Saint Paul based illustrator/muralist, Xee Reiter, is self-taught and she has been creating art since childhood. From miniatures to murals, hand-drawn food for editorials; cooking shows to handsewn textile art. As a first generation Hmong American artist, she proudly weaves her ancestral skills into her pieces. Chances are you may have seen some of her work around the Twin Cities and beyond.
Learn more and subscribe for updates and events at: xeereiter.com
OWNERS
Diamond Baseball Holdings
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN / DBH
Pat Battle
CEO / DBH
Peter Freund
PRESIDENT Derek Sharrer
EVP / BUSINESS AFFAIRS
Tom Whaley
EVP / GENERAL MANAGER
Zane Heinselman
EVP / ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER / BRAND MARKETING & EXPERIENCE
Sierra Wolfe
VP / DIRECTOR OF BROADCASTING & MEDIA RELATIONS
Sean Aronson
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS & FINANCE
Krista Schnelle
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS & FAN SERVICES
Eddie Coblentz
DIRECTOR OF SALES & CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
Aaron Boettger
DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES
Rob Thompson
TICKET SALES MANAGER
Eric Simon
TICKET OPERATIONS MANAGER
Drew Halden
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVES
Adam Lillestol
Morgan Stienessen
TICKET SALES EXECUTIVES
Alyssa Helland
Robert Kraklow
DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER
Aly Andrist
VIDEO PRODUCTION COORDINATORS
Garrett Reese
Ellie McLaughlin
CREATIVE SERVICES & VIDEOBOARD MANAGER
Jordan Dawkins
SENIOR RETAIL MANAGER
Betsy Faber
CREATIVE CONTENT PRODUCER / PA ANNOUNCER
Lee Adams
ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR / CREATIVE CONTENT PRODUCER
Joshua Will
SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGERS
Julia Jaffee
Sarah Olsen
YOUTH SPORTS & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP MANAGER
Sarah Gottfredsen
PROGRAM DIRECTOR / LEAD INSTRUCTOR YOUTH SPORTS INITIATIVES
George Tsamis
OFFICE MANAGER AND DONATIONS COORDINATOR Gina Kray
DIRECTOR OF BALLPARK OPERATIONS
Curtis Nachtsheim
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Noah Lindsey
DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS
Marcus Campbell
FIELD OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR Cody Pamperin
FIELD OPERATIONS ASSISTANT Trace Brayton
EXECUTIVE CHEF
James Cross
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS CATERING
Justin Grandstaff
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS CATERING
Jack Krakow
PREMIUM CATERING MANAGER
Danielle Ashby
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Amy Schroer
INTERNS
Kennedy Alves
Gavin Boots
Anthony Claveau
Carver Hammond
Becca Holt
Aaron Loch Bergen Manternach
Elly Pickette
Greta Riedl
Megan Walker
MATERS OF CEREMONIES
Lee Adams
Rita Boersma
Nicholas Leeman
BROADCASTERS
Sean Aronson
Matt Dean
Steve Linzmeier
TEAM PHYSICIAN
Dr. John Steubs
CHS FIELD Capacity: 7,210
2025 SAINTS PROGRAM EDITOR
Sean Aronson
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Rachel Wacker
LAYOUT, DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
Rob Thompson
Winning in baseball takes a great team like the St. Paul Saints. At CHS, we’re proud of our enduring partnership with the Saints at CHS Field. This season, fans across the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota and beyond will continue to experience how CHS connects America’s farmers to the global marketplace—just like the Saints and Minnesota Twins link the farm system and the big leagues.
It takes a great team to win in agriculture too. It takes a co-op like CHS. As the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative, our lineup includes employees, customers, and owners working together to sustainably produce food for the world. And our integrated global supply chain provides agriculture and energy solutions to help farmers win. Guided by our core values of integrity, safety, inclusion and cooperative spirit, we cover every base in agriculture!
Our CHS employees in the Twin Cities, throughout rural America and around the world invite you to discover how we field a winning team. All season. Every season. Learn more at chsinc.com
Go Saints!
Jay D. Debertin President and CEO, CHS
In 2025, Sharrer became just the second President in the organization’s history, joining former co-owner Mike Veeck who held the same title.
Sharrer moved to the Twin Cities in 2004 and continues to make the St. Paul Saints one of the more successful Minor League baseball teams in the country. His hard work and dedication have been rewarded, receiving Executive of the Year honors in the American Association from 2015-19. He oversaw the opening of CHS Field in what was an historic, record-breaking year for the organization. The record breaking first year was topped in 2016 when the Saints finished seventh in all of minor league baseball in average attendance and number one in percent capacity, at 117%. They topped Minor League baseball in percent capacity from 2015-19, averaging 113% capacity over that time. In the first four seasons as the Twins Triple-A affiliate, the Saints have been Top 15 in attendance in all of Minor League baseball.
Upon beginning his career in Fort Myers, FL with the Goldklang Group’s Florida State League franchise, the Whiteland, IN native rose quickly through the ranks of the Miracle, ascending to the GM’s chair in 1997. As part of the job, he worked extensively with the Miracle’s parent team – the Minnesota Twins – during spring training. The Miracle consistently bucked the trend of poor Florida State League attendance and led in that department under Sharrer.
In 2001, he moved to Charleston, SC. The RiverDogs, a Tampa Bay affiliate in the Class-A South Atlantic League, set attendance records every year Sharrer was there. With the help of such interesting promotions as Nobody Night (when fans weren’t allowed into the ballpark until it was an official game), the RiverDogs drew a then, team record 259,007 fans in 2003. Charleston mayor Joe Riley thought so much of Sharrer that he helped organize a special day in his honor before he left to join the Saints.
The days in St. Paul have been just as magical, leading a staff that has come up with promotional ideas that have gained national attention. Everything from Bud Selig ties, to the Michael Vick Chew Toy, to the incredible Bobblefoot, to the World Record Pillow Fight in 2015, to the ballpark-wide food fight in 2018.
“St. Paul is a special place to live and work – particularly if work is minor league baseball,” Sharrer said. “The Saints’ tradition – thanks primarily to our fans – was established long before I arrived. I’m just thrilled to be a continuing part of it.”
Sharrer resides in Woodbury with his wife Kandice. “My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time here,” he said. “We are looking forward to many more years to come.”
The St. Louis, MO native is a recovering attorney whose baseball career began accidentally in 1992 when he sold an outfield billboard, program ad, and four-season tickets to the general manager of a moving company as they stood on the courthouse steps following a hearing.
From 1993-98, he served as the Saints’ Director of Operations and Assistant General Manager. He spent two seasons as the Director of Corporate Sales for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before joining the Goldklang Group in January, 2001. He was principally involved in the start-up of the Can-Am League’s Brockton Rox and the construction of a new baseball stadium and conference center in the Boston suburb in 2002. A year later, he was on hand when the Rox won the league championship. In August 2002, he returned to the Saints, assuming his current position as Executive Vice President responsible for business development and was one of the instrumental people in making CHS Field a reality. He purchased an ownership interest in the Saints in 2005. He lives in Lino Lakes with his wife, Kathleen. Three grown children live in a galaxy far, far away. Whaley is the past Board Chair for the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.
It has been a meteoric rise for the 32-year-old Heinselman. In 2025 he became just the third General Manager in franchise history, joining Bill Fanning (1993-2004) and Derek Sharrer (2004-2025).
In 2014, Heinselman earned his stripes as a full-time intern during the final season at Midway Stadium. Following his graduation at St. John’s University, he was hired on full-time as a Ticket Sales Account Executive responsible for group and season tickets during the first season at CHS Field. In 2016, Heinselman was promoted to Corporate Sales Manager, helping increase community partnerships. In 2018, Heinselman ascended to Director of Sales and Corporate Partnerships during which he led the Saints’ efforts to develop new, and strengthen existing, corporate partnerships. Notably, Heinselman played a significant role in planning, developing, and implementing creative revenue producing concepts during the 2020, pandemic affected season. Prior to the 2022 season he took an even more active role in the day-to-day leadership of the Saints staff. His focus was on sales, both corporate and ticket, along with companywide revenue generating initiatives. Heinselman served as the intermediary between the Saints and Major League Baseball for national sponsorships and ticket sales initiatives.
After spending a season as the General Manager for Forward Madison FC from 2022-23, Heinselman returned to the Saints at the end of 2023 season. Heinselman resides in River Falls, WI with his wife Tara, and kids Wilder and Barrett.
Since 2013, Sierra Wolfe has helped lead the St. Paul Saints to some of the most creative promotions in Minor League Baseball. She helped shape the identity of the organization during their final season at Midway Stadium, made sure that identity was enhanced in the move to CHS Field, and was instrumental in maintaining that identity when the organization became the Minnesota Twins Triple-A affiliate in 2021. Wolfe oversees the promotions department, an area she has run since beginning with the Saints in 2013. In addition, Wolfe continues to supervise the marketing efforts of the club, tying in the organization’s brand messaging across various platforms including traditional, digital, and social media initiatives.
In 2009, Wolfe began with the Saints as an intern and went on to work for the Minnesota Twins and Timberwolves in their promotions departments before rejoining the Saints in 2013 as Director of Promotions. During her time, the Saints have garnered national attention for several promotions including ballpark wide fan-engagements such as the World’s Largest Pillow Fight, Twister, and the viral Food Fight. She was also at the helm for the 2020/2021 Astro the Grouch talking giveaway. Wolfe continues as the point person for the Saints successful internship program. The club has had remarkable success with interns landing jobs in the sports industry. During the 2021 season Wolfe, along with Director of Entertainment Joshua Will, began a first of its kind podcast that took fans behind the scenes of the promotions department titled, “Funny In Theory.”
In 2010, Bailey graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Sport Management.
Wolfe resides in Woodbury with her husband Zach and dog, who you can see around the ballpark, Tater.
Since 2012, when the St. Paul Saints briefly became the Mr. Paul Aints, presented by the Minnesota Atheists, few names have caused as much uproar. Not since the mythical Erymanthian Boar has a swine sparked such horror, and not since Tesla’s 2018 April Fools’ tweet about bankruptcy has social media been so riled up over something not particularly serious. Yet that was precisely the situation the St. Paul Saints faced on March 25, 2024.
If you’re a Saints fan, you know the tradition: each season, the team introduces a new four-legged mascot to deliver baseballs to the umpires. This has been a staple since 1993, the inaugural season, when the pig was named The Saint. In those early years, the names were fairly benign, such as Saint Paula, St. Patrick, Tobias, and Hamlet. Over time, the names grew more creative, often reflecting current events with playful irreverence. Names like The Notorious P.I.G. (Piggy Smalls), Bud Squealig, and Kim Lardashian & Kris Hamphries pushed the envelope but never stirred serious controversy. That changed last season.
Each year, the Saints hold a “Name the Pig Contest,” inviting fans to submit their wittiest suggestions. Last season, the contest drew over 2,300 entries—a franchise record. Here’s how the process works: a team reviews the submissions and narrows them down to about 10 semifinalists. Then, the entire office participates in a multi-round vote. In the first round, each staff member selects three favorites, with the least popular names eliminated. In the second round, everyone votes for two names, narrowing the field further. The final names spark lively debate, where staff members argue for their top picks. The goal is to choose a name that’s timely, likely to garner media attention, and lends itself to creative fan engagement.
The semifinalists for the first-half pig name last season were: Sloppenheimer, Porky Blinders, Malibu Lardie, Artifisqueal Intelligence, and Ozempig. All were relevant, fun, and rich with potential. Ultimately, Ozempig won in a close vote. Inspired by the catchy song from the commercial and its similarity to the real drug
name, Ozempic, the name seemed perfect. During deliberations, no one raised concerns about potential offense.
