Minnesota
WWII soldier from Minnesota laid to rest more than 80 years after his passing
On a pristine Saturday afternoon, there was a Blackhawk helicopter flyover, and American flags were everywhere.
“It was hard today in some ways,” Scott Torpey said quietly. “But it was also a joyous occasion that we got to bring him home.”
At the New Ulm City Cemetery, it was a long-awaited homecoming as U.S. Army Captain Willibald Bianchi — ‘Uncle Bill’ to his family — was laid to rest with full military honors.
“You know, the sense of closure,” says Steve Marti, one of Bianchi’s nephews. “Who would have thought, after all these years, we get the call that guess what? They’ve identified his remains.”
Bianchi, 29 years old, previously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, was killed on a POW transport ship when it was bombed and sunk by an American plane in January 1945.
His remains were buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii.
For decades, Bianchi’s family didn’t know if he would ever be formally identified.
“He was lost to the war,” explains Joseph Marti, another nephew. “He was Uncle Bill, who left and never came back.”
Until a phone call last September: the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency had painstakingly searched through remains in the cemetery and used family DNA samples for a match.
“My cousin Scott, my Aunt Mary Louise, his sister and another cousin donated DNA, and they used that to use some of his bones to extract mitochondrial DNA and get the match,” Joseph Marti explains.
After a dignified transfer at MSP, Bianchi’s remains were brought to New Ulm.
Dozens and dozens of people from across the country — brothers, sisters and cousins attended the burial ceremony.
The American flag on Bianchi’s coffin was given to his family.
“They gave it to my sister Sue, who was so deserving,” Steve Marti says. “She’s done so much to keep Uncle Bill’s legacy alive in our home, here in her home.”
For years, family members had passed down Bianchi’s story.
Now, they say, it has an ending befitting his service, and after an 80-year journey, Bianchi is now at honored rest.
His family says their hearts, once empty, are now full.
“So, to have him back home, I think, is so special for everybody associated,” Joseph Marti exclaims. “We’re overwhelmed and humbled.”
The Twin Cities kick off Thursday with a little more cloud cover before sunshine reigns in the afternoon. Highs will be in the high 60s, which is still below average.
Friday will be partly cloudy with a chance for rain in the overnight hours. Rain could linger into Saturday morning before a smoother day.
Sunday’s high will climb to near 80 degrees, and will rise into the 80s on Monday.
Earlier this week, Baseball America published Top 30 Prospects updates for all 30 MLB organizations. Now, we’re digging deeper into May changes with all-new write-ups on prospect additions, risers, fallers, injuries and graduations for each club.
Read on below for Twins prospect updates featuring in-depth new intel on top names to know, potential breakouts and lots more. You can find May write-ups for all 30 teams here.
Minnesota Twins Top 30 Prospect Additions
28. C.J. Culpepper, RHP
BA Grade: 40/Average
Track Record: Culpepper was a 13th-round pick out of Cal Baptist in 2022. He entered 2025 just outside the Twins’ Top 10 prospects, but a pinched nerve delayed the start of his season and continued to bother him throughout the year, limiting him to just 59.1 innings. He returned to Wichita to start 2026, and his velocity returned.
Scouting Report: Culpepper has a starter’s build and an effortful but deceptive delivery. His stuff backed up in 2025, with his fastball sitting 91-94 mph and topping out at 95. His velocity returned in 2026, and he’s been sitting 93-95 mph and topping out at 97. His control, which was once a weapon, regressed as well. His slider remains his best pitch with sweepy shape and above-average whiff and chase rates. He can struggle to land it in the zone, though, contributing to his higher walk rate. Culpepper also has a fringy cutter that he can throw for strikes and will also show a below-average changeup on occasion.
The Future: Culpepper impressed working in short stints as a starter to start 2026 and was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul, where he’s now working in relief. He has a chance to make his major league debut this year out of the bullpen.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 45.
