The Cedar Rapids Kernels have qualified for the Midwest League/High-A Central playoffs 10 straight seasons, every season the Kernels have been affiliated with the Minnesota Twins. That streak is in jeopardy, with a tell-tale two-week road trip to Ohio on the docket for C.R.
Here is your bi-weekly update on players in affiliated professional baseball (major and minor leagues) from the Gazette area and University of Iowa.
Kyle Hess and Nick Lucky grew up playing on the same youth baseball teams in Pennsylvania. They went their separate ways for college but are together again, this time in affiliated professional ball with the Cedar Rapids Kernels
To say it’s been a meteoric rise this season through the Minnesota Twins system for pitcher Zebby Matthews is a massive understatement. He was with the Cedar Rapids Kernels for the first month of this season, got moved up to Double-A, then Triple-A and made his major league debut Tuesday night at home against the Kansas City Royals, getting the win.
Cedar Rapids Kernels relief pitcher Nolan Santos is from Florida, pitched high school, junior college and Division I college baseball in the state. He spent most of his first two professionals seasons in Florida, too, recently being promoted to C.R. The only other time he hasn’t pitched in his home state was the summer of 2021 when he also found himself in Iowa, with the collegiate Northwoods League’s Waterloo Bucks, who are owned by the Kernels.
Here’s your 8th look at how baseball players from the Gazette area and University of Iowa are doing in the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues.
Outfielder Walker Jenkins is considered to be the top prospect in the Minnesota Twins farm system, one of the top-five overall prospects in baseball. Injured in the very first game this season, the 19-year-old outfielder is healthy and seeking to make an impact with the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
Noah Miller won a Minor League Baseball Gold Glove last year at shortstop as a member of the 2023 Midwest League champion Cedar Rapids Kernels. He returned to Veterans Memorial Stadium for the first time since the championship game Tuesday night ... as a member of the opposing Great Lakes Loons.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels beat the Great Lakes Loons 4-3 in a Midwest League baseball game Tuesday night.
The ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders announced Friday an extension of their working agreement with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. The Wild can assign contracted players to the Coralville club. Almost three dozen Heartlanders have played with the Wild’s top minor league team, the AHL’s Iowa Wild.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels went toe to toe with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a short three-game weekend series at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Wisconsin, the team with the best record in the Midwest League, won two of three games, including Sunday, 5-3.
Here’s your latest update on how professional baseball players in the affiliated minor leagues and major leagues are doing. Stats are through Friday.
Cedar Rapids Kernels left-handed pitcher Gabriel Yanez has four wins, seven saves and a very low earned run average despite throwing a fastball that hits 90 miles per hour most times.
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