Social media, however, had other ideas. While the announcement received minimal attention on Twitter and lighthearted laughs on Facebook, Instagram was a different story. Comments labeled the name “vile,” “hurtful,” and “not funny.”
The Obesity Action Coalition even sent an email to the Saints, and their website allowed users to submit complaints to the team with a single click. Several organizations also reached out, offering assistance and urging the Saints to reconsider.
So why revisit this controversy now? It’s a valid question. This incident stirred strong emotions and brings up unpleasant memories for some. But there’s a reason to reflect. Throughout the ordeal, the Saints gave people space to express their opinions. Fans called in, shared their thoughts, and were heard. The team listened with respect and empathy, never dismissing anyone’s feelings.
Here’s the truth: that four-legged pig is the heart of the Saints’ ballpark experience. Watching kids and adults light up as the pig trots onto the field is nothing short of magical. The Saints’ tradition of pig names has always been about lighthearted wordplay. There was no malice or intent to mock anyone. In fact, during internal discussions, it never even crossed the staff’s minds that the name Ozempig could offend. That simply isn’t how the organization operates.
As always, the pig’s name changed at midseason, following the team’s usual practice since becoming a Triple-A affiliate. The Saints’ pig names have been puns since 1993, and they will continue to be just that: puns. Sometimes, a word is just a word. Not everything carries a deeper meaning.
In the end, the Saints remain committed to their tradition of joy, humor, and connection. The pig’s name might hog the headlines now and then, but the true story lies in the smiles and laughter it inspires.
The very first manager for the St. Paul Saints as the Minnesota Twins Triple-A affiliate. Who is Toby Gardenhire? There were many firsts in 2021 with the affiliation between the Saints and Twins, but Gardenhire’s name will forever be etched in the record books. He has eaten, breathed, and lived baseball ever since he was born in Manhasset, New York while his Dad, Ron, played for the New York Mets.
During his first few years as a manager in the Twins system, Gardenhire has proven he can win at any level. During his first four seasons at the helm of the Saints he is an impressive 295-281, a .512 winning percentage. For the first time in the International League’s history, the 2023 playoffs weren’t determined by a division winner over the entirety of the season. That cost the Saints a playoff berth as the 20 games over .500 the Saints finished with, was good enough for the best record in the West Division.
BORN: September 11, 1982, Manhasset, NY
HEIGHT: 6’1” WEIGHT: 210lbs
RESIDENCE: Fort Myers, FL
COLLEGE: University of Illinois
DRAFT STATUS:
38th round / 2002 (Minnesota Twins) 41st round / 2005 (Minnesota Twins)
CAREER MANAGING RECORD: 446-402 (6 seasons)
In his first season as a manager, he guided the 2018 Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels to a playoff berth after winning the second half Western Division title. Overall, the Kernels went 7762, fourth best record in the 16-team league. The Kernels swept their quarterfinal series, 2-0, over the Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics) before losing 2-0 to the Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals) in the semifinals.
The following year, Gardenhire was promoted to High-A Fort Myers where he was named the Florida State League Manager of the Year and once again earned a playoff berth. The Miracle won the first half title and finished 74-59, third best record in the 12-team Florida State League. The league, however, cancelled their playoffs due to Hurricane Dorian.
Gardenhire has amassed a 446-402 record in his six seasons. He was scheduled to manage the Twins Triple-A team in Rochester during the 2020 season, but COVID-19 cancelled all of Minor League Baseball. Instead, Gardenhire was sent to St. Paul where he was one of the coaches at the alternate site for the Twins Taxi squad.
This is Gardenhire’s 10th season as a coach or manager in the Twins organization. He assisted the GCL Twins in 2016, began the 2017 season as the third base coach for the Red Wings before finishing the year as the hitting coach for the GCL Twins.
Gardenhire began his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin-Stout where he amassed an 81-117 record in five seasons (2012-16) and helped guide the Blue Devils to a 2014 WIAC tournament berth, their first in seven years.
Gardenhire has spent his entire professional career with the Twins organization. In addition to six seasons as a coach or manager, he played seven seasons in their Minor League system. He was originally drafted by the Twins in the 38th round in 2002 out of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, but did not sign. In 2005, he was selected in the 41st round by the Twins out of the University of Illinois. Gardenhire played at every level from the Rookie Appalachian League up through Triple-A. In 533 games he slashed .232/.292/.274 with 156 runs scored, 44 doubles, three triples, and six home runs.
POST-SEASON APPEARANCES: 2
CAREER HITTING STATS IN MINORS:
.232 average, 6 home runs, 134 RBI in 533 games
DID YOU KNOW? During his seven-year Minor League career, Toby played every position on the diamond except for centerfield. He played 36 games at 1B, 171 games at 2B, 135 games at 3B, 154 games at SS, nine games at C, three games at P, 10 games in LF, and one game in RF.
Jim Morris had a Disney movie made about his life. The story of a 35-year-old high school coach attending an open tryout, getting signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, advancing through Double-A and Triple-A, and ultimately making his Major League debut captured imaginations everywhere. But Morris isn’t even the oldest rookie to grace a Major League field. Joe Strong and Billy Williams made their debuts at 37, and the legendary Leroy “Satchel” Paige holds the title of the oldest rookie, debuting with the Cleveland Indians on July 7, 1948, at the age of 42. Some say Paige might have been even older, as no birth certificate was ever confirmed. Of course, Paige’s rookie designation came after an illustrious career as a barnstorming pitcher and a star in the Negro Leagues. His story—and others like it—prove one thing: it’s never too late to make your Big League debut.
My story doesn’t involve throwing 90-mph fastballs or a Disney adaptation, but it’s a journey I’m proud to share. My name is Sean Aronson, and I’ve been the play-by-play broadcaster for the St. Paul Saints since 2007. That’s 18 seasons through 2024. Add to that four seasons in Fort Myers and two in Allentown, PA, and I’ve spent 24 years as a Minor League broadcaster. At 47 years old, more than half my life has been dedicated to this craft. While I’ve loved my time with the Saints, my dream has always been to reach the Major Leagues.
The Saints have a proud legacy of broadcasters who’ve made it to the top. Anthony LaPanta (Minnesota Wild), Joe Block (Milwaukee Brewers), Ryan Lefebvre (Kansas City Royals), and Kris Atteberry (Minnesota Twins) all paved the way. I used to joke that I didn’t want the lineage to end with me. When the Saints became the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins in 2021, I knew this partnership could bring me closer to my goal. Over the next few years, I had several conversations with Andrew Halverson, the Twins’ Director of Broadcasting. While nothing was ever promised, I hoped my work would speak for itself. Then, it happened.
On Friday, June 14, 2024, at 11:57 a.m. Eastern Time, while in Louisville, Kentucky, I received a text message that would change my life. Halverson asked if I had time for a phone call. It took me nine minutes to respond—not because I was ignoring him, but because I was oblivious to my phone. When I finally replied, he called and got straight to the point. He explained that Kris Atteberry, in his first season, had originally planned to work all 162 games but decided
he wanted to take some time off. Would I be interested in calling six games before the All-Star break? The games would include three against the Chicago White Sox and three against the San Francisco Giants, from July 8 to July 14.
I tried to play it cool, but I’ll admit, I failed. My answer was an immediate and enthusiastic yes. I thanked him profusely, hung up the phone, and immediately began preparing. Over the next three weeks, while still handling Saints broadcasts, I dove into researching the White Sox and Giants. I wanted to ensure I was as prepared as possible for my Major League debut.
Was I nervous? Absolutely. The anticipation built steadily as the date approached. On July 7, the Twins played a 1 p.m. game at Target Field while the Saints had a 2 p.m. game at CHS Field. Because of the scheduling, I missed the Twins’ charter flight to Chicago, so the organization purchased me a first-class ticket that evening. When I arrived at the hotel, I tried to stick to my usual routine: waking up at 6 a.m., working out, eating breakfast, and finalizing my notes before heading to Guaranteed Rate Field. Everyone I encountered made my debut special. The White Sox broadcasters, their staff (who surprised me with a congratulatory slice of cake), my broadcast partner Dan Gladden, our engineer Kyle Hammer, the Twins players, and even manager Rocco Baldelli were incredibly welcoming.
I’ll admit, the nerves hit hard during the pregame segment Gladden and I did together. But once the game started, a calm settled over me. I had spent 24 years preparing for this moment. While my pacing was a bit fast—something I noticed when I listened back to the first inning—I soon found my rhythm.
The six-game stint flew by in a blur. My broadcasts weren’t perfect (I famously botched calling the first immaculate inning in White Sox history), but I was proud of my performance overall. Apparently, the Twins were too, because they invited me to call four games during Spring Training in 2025.
Living out my childhood dream was incredible, but I’m hopeful it’s only the beginning. My ultimate goal remains landing a full-time Major League gig. I want to ensure the Saints’ tradition of broadcasters reaching the pinnacle of the profession doesn’t stop with me. Here’s to chasing dreams—no matter how long it takes to make them a reality.
The Burnsville, MN native, Schlechter, grew up a Twins fan and enters his sixth season in the organization, second with the Saints. Last season he helped spark an offense into the top half of the International League in several offensive categories including second in triples (31), third in walks (673), eighth in on base percentage (.348), and eighth in OPS (.722).
Schlechter was the Hitting Coach for Double-A Wichita in 2023, High-A Cedar Rapids in 2022, FCL Twins in 2021, and was scheduled to have the same role in 2020 before the cancellation of the season.
Schlechter spent eight years at North Iowa Community College, first as a player and then as a coach. During his tenure working with NIACC hitters (2013-19), four of his players were picked in the First-Year Player Draft. During the 2020 baseball pause, he joined members of the Twins’ player development staff and Play Ball! Minnesota in a series of online Virtual Academy webinars, aimed at helping young athletes with proper fundamentals and form. The webinars were targeted at different age groups and covered a wide range of topics.
The 34-year-old Marcuzzo begins his first season in professional baseball after spending the previous 12 years in the college ranks. In 2024, Marcuzzo was an Assistant Coach with the Akron Zips.
Marcuzzo spent four seasons on the University of Nebraska baseball staff as a volunteer assistant coach and camp coordinator from 2020-23. Marcuzzo coached hitters and infielders, while also serving as the Huskers’ first-base coach. During his coaching career, Marcuzzo was instrumental in improving defenses and being part of three teams that set school records for fielding percentage.
Prior to his coaching career, Marcuzzo played the first two years of his collegiate baseball career at Coffeyville (KS) CC, where he held five offensive records, including the career and single-season home run records, before finishing out his playing career at Western Illinois University.
Marcuzzo’s coaching career also includes stops at Coffeyville (2013-14, 2019), Butler (KS) Community College (2015-16), and Central Oklahoma University (2017-18).
The 44-year-old Venezuelan helped the Wind Surge staff to a 4.11 ERA in 2024, fifth in the Texas League. They allowed the second fewest home runs (99), one of just eight Double-A teams to allow less than 100 home runs, and third fewest walks (500). Hernandez begins his eighth year in the Twins organization and first at the Triple-A level, after working with Wichita in 2024, High-A Cedar Rapids in 2023 and spending the 2020-22 with Low-A Fort Myers. In 2023, Cedar Rapids’ 3.90 team ERA ranked 12th among all full-season minor league teams and in 2021, Mighty Mussels pitchers ranked fourth in Low-A with a 3.96 ERA and tied for sixth with 1,228 strikeouts. Hernandez spent two years with rookie-level clubs, making his professional coaching debut as the DSL Twins pitching coach in 2018 before serving in the same role for the GCL Twins in 2019.
He was originally signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1997 and made 35 appearances (33 starts) for the Astros between 2001-04 and pitched in the Tampa Bay system from 2008-10.