29. Ben Ross, SS/3B
BA Grade: 40/Average
Track Record: Ross was a fifth-round pick out of Division II Notre Dame in Ohio. He reached Double-A in his first full season in 2023, but saw his bat stagnate there and has started the season there each of the last three seasons. He finally broke out at the plate in 2026, earning a promotion to Triple-A St. Paul. Ross is an extremely versatile defender and has played every position except pitcher and catcher in his minor league career.
Scouting Report: The righthanded-hitting Ross has an average, athletic frame with no remaining projection. He has a fluid swing and solid feel for contact. He makes good swing decisions and will take what the pitcher gives him. Ross’ exit velocities have improved dramatically in 2026, changing his offensive projection. His 90th-percentile exit velocity has increased more than 3 mph, and his hard-hit rate has improved drastically. Ross has the tools to play shortstop, but is also capable of playing all over the diamond. He has good range and soft hands and is a very instinctual defender. His arm is average, but he has a quick release. Ross is only an average runner, but has solid baserunning instincts.
The Future: Ross’ defense gives him a high floor as an up-and-down player, but his ability to stick on a major league roster long term will depend on how his bat develops. If it continues to improve, he has utility upside.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 60 | Arm: 50.
30. Alejandro Hidalgo, RHP
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The Twins acquired Hidalgo from the Angels in November 2022 for Gio Urshela. He missed the entire 2024 season with a right shoulder impingement and struggled in 2025 between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita. He transitioned to the bullpen in 2026 and has seen his stuff take off.
Scouting Report: Hidalgo is a medium-framed righthander with a max-effort delivery. His velocity has improved drastically in 2026, jumping from sitting 93-95 mph and maxing out at 97 to sitting 96-98 mph and touching 99. The pitch has generated whiffs, but his control is a work in progress and has led to elevated walk and home run rates. Hidalgo complements it with a pair of bat-missing secondaries: a mid-80s changeup and high-80s slider.
The Future: Hidalgo’s improved stuff has him back on the prospect radar. He has major league reliever upside, but will need to show more consistency with his command and control to reach his potential.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 30.
Minnesota Twins Prospect Graduations
None.
Minnesota Twins Prospect Risers
Riley Quick, RHP: Quick has shown dominant stuff in his professional debut and jumped from outside the top 10 into a spot where he might push for the Top 100 at some point this year. His fastball is sitting 95-98 mph, and his cut-slider complements it well by generating weak contact. He goes to his slider and changeup when he needs to miss bats, and both have whiff rates over 50%.
Ryan Gallagher, RHP: Gallagher’s fastball velocity is up, which has elevated his north-south arsenal. His changeup is still missing bats at a high rate, and his slider has also been effective. His strike-throwing has backed up some in Triple-A, but if that improves after he adjusts to the new level, he has a chance to develop into a back-end starter.
Minnesota Twins Prospect Fallers
Marco Raya, RHP: Raya ranked 21st coming into the season, but has struggled in his first full season pitching exclusively in relief, even though he is repeating Triple-A. His stuff will still show flashes, but it lacks consistency, and he has given up a lot of hard contact early in the season.
Minnesota Twins Prospect Injuries
- Outfielder Walker Jenkins was placed on the 7-day injured list after he suffered a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder when he crashed into the outfield wall making a catch.
- Outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez was placed on the 7-day injured list after spraining his left thumb while sliding into first base.
- Righthander Charlee Soto’s debut has been delayed by minor wrist soreness that popped up while he was rehabbing from elbow surgery at the end of the 2025 season.
- Righthander James Ellwanger is out indefinitely with a right elbow strain.
- Righthander Adrian Bohorquez is out indefinitely with a right forearm strain.
- Righthander Santiago Castellanos is still building up from a triceps issue that has delayed the start of his Florida Complex League season.
- Righthander Jose Olivares’ start to the season was delayed a few weeks as he rehabbed from bone spur surgery after the 2025 season.
- Righthander Matt Barr is still rehabbing from a stress fracture in his forearm.
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