Anti-Bomba Squad: Rocco Baldelli’s Blueprint to Avoid a Collapse in 2025

[Cody Christie]

There was a lot of self-reflection by members of the Minnesota Twins following the team’s collapse. Here’s how Rocco Baldelli plans to avoid a repeat collapse in 2025. 

 

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins head into the 2025 season with a renewed focus and a clear mission: preventing another late-season collapse. Manager Rocco Baldelli, who has spent the offseason reflecting on improving his team’s performance in critical moments, believes the solution lies in a refined offensive approach. In a recent interview on the Chad Hartman Show, Baldelli shared his vision for the upcoming season, emphasizing the importance of better at-bats and a departure from an all-or-nothing offensive strategy.

"We were winning games by, truly, whacking the ball all around the park," Baldelli admitted. "We weren't doing it with tons of speed and athleticism and stealing bases, we were doing it by hitting the ball hard. We had big, strong guys up and down the lineup, and we were hitting homers and doubles. We were slugging our way to success. That can be effective, but I think we need to have more clubs in our bag."

While the Twins’ power-hitting prowess led to plenty of regular-season success, their reliance exclusively on extra-base hits revealed cracks during the most critical stretches of the season. Opposing teams adjusted, and when the long ball wasn’t flying, the Twins often found themselves struggling to manufacture runs. From August 1st to the end of the season, only eight big-league teams hit fewer home runs, and six teams had a lower SLG than the Twins. Unlike Minnesota, the majority of those clubs were not in postseason contention. 

Baldelli’s offseason introspection has led to a philosophy shift, prioritizing versatility and situational hitting. "We did make some staff changes. We have a new hitting department that we're going to unleash with our players in spring training," Baldelli revealed. "The goals heading into spring training for our team are to talk about approach and to talk about how to win games when you don't hit two home runs."

This recalibration in approach represents a significant shift for a team that built its offensive identity on raw power since the 2019 season when the team set the MLB home run record. Bryon Buxton, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and Matt Wallner are among the core offensive pieces built on powerful swings that come with home runs and strikeouts. All four players are projected to be part of the Twins’ regular lineup, but it seems unlikely they will be asked to sacrifice power for average or getting on base. It might not be in the team’s best interest to mess with the approach of their hardest-hitting players because they can impact a game with one swing of the bat. 

Some Twins players may be better suited for this approach. Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien have both been known for their keen eye on the plate, which can help them get into favorable hitter counts. Julien has been criticized for being too patient and watching third strikes, which can frustrate fans. Lee emerged as the Twins’ best prospect because of his hit tool, but his OBP in the big leagues was nearly 100 points lower than his time in the minors. Both players could be good fits for this adjusted approach for the Twins offense. 

Baldelli’s comments suggest that the team’s new hitting staff will focus on refining plate discipline, improving situational awareness, and fostering a mindset that values quality at-bats over sheer power output. The idea of adding “more clubs in our bag” speaks to the Twins’ desire to diversify their offensive toolkit. This could mean focusing on hitting behind runners, working deep counts, and capitalizing on opportunities to score without relying on extra-base hits. However, that approach doesn't always work in the high-pressure environments of postseason baseball because home runs usually reign supreme in October, especially against the league’s best starting pitchers. 

Of course, implementing these changes will take time, and the results won’t be immediate. The Twins will need buy-in from their players, many of whom have thrived under the power-hitting mantra. Veterans and young hitters alike will be tasked with adopting a more nuanced approach at the plate, which could involve sacrifices in individual statistics for the greater good of the team.

Spring training will be a critical proving ground for this new philosophy. Baldelli and his revamped hitting staff will have the opportunity to instill these principles in a controlled environment, laying the foundation for a more balanced offensive attack. The ultimate goal is not to abandon power entirely but to complement it with a more adaptable and resilient approach.

If the Twins can successfully integrate this philosophy, they’ll enter the 2025 season not only as a team with formidable power but also as one capable of grinding out wins in various ways. And adaptability might be the key to sustained success when the team slumps.

