On the same day the Twins activated Alex Kirilloff off the injured list, another one of the organization's first-round selections -- Nick Gordon -- also made his season debut. After missing the first month of the season with a bout with acute gastritis, Minnesota's 10th-ranked prospect returned Thursday and singled three times, drove in

Some players are on the verge of stardom, others are entering a crucial phase of their development and still others are getting their first tastes of full-season ball. With the 2019 season approaching, MiLB.com takes a look at the most intriguing prospects from each MLB organization.Shining star: Royce Lewis, SSThe

Nick Gordon knows the numbers.After jumping out to a blazing .338 start in his first 17 games with Rochester in late May, the Twins' No. 3 prospect -- not to mention No. 74 overall -- has struggled at the plate.

It's Aug. 3, meaning one month from today, most Minor League circuits will be playing their final game of the regular season. Indeed, the clock is ticking on 2018.Of course, it's not over 'til it's over -- and that's a good thing for some big-name prospects who need these next

Theme of the daySome powerful NL West catchers: Dodgers fans might have been prepared to tell their rival Giants counterparts, "Hey, look at our catching prospect," before those from the Bay Area could turn around and say, "Oh yeah, look at our catching prospect." There's no doubt that both organizations

Sandwiched in the lineup between Byron Buxton and Jorge Polanco -- two players with plenty of Major League experience under their belts, Nick Gordon understood he'd eventually get some pitches to hit. He took advantage of a golden opportunity in a key moment Thursday night.The second-ranked Twins prospect cranked a

After 164 games at Double-A over the last 13 months, Nick Gordon will be taking on a new level of competition.The Twins' No. 4 prospect has been promoted to Triple-A Rochester and could make his International League debut as early as Tuesday at Lehigh Valley.

In his first Southern League assignment last year, Nick Gordon had -- statistically -- the best season of his professional career. One month into his second tour of the Double-A circuit, things have only gotten better.Fourth-ranked Minnesota prospect clubbed his third homer of the year and doubled twice Wednesday night to

Theme of the dayNice to see you again: At least in terms of hitting, Monday in the Minors was dominated by those in familiar surroundings. No. 2 Rays prospectWilly Adames, back in Durham after spending all of 2017 there, hit for the Bulls' first cycle since they became a Triple-A

Theme of the dayMilestones:The MiLB.com milestones page has four categories: no-hitters, cycles, three-homer games and triple plays. Three of those four boxes were ticked Wednesday. The first came when four Triple-A Syracuse pitchers combined on a seven-inning no-no against Indianapolis in the first game of a doubleheader that featured temperatures

It's the Goldilocks scenario of the Minor Leagues: Some Opening Day assignments feel aggressive; some don't feel aggressive enough, while others feel just right.Major League organizations often attempt to thread the needle early in players' careers. They want them to be challenged, but they also want them to taste success

Nick Gordon used Spring Training not only as a proving ground, but he soaked in all he could, hoping what he learned at big league camp would help propel him early in this season. One game in, it looks like things have stuck with the fourth-ranked Twins prospect.Gordon opened the 2018

Just after an injury sidelined one top White Sox prospect, another has proven healthy and belted his way into the spotlight.Coming off a left knee issue, Eloy Jiménez delivered his first home run of the spring Saturday and followed that with another roundtripper, a triple, a walk and two runs

Nick Gordon has one career aspiration. And there's no hesitation when he's asked about it."I'm a baseball player," the 22-year-old said. "First and foremost."Even top prospects have hobbies off the diamond and Gordon is no exception. Unlike many of his peers who hit the links or hop online to play

Cedar Rapids, IA - Six former Cedar Rapids Kernels players were among 13 non-roster players invited by the Minnesota Twins to 2018 Major League Spring Training in Fort Myers, FL.They are pitchers Michael Kohn (2009) and Jake Reed (2014); catchers Bobby Wilson (2004) and Brian Navarreto (2014); infielder Nick Gordon

The Twins surprised many by earning the second American League Wild Card spot last season. Before they try to fight their way back to the playoffs, they want to get a close look at a top prospect who could help that chase in 2018.Minnesota made No. 80 overall prospectNick Gordon

In the first installment of a Q&A series with Esurance #CallUpWorthy 2017 player ambassadors, MiLB.com spoke with Minnesota Twins infielder Nick Gordon about winning a Southern League championship, his goals for moving up to higher levels and what his older brother, Dee, told him before taking the field in Miami this summer.When

Check out the latest episode of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review The Show Before the Show on iTunes. The podcast is also available via

The only constant in the Minor Leagues is change. Hot and cold streaks come and go. Adjustments happen from at-bat to at-bat, inning to inning. First- and second-half performances can vary wildly. Players move up and down the chain, meaning team rosters at the end of a season can be

There will be no need for teams to pore over scouting reports in preparation for the Southern League Playoffs.The best-of-5 semifinals that begin Wednesday match teams that just concluded series a day earlier to end the regular season. The Chattanooga Lookouts, who won both halves in the North Division, will

Double-A Chattanooga punched its playoff ticket in June, but that didn't keep Minnesota's Double-A affiliate from dominating the Southern League all the way to the end.The Lookouts clinched the circuit's North Division second-half crown with an 11-2 rout of the second-place Montgomery Biscuits on Thursday night at AT&T Field. Minnesota's No.

Twins No. 2 prospect Nick Gordon and top White Sox arm Michael Kopech were among those selected to the Southern League's end-of-season All-Star team on Tuesday.The Double-A circuit revealed its roster of honorees selected by managers and local media. The MVP and Pitcher of the Year award winners will be

Nick Gordon has already hit more home runs this season than he had in his first three years combined.Although the roundtripper he probably wanted most proved elusive Monday night, it didn't dampen what was arguably the best overall game in the professional career of MLB.com's No. 34 overall prospect. 

Phillies C Jorge Alfaro, Triple-A Lehigh Valley: 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R -- At the start of the season, Alfaro was looking like a Triple-A prospect demanding to be called up after hitting .333/.368/.528 in his first 18 games. However, he then hit .213/.242/.270 with a 35.9 percent strikeout rate

It was almost déjà vu all over again for River Bandits pitching coach Drew French, but it took a few innings for him to notice. A day after starter Carlos Sanabria carried a perfect-game bid into the seventh, Enoli Paredes, the No. 2 Astros prospect, also flirted with history."Honestly ...