X Factors: One Make-or-Break Focus for Each Twins Hitter This Year

[Nick Nelson]

Here's the single biggest priority for each position player in the mix for the Minnesota Twins to focus on this year if they want to unlock the best versions of themselves.

Image courtesy of Brett Davis, John Hefti, Matt Blewett--Imagn Images

Make-or-break feels like the theme of the 2025 Twins season. The current group of players offers plenty of proven high-end potential, but so many of them finished the previous season on sour notes and face big question marks heading into the new one. 

Let's explore one crucial X factor that will prove decisive in the success of each Twins position player this season. We'll cover not only players that are currently on the 40-man roster, but also those who seem to be within orbit: near-ready prospects and minor-league signings with a chance to make an impact.

Byron Buxton: Keep aging at bay
"Stay on the field" has become a cliched and obvious focus for Buxton, but it's at least one that feels more achievable coming off his healthiest season in years. Entering his age-31 season, Buck now must contend with a different physical reality: the impacts of aging. His game is highly dependent on running very fast in the outfield and swinging very hard at the plate. These are traits that tend to diminish quickly in one's 30s — especially when their body has taken a beating over the years.

Jair Camargo: Demonstrate your MLB catching mettle
Camargo has impressed the Twins enough to remain planted on their 40-man roster as the third name on the catching depth chart since the end of the 2023 season. However, at age 25 he has yet to receive any meaningful opportunity to receive in the majors. Is his combination of glove and bat strong enough for an MLB breakthrough? Last year's poor showing at Triple-A, combined with a 34-to-3 K/BB ratio in winter ball, cast some doubt. Unlike last year, he's now got some direct competition in the org.

Diego Cartaya: Prove you can outplay Camargo
The Twins seemingly brought in Cartaya, via trade from the Dodgers, with a directive to compete with Camargo for the role of third catcher and heir apparent to Christian Vázquez, who is entering his last year under contract and perhaps not likely to play it out. Cartaya has a much stronger pedigree than Camargo (who was coincidentally also acquired via trade from the Dodgers), but hasn't performed in the upper minors. He's got his own issues to sort out on offense and defense, but if Cartaya can gravitate back toward his pre-2023 level, he'll surpass Camargo in the Twins' plans.

Willi Castro: Keep dialing up the discipline
We know he's going to be highly useful defensively. The thing I worry about his bat. When you look at Castro's offensive metrics you find that he doesn't do anything especially well, but he's still managed to be an above-average hitter (103 OPS+) over two seasons with the Twins. The second half last year did provide some cause for concern as he slashed .219/.298/.329 after his All-Star Game appearance. Key to Castro's first-half success was an 8.3% BB-rate that towered over his previous 5.7% career mark. That figure tailed off in the second half as pitchers started to exploit some tendencies. Castro's gotta find ways to get on base and he probably won't have a historical HBP rate to help out.

Carlos Correa: Manage the foot conditions
It's hard to point to anything else as the primary focus for Correa. If healthy there is just not much question that he'll perform at a high level — perhaps MVP-caliber if he picks up where he left off. But both of the first two seasons in his current contract were hampered by plantar fasciitis conditions, which can be pesky and recurring. Correa reported during TwinsFest that he was in a "really good spot" physically and hasn't been limited in his activity as he gears up for spring training.

Payton Eeles: Don't stop now
He's the ultimate underdog story and one of the most fun we've seen in the Twins system. The 5-foot-5 Eeles was unable to get a D1 offer out of high school, unable to get drafted out of college, and unable to latch on with an MLB organization up until the Twins signed him out of indy ball for $500 last year. Amazingly, the scrappy infielder torched every level of the minors and worked his way up to Triple-A before season's end, leading the entire Twins system in average, OBP, and slugging. If he keeps playing like this he's going to make it to the majors at some point and it's gonna be cool as hell.

 

Mike Ford: Mash right-handed pitching mercilessly
Signed to a minor-league contract just after New Years, Ford will compete for a stake at first base. The Twins weren't able to add much of anything to address their offensive question marks, so they could really use a wild-card like this stepping up. Ford has shown enough hitting ability over the years to log 250 games in the majors, and as recently as 2023 he posted a 124 OPS+ for Seattle. If he puts together an impressive spring he could easily find his way into a first base platoon for the Twins, and from there a C.J. Cron 2019 type season is a plausible outcome.