Will this new approach help the Twins? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Karbo]

I think it's the best thing I've heard from Rocco yet! Get some guys on base and move them around to keep the pressure on the other guys and mistakes will happen. Plus, a 2 or 3 run bomb is much nicer to see than the solo shots.

[Mark G]

I am sorry, but this article was absolutely hilarious to someone (like me) who has advocated for old school baseball for, oh, I don't know, forever??  They are basically going back to the concept of situational hitting along side the occasional long ball when the pitcher makes a mistake.......why didn't I think of that?  Wait a minute,,,,,,,,,,,,that's right...............I did!  😵

[JD-TWINS]

To me, this is how baseball is played…….. Supposed to be played. If you get a good pitch to hit or if it’s a favorable count one tries to drive the ball. Extra base hits/HR don’t go away……hitters are just smarter with their approach as needed based on the opposing pitcher, the count, and the situation with guys on base and # of outs. 

The Guardians play this way more often than not. 

Arraez buzz over the past few days plays into this approach, big time. He had a heavy affect on the Padre hitter’s approach after he came over in late May of ‘24. 170-200 hits in the middle of the Twin’s line-up would be a nice addition with RISP.

[bean5302]

While I welcome the Twins finally recognizing the concept of situational hitting, I still can't get behind the scapegoating of a guy like Popkins to save face for Baldelli. It's not like situational hitting is a new concept, and expecting guys to be successful while making major changes to their approach is a tall order. I have to wonder if the team has the right personnel to implement their new strategy after drafting and developing all these players to hit a different way for the past many seasons.

[sweetmusicviola16]

26 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

While I welcome the Twins finally recognizing the concept of situational hitting, I still can't get behind the scapegoating of a guy like Popkins to save face for Baldelli. It's not like situational hitting is a new concept, and expecting guys to be successful while making major changes to their approach is a tall order. I have to wonder if the team has the right personnel to implement their new strategy after drafting and developing all these players to hit a different way for the past many seasons.

This is just it. You've been preaching and teaching this philosophy to the same guys since they started with the team in the minors. Now you change the approach on them in mid stream and they are just supposed to instantly adjust. Good luck.

[sweetmusicviola16]

The organizational Bomba philosophy destroyed Austin Martins approach to hitting and he still hasn't recovered.

Edit: I'll place Julien in the same category as Martin. You take players away from playing to their strength's and then Rocco spews out jibberish like he's now a fundamental baseball genius. I don't recall saying it on here before, but this guy shouldn't be managing this club. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

1 hour ago, Mark G said:

I am sorry,

Are not! I do not believe you :)

from a fan’s perspective, 3 true outcomes is terribly boring to watch, but it’s hard to argue with being the 6th highest scoring team from 2019 through 2024.

[T.O.]

Baldelli managed six years and all of a sudden he invents a new way to approach the game?
If he can't figure out how to manage his young players, stop his fixation with matchups, and make some decisions from his gut it won't mater.

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

The organizational Bomba philosophy destroyed Austin Martins approach to hitting and he still hasn't recovered.

Edit: I'll place Julien in the same category as Martin. You take players away from playing to their strength's and then Rocco spews out jibberish like he's now a fundamental baseball genius. I don't recall saying it on here before, but this guy shouldn't be managing this club. 

So, I get you’re not a Baldelli fan - fine.

Making excuses (blaming Baldelli) for Julien’s fiasco of a season is ridiculous though, IMO. The guy had 7 HR by April 27th and he managed 1 more the rest of the year. He lead the majors in strikeouts looking - the next highest backward K total came from a guy with 100 more AB’s.

Eddie needs to be seeing a Sports Psychologist about 4 days per week. I’ve never seen a hitter look so mentally locked up at the plate in 55 years of watching baseball.

Martin - the organization got him and tried to get him to drive the ball. They tried to get his power stats elevated. Didn’t fit him at all. Through ‘24 he looks overmatched v. power pitchers and I think that’s just his make up as an athlete. This look is 2 years after they let him try to revert back to his natural approach. He’s just a limited MLB hitting talent. To pick out the Manager as the reason he hasn’t been able to be very effective (with consistency) doesn’t seem realistic to me.