The 29-year-old Lovin enters his third season in the Twins organization, the first two with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. In 2024 he helped the Kernels to a 6763 record while the pitching staff finished with a solid 4.14 ERA. His staff walked the second fewest in High-A and fewest in the Midwest League (400) and struck out just under nine batters per game. The Kernels’ 3.90 team ERA in 2023 was 12th lowest among all full season minor league teams.
Prior to joining the Twins, Lovin was the pitching coach at Iowa Central Community College where the pitching staff broke the school strikeout record in the 2021-22 season. He spent two seasons on the coaching staff at Concordia (NE) University;
during his tenure, the team won the 2021 GPAC regular season and postseason titles, set a single-season record with 42 wins, broke the school single-season record in strikeouts and made the first NAIA World Series appearance in program history.
Prior to becoming a coach, Lovin pitched collegiately at Division II Augustana University (SD), where he won a national championship in 2018. He also pitched one season in Division I for the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2019, where he earned his master’s degree in organizational science and leadership.
The 34-year-old Myers begins his seventh season in the Twins organization and fourth with the Saints. He began his time in 2018 as the Athletic Trainer at Low-A Cedar Rapids. From there he moved to High-A Fort Myers in 2019. His responsibilities shifted in 2020 due to the pandemic. He was sent to Target Field handling Covid cases and his experience doing that put him in the role of Infectious Control Prevention Coordinator in 2021 through the All-Star break. Following that, he became a roving Athletic Trainer, working with all the Twins affiliates.
Myers began his college career at the University of Kentucky for two semesters. He then transferred to Eastern Kentucky University from 2009-13 and got his degree in Athletic Training, becoming certified in 2013. Myers did an internship with the GCL Astros in 2012. He earned his master’s at the University of South Carolina in Athletic Training and worked with the University of South Carolina Softball team from 2013-14. After working at a local high school in 2015, Myers was hired by the Astros and worked for their GCL team from 2015-16 and with the Rookie level Greenville Astros in 2017.
Certified Athletic Trainer
The 28-year-old Lortie begins her fourth season in the Twins organization, spending the 2023-24 seasons with the Wind Surge after beginning with the FCL Twins in 2022. Lortie got her start in professional baseball as an Athletic Trainer with the Houston Astros organization in 2021 with the FCL/Rehab. Prior to baseball, Lortie worked for The System 8
Training Facility in Florida as a Complete Performance Specialist. Lortie majored in exercise physiology at Cal State University, Chico, while playing collegiate soccer, then transferred to San Diego State University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training in 2018. She received her Master of Science in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology in 2020 at Barry University. Lortie did an internship as an athletic trainer with the Baltimore Orioles in 2017.
Hopkins begins his second season with the Twins organization and second with the Saints. He spent nearly a year-and-ahalf at K27 Performance, a sports gym in Frisco Texas, as Director of Training and an Elite Performance Trainer since September 2022. He’s worked at RedLine Athletics as a Director of Performance (2021-22), owned his own business helping train athletes (2020-22), a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Elite Performance Training (2019-21), Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Greenhill School (2017-19), and a Sports Performance Coach at Michael Johnson Performance (2017).
In 2017, Hopkins received his Strength and Conditioning graduate certificate from Georgia Southern University in May, 2017 and became a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association in August, 2017.
Hopkins is a graduate of the University of Michigan where he played three seasons at running back/fullback for the Wolverines. He was a part of the 2012 Sugar Bowl winning team, a 23-20 victory over Virginia Tech. Hopkins was a three-star recruit coming out of Marcus (TX) HS where he rushed for 5,010 yards and 61 touchdowns and rated as the 50th best running back in the nation.
MATT TRAMP
Clubhouse Manager / Assistant, Baseball Operations
The 34-year-old Tramp begins his fifth season as the Saints Clubhouse Manager. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota native began his clubhouse duties with the American Association’s Sioux Falls Canaries, the same league the Saints were in prior to becoming the Twins Triple-A affiliate, from 2009-10, 12-13. He spent one season with the New York-Penn League’s Auburn Doubledays, the Low-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in 2011. Following his time with the Canaries in 2013, Tramp was the Visiting Clubhouse Manager for the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros in 2014. He went on to work as the Clubhouse Manager for the Biloxi Shuckers, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2015. He joined the Twins organization in 2018 and was the Fort Myers Miracle Clubhouse Manager for two seasons. Tramp and his wife Amanda spent the winter living in Minnesota.
Coordinator, Baseball Technology
The 28-year-old Ficek returns for his fourth season with the Saints and fifth with the Twins organization. He was a Minor League Video Intern in 2021 before being hired full-time. Ficek began in baseball with the
Tampa Bay Rays as a Minor League Intern in 2020. He graduated from Ohio State University in 2018 where he was a Student Assistant responsible for filming, editing, and processing all practices and games for coaches’ review. Ficek was a Production Intern at ESPN following graduation in 2018 and worked as a Baseball Operations Intern at Inside Edge, Inc. in Bloomington, Minnesota in 2019.
Coordinator, Baseball Technology Hughes, 34, begins his fourth season with the Saints and third in a full-time role. In 2022 he was an intern in the Twins organization in the baseball technology department, primarily with the Saints. Hughes was a US Military Academy at West Point graduate in 2014 and was a Field Artillery Officer in the US Army from 2014-22. He received his Master of Business Administration from Webster University in 2021. His first job in the sports world was with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 working on data insights and research.
It’s a tradition fans have grown to love since the St. Paul Saints first season in 1993. Through a new ballpark, a pandemic, and the change over from Independent Baseball to Triple-A one thing has been constant, the pig. From the beginning of the season until the end, fans get a chance to watch the pig grow right before their eyes. For the first time in franchise history in 2022, the Saints utilized two different pigs at separate times in the season. In 2012, they had Kim Lardashian and Kris Hamphries, but they came as a package. Here is a look back at all the Saints pigs. The name of the first pig of 2025 was unveiled just before Opening Day.
BRANDS YOU CAN TRUST, SAVINGS YOU CAN COUNT ON.
From our walls of fresh produce and cases of local dairy, to our center store aisles and pharmacy, no matter where you look, there’s an impressive selection of products that deliver value, convenience, and fun. Look for all these fan-faves and more at your Cub!
BORN: 8/15/02 COLLEGE: arizona state university
Following a 2-3 road trip to Des Moines, the St. Paul Saints (7-10) return for a jam-packed eight games in six days against the Indianapolis Indians (10-8), the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Saints take on the Indians for the second time this season and the first since breezing past Indy 11-0 on Friday, March 28 before the next two contests of Opening Weekend were postponed. The 5,314 in attendance for the Opening Night festivities were treated to utter dominance by the St. Paul nine. The blowout win marked the Saints’ largest margin of victory in an Opening Day game in their short franchise history and the 18 hits pounded out by the lineup were the second-most the Saints have recorded at CHS Field the past five years. David Festa and three St. Paul relief arms combined for the shutout win. Pirates prospect Braxton Ashcraft yielded three runs in 3.1 innings and Jair Camargo led the way for the St. Paul batting order with a three-hit night.
Since that Opening Night when the Saints could do no wrong, the results have been uneven for the Minnesota farm club. After a rocky 1-4 road trip to Columbus, the Saints had an opportunity to take a series win over last year’s International League champions but failed to close out the final two games and settled for a split in their most recent homestand. After winning a narrow 2-1 game on Tuesday in Iowa, the Saints saw the I-Cubs roar back to hit 10 home runs the next two days between Wednesday and Thursday in a pair of St. Paul losses. The Saints and I-Cubs split the weekend slate of games Friday and Saturday before a rainout on Sunday.
The Saints offense has unquestionably been led by former indy ball standout Carson McCusker. The 6-foot, 8-inch slugger is hitting .308 (16-52)/.400/.673 with five homers in 15 games to open the season. He ranks second in the International League in both slugging percentage and OPS (1.073) entering Tuesday. All five of his longballs have come in the past 10 games since April 9 of the last homestand; he is tied for the minor league lead in round-trippers since that date and ranks tied-for3rd in home runs in the league overall this year. He has routinely hit the ball hard, producing an average exit velocity of 95.9 milesper-hour, the third highest average in Triple-A so far this season. St. Paul has lacked consistent offensive results as a team so far, ranking toward the middle of the pack in both team batting average (.250, 10th/20) and OPS (.738, 11th/20) and just 16th in runs-per-game (4.2).
On the pitching side, the Saints’ starting rotation has been strong even after the promotion of Opening Day starter David Festa (1-1, 5.40) to the Twins. St. Paul’s 3.54 ERA among starters ranks eighth in Triple-A and seventh in the International League. Zebby Matthews (2-1, 1.80) has been lights out in three starts with the Saints, going at least five innings in each outing and fanning seven or more in his last two appearances. His 1.80 ERA, .170 opponent batting average, and 0.73 WHIP all are top-10 in the league among qualifiers entering the homestand. Relief pitching has been the area where the Saints have struggled, owning a 5.57 bullpen ERA that is second-to-last in the league. With some shuffling of the roster, the Saints hope that recent additions of left-handers Richard Lovelady and Kody Funderburk will stabilize the bullpen. Both southpaws as well as right-hander Alex Speas have put together three consecutive scoreless appearances or more entering the homestand. Indianapolis is back in the capital city and on a hot streak as winners of five straight in their most recent homestand hosting Toledo (DET) last week. While Indianapolis’ overall numbers are unassuming (they rank 15th in team OPS (.704) and runs-per-game (4.3) with a pitching staff that ranks 13th in ERA (4.73)), they’ve rebounded nicely from a 5-8 start to the season and tout the International League’s longest active win streak entering the series.
Veteran infielder Nick Solak has been Indianapolis’ most dangerous bat to start the year; the 30-year-old with five seasons of MLB experience is the league’s leading hitter by batting average (.391) and ranks 4th in slugging% (.630) as well as OPS (1.061). Solak has hit safely in 12 straight to open the year entering the series. Former second-round pick Matt Gorski has provided the thump in the middle of the Indianapolis order, sharing the team lead in homers with Solak (3) while ranking top5 in the league in doubles (7) and extra-base hits (10). Gorski has hit .308/.333/.554 (.887 OPS) in 17 games to open the year.
The Saints are scheduled to face two current top-100 prospects in baseball on the mound this week with Pirates top prospect Bubba Chandler (#14) slated to go on Friday and righthander Thomas Harrington (#76) lined up to go on Wednesday in game one of a doubleheader.
It’s two for the price of one TWICE this week at CHS Field with the Saints and Indians slated to play in a pair of 7-inning contests both Wednesday and Friday. If the Saints can make up for lost time with a winning eight-game homestand, they’re right back in the first-half playoff chase.