Mickey Gasper: Hold your own defensively
Acquired from Boston in exchange for reliever Jovani Moran, Gasper is an interesting case: a Triple-A star who has yet to record a major-league hit at age 29. While lacking for power, his proven plate discipline and contact ability should give him a decent enough offensive floor, but Gasper's value will be dictated but what he can bring on defense. Theoretically he offers handy versatility with the ability to play first, second, left, even catcher. Is he actually good at any of these positions? The Twins will now get a first-hand look. If they don't trust his glove it's tough to see him getting a shot.

Michael Helman: Show your utility.
Last year in Triple-A, Helman appeared at six different positions (2B/SS/3B/LF/CF/RF). In nine September games in the majors, he appeared at four different spots (3B/LF/CF/RF). Rocco Baldelli and the Twins love flexibility, and that could be Helman's ticket to an opportunity — especially if Castro were to get traded or injured. But like with Gasper, it's not so much the theoretical ability to play these various positions that matters; you've got to be trusted to play them in the majors. Neither of these guys have really done that yet. With the Twins very much in need of a right-handed outfield bat, the door is open for Helman.

Ryan Jeffers: Find your swing again
Dating back to 2023, Jeffers ranks third among all MLB catchers (700+ PA) in wOBA. And that's with the massive slump he endured down the stretch last year, when he batted .188 with a .508 OPS in his final 25 games. The 27-year-old is a rare offensive talent at the catcher position, and at his best Jeffers's bat is such an asset that the progressive defensive decline is almost immaterial. Few teams can viably bat their catcher second or third in the lineup. Can Jeffers get back to that level? He ended the year ice cold so it will be important to find his footing quickly.

Edouard Julien: Rediscover your edge
In 2023, Julien was a nightmare for opposing pitchers. That was also true for him at every stop in the minors up until that point. He laid off everything outside the zone and was ready to ambush when opponents ventured over the plate. It felt like a pretty safe and sustainable profile, which made it all the more disheartening to watch Julien fall apart in his sophomore season. Suddenly he was the one trapped in a nightmare. This season presents a fresh slate for the 25-year-old. Can he take back control in the batter's box or will he be on his heels once again? I'm not ready to count out a guy with his offensive track record. Julien figures to get every chance to re-establish himself, given the team's uncertainty at first and second.

Luke Keaschall: Leave no doubt
Even if he balls out during spring training, Keaschall probably won't have much of a path to make the Opening Day roster, barring injuries. He looked tremendously polished in the minors last year, even after graduating to Double-A, but he's coming off elbow surgery and has yet to reach Triple-A. The Twins are undoubtedly eager to get Keaschall's right-handed bat into the lineup once he proves he's ready. A scorching first couple months could make the case undeniable for Keaschall, especially if the MLB lineup is in need of a jolt. He's a sleeper to make a big rookie impact this year.

DaShawn Keirsey Jr.: Capitalize on the moment
Under different circumstances, Keirsey might not even be in position to get a shot. If the Twins had any flexibility to make additions, there's a good chance they'd go sign a veteran fourth outfielder and he'd find himself as the 40-man roster victim. (Maybe that's still in the cards.) But as things stand, Minnesota's financial situation could necessitate putting their faith in Keirsey, who certainly has the tools to be useful in a bench role. He's one of those fringe guys that could watch his opportunity pass him by if he can't make the most of it. In the game of baseball, that's a lot of pressure, but it's likely the reality for Keirsey: get hot or go home.

Trevor Larnach: Bring it all together
After struggling to break through for three years, Larnach finally found his groove at the plate in 2024, thanks in large part to a massive reduction in strikeout rate. In 112 games he was worth 1.5 fWAR, making him a solid regular. But I still don't think we've seen Larnach in his full form. He was known to be battling a turf toe issue for much of the season, which greatly impacted his running and defense. If he can shake off the injuries, keep the strikeouts in check and play a solid left field, he's going to be one of the best players on the team. 

