. Medrano is a veteran who logged 849 games with Aurora after breaking in with the club in 2023. The 2020 first rounder should see most of his action against left-handers and looks like he still has a quality glove.

Second Base: Reuben Van Driel (Rule 5, 2031) can play three infield positions and will have a chance to show what he can do at second base. He will feel some pressure to impress quickly and was brought in to provide some offensive punch from a middle infield position. If his 28 AA home runs from 2031 do not translate into PEBA, there are plenty other options in the Warriors system. Throughout his minor league career, Van Driel has been so-so, earning two All-Star selections and a Platinum Stick Award. Start fast young man.

Third Base: Andy Sharp is 33 years old and trying to earn his money through the 2033 season. Last season his defensive play was not good but his offense was actually above his 11 season PEBA average. His $28,000,000 contract will keep him with the club through the ’33 season but his glove and on-base-percentage need to keep him in the lineup. Had 24-year-old Jose Ramirez not been injured in spring training, the situation would have been a bit more complicated. Sharp should hold the position at least until the All-Star break.

Short Stop: Otis Perreault is not a hitter. He came up last season because of his defense and that is why he will start at shortstop in 2032. At least for the first half of the season. His stay in the lineup will be partially determined by how well the actual hitters perform offensively. Lack of runs for the Warriors will lead to lineup changes and there are individuals in AAA getting ready to debut in Duluth.

Left Field: Sean Kirkland (rd. 2, 2024) has 250 games with Duluth and needs to show that he is capable of being in the lineup every day. With 40 career homers he has not done enough to prove he can be counted on to show up every day, one home run per week combined with below average defense does not get it done.

John Howe will play both corners of the outfield and play mostly against left-handers. A veteran of PEBA, the 2017 1st rounder has never really lived up to the selection. The career .249 hitter is now 33 and seems satisfied being one of the guys in the clubhouse. The Warriors need more from the corner outfield positions and Howe could be a casualty if he struggles early.

Center Field: Ryosei Saito owns many gloves, made his debut last season in center field and became the anchor of the Warriors defense, picking up 26 assists in 118 games. The 23-year-old should be in the lineup for several years because he can be productive offensively, winning a Platinum Stick at second base in 2029 (SS-A HL). Still developing as a hitter, Saito might earn defensive awards at multiple positions as other players make their way into the lineup. Saito was arguably the Warriors MVP in 2031.

Michael Burnett will play mainly a defensive role for the Warriors. He does bring some leadership to the team, but his lack of productivity could get him a quick trip to the minors.

Right Field: Alastair Sellers will get a chance to prove himself worthy of a position in PEBA. A 30-year-old rookie, the tools are there but lack of experience at a high level might prove too much for the Aruban. With young players coming up fast in the Duluth system, competition for playing time is on the way. Sellers should seize the opportunity and make a claim for the right field position. It is his if he wants it.

Designated Hitter: Francisco Munoz could be a productive offensive player. This season he gets his third chance to show he wants to be an everyday player. This is a “Fish or Cut Bait” season for the Cuban.

Starting Pitchers: Beau Phillips (8-10, 4.42 2031) makes the most of his average ability.

Sandy Garza (3-5, 3.39 2031) rarely dominates hitters with his stuff but will average 6 innings per start and throw an occasional shutout. The 2031 rookie still has room to grow.

Orlando Trujillo (6-15, 3.55 2031) has been asked for in several trade-talks but the Warriors have held on to him and expect him to prove that he wants to remain the main man in the rotation.

Bob Hodge (3-17, 4.53) went to school in the off-season and learned a Sinker, giving him an important fourth pitch. The man who lost 17 games in 2031 and still had a 2.9 WAR is ready to prove that at 25, he is ready to be viewed as a rotation anchor. As the only Warriors pitcher who was drafted by the team, the Ontario native might just become a household name in Minnesota.

Pedro Gonzalez (5-2, 3.33) was thrown into the fire last season and did well enough in 12 starts to remain in the rotation to begin 2032.

Bullpen: Look for a lot of mix-and-match throughout the 2032 season. With 17 new pitchers between AAA and Duluth the front office will be busy riding the hot hands, looking for people who can consistently get opponents out. Stay tuned.