54 Ashcraft, Braxton L/R 6’5’’ 220 10/5/99
41 Bayless, Jarod R/R 6’4” 225 12/29/96
50 Burrows, Mike R/R 6’1’’ 200 11/8/99
53 Chandler, Bubba S/R 6’3’’ 220 9/14/02
34 Fellows, Drake L/R 6’5’’ 220 3/6/98
59 Fulmer, Carson R/R 6/0” 210 12/13/93
40 Harrington, Thomas R/R 6’2’’ 185 7/12/01
37 Holderman, Colin R/R 6’6” 230 10/08/95
17 Labaut, Randy L/L 6’2’’ 205 10/1/96
47 Mattson, Isaac R/R 6’2’’ 215 7/14/95
36 Rainey, Tanner R/R 6’3’’ 245 12/25/92
49 Ramírez, Yohan R/R 6’3’’ 200 5/6/95
16 Ryan, Ryder R/R 6’2’’ 205 5/11/95
44 Stratton, Hunter R/R 6’4’’ 225 11/17/96
39 Strzelecki, Peter R/R 6’2” 215 10/24/94
45 Yean, Eddy R/R 6’3’’ 265 6/25/01
(2)
31 Gutierrez, Abrahan R/R 6’0” 230 10/31/99
51 Wilson, Eli R/R 6’1’’ 190 7/6/98
(8)
8 Bae, Ji Hwan L/R 5’11’’ 185 7/26/99
1 Cheng, Tsung-Che L/R 5’8” 180 7/26/01
14 Hall, Darick L/R 6’4’’ 250 7/25/95
10 Nuñez, Malcom R/R 6’0” 205 3/9/01
OUTFIELDERS (4)
COACHES & STAFF
Vic Silva
Matt McNamee
Glenn Nutting
Walter
John Regan
Richie Saville
Dylan Underhill
Waco, Texas Yes
Texarkana, Texas No
Waterford, Conn. Yes
Lawrenceville, Ga. No
Lawrenceburg, Ind. No
Lakeland, Fla. No
Sanford, N.C. Yes
Bourbannais, Ill. Yes
Havana, Cuba No
Erie, Pa. No
Folsom, La. No
Villa Mella, D.R. No
Huntersville, N.C. No
Bristol, Tenn. Yes
Queens, N.Y. No
Sabana Grande de Boya, D.R. No
Caracas, Venezuela Yes
Seattle, Wash. No
Daegu, Republic of Korea Yes
Pingtung County, Taiwan Yes
Hereford, Ariz. No
Havana, Cuba No
(14)
39
(3)
In his first season with the Minnesota Twins organization, minor league veteran Ryan Fitzgerald, 30, has established himself as the St. Paul Saints’ everyday shortstop, providing value both in the field and with the bat as a true two-way standout. Whether the Chicago-area native bats leadoff or in the nine-spot as a bottomof-the-order table setter, he’s been a key piece for manager Tobey Gardenhire and enters the homestand hitting .280 (1450)/.413/.440 with a home run and 7 RBI while making all the plays in 16 games at short to start the season.
But one of the newest faces to Saints fans this year is already well familiar with CHS Field, having already experienced one of the best atmospheres in the minor leagues as a visiting player with the Gary SouthShore RailCats nearly eight years ago on May 18, 2017, the third-ever Opening Day in CHS Field’s history.
“He [my manager Greg Tagert] had me on the opening day starting lineup, which I was not expecting,” said Fitzgerald of his first-ever professional game after going undrafted out of Creighton that year. “I thought I was going to be sitting on the bench a little bit and trying to fight my way in. But ever since then, I was pretty much their starting shortstop all year and made the all-star team. And yeah, I mean, playing here [at CHS Field] in Indy Ball, I was like, this is Indy Ball?...We’ve got 8,000 fans. This is insane. I’m thinking this is going to be a great year. And then you go and play in Sioux Falls, and then you think, okay, THIS is Indy Ball. Play against the Canaries, it’s a little different. But yeah, I mean, obviously, playing here was awesome. I loved it.”
Fitzgerald’s first professional at-bat came against Saints ace Mark Hamburger and he even collected a hit off the former big leaguer, finishing his day 1-for-4 as the RailCats lost 4-1 to open the season on Mary Tyler Moore hat giveaway night at CHS Field.
After going unnoticed out of college, Fitzgerald’s impressive season with Gary in which he batted .239/.301/.395 (.695 OPS) with 7 home runs in 84 games was enough to generate interest from two different major league organizations, including
the Boston Red Sox, who signed him despite what Fitzgerald remembers as a shaky tryout that offseason.
“Yeah, no, they were not on the radar at all,” said Fitzgerald of the Boston organization. “And then after the 2017 season, most of the guys that played well in that league, they ended up going to a tryout in Arizona for the Diamondbacks. So I think it was February 28th or something like that. I was in Talking Stick [Arizona] and did a tryout for the Diamondbacks. I did really well and they told me, ‘hey, you know, as soon as someone goes down, we’re going to pick you up....you can play short, you can play second...you’re the kind of guy that we would need that could fill a hole...So I flew from Arizona. Actually, I flew home that night [back to Chicago], slept, went back to the airport, and then down to Fort Myers for a tryout [with the Red Sox], and I sucked. I didn’t hit a ball fair. I thought, whatever. At least I nailed one of the two...And then a month later, they called. I was one day into spring training with the RailCats. And they called me, and off I was, back down to Fort Myers literally the next day.”
Spending the next two seasons with the Red Sox’s pair of Single-A clubs, Fitzgerald continued to provide consistent defense but began to ponder changes that could make him a more impactful offensive player, a growth mindset that would prove to be pivotal in the Chicago-area native’s career.
“I knew something had to change coming out of college. I just didn’t know what I was going to do. I had no direction. I had no one really to help me. I was using Twitter a lot, just looking at guys like Justin Turner and Josh Donaldson. So, I was trying to do it on my own, piece it together with videos. I definitely took a step forward, but I needed that next step of technology and really hone in on it. And I met Ryan Johansen, who was the hitting coordinator with the White Sox at the time. And then I also met another guy, Devin DeYoung, who was in Indy ball [at the time]...and so those two guys were the ones that really got me on it,” said Fitzgerald of his initial curiosity on how he could use data to help improve himself as a hitter.
“In 2019, I was in High-A with the Salem Red Sox and had a good year. I won defensive player of the year that year for the Red Sox for the whole org. But I also had the highest line drive percentage of all time in the Statcast era. It was [32.4] percent. Next highest was Freddie Freeman in 2020 with around 31 percent. He won the MVP that year. So I thought, okay, the swing itself is good, but why is my OPS still below 700? And then that was when the bat speed came in. I started training bat speed the whole off season of 2019. I changed my bat. I went from a 33.5 to a 34-inch bat. And I really just tried to hit home runs. That was the whole, let’s hit the ball as hard as I can in the air. And that’s kind of what really started it... But I had a process. I learned this is what I need to do to produce this kind of power and continue doing it.”
Fitzgerald became a perennial power threat. The former Creighton Blue Jay finished the 2021 season with 16 homers and a career-high .512 slugging percentage, produced a 16-homer campaign in Triple-A in 2022, and added another dozen roundtrippers in an injury-shortened 2023 season spent back with Worcester.
Over the course of three seasons from 2021-23, Fitzgerald became the Worcester Red Sox’s all-time franchise leader in games played (235), at-bats (821), runs scored (115), hits (194), doubles (52), triples (11), RBI (137), and walks (94). In part because of his on-field production and in part because of his community service efforts off it, he became a fan-favorite among the Woo Sox faithful, even getting his own bobblehead night where Worcester mayor Joseph
Petty granted Fitzgerald an honorary “key to the city” in 2023. “It was a perfect storm,” said Fitzgerald of his relationship with the fans in Worcester. “It was a new team. We had a lot of good players there. We had [Triston] Casas and [Ceddanne] Rafaela, [Wilyer] Abreu, and [Jarren] Duran. I mean, those are all guys that are in the big leagues now. I was kind of the black sheep of the crew. I played really well. I could hang with them, but I wasn’t a prospect. I was older. And I was sitting in the middle of the order for them for a while, and I think the city identified with that. Because they’re kind of like the little brother to Boston. They’re just 45 minutes outside the city...It kind of felt like, you know, they’re rooting for the underdog and they’re an underdog city.”
Fitzgerald spent last season with the Kansas City Royals organization and won an International League championship with Omaha. Now in his ninth year in pro ball, Fitzgerald finds himself playing in front of a Saints fan base that are no stranger to Indy ball underdogs. The Saints shortstop is grateful to be with an organization that values his production regardless of prospectstatus, as well as his growth mindset.
“Coming here [to the Twins org], the vibe is great. I mean, the coaches are great. Whatever you need, they’re there for you. They don’t shove anything down your throat, which a lot of organizations can do and say ‘it’s our way or the highway. This is how you’re going to hit. This is how you’re going to do things.’ And if you can play here, they’re just like, do your thing. We’re here to help you and just make it easy on you, which is nice.”
Each year Baseball America puts out their Top prospects for each organization. Some of these prospects will begin the season in St. Paul, others will move up to Triple-A sometime during the season, and others won’t see Triple-A for a season or two. Here is your chance to get to know some of the top prospects in the Minnesota Twins organization.
Scouting Report: Jenkins is yet another example of how lefthanded hitters just have prettier swings than their righthanded counterparts. There are plenty of Joe Mauer-esque aspects to Jenkins’ swing and finish. Like Mauer, he starts from an open stance with a modest toe tap, has a level swing and finishes with both hands still on the bat. And like Mauer, Jenkins is a pure hitter whose power will have to develop. Jenkins has yet to show a glaring weakness as a hitter. Payton Eeles was the only fullseason Twins minor leaguer to swing and miss less than Jenkins, and Jenkins had the organization’s best swing-and-miss rate on pitches in the strike zone. His lower half wasn’t always synced up perfectly early in the 2024 season, but that was largely an aftereffect of his early-season leg injuries. He hit well in August after he got fully in sync. Jenkins hit just six home runs in 82 games, but that total should quickly climb as he matures. He hits the ball hard, but his swing is geared more to line drives than long fly balls. Jenkins is a center fielder for now, though his best fit eventually is more likely as a plus defender in right field with an average arm. He’s an above-average runner.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 70 / Power: 60 / Run: 55 / Field: 60 / Arm: 50
Scouting Report: Rodriguez has made his career off knowing the strike zone. He will go games between swings at pitches out of the zone. He swings at just 32% of pitches he sees, one of the lowest rates in the minors. And when he does swing, he hits the ball harder than anyone. His 90th percentile exit velocity of 110 mph was the best in the full-season minors. Rodriguez’s bat-toball skills are average at best, and he can be beaten by quality pitches in the zone. High strikeout rates are part of his approach, and he took 24 called third strikes in 2024. That’s what could derail him, as minor leaguers with his 30% career strikeout rate often struggle to hit in the majors. In addition to his top-of-the-scale power and top-of-the-scale plate discipline, he also is an above-
average runner. He stole nine bases in his first 16 games of 2024. He didn’t steal a base for the rest of the season as the Twins tried to limit his injury risk. He’s an average defender who can play all three outfield spots.
Scouting Grades:
Hit: 55 / Power: 70 / Run: 55 / Field: 50 / Arm: 55
Scouting Report: Keaschall is a pure hitter who has hit .300 pretty much everywhere he has ever played. He has a highly advanced understanding of how pitchers are trying to attack him. He makes adjustments and he rarely chases out of the strike zone. Keaschall doesn’t hit the ball exceptionally hard, but he gets to average power because of his consistent quality of contact. An above-average runner, Keaschall is an aggressive and adept basestealer when he gets on base. He played first and second base and center field in 2024, but he projects best at second and in the outfield. His hands and feet are capable enough for him to be an average defender at second base. The big question is how well he can throw after Tommy John surgery. If his arm can get to average, he should be an MLB starter at second. If not, his bat is good enough for left and center field.
Scouting Report: Matthews is a five-pitch righthander, though he can really be thought of more as a three-pitch power pitcher who attacks the zone up and down against righthanded hitters, and then becomes a five-pitch pitcher who works a bit more east-west against lefties. No pitch is dominant on its own, but Matthews’ ability to attack hitters with a 94-97 mph four-seam fastball, a hard 90-92 mph cutter and a deeper 86-88 mph slider gives him a multitude of weapons. He also drops in a bigger and slower low-80s curveball and a low-80s fringy changeup to lefties. The biggest question with Matthews is if he can keep home runs in check. Hitters know that he will always be around the zone, which explains why he has allowed 32 home runs as a pro compared to 33 walks. His need to nibble a little more in the majors is what keeps him from 80-grade control. He’s better off when hitters don’t know any behind-in-the-count pitch is going to be a strike.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 55 / Curveball: 40 / Slider: 55 / Changeup: 40 Cutter: 55 / Control: 70
Scouting Report: Culpepper has a hit-first, well-rounded infield profile. His level swing keeps the bat in the zone for a while and should allow him to hit for average, and velocity doesn’t bother him. But without some swing changes, he’s going to be more of a line-drive, doubles hitter than a slugger. He never topped 11 home runs with a metal bat. The big question is how that hitfirst approach will work if Culpepper eventually has to slide to third base as expected. He played two years at third base before moving to shortstop as a junior at Kansas State. His actions and feet are stretched at short, but he’s an above-average defender at third base with a plus arm. He should be able to handle second base as well.