Brooks Lee: Hit the ball harder
In some ways, Lee's rookie season was what we were afraid of. His renowned offensive skills were on display — discipline, bat control, and a line-drive swing — but still he couldn't produce at all. Lee sputtered with the Twins after a hot start and finished with a .585 OPS in 185 plate appearances. The problem was pretty simple: he had no juice. Lee's average exit velocity of 85.4 MPH was lowest of any Twin with more than 15 at-bats. He struggled to get the ball past the shallow outfield, especially from the right side. Granted, he was getting his first taste of the majors, and dealt with back and shoulder issues during the season. But if we didn't see him hit the ball with more authority this year, we may need to reassess how we view his ceiling.

 

Royce Lewis: Complete the marathon
Plagued by injuries and misfortune, Lewis hasn't been able to get through a full MLB season. Part of me wonders if it's because he pushes himself so hard — constantly taking ferocious cuts at the plate, going full bore on the base paths and in the field — that his body can't withstand the toll. This might've played into Lewis running completely out of gas in August and September last year. He and the team have clearly been focusing on doing what it takes to stay healthy and strong from start to finish. 

Austin Martin: Add some swing speed
Actually, the biggest X-factor for Martin is probably whether he can prove viable as a center fielder, but we've covered that. Regardless of how he fares on defense, Martin can make himself much more valuable offensively if he can find a way to put more of a charge into the ball. Last year with the Twins he managed just one homer with a .099 ISO in 250 plate appearances. He barreled only two of the 188 balls he put in play. He's a very disciplined hitter, with an elite chase rate and above-average K/BB rates, but he's got to show he can do some damage to be more than a borderline big-leaguer. 

Carson McCusker: Clobber Triple-A and await your chance
He's somewhat of a longshot, but McCusker is on the radar thanks to the Twins' outfield depth vagueness and his production as a righty bat in the high minors. Standing 6-foot-8, the former indy ball standout slashed .282/.353/.488 with 19 homers between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, his second year in the Twins system. If he can put up gaudy numbers at St. Paul, and especially if he can make any kind of inroads with his iffy discipline, he'll be in line to get the call at some point.

 

Jose Miranda: Elude the slump
He's not fast. He's not patient. He's probably not going to be much good defensively wherever he ends up. Miranda needs to consistently hit to be valuable. He's shown his upside at times — last year he was batting .325 with an .888 OPS at the All-Star break — but he hasn't been able to avoid lapsing into prolonged slumps that render him a liability. Miranda's OPS dropped 120 points in the second half as he batted .212 with no homers. He doesn't need to stay locked in at that absurd level from last June, but we need to see more stability and tenacity from Miranda entering his age-27 season. Projection systems are not bullish on his power.

Emmanuel Rodriguez: Don't let patience turn to passivity
One of the top Twins prospects is nearly ready for showtime after finishing last season in Triple-A. His skill set is rare and intriguing: top-tier power and off-the-scale plate discipline paired with a ton of swing-and-miss. Never chasing outside the zone while punishing mistakes is a good recipe in the minors but can sometimes be thwarted in the majors. When you're taking a lot of borderline pitches and whiffing at a lot of quality strikes, the K's can mount. We've seen that with Julien — who is, in fairness, far less of a special athlete and all-around specimen than Rodriguez, a top-40 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline.

Yunior Severino: Rake relentlessly
He's no longer on the 40-man roster but still not out of the picture after rejoining the Twins on a minor-league contract. His major offensive drop-off last year dampened his outlook, but Severino is a switch-hitter with big raw power and he's still only 25. He has shown the ability to go on ridiculous heaters, including last June when he slashed .425/.544/.688 in 103 plate appearances for the Saints, but he needs to show he can sustain high-caliber production since he offers next to nothing on defense.

Christian Vázquez: Muster something offensively
For all the talk about what a burden his salary is, Vázquez is really not that far from being worth the $10 million price tag. He is an excellent defensive catcher who pitchers love working with, and that has underrated value. But he's got to hit a little bit to be a true asset; the 62 OPS+ over the past two years is not cutting it. Even if he could get back to his previous career baseline of 85, it'd make him a far more impactful player. Vázquez has shown occasional bursts of offensive ability — he posted an .844 OPS in July and August last year — but he's got to harness it more often, and at 34 that may be a tall task.