[ScottH]

Catcher: Jose Castillo is off to a good start with a slash line of .293/.341/.512 playing 11 games. The team is 9-2 in games that Castillo has played behind the plate.

"Books" Gallacher has not started well, hitting just .188 in 48 at-bats. Gallacher's time will decrease as we move along unless he can show improvement over the next 50 at-bats. Warriors scouts are on the lookout for a possible replacement for the Rule 5 pick up.

First Base: Pablo Medrano remains a key man for Duluth when it comes to facing left handed pitchers. Just 2-2 against southpaws to begin the season, the Warriors have benefitted from Medrano's .375 average but would benefit more if he could do more against right-handers (just 4-20).

Krelis Knippschd has been a pretty balanced switch hitter since becoming a professional and it is a little early to pigeon-hole the 27-year-old into any category. Batting mostly left-handed to start the season, "The Crusher" isn't crushing. Maybe getting him some tries from the other side of the plate will help the young man adjust to PEBA pitching. At just .167 overall Knippschd is showing just how difficult the adjustment from AA to PEBA can be, but his strike out percentage is under .20 so he certainly is not overmatched.

Second Base: Reuben van Driel over 25 games has been huge, providing much needed punch while playing a middle infield position. With 24 hits, including 4 doubles and 4 homers, van Driel has provided a threat at the bottom of the order. So far, nothing really stands out in his game as far as hitting with men on base (.219) or in scoring position (.208), van Driel is just getting the job done with 14 rbi apparently because plenty of guys have been on base in front of him.

Third Base: Sixteen year pro Andy Sharp has been drinking a different kind of water this season. Losing his third base position last season because of poor play (-8.6ZR and 22 errors) Sharp currently has been outstanding with a +.3 ZR, just 1 error, and a Range Factor of 2.71 when his career RF is 2.57. This isn't even a contract year for the 34-year-old who is signed through 2033. A slow start offensively has been a bit more acceptable with this defensive improvement and remember, Sharp started slowly last season before having a wonderful second half. Like van Driel, Sharp currently has 14 rbi.

Short Stop: Otis Perreault has been a fine shortstop so far, playing average defense and supplying some offense at a .307 clip. That is pretty good out of the nine hole.

Left Field: Sean Kirkland has 31 hits and just 19 starts in left field in 2032. His five home runs and 15 rbi lead the Warriors attack and his .403 average leads all of PEBA. Never a threat to win a gold glove, the 6'6" 240 pound plodder has managed to steal 40 bases in 43 attempts going back to 2021 and his days in college. I need to look into that a little bit.

The right hand of the platoon has been manned by John Howe who has also played some right field. Making a bid for additional playing time, Howe is off to a .340/.353/.580 slash line and he could force some roster movement if his play continues. Never hitting above .263 in a PEBA season, some regression is to be expected over the long season but right now, Duluth is better off with him in the lineup.

Center Field: Duluth executives really wanted Roysei Saito to play second base this season but after just 7 games it was decided that he is needed in center field. Beginning in spring training (.220) Saito looked to be a little lost offensively, his April was a little worse, May needs to be a better month. Where is the dynamic offensive player that burst onto the scene for the Warriors last season? Basically skipping AAA might be coming back to haunt him but the brass will keep him out there until a better option or his proper form shows up.

At this time, Michael Burnett does not figure highly in the plans of the Warriors and really just provides a locker room presence and a bit of defence.

Right Field: Alastair Sellers, like Knippschd, is finding PEBA a difficult transition. Still, putting the ball in play is a good sign and the .194 average he currently carries is acceptable because of what is believed to be the players talent. Again, this is where the value of Howe's good start shows up.

Designated Hitter: Having Francisco Munoz as the full-time DH has been big for the first 25 games. At .295/.382/.411 his consistency in the middle of the order has really helped the club get off to a 15-10 start.

Starting Pitchers: Beau Phillips has been solid in 4 of 5 starts in 2032, winning his last two. Management is trying to get a few guys out of the game before they give up a big inning and Phillips is one of those guys. With Clear Lake, Madison, and Shin Seiki coming up, the entire staff will certainly be tested.

Sandy Garza has not won since his first start but has given up just a total of 13 runs combined in his 5 starts. The 2.0 hr/9 is a stat to monitor but the belief is that Garza is a quality starter for the Warriors.