Scouting Grades:
Hit: 55 / Power: 40 / Run: 55 / Field: 50 / Arm: 60
Scouting Report: Winokur is a strong, 6-foot-5, long-levered hitter, which brings with it the strengths and weaknesses one would expect. He hits the ball hard, but he also swings and misses a lot. If anything, Winokur’s .249 batting average—the FSL hit .229—and his 28% strikeout rate attest to his survival skills. At times, he’s short to the ball, but at other times he can get long in his swing and less connected to his lower half. Winokur’s extratall frame may not fit best at shortstop, but he was better there than expected. He was fringe-average. His plus arm would fit well as a potentially above-average third baseman and he has the plus speed—he’ll turn in 70-grade run times at his best—to also be a rangy center fielder. He played all three positions for Fort Myers, and the Twins are in no rush to settle on which will be his best position.
Scouting Grades:
Hit: 40 / Power: 65 / Run: 60 / Field: 55 / Arm: 60
Scouting Report: Prielipp has the stuff of a front-of-the-rotation starter, though a key aspect of being a frontline starter is durability, and Prielipp has thrown fewer than 60 total innings in the past four seasons combined. The good news is his stuff has largely bounced back post-surgery. In his short stints, Prielipp sat 94-96 mph with his fastball, touched 97-98 and spun a plus hard 86-88 mph slider. That slider wasn’t the double-plus monster it had been before his injuries, but the Twins were cautious about ensuring Prielipp didn’t overdo anything as he worked back into form. His 86-87 mph changeup is average. Given a full offseason, he should be even better in 2025. Prielipp has had no issues throwing strikes and should have above-average control eventually.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 55 / Slider: 60 / Changeup: 50 / Control: 55
Scouting Report: Raya has some of the best stuff in the Twins’ system and he throws a little bit of everything. He sat at 9495 mph and touched 98 with his four-seam fastball, which has above-average life. He has added a two-seam fastball as well, but it’s his plus 90 mph cutter and mid-80s slider that make hitters sweat. His cutter plays off his fastball, while his slider gives a bit more depth. He also throws a fringe-average low-80s curveball,
and lefthanded hitters have to worry about a hard changeup that will flash average. Raya repeats his delivery and has shown average control.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 55 / Curveball: 45 / Slider: 60 / Changeup: 50
Cutter: 60 / Control: 50
Scouting Report: Soto was one of the younger players in the 2023 draft and he was a shortstop who moved to the mound late in his high school career. The Twins and Soto tinkered throughout the 2024 season to find what worked. He was relying on his 9496 mph four-seam fastball too heavily early in the season, and he was trying to throw both a cutter-ish slider and a sweeper. The sweeper would flash above-average, but it was extremely inconsistent. He started throwing more two-seamers, which played well with his harder 84-90 mph slider, and shelved the sweeper. He quickly picked up an above-average changeup in high school. It’s an advanced pitch for his age, but it’s largely something he uses against lefthanded hitters. He’s a solid average strike-thrower with the 6-foot-3 build to be a workhorse.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 50 / Slider: 55 / Changeup: 55 / Control: 50
Scouting Report: Morris has no dominant pitch and doesn’t have true bat-missing stuff, but he has plus control and the ability to force hitters to protect the entire strike zone. He uses a very north-south approach. Morris’ 93-95 mph fringe-average fastball predominantly works up in the zone. Morris can reach back for 97-98, but it doesn’t have exceptional life. He works to his glove side with his above-average 84-86 mph slider, and then armside with a fringe-average 88-90 mph changeup that pairs well with his fastball and slider. Morris also added a hard, 90 mph aboveaverage cutter, and he’ll drop in a fringe-average, slow, 12-to-6, mid-70s curveball as a way to steal early-count strikes, especially against lefthanded hitters. Morris throws everything for strikes, which helps him work deeper into games. Without ever topping 100 pitches, he worked six-plus innings 11 times in 24 starts in 2024.
Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 45 / Curveball: 45 / Slider: 55 / Changeup: 45 Cutter: 55 / Control: 60
You want the tea, we’ve got the tea. For a year or two, rumors have swirled that the International League and Pacific Coast League could move to three 10-team divisions. If that ever happened, it would put the St. Paul Saints in what would more than likely be the Central Division. Now we’re not saying it’s happening, or even going to happen, but in 2025 there is one small step that could hint at it occurring in the future. For the first time since the reorganization of Minor League Baseball, there will be interleague play at Triple-A. It won’t happen with every team, as a matter of fact on the International League side it will only occur with the Omaha Storm Chasers, Iowa Cubs, and St. Paul Saints. The Storm Chasers head to Salt Lake Bees (Angels) from May 20-25, the I-Cubs host the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros) from August 19-24, and the Saints host the Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers) from August 1924. Could there be a shakeup leagues soon? We’ll find out how hot this tea is sooner rather than later.
The International League season once again starts one day after the Major League season, on Friday May 28 (not counting the Dodgers-Cubs series in Japan). That’s when the Saints open at home, their earliest home opener in franchise history and the first March game at CHS Field. The season begins on March 28 and ends on the road in Memphis on Sunday, September 21. It’s another 150-game season with Monday as a traditional off with a four-day break for the Major League AllStar break from July 14-17.
The playoffs are determined identical to 2024: team with the best overall record in the first half hosts the best-ofthree-series and takes on the team with the best record in the
second half. The winner of that series heads to Las Vegas for the Triple-A National Championship Game against a team from the Pacific Coast League. For purposes of simplicity, here is how the breakdown will show up on standings pages despite divisions meaning nothing. The Saints find themselves in the West Division with the Columbus (OH) Clippers (Cleveland Guardians), Gwinnett (GA) Stripers (Atlanta Braves), Indianapolis (IN) Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates), Iowa Cubs (Chicago Cubs), Louisville (KY) Bats (Cincinnati Reds), Memphis (TN) Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals), Nashville (TN) Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers), Omaha (NE) Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals), and Toledo (OH) Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers). The East Division is comprised of the Buffalo (NY) Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays), Charlotte (NC) Knights (Chicago White Sox), Durham (NC) Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays), Jacksonville (FL) Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins), Lehigh Valley (PA) Iron Pigs (Philadelphia Phillies), Norfolk (VA) Tides (Baltimore Orioles), Rochester (NY) Red Wings (Washington Nationals), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (PA) RailRiders (New York Yankees), Syracuse (NY) Mets (New York Mets), and Worcester (MA) Red Sox (Boston Red Sox).
The 2024 playoffs saw the Storm Chasers run away with the first half title, finishing 49-24, finishing 3.5 games ahead of the Mets. In half two, the Clippers, who had the worst record in half one, went 48-26 and finished 2.5 games ahead of the RailRiders. After splitting the first two games of the series, the Storm Chasers dominating the winner take all Game 3, 7-3. In front of 8,007 in Las Vegas, the Storm Chasers were bested by the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros), 13-6.
Art and creativity have always been an important part of Saints culture. When the club moved to the historic Lowertown Arts District, they seized the opportunity to collaborate with the local art community and infuse CHS Field with the artistic spirit of Lowertown. Now in its 11th season, the Saints Art Program features seasonal public art happenings, game day art activities, and year-round opportunities for local artists to display and sell their work.
Located in the play zone, The Outfield Art Station offers free artist-led activities for fans on weekend home games.
The Art Showcase is a year round, rotating art exhibit in the Saints office and Securian Financial Club Lobby that features originals and prints by local artists.
Located at Andy’s Gallery behind home plate, the Artist Pop-up project offers free vendor space to artists at every Saints home game.
Each year, the Saints Art Program produces a series of temporary public art project and artist pop-ups in collaborations with local culture makers. These projects can be seen in and around greater St. Paul.
Rachel Wacker: Saints Community Art Program Director
Email: rwacker@saintsbaseball.com
In a typical season, the 40-man roster includes a combination of players on the 26-man roster (it was 25, prior to 2020), the 7-, 10- and 15-day injured lists, the bereavement/family medical emergency list and the paternity leave list, as well as some Minor Leaguers. In order for a club to add a player to the 26-man roster, the player must be on the 40-man roster. If a club with a full 40man roster wishes to promote a Minor League player that is not on the 40-man roster, it must first remove a player from the 40-man roster -- either by designating a player’s contract for assignment, trading a player, releasing a player or transferring a player to the 60-day injured list. The 40-man roster is an important distinction in the offseason, as players who are on the 40-man roster are protected from being selected by another organization in the annual Rule 5 Draft, held each year in December at the Winter Meetings. Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club’s 40-Man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.
A player signed to a Minor League contract, but invited to Major League Spring Training. This player is not on the 40-man roster.
A DFA’d player is immediately removed from his club’s 40-man roster. Within seven days of the transaction (had been 10 days under the 2012-16 Collective Bargaining Agreement), the player can either be traded or placed on irrevocable outright waivers. If the player is claimed off said waivers by another club, he is immediately added to that team’s 40-man roster, at which point he can be optioned to the Minor Leagues or assigned to his new team’s 26-man roster. If the player clears waivers, he may be sent outright to the Minor Leagues or released. Players with more than three years of Major League service time or who have been previously outrighted may reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency.
Players on a 40-man roster are given three Minor League “options.” An option allows that player to be sent to the Minor Leagues (“optioned”) without first being subjected to waivers. Players who are optioned to the Minors are removed from a team’s active 26-man roster but remain on the 40-man roster. Only one Minor League option is used per season, regardless of how many times a player is optioned to and from the Minors over the course of a given season. Out-of-options players must be designated for assignment -- which removes them from the 40-man roster -- and passed through outright waivers before being eligible to be sent to the Minors. Players typically have three option years.
A club attempting to remove a player from the 40-man roster and send him to the Minor Leagues must first place that player on outright waivers, allowing the 29 other Major League clubs the opportunity to claim him. The claiming club assumes responsibility for the remaining money owed to the claimed player, who is placed on his new club’s 40-man roster. Should the player clear waivers, he can be sent to any Minor League affiliate the club chooses. Outright waivers are also used when clubs wish to remove a player who is out of Minor League options from the 26man roster by sending him to the Minors. Claiming priority is based on league and reverse winning percentage. If a player has more than three years of Major League service time or was previously outrighted in his career (by his current club or another club), he is eligible to reject the outright assignment and instead opt for free agency. Players with more than three but less than five years of Major League service time must forfeit any remaining guaranteed money on their contract if they reject an outright assignment. Conversely, those with five or more years of Major League service time are still owed any guaranteed money remaining on their contract, should they elect free agency following an outright.
These terms can be easily mixed up because they mean very similar things but are distinctly different. If a player is already on the 40-man roster and playing for a minor league team, he would be “recalled” to the MLB parent club because he is already a member of the 40-man. However, if a player from the minor leagues is called up to the MLB parent club and is not on the 40man, the MLB club must “purchase his contract” and place him on the 40-man roster. If there are no spots on the 40-man, then they must DFA (designate for assignment) a current member of the 40-man to make room.
Any MLB player can be assigned to any minor league affiliate for the purpose of rehabbing an injury for a maximum of 20 days (non-pitchers) and 30 days (pitchers). The player will still continue to get his MLB salary while on his rehab assignment. The rehabilitation assignments do not count against the minor league affiliates roster or as an “optional assignment.”
