The St. Paul Saints and the Louisville Bats faced off for a condensed six-game series in four days this week and featured some of Minor League Baseball’s top talent. Let’s break down performances from some of the standout names in this series and some lesser-known players making a name for themselves.
Notable Dynasty Performances in St. Paul
Twins Triple-A Hitters Who Are Standing Out
Hitter 1: Aaron Sabato
Stats from the last two weeks: .375 AVG | .444 OBP | .600 SLG | 2 HR | 10 RBI | 0 SB | 20.0 K% | 11.1 BB%
The Twins’ top draft pick from the 2020 MLB Draft has finally found his way to Triple-A this season and brought the hot bat he had with him at Double-A to start this season. Sabato had been crushing Double-A pitching with a .305/.399/.574 slash line, nine home runs, and 26 RBI over 39 games with the Twins’ Double-A affiliate, Wichita Wind Surge, before earning his call-up to St. Paul on June 13.
In just 11 games at Triple-A, Sabato has kept an even hotter slash line at the plate and crushed his first home run at Triple-A for a grand slam. Sabato has worked on changing his approach at the plate over the last couple of off-seasons that have finally come to fruition in 2025, despite battling some injuries, such as an oblique strain in 2024 and others in previous seasons. Sabato wouldn’t trade how his career has panned out for the world, as it’s made him the player he is today.
“I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself as a player, so I really wouldn’t trade it for the world,” said Sabato. “Maybe looking back, would I want to be there faster, or do I want to get there really quick with some things? But being where I am now, it’s kind of like I’ve learned so much about myself, how to go about the struggles, and how to remain even keel and keep that confidence day in and day out, and keep that off-season work.”
Sabato’s timetable on when he could be making his MLB debut is dependent on how the Twins approach the upcoming trade deadline, but if he can carry over his hot bat from his first two weeks in Triple-A to the next four to six weeks, then there’s not question that Sabato will finally see his MLB debut before the end of the 2025 season. And despite being 26 already, Sabato could still secure himself as the Twins’ first baseman of the future, making him a worthy candidate for dynasty teams.
Hitter 2: Carson McCusker
Stats from the last two weeks: .256 AVG | .289 OBP | .535 SLG | 3 HR | 9 RBI | 0 SB | 37.3 K% | 3.9 BB%
McCusker had a cold stretch returning to the Saints from the majors, only batting .100 with just three hits over his first 39 plate appearances back in Triple-A. The last two weeks, McCusker has returned to form, slugging over .500 and crushing three long home runs at CHS Field. The strikeout numbers are still a concern for McCusker, who is striking out almost ten times more than he is drawing walks.
He has just two walks in his last 12 games, compared to 18 strikeouts. The one thing he was doing well during his bad slump during his Triple-A return was drawing walks, with seven to 18 strikeouts in that stretch. But with the power returning during the Saints’ 12-game homestand, McCusker is on the right track to move himself up the 40-man depth chart and to have a chance to return to the Twins at some point this season.
Visiting Reds Hitters Grabbing the Attention
Hitter 1: Edwin Ríos
Stats from the last two weeks: .310 AVG | .356 OBP | .643 SLG | 3 HR | 8 RBI | 0 SB | 32.7 K% | 7.7 BB%
The sixth-year MLB veteran Edwin Ríos has made himself at home in the Reds organization over the last two seasons, rejoining them on a minor league contract this offseason after a brief five-game appearance with the team in 2024. This season, Rios has continued his success with the Louisville Bats, especially over the last two weeks, being the hottest bat in their lineup with an OPS just .001 short of 1.000.
Now 31 years old, Rios has been crushing at Triple-A this season, hitting 13 home runs and 49 RBI in 69 games with the Bats this season. The Reds have been leaning more heavily into their younger talent pool of position players; however, with the Reds’ DFA of Jeimer Candelario earlier this week, they may need another veteran bat back into their lineup, even if they only use Rios in a platoon/bench role.
Notable Pitching Performances in St. Paul
Pitcher 1: Cory Lewis
It’s been a bad season of regression for the Twins’ flamethrowing knuckleballer, who returned to the mound last week following a stint on the IL recovering from a hamstring strain. While Lewis still owns an ERA of 6.00 in his return from the IL, he is showing more encouraging signs of turning things around from his awful start to the 2025 season.
The Twins’ former Minor League Pitcher of the Year has pitched to an 8.83 ERA, 2.22 WHIP, .422 opponents BABIP, and a 15.1% walk rate while striking out 22.9% of batters. During his last two starts back on the mound, Lewis has continued to walk as many batters as he’s given up hits to (six), but he’s allowed fewer base runners to score, bringing his ERA below 9.00 for the first time since May 8.
Lewis still has a long way to go to be considered for a role in the Twins’ bullpen, but for now, he’s begun to put himself on the right track in his return from the IL. The best thing Lewis has going for him has been his knuckleball, which can touch up to 88 MPH. Given the long history the pitch has with saving pitchers’ careers and giving them longevity in the Majors, it’s something Lewis is leaning on now more than ever before in his career. He will be a good second-half reclamation project for dynasty owners to keep an eye fo the rest of the season.
Pitcher 2: Chase Petty
The second former first-round draft pick by the Twins on this list, Petty, has been one of the Reds’ top pitching prospects since he was acquired in the deal that sent Sonny Gray over to the Twins. Petty, 22, made his MLB debut earlier this season and struggled mightily against the competition, allowing 14 earned runs on eight walks, 14 hits (including three home runs) and just seven strikeouts in six innings over three outings.
Fortunately, things have fared much better for Petty in Triple-A, especially over his last two outings, pitching to an even ERA of 2.00, allowing just six hits and four walks, while striking out eight of his last nine innings. Petty has maintained a respectable 26.3% strikeout rate in the minors this season, but his walk rate of 10.8% is not where he’d like it to be. Opponents’ BABIP has also been a struggle for Petty throughout his minor league career. While it sits at a career low .246 at Triple-A this season, his short time in the Reds rotation saw it more than double to .524.
If he can continue to lower his BABIP against hitters and walk rate, the young right can have a strong chance of returning to the majors later this season. Given he is only 22 years old and still developing, he, along with Chase Burns and Hunter Greene, are the makeup of an incredibly strong future for the Reds rotation and dynasty managers who want to have them locked in for years to come.
Other Dynasty Storylines to Follow
Austin Martin was activated from the 7-day IL on Thursday and hit a home run in his first at-bat back with the Saints. He has had his playing time limited due to a hamstring injury that has landed him on the IL twice.
Emmanuel Rodriguez is continuing his own rehab assignment in the FCL league. Rodriguez was put on the IL in early June with a right hip strain, and if things keep progressing well, he could end up back with the team before the All-Star break.