Orlando Trujillo is 2-1 and the Warriors have won his last four starts where he has accumulated 31 innings, allowing just 24 base runners and 4 runs.

Bob Hodge after four games looks like a better strike thrower but he still appears to be looking for a way to use his new sinker to get outs. Really, he has had just 2 good starts in four. Hopefully he will find consistency.

Pedro Gonzalez is a hard-luck 1-3 going at least 6 innings in all four starts while allowing just 8 total runs. Unfortunately, the offense has managed just 6 runs in those same four games. Things should go well for the 24-year-old lefty if he maintains this consistency.

Darren Jackson has been added to the rotation to give Duluth a 6-man starting staff. After four nice relief appearances, Jackson has made 2 starts and the team has won both of those starts. Look for a guy like Jackson to make some starts when the schedule requires things like the 29 games in 30 days that Duluth is currently in.

The Bullpen remains solid, not outstanding. Lacking the big arms to come in and get key strikeouts, management remains aware of what is happening in Racine.

[DrewV]

Sean Kirkland is one of my favorite PEBA players. Refuses to quit.

[ScottH]

Jose Castillo got banged up on May 27 and the Warriors quickly spiraled while dropping 10 of 12 including seven straight games. Hitting .260 with four home runs you wouldn't think of him as aa vital part of the Duluth effort but it does appear Jose is one of the most important members of the 2032 team. Along with Castillo, Francisco Munoz and Jim Fish also also get some medical time off. Fish was so strong in AAA (6-1, 1.95 ERA at Racine) he received the call to Duluth and made his first PEBA start on the mound May 31 going nine innings Clear Lake in a 2-0 loss. Nice game but six days later while making his second start, Fish had allowed one run with two outs in the seventh inning and was forced to leave the game with shoulder inflammation. Designated Hitter Francisco Munoz has been in the middle of the lineup all season, hitting .314 in April and knocking in 24 runs before heading to the sideline with a strained back.

Enter catcher Charlie Walker, the return from AAA of Alastair Sellers, and the call-up of John Neville to take Fish's innings. Walker becomes the number two backstop behind Daniel Gallacher, Sellers will be in the lineup as OF/DH, and Neville gets PEBA innings after a nice stint in Racine. Walker didn't do much in AAA and is not expected to help Duluth much offensively. Sellers may have found his bat while in Racine hitting .297 with 4 homers in 19 games. Neville was brilliant at Racine over 60.1 innings, striking out 57 and walking just 7. His first Duluth start against Palm Springs where he went 7 innings allowing 3 runs in a 4-3 loss.

Ryosei Saito had a brief trip to Racine after starting very poorly with Duluth. The Warriors really need Saito to return to his 2031 form and contribute to the cause a little bit. Roberto Valdez has come up and contributed a big home run in a 4-3 win. He will split his time between first base and designated hitter. In 51 games this season at Racine, Valdez had put up eight homers and driven in 25 runs.

Rookie Noah Hill has been steady but not dynamic offensively hitting .245 since his call-up. Playing third base every day, Hill has been very good and looks like he belongs with the big boys . A rookie who is providing punch is Rule 5 selection Reuben van Driel who now has 11 home runs and 33 RBI while playing second base every day. A nice surprise has been Otis Perreault who is better known for his glove work than his bat. Hitting .287, the offensive contribution has been big for the Warriors.

Scott Wiggins came off the disabled list and has gone 7-21 and looks like he might be able to help against left-handed pitchers. John Howe has been productive playing both corners and Sean Kirkland is a guy that needs to stay healthy for the entire season if Duluth wants to stay above .500.

Left-hander Pedro Gonzalez has six wins after 11 starts. The 24-year-old attacks the strike zone, keeps the ball in the park and typically goes deep into games. Orlando Trujillo is currently 5-3 and continues to be a staff leader. Bob Hodge (3-4) has matched his win total from last season and really has pitched better but like all Duluth pitchers, lack of run support has hurt his numbers. After winning just two of nine starts Beau Phillips has been put in the bullpen where, after 4 appearances, he has allowed only two runs over nine innings. Soetsu Hirai has made the most of his 25 innings, winning four times in his 15 relief appearances. Closer Andres Cruz has been a real bright spot picking up twelve saves and three wins in 21 outings.