In the minor leagues there is only one IL and that is the seven-day IL. If a minor league player is placed on the seven-day IL, he must remain there for at least seven days before he can once again be activated. Players that are on the seven-day IL, therefore, can be on it for anywhere from seven days to the entire season since that is MiLB’s only IL.
Q: Six of your players from 2024 made their Major League debuts with the Twins. What’s it like telling a guy he’s going to the Majors for the first time?
A: It’s awesome. It’s the best part of the job. These guys dream of this their entire lives and we get to be the ones to tell them they get to go.
Q: It wasn’t a first time call up, but you’ve seen how hard Randy Dobnak has worked since 2021. What’s it like to have a guy like that on your roster and what were the feelings like when you got to tell him he was going back to the Majors for the first time since 2021?
A: It’s really cool. I’ve had him since the lower levels of the Minor Leagues and saw him go all the way up and couldn’t be happier for him to do the stuff he did. After all the injury stuff he kind of had some setbacks. Watching him continue to work hard and prove he could do it and then get back to the Major Leagues was special.
Q: Towards the end of 2024, a number of prospects were called up. How does getting a guy up to Triple-A at the end of the season, help for the next season?
A: I think it’s really important. It’s more for the player than anything else. It gets them up there and gives them a chance to kind of get their feet underneath them in a new spot. So, this year the guys we had last season at the end they know what to expect when they get to St. Paul and they’re not rookies anymore.
Q: You rolled off a franchise record 11-straight wins from June 1122. It’s hard to get on a hot streak at any level, but how much more difficult is it at Triple-A knowing guys are coming and going every single day? What’s the vibe in the clubhouse when you’re on a long winning streak?
A: It’s hard at anything to win 11 games in a row. To do it at Triple-A when our roster changes so much and our pitching situation changes on an hourly basis it’s very impressive to win 11 in a row. I wish we could have done it more. The vibe is as good as it gets.
Q: The challenge system was tinkered a little bit last season going from three challenges to two. Which do you prefer and why?
A: Selfishly, I like three because with three when you challenge early in the game, and you lose it doesn’t feel like you have to be very careful. When you challenge with two and you lose it becomes, we better not get another one wrong.
Q: Once again, you lost some of your coaching staff from last year with Pete Larson, Dan Urbina, and Tyler Smarslok moving on. What challenges come with having new coaches each year?
A: It’s new people, new people to learn personalities and learn what their strengths are. We try to build off that kind of stuff. Luckily we have spring training where I get to know these guys pretty well. Going into the season I feel like we have a pretty good plan.
Q: At the time of this interview, the 2025 roster isn’t finalized, but there is a chance that five of the Top 10 prospects in the organization to start the season on your roster. How much do you pay attention to prospect rankings and, you don’t have to name names, but do you get any more excited when a high end prospect reaches your roster?
A: I don’t look at prospect status. I look at who these guys are and what they’ve done on their way up. Most of the time when they’re high-end prospects they’ve done some pretty special things. We have a pretty good group of them at the upper levels now and so that’s pretty fun for us in St. Paul to get these kids in who have so
much potential to get them up to the big leagues. It should be a fun year no matter who we have.
Q: For the first time since the new Minor League system started in 2021, three teams in the International League will play a Pacific Coast League team. The Saints are one of those, welcoming in Round Rock from August 19-24. Would you like to see more crossover games like that and what ballpark, that the Saints haven’t traveled to since 2021 including PCL teams, would you most like to visit?
A: I think it’s really cool to get a chance to go some place new. I think it makes a lot of sense based upon geography. We don’t end up playing all the teams in the International League, so what does it really matter which way we go. I’d like to go to Las Vegas personally.
Q: What is one thing about your job that fans probably don’t know you do?
A: This year I’m going to be a lot more involved with the infielders. Last year we had Tyler Smarslok and I gave him the reigns on infield play and I just helped him out. This year I’m going to be doing more of the infield work and Danny (Marcuzzo, new Hitting & Development Coach) will help me out. I’m also going to help Danny out with the catching stuff. So, we divvy up those duties quite a bit.
Q: If you could make one new rule in the game, what would it be?
A: I don’t know about any new rules. Michael Cuddyer had a pretty cool idea that I thought, I don’t know if it would ever get to this or if I would want it to get to this, but he had an idea of having three separate, three inning sets and you had to win two out of three sets to win the game. At first, I thought it was crazy, then the more in depth we talked about it I thought it was a pretty good idea. You could have two walk-offs in one day which I think would be pretty fun.
The St. Paul Saints’ final record in 2024 doesn’t tell the full story. They finished the first half at 38-36, a couple of games above .500, tying for second in the West Division (yes, divisions may not mean much, but since Major League Baseball and the International League still include them in standings, we’ll mention it). That placed them tied for fifth in the International League overall. While it might seem like they were in the thick of the race, the Omaha Storm Chasers ran away with the lead, leaving the Saints 11.5 games back.
Toby Gardenhire and his team faced significant challenges in the second half, dealing with injuries at the big-league level that led to constant roster turnover. As a result, the Saints struggled, finishing 32-43—tied for the third-worst record in the second half. Their overall record of 70-79 placed them 13th in the International League, a stark contrast from their 2023 performance. However,
despite the disappointing record, there were plenty of bright spots that set the stage for 2025.
The Saints hit a rough patch late in the first half, falling to a seasonlow eight games under .500 after a four-game home sweep by the Syracuse Mets on June 9. But with two weeks left before the league reset the standings, they caught fire. The Saints rattled off a franchise-record 11-game winning streak from June 11-22 before dropping the final game of the half. Though it didn’t impact the first-half standings, they hoped to carry that momentum into the second half.
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The two most important people, and perhaps the unsung heroes of CHS Field, return once again this season. Both have years of baseball experience and often spend countless hours at the ballpark, long past the time everyone else has gone home. The two of them will continue the upkeep of CHS Field. They can’t do it alone as they come with some help for the 2025 season.
Marcus Campbell begins his eighth year as head groundskeeper and has made his mark on CHS Field. During his first full season at the helm, in 2018, CHS Field was awarded one of the highest honors in the industry, Sports Turf Managers Association Professional Baseball Field of the Year. Campbell’s award-winning work is on display each day and in 2019 the league’s main event, the American Association All-Star Game, took place at CHS Field. Not only that, but he also oversaw Destination Winter Saint Paul, where the Wells Fargo WinterSkate and Securian Financial SuperSlide spent more than two months on the field. Since 2022, he also helped supervise GLOW, a ballpark wide light show with a zip line, giant slide, and various other areas for kids and adults alike. He oversees developing and maintaining a first-rate playing surface for the facilities many users. He is also responsible for the care of CHS Field’s many landscape
His right-hand men this season are Cody Pamperin, Field Operations Supervisor, and Trayce Brayton, Field Operations Manager.
Curtis Nachtsheim made sure fans at Midway Stadium had enough to eat and drink from 2005-14. Now, he is responsible for an entire ballpark as the Operations Manager of CHS Field. He oversees everything from the lights, to the toilets, and everything in between. His responsibility is to make sure the ballpark runs flawlessly for every event that takes place in CHS Field.
Curtis oversees a staff that is responsible for the upkeep of the ballpark during the season, staffing the parking lots on game day, hiring the crew to clean up the ballpark following each game, and is Mr. Fixit when any issue occurs.
In addition to serving as the Saints’ home, CHS Field is the home of Hamline University, amateur and high school baseball, concerts, festivals, weddings and much more. With a year-round space in the Securian Financial Club, CHS Field will be one of the hottest venues in 2023.
Curtis will be joined by his trusty sidekick, Noah Lindsey, who has been with the Saints since their day at Midway, begins his second season as Assistant Director, Ballpark Operations.
When you look around CHS Field there are plenty of “sexy” areas in the Lowertown ballpark: the state-of-the-art Securian Financial Club, the beautiful Western Red Cedar on various overhangs and ceilings, the lush Treasure Island Berm beyond the left field wall, and the City of Baseball Museum, to name a few. These are areas that add to the aesthetics and comfort for fans entering CHS Field. There are, however, many valuable assets around the ballpark that fans may not pay close attention to but are extremely valuable for the organization in becoming the Greenest Ballpark in the country.
The ballpark was universally lauded when it opened in 2015, winning numerous awards. During that season, the Saints and their partners were recognized at every turn. While it’s easy to celebrate the design and architecture of CHS Field, it was the unsung parts of the ballpark receiving honors that made many in the organization thrilled.
Prior to its opening, CHS Field was touted as The Greenest Ballpark in America. That bold prediction came to fruition when CHS Field was named the Greenest New Ballpark courtesy of GreenSportsBlog, one of the top read blogs in Sports + Green initiatives. CHS Field is the product of a privatepublic partnership between the City of Saint Paul, the State of Minnesota, and the St. Paul Saints Baseball Club. It’s one of four awards the organization received touting the sustainability efforts of the Saints and, at the time, Ecolab.
CHS Field was up against heavy competition, including Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers and host of Super Bowl 50. According to GreenSportsBlog, however, “small projects can sometimes be very influential.” The blog goes on to say CHS Field, “dotted a myriad of green I’s and crossed many green t’s, often in innovative fashion.” “The Greenest Ballpark in America” addresses several sustainable objectives, including building construction and operations best practices, waste disposal, water conservation, and alternative power generation and use.
At the heart of the initiative is an effort to make CHS Field a Zero Waste facility. A robust recycling and composting program were designed by the Saints and Minnesota Waste Wise, an initiative of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce that works with private businesses throughout the state to minimize and creatively dispose of waste. The ballpark received a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grant to further the effort, providing more than 30 different color-coded recycling and composting stations within the concourse, ensuring that fans didn’t need to walk far to find a place to recycle or compost. The message was driven home to fans through a partnership with the Ramsey and Washington County Resource Recovery Project, Biz Recycling, in communicating and marketing the program to fans at all games in fun and entertaining ways.
Levy Restaurants/ProSportsCatering, the company running CHS Field’s food and beverage operation, recycles and composts from the back of house. The company also purchases recyclable or compostable material for food and drink containers, utensils, and napkins. Working through its waste hauler, Walter’s Recycling, the team can collect data and track performance from homestand to homestand throughout the season.
Energy efficiency, and the use of alternative energy, is also a key theme. In left field, a 102.5 kW solar array supplies 12% of the ballpark’s energy demand, in addition to acting as a shade pavilion in The Cub A Cabana Lawn group area. The project competed for, and received, a grant through Xcel Energy’s RDF program covering much of the cost of one of the largest in-stadium arrays in professional sports. In addition, the ballpark utilizes the City’s District Energy system, which uses alternative fuels to heat and cool businesses and dwellings in the city’s downtown core.
Sports stadia historically have been significant water wasters. The ballpark houses a 27,000-gallon cistern, capturing rainfall from the 30,000-square-foot roof of the Met Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility next door. When fans flush toilets, the water used has been recycled from the cistern. Additionally, 25% of the ballpark’s irrigation needs are met by re-used rainwater. This will save 450,000 gallons of domestic water each year. CHS Field is one of the first ballparks to reuse rainwater for field irrigation and fixture flushing. The rainwater re-use system was funded through grants from the Minnesota Clean Water Legacy Fund, the Metropolitan Council, and the Capitol Region Watershed District.
Tree trenches at the Broadway entrance capture and filter storm water from the city streets and adjacent sidewalks before releasing it off-site. A rain garden at the 4th Street entrance similarly captures and filters storm water. A subgrade filtration system below the playing field also captures and filters storm water. The ballpark is located less than a quarter mile from the Mississippi River.
To make room for CHS Field, a massive, vacant concrete warehouse was demolished, and 82,000 yards of contaminated soil were removed from the site. In addition, 95% of the building was recycled, including keeping 20% of the material on-site as part of new construction.
All-together, a site that was virtually 100% water impervious, now boasts 55.9% pervious greenspace. A site with virtually no trees now contains 135 trees and 36,000 square feet of planting.