Matt Wallner: Cut down the K's at least modestly
No one is asking Wallner to be a contact hitter. He's going to swing hard and he's going to strike out a lot. We just need him to whiff a little bit less often. At the extreme he's shown through his early time in he majors (34.5%, 6th-highest in MLB) it's going to be difficult to fulfill his potential as a premier slugger. Reducing that figure even to the 30% range would make a big difference, because when he puts the ball in play it's a problem. All he really needs to do is counteract regression because with a 138 OPS+ in 169 MLB games he's already been one of the best hitters in baseball.

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[dxpavelka]

Two keys.  Larnach must be competent, above average corner outfielders for a full season and prove they can hit LHP and in Larnach's case especially pitches that aren't straight.

[Doctor Gast]

Large subject matter so I'll break it up in sections. 1st injury-plagued players. IMO Buxton & Correa are getting over the hump. Miranda's problem isn't mechanical, he can really hit. The problem was how they managed his health. Instead of keeping him at 1B/ DH where he could recover 100% from his shoulder injury & stay on the field & mash. They put him at 3B where he really had to work his shoulder, overcompensating he hurt his back thus the decline in production. Hopefully, the Twins wake up & avoid this unnecessary mishap by keeping him at 1B/ DH. Lee's interview mentioned that his back problem is chronic & that he'll have to live with the pain. This concerns me. My hope is that he can manage it because we really depend on him.

[Doctor Gast]

Speaking about 1B, Lewis could benefit from having time at 1B, where he could be still wrestling with soft-tissue issues & keep him on the field more. Lewis 2nd half "slump" was due to running out of gas. Hopefully this year he'll find more gas. I predict Castro will have a better year. Castro was depended upon too much to play CF & SS overextending him there over the entire season overspent him where his production dropped off. Having Keirsey to sub Buck in CF & hopefully Correa & Lee will play more often at SS, taking the burden off of Castro. Jeffers is a great hitter, especially for a hitter. But catching beyond weak-side tandem is too much for Jeffers where his production on both sides of the plate takes a beating. Dial Jeffers back to weak-side tandem & his #s will be better.

[stringer bell]

27 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

Large subject matter so I'll break it up in sections. 1st injury-plagued players. IMO Buxton & Correa are getting over the hump. Miranda's problem isn't mechanical, he can really hit. The problem was how they managed his health. Instead of keeping him at 1B/ DH where he could recover 100% from his shoulder injury & stay on the field & mash. They put him at 3B where he really had to work his shoulder, overcompensating he hurt his back thus the decline in production. Hopefully, the Twins wake up & avoid this unnecessary mishap by keeping him at 1B/ DH. Lee's interview mentioned that his back problem is chronic & that he'll have to live with the pain. This concerns me. My hope is that he can manage it because we really depend on him.

A lot of "facts not in evidence" IYAM. We can suppose that Miranda's slump came from throws at third base or maybe it was getting beaned or maybe it was general fatigue. Lee's performance might have suffered solely from his back issues or it might be something else.

13 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

Speaking about 1B, Lewis could benefit from having time at 1B, where he could be still wrestling with soft-tissue issues & keep him on the field more. Lewis 2nd half "slump" was due to running out of gas. Hopefully this year he'll find more gas. I predict Castro will have a better year. Castro was depended upon too much to play CF & SS overextending him there over the entire season overspent him where his production dropped off. Having Keirsey to sub Buck in CF & hopefully Correa & Lee will play more often at SS, taking the burden off of Castro. Jeffers is a great hitter, especially for a hitter. But catching beyond weak-side tandem is too much for Jeffers where his production on both sides of the plate takes a beating. Dial Jeffers back to weak-side tandem & his #s will be better.

Again, it seems you've made up your mind on why all of these players struggled. I agree with most of it, but not all. I think it is time for Ryan Jeffers to step up to 2/3s usage as the catcher (about 100 games in the season). 

[Doctor Gast]

 

Quote

Edouard Julien: Rediscover your edge

Adjusting to the league's adjustment to Twin's hitting approach. Larnach has done it, and Wallner has kind of but still needs to cut down on his SO's. It's not Julien rediscovering his edge because the league has taken away that edge. It's a matter of reinventing himself & adapting. I have my doubts that he can & if he does it'd be w/o his past edge. I put Camargo & Severino in the same boat who have had past success in AAA but now have dipped.