Baldelli played full seasons in the Show starting at age 21…….he was out with injury his entire 3rd season at age 23. The other 3 seasons, age 21, 22, & 24…….he hit .289 - .280 - .302 and his WAR totals were 2.9 - 3.0 - 3.2 respectively. To continually talk about how he is ignorant on how to approach hitting as a MLB player just seems misguided…….over those first 3 seasons he hit 43HR & had 83 doubles ……he struck out 286 times…. not exactly some power crazed approach at the plate.

[DocBauer]

Power PLAYS! OB % PLAYS! And neither of these are new concepts! And the Twins aren't bad in either of these categories. 

The problem has been consistency and situational hitting. Nobody has ever "called out" anyone, but there have been allusions concerning hitting approaches game by game that the previous staff supposedly put in place and weren't always carried out. Is that blame on the strategies in place? The players not following the strategies in place? Maybe a lack of adjustments in game? We're on the outside looking in, so I don't think we really know for sure.

TOTAL run production has the Twins very high the past few seasons. The problem has been too many games where they score 8, and then lose too many 1 run losses. FAR too many games with runners on 3rd and 2nd and 1 or 0 outs and a simple sacrifice fly could have scored a run.

No idea who's at "fault" but it is interesting that they did change the hitting coaches. That they did so to "cover" Rocco as an excuse is ridiculous. The FO could easily "balme" him and ushered him out as they did Molitor. They're looking for a different voice to make changes in approach in regard to situational hitting, maybe different mid game strategies. 

In 2023, the offense was terribly inconsistent and lead the team to a .500 record mid season. Better production and production from some young prospects propelled the team to a playoff appearance. The offense in early 2024 was putrid, then really good for about 4+ months, then the whole team melted down the last 6 weeks. 

But can we just stop with blaming Rocco for every bad thing that happens? Look, I'm not his biggest fan! I have debated some pen moments and usage. I've disagreed with too heavy of a PH and too heavy of a platoon strategy, but he's not responsible for injuries or rookie pitchers hitting a wall or players suddenly forgetting how to hit.

Rocco has been on record stating in 2019 and 2020 he almost had to do nothing but write out a lineup. After that, he had to start making decisions. All very tongue in cheek to be sure. Again, I'm not his biggest fan. I think he's a pretty good manager overall, but I have issues with some of his choices the past few seasons.

But him RECOGNIZING and ACCEPTING changes need to be made tells me he's intelligent enough to recognize these things. The Twins aren't going to suddenly be a running, SB team. They aren't going to suddenly be a bunt/sacrificing team. (HINT, the whole BUNT thing is ONLY situational, and history has proven that). But a new staff might just either communicate better, or make better in game adjustments than the previous staff. They might, for example, figure out how Julien can still be a patient hitter, but also be more aggressive and hit or foul of breaking pitches until he finds something he likes. (Kinda like Larnach).

If new owners want to move on from Rocco, I don't have a problem with that. But Rocco recognizing some changes have to be made, and a new set of coaching staff in place to find a different direction, even if it's subtle changes, are all positives heading in to 2025.

Of course, a healthy Lewis and Correa makes a difference as well. But let's not quibble about having your best players available. 

 

[Blyleven2011]

I watch other teams players hit  , you can swing hard and hit the ball , but if you can't take a pitch were it is pitched , then the outcome is not favorable ...

Others teams get on base by going to the opposite field , they know how to adapt to pitches because they are disciplined  ...

We need disciplined hitters that can hit behind runners , hit the ball where it pitched , we are not a homerun hitting team ( Cruz was our last ) ...

We need the hitters to put less pressure on themselves by learning a better approach at the plate , especially with runners in scoring position and no outs  ( choke choke choke is the game they have played since 2020 ) , the homeruns will come even without trying ...

