Kernels' Wiel continues hot second half

Zander Wiel has had his fair share adversity at the dish in his first full professional season with Class A Cedar Rapids as he's tried to adjust to the everyday grind of the Minor Leagues.

The power-hitting first baseman fought through the first half of the season to make adjustments and improve his results at the plate. It wasn't until he made a specific change before the second half that he started to see results.

"Earlier in the year, I was definitely missing a lot of pitches I should've hit and I was late on fastballs, which can't happen," Wiel said. "I started using a leg kick in the second half. I would tell myself, 'Get down for the fastball, be ready to hit the fastball,' and it's helped a lot. Pitches that used to beat me, I'm making better contact with those. Mentally, I've stayed confident the whole year and I've approached every game the same way."

The Twins prospect collected a career-high five hits, going 5-for-5 with an RBI in the Kernels' 10-1 romp over Kane County on Friday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark.

"I just tried to take the same approach in that I do every day. The game went well, obviously, and it was my first-ever five-hit game, so I'm definitely happy about it," Wiel said.

Wiel singled through shortstop in the first inning, singled to center field in the Kernels' four-run second, ripped an RBI single through short with two outs in the fourth and singled past second base in the sixth. He capped his big night with another base hit, a liner to left leading off the ninth.

"Every at-bat, unless they show me something different, I tell myself I'm going to get down and ready for the fastball," the Vanderbilt product said. "My last three at-bats, I saw different looks. [Kane County] has attacked me a lot with the fastballs to try to jam me and get me to roll over. I just tried to stay to the middle of the field. [This kind of night] doesn't come often. There were a couple lucky ones mixed in there, too, but that's how the game goes. I just tried to work with what they gave me."

The 23-year-old first baseman slashed .271/.341/.414 with three homers and 27 RBIs in 46 games over the first two months of the season, but his average fell nearly 40 points after a rough June in which he batted .156 average in 24 games.

After his roller-coaster first half, Wiel added the leg kick to help him get his stride leg down early and be ready to hit fastballs. The change led to an increase in his power numbers as he slugged eight homers in July, doubling his total for the first three months and earning Twins Minor League Player of the Month honors.

"In the first half, I was kind of searching for something that would be that fix I was looking for," Wiel said. "There would be a couple games where I'd do well and then I'd fall back into the same problems. In the second half, I was able to get consistent with the leg kick and being on time for fastballs. Being able to do it over a longer span of time, it makes you feel better about yourself."

Kevin Garcia capped a two-hit night with a three-run homer in the ninth for Cedar Rapids.

Kernels starter Miles Nordgren (4-6) got the win after giving up an unearned run on five hits and two walks while fanning four over seven innings.

D-backs No. 29 prospect Sam McWilliams (2-4) started for Kane County and surrendered four unearned runs on six hits in two innings.