Brandon Winokur, Twins prospect who stands tall in height and energy, shows his shortstop skills

DUNEDIN, FLA. — Brandon Winokur will start for a team of Twins prospects in their Spring Breakout Game against Toronto Blue Jays prospects Saturday. And that likely will be only the second-most memorable action he sees in TD Ballpark this week.

“Today was my first time playing in a big league game, so I was kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ “ said Winokur, a Twins third-round pick in 2023. “They called me and told me last night [that he would be in the Twins’ lineup Tuesday], so I was pretty surprised. But I told myself: ‘This is a great opportunity. I don’t have anything to lose. Just go have fun, take it all in. Enjoy it.‘ ”

He did, he did. Starting at shortstop and batting ninth against Toronto, Winokur flawlessly handled the two ground balls hit his way and turned an unusual double play. And facing former All-Star pitcher Chris Bassitt, he flew out in his first Twins at-bat but then lined a solid single his second time up.

OK, he actually tapped a ball up the third base line that the catcher eventually ran down, but Winokur reached first base safely with his first Grapefruit League hit. Then he stole second base for good measure.

“Unbridled youth and athleticism and energy,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s got excitement to his game. It was fun to watch him run.”

Baldelli said he requested that Winokur make the trip to Dunedin “because I haven’t seen him a ton. … You don’t see many 6-foot-6 shortstops, and he’s a legitimate 6-6. He’s got excitement to his game [and] strength in his swing. He’s a 20-year-old playing shortstop in a major league spring training game, so it’s a nice start to his career.”

He’s a center fielder, too, and neither Winokur nor the Twins is ready to decide where he will eventually settle. For now, he’s playing both, despite conventional wisdom that says tall players don’t make good shortstops.

“I’ve heard that my whole life,” he said with a shrug. So is this his prove-them-wrong tour of the minors? “This is the prove-my-people-right tour,” he said.

After hitting .249 with 14 homers as a 19-year-old at low-A Fort Myers last year, Winokur is likely to start the season at Class A Cedar Rapids, and he knows what it will take to rise further.

“I’m trying to improve at as many facets of the game as I can. Last year, I went through bad patches. I like to call them learning curves,” he said. “Two-strike approach is something I really want to work on this year. Get in a good rhythm, stay in my legs, get comfortable. This is such a challenge.”

He seems to be up to it.

Andrew Morris figures the Class AAA Indianapolis lineup that he faced last August is the best to which he’s ever pitched.

Well, until Tuesday.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Andrés Giménez, Anthony Santander, Bo Bichette, George Springer, Alejandro Kirk — every one of them an All-Star — awaited the Twins’ top pitching prospect. And Morris retired every one of them in an impressive three-inning start.

“I was really trying not to pay too much attention to who was at the plate,” Morris said. “Yeah, you know who’s in the box. But at the same time, you can’t give them too much credit. Those are guys I’ve watched on TV or played as them on ‘MLB The Show.’ … But I try not to idolize them too much.”

Morris retired the first eight Blue Jays he faced before giving up a ground ball to Myles Straw that got through the infield for a two-out single. “Of course, the guy who gets a hit is the one guy I’ve faced before,” Morris said, shaking his head. But he quickly ended the inning on a Giménez popup, giving him seven scoreless innings in three spring appearances.

After the game, he received congratulations from Baldelli — and also, the news that the Twins have reassigned him to minor league camp, so he can prepare for a season at Class AAA St. Paul.

At least temporarily.

“If he keeps throwing the ball like this,” Baldelli said, “I would absolutely expect to see him [at Target Field] this year.”

In addition to Morris, the Twins also cut catcher Diego Cartaya, who was optioned to the minors, and pitcher Ryan Jensen, reassigned to that camp.

Jensen hit 97 and 98 mph with his fastball Monday against the Phillies. “He’s got better-than-major-league-average stuff,” Baldelli said. “He’s got an interesting approach angle because he strides so long. Just excellent stuff.”

Jose Miranda cracked a two-run homer in the sixth inning, but Eiberson Castellano allowed two runs in two innings, including a solo home run by Daulton Varsho, and Toronto beat the Twins 3-2. Scott Blewett was charged with the loss after giving up a run that scored on Josh Rivera’s pop fly that fell for a hit in shallow right field.