This could lead to a more exciting twins baseball  ...

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, Blyleven2011 said:

I watch other teams players hit  , you can swing hard and hit the ball , but if you can't take a pitch were it is pitched , then the outcome is not favorable ...

Others teams get on base by going to the opposite field , they know how to adapt to pitches because they are disciplined  ...

Even more than that.  If you want to pull the ball, go oppo now and then, like you say, so the opponents know you're not an easy out like that.  Then you'll get more of the pitches you do want.

[stringer bell]

I have really mixed feelings about most of this. Hitting the ball hard gets the best results and all approaches seem to work great if you’re talented in the first place. The team is not blessed with great speed or athleticism. They’re not going to steal hundreds of bases and if they’re recklessly aggressive on the bases there will be a lot of guys thrown out. With the average for a major league fastball accelerating every year, situational hitting gets harder and harder. Seeing runners in scoring position with none out get stranded isn’t just a Twins phenomenon, it’s league wide. Maybe more focus will help, it did for reducing strikeouts. Or maybe different personnel—so far very little change there. 

[h2oface]

Took them long enough. Admiral and Captian Obvious. DUH!

Probably too late for this roster design, but maybe not. I really don't think it was the players as much as the Ortiz Syndrome...... not letting the guys be themselves and approach the at bat with game and inning and current situation considered. Do it this way, everyday. Management, Baldelli refused the do anything different, even at the end of the collapse. "Where's Margot? Get a bat!" I don't know how you change speed on the bases from most of these guys. Gotta get sneaky.

[Fezig]

11 hours ago, Mark G said:

I am sorry, but this article was absolutely hilarious to someone (like me) who has advocated for old school baseball for, oh, I don't know, forever??  They are basically going back to the concept of situational hitting along side the occasional long ball when the pitcher makes a mistake.......why didn't I think of that?  Wait a minute,,,,,,,,,,,,that's right...............I did!  😵

I have been mocked and have been told the "game has changed". i guess it hasn't.

[CRF]

Talk is cheap. Seeing is believing...and I'll believe it, when I see it. 

[Fatbat]

8 hours ago, DocBauer said:

Power PLAYS! OB % PLAYS! 

The problem has been consistency and situational hitting. 

In 2023, the offense was terribly inconsistent 

Of course, a healthy Lewis and Correa makes a difference as well. But let's not quibble about having your best players available. 

 

Agree completely and I’m sick of the Gallo approach. 
I also want to quibble about health. We wont win as many games without our best players on the field every day.  Bring in the depth pieces as needed and they have to produce in situations. Rookies also need to be added to see what sticks but play ball the right way. 

[TwinsDr2021]

That answer is better than, the best way to avoid a collapse is jut to play mediocre all year.

This has kind of been the calling card of this FO the whole time, just a tad bit slow to react to really anything. The best teams, managers, players have the ability to change/react/pivot pretty quickly

[TheLeviathan]

It might work, but doesn't the roster still look like a bunch of slow footed mashers?

 

[In My La Z boy]

8 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

That answer is better than, the best way to avoid a collapse is jut to play mediocre all year.

This has kind of been the calling card of this FO the whole time, just a tad bit slow to react to really anything. The best teams, managers, players have the ability to change/react/pivot pretty quickly

Bingo 🎯 
It's philosophical. Like some football teams "script" their first 25 offensive plays regardless of "in game" circumstance. Rocco is scripted. Falvey needs to back off on the 'script" and let/encourage Rocco to use his instincts and feel for the game to make decisions. I felt we were out-coached many times last year and often felt it was because of a pre-scripted decision, rather than a "in real time gut feel" for the particular game situation.

[shimrod]

"not letting the guys be themselves ..."

This is the key, in my opinion. My impression is the organization has a preferred approach at the plate and coaches all the players to follow that approach. For some it works, for some it's actually detrimental. Coaching to shore up individuals weak spots while allowing the players to play to their strengths should allow for a team of diverse but productive capabilities and increase the opportunities to play situational baseball. 