None of this work happens overnight nor did it end after year one. The Saints continue to build upon their awardwinning first year in educating their fans through humorous videos, informational signs around the ballpark, and interactive kiosks at various areas along the concourse. The goal is for fans, and Saints staff, to recycle and compost 90% of the materials used at CHS Field. With everyone’s help CHS Field will continue to be the Greenest Ballpark in America.
On game day and every day, Ecolab is dedicated to supporting people health, planet health and business health in the places where people eat, sleep, work and play, from the beverages you enjoy to the ballparks we call home.
So sit back and enjoy the game. We’ve got the bases covered.
Ecolab is proud to be a founding sponsor of the St. Paul Saints. Play ball!
Powering CHS Field and our communities with clean, safe and reliable energy.
DOG PARK
THE LAND OF 10,000 CALORIES:
Six feet of footlong hot dog topped with smoked pulled pork, creamy mac and cheese, bacon and jalapenos, served with our signature crispy french fries, and four 20-ounce beverages
*Ready in 40 minutes and delivered to your seats
EL BURRITO MERCADO SUPERNACHO:
This incredible fan favorite features our new freshly fried El Burrito Mercado tortilla chips, a heaping pile of taco meat, roasted corn, cheddar cheese, olives, our fresh pico salsa
MERCADO FLAUTAS:
Scrumptious deep fried rolled tacos with a smokey creamy chipotle sauce, fresh lettuce and queso cotija
GRANDE CHURROS:
Classic fried Mexican churros, in bite size pieces, with a drizzle of chocolate and caramel sauce all topped off with fluffy whipped cream and a cherry
1. Name the three Saints players that hold the single-season home run record with 21.
2. The Saints used a pinch hitter 18 times in 2024. Only one player collected a hit in that situation. Who was it?
3. Who had the longest home run by a Saints player at CHS Field in 2024?
4. The three new International League teams the Saints play in 2025 are the Memphis Redbirds, Norfolk Tides, and Worcester Red Sox. How many International League teams have the Saints not played since joining the league in 2021?
5. Who had the hardest hit ball for the Saints in 2024?
6. The Saints have had five, 10 strikeout performances in Triple-A franchise history. Name the three pitchers that have accomplished the feat.
7. Five players in Triple-A franchise history have collected five hits in a game for the Saints. Only one of them did it with all singles. Name that player.
8. Who is the only Saints pitcher to throw a complete game since becoming a Triple-A affiliate in 2021?
9. A total of 15 players have homered in their first game with the Saints. Of those 15, four wore a Minnesota Twins uniform in 2024. Who are those four players?
10. The Saints have 29 walk-off wins since 2021. Which player has the most walk-off hits?
Let’s be clear. No one in Minor League Baseball does it like the St. Paul Saints. After four seasons in Triple-A, it’s clear that in most ballparks the Saints travel, it really is “all about the baseball.” Many Triple-A franchises treat their games just like they do in the Major Leagues. That’s not how we choose to do it. We bring the fastball every night, with the occasional curveball thrown at you. Over the course of 75 games, we’ll change speeds and split your sides with the hilarity at CHS Field.
The state of Minnesota has more actors and actresses per capita than any other state in the U.S. OK, maybe that isn’t entirely true, but add up the comedy clubs, theatres, and improv studios and you will find a ton of talent. Each year we search near and far to find the best of the best and bring them into one venue for the summer. While the players produce the entertainment on the field, our staff of talent produces the entertainment in the stands and between innings. There is one person who oversees all the hilarity, and it’s slash herself, Executive Vice President/ Assistant General Manager/Brand Marketing & Experience, Sierra Bailey. Her job is to make sure each of our actors is on point and that everything runs like a well-oiled machine.
Our actors and actresses, or as we affectionately refer to them, Ushertainers, are overseen by Entertainment Director
Joshua Will. He begins his eighth season in that role with the Saints and will make sure that our Ushertainers hit their marks.
Our three-headed Master of Ceremonies, Lee Adams, Nicholas Leeman, and Rita Boersma return for their ninth season together. Lee is back for year number 13, while Nicholas turned his Stadium Correspondent gig in years past into the co-leading role. Rita did some fill-in work in year number one of CHS Field and has brought her dry and acerbic sense of humor into a full-time role ever since. Their voices are the ones you hear throughout the ballpark and provide hilarious commentary throughout the game. Their banter, quick wit, and talent as actors and actresses help engage the crowd each night.
The musical mood is set by organist Andrew Crowley. Crowley returns for his 23rd season and his knowledge of various musical genres keeps fans of all ages entertained. He has a feel for each moment. Whether it’s getting kids on their feet dancing in the aisles or bringing back nostalgic memories for parents, Crowley is on top of it from his perch on the third base side of the Club Level. He is also in charge of hiring the nightly pre-game bands playing at the Farmers Market and the National Anthem singers.
The Ushertainers, the lifeblood of the entertainment at CHS Field, will be back in full force for the 2025 season. Seigo, the cult-like figure, will serenade the crowd with “Signing with Seigo” and don the sumo suit as he “Rides the Pony.” Maybe you like feeling cooler than The Nerd and Nerdette, doing calisthenics with Coach, talking Minnesotan with Paula Bunyan, cooking up something special with Chef, or being among royalty with Belle of the Ballpark, but whatever tickles your fancy, fans will be entertained to the fullest at CHS Field.
1. Chris Williams and Jair Camargo both hit 21 home runs in 2023. Yunior Severino matched the two of them in 2024.
2. On August 21 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Rylan Bannon pinch hit for Patrick Winkel. He reached on an infield single back to the pitcher.
3. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. launched a 448-foot homer on April 11 against the Iowa Cubs. That distance was matched two other times during the season as Brooks Lee did it on June 20 against Toledo and Jair Camargo matched it on July 7 vs. Gwinnett. The homer by Camargo went over the batters eye, becoming the seventh player, and fifth Saints player to accomplish the feat since CHS Field opened in 2015.
4. That leaves the Saints with just three teams they haven’t played in the International League: Charlotte Knights, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, and Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.
5. Emmanuel Rodriguez smoked a 114.6 mph single into right field on September 10, 2024 at Columbus.
6. Griffin Jax was the first one on May 28, 2021 @ Iowa. David Festa then reeled off three in 2024 on April 30 vs. Louisville, May 11 @ Toledo, and June 14 @ Louisville. Randy Dobnak then went back-to-back with Festa by fanning 10 Louisville Bats on June 15.
7. Hernán Pérez collected five singles on August 24, 2023 at Omaha.
8. Adam Plutko threw the lone complete game for the Saints on June 18, 2024 at home against Toledo. His complete game was just 5.1 innings in a rain shortened 5-4 win.
9. Ryan Jeffers (May 4, 2021 @ Omaha), Alex Kirilloff (May 19, 2021 vs. Indianapolis), Jose Miranda (June 29, 2021 vs. Omaha), and Edouard Julien (March 31, 2023 @ Toledo).
10. Tomás Telís has three walk-off hits: RBI single in the ninth on June 20, 2021 vs. Iowa; RBI single in the 10th on July 18, 2021 vs. Columbus; bases loaded walk in the 10th inning on July 29th vs. Indianapolis. Five other players have two walk-offs apiece.
Initially, things looked promising. They opened with backto-back wins over the Iowa Cubs and split their first two series, sitting at 6-6 and just one game out of first place. However, a disastrous series in Louisville before the All-Star break derailed their chances, as they were swept by the Bats for the first time in franchise history. Limping into the break five games out of first, the Saints briefly rebounded with a sweep of Toledo but never got closer than 3.5 games back, ultimately finishing the half 23-31.
Several Saints players made their Major League debuts in 2024, including Jair Camargo, David Festa, Michael Helman, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Brooks Lee, and Zebby Matthews.
• Brooks Lee, a consensus Top 100 prospect, was perhaps the least surprising call-up. After starting the season on the injured list, he dominated in his first 20 games, slashing .329/.394/1.029 before earning his promotion on July 3. He started strong with the Twins but cooled off late in the season.
• Zebby Matthews was arguably the most surprising of the group. He began the year at High-A Cedar Rapids and soared through four levels to reach the Twins.
• David Festa became an integral part of the Twins’ rotation, while Jair Camargo received two brief call-ups.
• Michael Helman and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. provided some of the season’s best feel-good moments, earning late-season promotions. Helman battled injuries for three years before making it to the bigs, while Keirsey Jr. set franchise records with the Saints.
One of the most dramatic turnarounds came from Matt Wallner. After struggling in the first month with the Twins, he was optioned to St. Paul, where his early struggles continued. But that’s what Triple-A is for, figuring things out. And Wallner did just that. Over 67 games, he smashed 19 home runs—just two shy of the Saints’ single-season record—before returning to Minnesota for good.
Top 100 prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez also got a brief taste of Triple-A, playing seven games before a thumb injury shut him down. He provided one of the most electric moments
of the season with his first Triple-A home run, a thrilling insidethe-park grand slam.
Two players who took unconventional paths to the Saints made a huge impact: Carson McCusker and Payton Eeles.
• McCusker, a towering 6’8”, 250-pound slugger, slashed .286/.337/.484 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in his brief stint with the team.
• Eeles, standing just 5’7” and 180 pounds, was the ultimate underdog story. He started the year in the independent Atlantic League, had his contract purchased from Southern Maryland on May 7, and quickly climbed through the Twins’ system. In 64 games with the Saints, he slashed .299/.419/.500 with 11 doubles, four triples, eight homers, 30 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases—putting himself firmly on the Twins’ radar as a Top 30 prospect entering 2025.
On the mound, the Saints saw young arms emerge, but the best story belonged to Randy Dobnak.
• Dobnak set a single-season Saints record with 12 wins and 134 strikeouts and made his first return to the Majors since 2021.
• Ryan Jensen was dominant out of the bullpen, striking out 81 in just 56.2 innings.
• Scott Blewett was a steady presence, posting a sub-3.00 ERA in three of the five full months.
• A group of rising young pitchers—including Travis Adams, Corey Lewis, Andrew Morris, and Marco Raya—got their first taste of Triple-A and will be key contributors in 2025.
While 2024 didn’t unfold the way the Saints had hoped, the foundation for 2025 looks strong. If the core roster remains intact through the first half of the season, St. Paul could find itself in a position similar to 2023, when they made a run at both the first- and second-half titles. The ultimate goal? A trip to Las Vegas.
(58-80, Texas League North Division) — The Wind Surge posted a second-straight losing season and the first last-place finish in team history (2021-present). They ranked seventh out of 10 Texas League teams in runs scored (623), and were second in doubles (240), fourth in home runs (123), first in walks (562) and ninth in stolen bases (129). Wichita’s pitching staff posted the fifth-lowest ERA (4.12) and third-fewest strikeouts (1,176) in the league while allowing the second-fewest home runs (99). Outfielder Carson McCusker, despite being promoted to Triple-A on August 24, led the Wind Surge in doubles (26), home runs (15) and total bases (181); his .846 OPS led all qualified Texas League hitters. Outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, Minnesota’s No. 2 prospect (No. 42 in baseball), played 37 games with Wichita and hit .298/.479/.621 with 12 doubles, eight home runs, 20 RBI and nine stolen bases. Second baseman, No. 3 prospect and Twins minor league Player of the Year Luke Keaschall played 58 games after his May 27 promotion and hit .281/.393/.439 with 18 extra-base hits and 27 RBI. Right-handed pitcher Travis Adams made 22 appearances (19 starts) and led the Wind Surge in innings (108.0) and strikeouts (109). Righthanded pitcher Andrew Morris, the organization’s No. 6 prospect and a four-time Twins minor league Pitcher of the Week in 2024 (3 with Wichita), went 6-3 with a 1.90 ERA (61.2 IP, 13 ER), 14 walks and 63 strikeouts before his August 13 promotion to Triple-A. McCusker, Morris and Zebby Matthews were all named Texas League Postseason All-Stars.
