WICHITA, Kan. -- Twins outfield prospect Kala'i Rosario is having the time of his life, setting records and winning ballgames.
The right-handed slugger is posting career-best numbers at the plate while playing for a team in a playoff race, and he’s loving every minute of it. And now he’s in his team’s history book.
Rosario’s 25th home run of the year, on Tuesday night against Tulsa, set a new franchise record for the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge. That only goes back to the 2021 season, but a record is a record. And 25 homers -- not to mention 25 steals -- in 119 games is a heck of a year regardless of history.
“Super exciting,” Rosario said. “The baseball we’re playing right now is kind of a cherry on top, but we’ll take it one day at a time and just come to work every day. We’re all putting in the work. This is some exciting baseball.”
A fifth-round Draft pick in 2020 out of a Hawaii high school, Rosario hit for the cycle in June. And since the beginning of August he’s taken it to another level. He’s slugging .727 since Aug. 1, with 12 homers in 28 games. For the year, he leads the Texas League in homers, walks, total bases, and extra-base hits.
Rosario, 23, isn’t just producing power. He’s refined his approach at the plate, significantly improving his strikeout and walk rates from what was a challenging and injury-hampered 2024 season. He’s racked up 26 doubles, 81 RBIs, and 85 runs to go along with those 25 homers and 25 steals.
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Those two things -- working on controlling the strike zone and producing big numbers -- are not unrelated.
“Playing every day, seeing more pitches, and for me it’s being a smarter and smarter hitter,” he said. “These pitchers are good. I’m realizing how they pitch me, what they’re going to throw me in certain counts. It just makes the game a lot easier for me because I feel like when I go up there with a plan, it makes it a lot easier because I can just go up there, do my thing, just relax. I just have fun up there when I feel like I’m in control.”
He's also working hard on being process-oriented, worrying more about his swing decisions than the results. That can be a tough line to walk in a results-based game.
“It makes it a lot easier when you’ve got a good group of guys around you,” he said. “Baseball’s a team sport. It’s not all about yourself. I was talking to some of the guys going into this week, and I said the way we’re going to win is, we’re going to get a good pitch to hit. And if they don’t give you anything, take your walk. Give it to the next guy. Let the next guy get the big hit.”
And all of that has helped put Wichita in a postseason chase. The Wind Surge is currently one game out of a playoff spot in the Texas League North Division, and that’s put a spring in the step of everyone in the clubhouse.
“We’re excited to be here,” Rosario said. “Getting our work done. We all kind of have the picture in our head, take it one game at a time and we can have some fun. Everybody wants to make the playoffs. I’m pretty sure it’s on everybody’s minds, as it should be. I’m excited to take this and make it to the playoffs.”