We're using an arbitrary standard of 150 at-bats and 50 IP to determine rate leaders.
OPS
Daniel Palka, .894
Niko Goodrum, .808
Edgar Corcino, .754
AVG
Zach Granite, .295
Corcino, .284
Goodrum, .275
OBP
Goodrum, .357
Ryan Walker, .349
Palka, .348
SLG
Palka, .547
Goodrum, .451
Corcino, .421
HR
Palka, 21
Mitch Garver, 11
Travis Harrison, 7
DOUBLES
D. J. Hicks, 27
Garver, 25
Stuart Turner, 22
Harrison, 22
RBI
Garver, 66
Palka, 65
Hicks, 59
SB
Granite, 56
Harrison, 15
Walker, 13
ERA
Stephen Gonsalves, 1.82
Kohl Stewart, 3.03
Aaron Slegers, 3.41
WHIP
Gonsalves, 1.08
D. J. Baxendale, 1.21
Jake Reed, 1.22
WINS
Slegers, 10
Stewart, 9
Gonsalves, 8
STRIKEOUTS
Slegers, 104
Ryan Eades, 91
David Hurlbut, 90
SAVES
Trevor Hildenberger, 16
J. T. Chargois, 7
Raul Fernandez, 6
STARTS
Slegers, 25
Hurlbut, 23
Eades, 19
GAMES
Reed, 41
Mason Melotakis, 36
Hildenberger, 32
INNINGS
Slegers, 145.1
Hurlbut, 136
Eades, 113.1
Daniel Palka seems to fit into the Adam Brett Walker II category. He hit 34 homers combined between Chattanooga and Rochester, but he also struck out 186 times, giving him a strikeout average of .370. He'll be twenty-five next month. I'm rooting for both of them, but it's hard for me to believe you can be successful in the majors when you swing and miss that often in the minors.
Zach Granite was named the Lookouts' player of the year. His .295 average and 56 steals get you excited. His .729 OPS and the fact that he struck out one more time than he walked does not. I don't know anything about his defense, but he strikes me as a Ben Revere type player, one whose offensive value is going to be tied to his ability to hit singles and steal bases. If you can do enough of those things, you can have a long career (see Pierre, Juan), so we'll see how it goes.
Niko Goodrum quietly had a pretty good season, batting .257/.375/.451. He's a third baseman and will be twenty-five next season.
D. J. Hicks was okay, but no more than that. He was .264/.348/.371. I don't know why I had it in my head that he was expected to be pretty good--maybe it was his 2013 season in Cedar Rapids. But he was a seventeenth round draft choice, and he seems to be playing like one. He'll be twenty-seven next season.
I mentioned Mitch Garver yesterday, but he had a solid season in AA before doing even better in AAA (in a small sample size). He was hitting .257/.334/.419. If his catching defense is improving, and if his stint in AAA is for real, the Twins may actually have a catcher coming. Those are big ifs, of course. He'll be twenty-six next season.
Stephen Gonsalves was pretty tremendous when he was brought up to AA. He went 8-1, 1.82, 1.08 WHIP, 89 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. He turned twenty-two in July. He's done well everywhere he's been so far. It's hard not to get excited about him.
Kohl Stewart wasn't bad, either, but he struggled some with control. He was 9-6, 3.03, but with a 1.47 WHIP due largely to 44 walks in 92 innings. He only struck out 47. He's worth keeping an eye on, but it seems like those numbers are going to have to improve. He'll only be twenty-two next month, though, so he has time to do that.
Felix Jorge is another pitcher who's stopped striking people out. He went 3-5, 4.12. His 1.28 WHIP is fine, but he only struck out 32 in 74.1 innings. He had done quite a bit better in Fort Myers, 77 Ks in 94 innings. He'll be twenty-three next year, so he still has time to improve, too.