Now, my main source of Twins news is TD. If I got the wrong impression it's all your fault. 

[Trov]

I have long said the biggest issue with the team is situational hitting.  They were way too shifted to the 3 true outcome approach and undervalued singles, and hitting the ball the other way.  Even just changing approach based on game situation, how you are being pitched ect. Too many analytic people look at the overall numbers and say they even out, but when you are looking at single games they do not.

For example, in a three game series you win one game by 5 runs and lose the other two games by 1 run.  You now have a run differential of plus 3 runs, but you lose the series. Piling on in games you win does not help you win the close games. 

I would watch so many hitters get great pitches to line the other way that they either took for strikes or tried to pull.  Then I watch some of the best teams just over and over get base hits against us the opposite way.  Power is needed in a line up, but 9 guys that are power guys will not do it.  You need balance and guys that can take walks, get singles and run the bases well.  You need guys that can hit HR, but understand when you just need a run in you know how to make sure you get ball in play and not strike out. 

[Old Crow]

I would much rather see a 2 out bases loaded duque phart as opposed to a warning track sac fly.

[David Maro]

With new ownership coming in hopefully in the future, Rocco is trying to save his job. He has had plenty of time as manager to make changes but is set in his ways. Playing baseball is and has been the way to go since forever. If you look around the league you can count on one hand players with 50 homeruns. That is why hit and run and hitting behind runners is and will be forever.

[Mark G]

3 hours ago, Fezig said:

I have been mocked and have been told the "game has changed". i guess it hasn't.

I know what you mean; every time I sing the praises of Luis Arraez I get told, in so many words, to get into the 21st century.  If all you are going to give me is singles I don't even want 200 of them.  😉

Really, Richie TRG, I truly am sorry this time.  🤭

[Otaknam]

Despite cleaning house of his hitting coaches and assessing blame there, Rocco is responsible for the team’s lack of performance ending last year. IMO he relies way too much on analytics, especially with pitching. His boom or bust offense has produced  middling results at best ever since 2019. This Earl Weaver approach and unwillingness to hit and run, move runners up, and utilize speed when your fastest guys are on base has been obvious for several years. So a change in the hitting approach to focus on contact to get base runners will be refreshing if it actually happens. 

[bean5302]

12 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

...Baldelli played full seasons in the Show starting at age 21…….he was out with injury his entire 3rd season at age 23. The other 3 seasons, age 21, 22, & 24…….he hit .289 - .280 - .302 and his WAR totals were 2.9 - 3.0 - 3.2 respectively. To continually talk about how he is ignorant on how to approach hitting as a MLB player just seems misguided…….over those first 3 seasons he hit 43HR & had 83 doubles ……he struck out 286 times…. not exactly some power crazed approach at the plate.

Baldelli's first 2 seasons were during baseball's steroid era. He hasn't played the game in a successful manner in 20 years, and he was never really a good MLB hitter. The game today is far different than it was in the pre-analytics years. Pitchers threw 5mph slower, and there were still a handful of successful starting pitchers throwing (literally) 80mph fastballs.

I don't know how much Baldelli has learned since, but the team's approach has seen major shifts in hitting philosophy in consecutive years now. It's fair to question or even discount Baldelli's wisdom in applying the baseball knowledge he has.

Baldelli has fielded a single team with more than 87 wins in his 5 full season career with the Twins. People complain I use 87 wins as some arbitrary figure, but I could use 88 or 89 wins as well. The bottom line is Baldelli's teams would rarely win a division in baseball. 87 wins is a 2.6% chance. 89 wins is only a 7.7% chance, and Baldelli's teams played in the worst division in the game.

His teams have not gotten good results.

[LambchoP]

So all Twins hitters need to do is have better at bats. Huh, wish they would have thought of that last year lol 

[PDX Twin]

As suggested above, roster construction has a lot to do with the problem. They have drafted so many 1B-OF sluggers that it really limits the stock of available guys with a more varied approach. I'm not sure that they have the players who can succeed at anything except homerun derby.