(67-63, Midwest League West Division)
— The reigning Midwest League Champions posted their 11thstraight winning season, yet finished third in the division and missed the Postseason for the first time since 2012.
The Kernels enjoyed a 20-7 month of May and a 17-7 run from June 9 to July 6. They ranked first out of 12 Midwest League teams in total bases (1,612), first in doubles (216), second in home runs (110), second in OPS (.710) and fifth in batting average (.239). Cedar Rapids’ pitching staff posted the league’s fifth-highest ERA (4.14) and third-fewest strikeouts (1,138), yet the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.85). Twins minor league Player of the Year Luke Keaschall played 44 games with the Kernels and hit .335/.457/.544 with 12 doubles, seven home runs, 21 RBI, 14 stolen bases and more walks (30) than strikeouts (29). Infielder and No. 24 prospect Rubel Cespedes led the Kernels in games played (110), hits (118) and RBI (72) while hitting .282/.346/.431; he ranked fifth in the Midwest League in hits and fourth in RBI. Outfielder Walker Jenkins, baseball’s No. 10 prospect, hit .290/.382/.481 with 17 extra-base hits and eight stolen bases
in 34 games with the Kernels. Infielder and 2024 first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper played 17 games with Cedar Rapids to finish the season. Before being promoted to Wichita on May 21, Opening Day starter Andrew Morris went 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA (37.2 IP, 9 ER), seven walks and 43 strikeouts. Zebby Matthews began the season with Cedar Rapids, issuing zero walks in four starts before three promotions brought him to the big leagues by August.
(66-59, Florida State League West Division) — The Mighty Mussels put together their 11th-straight winning campaign and finished third in the Florida State League’s West Division. Fort Myers ranked fourth out of 10 FSL teams in batting average (.235), third in runs scored (632), third in doubles (201), fifth in home runs (84), fourth in stolen bases (195), second in slugging (.363) and third in OPS (.700), while recording the third-fewest strikeouts (1,173). The Mussels’ pitching staff recorded the fifth-lowest ERA (4.13), fourth-lowest WHIP (1.34) and third-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.49). In his second professional season, Twins No. 17 prospect and 2023 third-round pick Brandon Winokur led the team with 90 hits, 14 home runs, 157 total bases, 54 RBI and 60 runs scored while spending time at shortstop (61 games), centerfield (20), third base (10) and rightfield (2). Winokur ranked fifth in the FSL in slugging (.434), ninth in hits and tied for seventh in home runs (min. 300 PA). 2024 first-round draft pick Kaelen Culpepper hit .297/.366/.541 with three doubles, two home runs and nine RBI in nine games for the Mussels before his August 19 promotion to Cedar Rapids. Right-handed pitcher Charlee Soto, Minnesota’s No. 8 prospect and just 19 years old, threw 74.0 innings and led the team in starts (20) and strikeouts (87).
(28-31, Rookie, Florida Complex League) — The Florida Complex League Twins posted a fourthstraight losing season, yet finished with their best winning percentage (.475) since 2019 (.588). Offensively, they ranked fifth out of 15 FCL teams in on-base percentage (.365), sixth in slugging (.364) and seventh in OPS (.729), and tied for 10th in home runs (23). Their pitching staff posted the 11th-lowest ERA (4.80) in the league and sixth-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.06) while allowing 19 home runs, tied for the fewest in the league. Complex League AllStar outfielder and Twins No. 15 prospect Yasser Mercedes tied for the team lead with 51 games played and hit .331/.421/.568 with six home runs, 34 runs scored and 18 stolen bases, all of which led the team.
In conjunction with Major League Baseball’s broadcast deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group for Minor League Baseball, the St. Paul Saints will once again return to the CW Network in 2025, with more than one-third of the home games on the station. A total of 26 of the Saints 75 home games can be seen on the CW Network in 2024. The Saints will also expand their reach around the state in 2025 working with Gray Media. In addition, all 150 games can be heard, once again, on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.
The Saints will have all five weekday afternoon games, four weekday night games, one Friday night game, five Saturday games and 11 Sunday games on the CW Network. The first game on the CW Network is the second game of the season on Saturday, March 30 at 2:07 p.m. Fans can find the CW Network on the following channels: Comcast 8/208, DirectTV 23, Dish 23, Charter Spectrum 23/783, and Over the Air 23.1.
The Saints schedule on CW is as follows:
Sunday, March 30, 2:07 p.m. vs. Indianapolis Indians
Sunday, April 13, 2:07 p.m. vs. Omaha Storm Chasers
Tuesday, April 22, 11:07 a.m. vs. Indianapolis Indians
Sunday, April 27, 2:07 p.m. vs. Indianapolis Indians
Wednesday, May 6, 6:37 p.m. vs. Buffalo Bisons
Saturday, May 10, 2:07 p.m. vs. Buffalo Bisons
Sunday, May 11, 2:07 p.m. vs. Buffalo Bisons
Tuesday, May 20, 11:07 a.m. vs. Norfolk Tides
Friday, May 23, 6:37 p.m. vs. Norfolk Tides
Thursday, June 5, 7:07 p.m. vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Saturday, June 7, 6:37 p.m. vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Sunday, June 8, 2:07 p.m. vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Wednesday, June 18, 7:07 p.m. vs. Toledo Mud Hens
Saturday, June 21, 6:37 p.m. vs. Toledo Mud Hens
Sunday, June 22, 2:07 p.m. vs. Toledo Mud Hens
Wednesday, June 25, 1:07 p.m. vs. Louisville Bats
Thursday, July 10, 7:07 p.m. vs. Iowa Cubs
Sunday, July 13, 2:07 p.m. vs. Iowa Cubs
Wednesday, July 23, 1:07 p.m. vs. Worcester Red Sox
Sunday, July 27, 2:07 p.m. vs. Worcester Red Sox
Wednesday, August 6, 1:07 p.m. vs. Iowa Cubs
Saturday, August 9, 6:37 p.m. vs. Iowa Cubs
Sunday, August 10, 2:07 p.m. vs. Iowa Cubs
Saturday, August 23, 6:37 p.m. vs. Round Rock Express
Sunday, August 24, 2:07 p.m. vs. Round Rock Express
Sunday, September 14, 2:07 p.m. vs. Columbus Clippers
The remaining 49 home games can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities Metro area. The channel in your area can be found at saintsbaseball.com. For the first time, the Saints will extend beyond the Twin Cities Metro courtesy of Gray Media with all 75 home games broadcast in Mankato on KEYC, 10 games in Rochester on KTTC, and 10 games in Duluth on KBJR.
The Saints will carry all 150 games at MiLB.TV via the home broadcast feed. The subscription-based service is $29.99 for the entire season, or $3.99 per month, and includes the broadcasts of all Minor League teams or via the Bally Live app for free.
For the eighth consecutive season the Saints can be heard on an iHeart station in the Twin Cities with every game
carried on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM. The Saints began with the iHeart family in 2018, on Alt 93.3 FM. In 2019, the Saints moved their games to the brand new KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM, which has been the home of Saints Baseball for the last six seasons. For those that don’t live in the coverage area, fans can download the iHeart Radio app and listen to games anywhere in the world.
Sean Aronson returns for his 19th season as the playby-play broadcaster of the Saints and will handle the broadcast for all 150 games. He can be seen on all 75 Saints TV broadcasts, the 26 on the CW Network and the 49 on the Saints Cable Network, and heard on all 75 road games via KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM. Aronson made his Major League debut in 2024 broadcasting six games for the Minnesota Twins and added four more Spring Training games in 2025.
Joining Aronson this season are Matt Dean, who returns for his second full season with the Saints after spending 2015 with the team, and Steve Linzmeier, his fourth season. Dean got his start in baseball as the broadcasting and media relations intern for Aronson during the first season at CHS Field in 2015. He then rolled that into a full-time position as the Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for the Charleston RiverDogs, then the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, for four years before returning to his Midwestern roots. He is a 2015 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Linzmeier spent 2022 as the Saints pre- and post-game host. Along with those duties in 2025, Linzmeier can be heard on home radio and TV broadcasts. He took over at St. Cloud State, as the voice of the Men’s and Women’s basketball team, for the 2022-23 season, for the departed J.W. Cox, a former Saints broadcaster. Prior to his time with the Saints, Linzmeier spent nine years as the Sports Director at KQDJ in Jamestown, ND. He was the lead play-by-play voice for the University of Jamestown and Jamestown High School. Linzmeier was honored by his peers as the 2016 North Dakota Sportscaster of the Year. He has broadcast over 1,500 games including some locally for PrepSpotlight and St. Catherine University. He is a 2010 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 2010 and went on to get his Master’s in Sports Administration at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2021.
For more information on the Saints broadcast schedule, fans can visit the virtual press box at saintsbaseball.com.
Eagle Valley Golf Course in Woodbury is a few minutes east of St. Paul. Our staff is committed to delivering an unforgettable experience every time you visit. The golf course consists of eighteen uniquely challenging holes suited for all skill levels. The practice facility offers a course-like feel with multiple targets, oversized practice green and bunker. Dine in our inviting, newly renovated clubhouse and enjoy an expanded food and beverage menu!
Great conditions and friendly staff every day!
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Admission into the City of Baseball Museum is free during St. Paul Saints home games with the purchase of your Saints ticket. If you'd like to set up a time to visit the museum outside of St. Paul Saints home games, please reach out to museum@saintsbaseball.com to schedule an appointment.
The City of Baseball Museum is located on the concourse behind the left field bleachers at CHS Field. Visit www.cityofbaseballmuseum.com for more information.
The St. Paul Saints are committed to creating a family-friendly and welcoming environment at the ballpark for all guests. As part of that commitment, we have adopted this written Fan Code of Conduct addressing fan behavior.
This Policy is incorporated in the Employee Handbook which all staff receives prior to assuming any game-day responsibilities. A copy of this Policy can also be found on the Team’s website at saintsbaseball.com.
Pursuant to the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, the following items are prohibited at all St. Paul Saints baseball home games:
• Containers larger than 16 x 16 x 8 inches;
• Beach balls and other large inflatables;
• Glass bottles;
• Fireworks;
• Firearms or other weapons (e.g., knives);
• Laser devices / pointers;
• Skateboards and rollerblades;
• Toy guns and knives (including water guns);
• Non-baseball sticks / clubs; or
• Unmanned aerial vehicles.
Pursuant to the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, the following behaviors are prohibited at all St. Paul Saints baseball home games:
• Trespassing on the playing field at any time;
• Interfering with the progress of the game including throwing objects onto the field or disrupting balls in play;
• Using foul, obscene or derogatory language or gestures (including, without limitation, harassment of the opposing team or language/gestures which concern a person’s race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, creed, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or national origin);
• Misusing or overconsuming alcohol, including, underage consumption;
• Behaving in a manner that is disruptive, unruly, or abusive;
• Accessing areas of the ballpark without a proper ticket, pass, or credential;
• Misusing tickets, passes, or credentials in any way;
• Intoxication or other signs of alcohol/substance impairment that results in irresponsible behavior;
• Failing to follow instructions of law enforcement, guest services, or security personnel
Violations of any of the foregoing will not be tolerated and may lead to ejection from the ballpark, a ban on attending future games, or other consequences which the Team may implement at its sole discretion.
Any game-day staff member who witnesses or receives a report of prohibited fan behavior by a fan must report the incident to a Club security supervisor. This can be done by contacting your immediate supervisor, the Assistant General Manager, or the General Manager.
Use of derogatory language by a fan toward a player, umpire, staff member, or their respective family members must be documented and such descriptions must be reported to the General Manager and to the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball via email to PDLsecurity@mlb.com.
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