My hope is Emma can continue to hit in the upper MiLB & make the necessary adjustments to contribute to MLB club,

[Rod Carews Birthday]

While there are certainly a few more complicated interactions than those listed, this article does a great job of boiling down individual player needs/goals for each to have a good year.  In fact, I have a hard time mustering much of an argument against any of the points.  The success or failure of the team will be dependent on how many of these players make these strides.  If it is 25%, it will be good for those players, but it won’t matter much and the team will be pretty bad.  If it is 75%, there will be much joy in Mudville and the team will be exceptional.  100% is unachievable, but it’s nice to dream.

[Doctor Gast]

In-house subs- Martin, Keirsey, Helman, Keaschal & Eeles, All deserve to serve as quality depth & a chance to show what have.

New fringe acquirees, Gasper & Ford- They are break glass options. Cartaya's progress since upper minors has been slow, you can't just flip a switch & recapture his low minors success. His progress will remain slow going into MLB. Not a factor in '25.

I'd rather Twins develop their own MLB catching but Vazquez is all we have. He'll give us the most defensive innings. After his adapting to a new team & pitching staff, his hitting is trending the right way. Hopefully '25 his hitting will resemble more like what he did in BOS.

[Blyleven2011]

The x-factor  , make or break focus on twins hitting ...

Health,  stamina and staying off the injured list with disabling injuries I agree with , I didn't read through all the players  ...

I'm going to add a main ingredient that all twins hitters need to focus on ....

----- HIT TO ALL FIELDS ------ ,

If our hitters would focus on hitting the ball with the bat to all fields of play , the hitters will see better pitches to hit from the opposing pitchers , because if our hitters have adjusted to this philosophy , their pitcher has nowhere to adjust to the weaknesses of twins hitters ...

By seeing better pitches , the occasional homerun ( we are not a homerun hitting team ) will come either by pulling  , straight away center or by going opposite field because the twins will be seeing better pitches to hit for a more exciting style of twins baseball ...

Get on base by error of the opposing team , walk , bunt for a single ( make the opposing teams defense work ), single , double , triple , put the ball in play  , hit and run and advance runners by hitting behind them , speedsters need to steal bases  ( santon in the world series stole his first base in more thsn 4 years ) ...

Name of the game are wins ( April through September and hopefully in the playoffs ) , by getting wins we need to produce rbis and runs scored  , by getting more rbi's and runs scored we have to have better strategy against the better teams to win ....

Baseball is supposed to be fun , are the players really having fun when they strikeout and don't produce in key situations  , at times they do but most times not ...

Re-read again if you are confused at what I say ...

WE ARE NOT A HOMERUN HITTING TEAM  ...

[Cris E]

Those two months of Vasquez improvement last summer were not some random hot streak. He got out of whack early and took advantage of a road trip through Phoenix in June to visit his own guys to get an adjustment.

Quote

So, in addition to working with the Twins’ staff, Vazquez visited Driveline — where he worked in the offseason — during Twins trips June 25-30. The results were immediate. In his first three games in July, Vazquez was 6 for 12 with two home runs, a double and five RBIs.

Since July 1, the Twins catcher is batting .308 with a .577 slugging percentage in 17 games after going 1 for 3 with a home run, one of just three Twins hits in a 7-3 loss to the Cubs on Tuesday night.
(https://www.twincities.com/2024/08/07/twins-catcher-christian-vazquez-hitting-again-finally/)

Also this:

Quote

Perhaps the new hitting guy will be amenable to bringing the outside guys, or at least checking out the film to see what changes they made during that tune-up. But there could be something fixable with Christian that would allow 2025 to be more in-line with his pre-2023 numbers.

[rv78]

You should never use the word "break" in an article with Buxton. Just saying.

[tony&rodney]

Actually the two guys I'm most curious/excited about are older players who had magical 2024 seasons. Carson McCusker fits best as a DH but would look much the same as many of the other Twins as a corner outfielder. The adjustments McCusker made last season in his swing and his continual improvement might just give him a shot at some point. The power is unbelievable, greater than that of Matt Wallner. Payton Eeles is a great feel good story and it will be interesting if he gets more than a glance in camp. Eeles put up numbers that were a bit startling. If you had to choose between Lee and Eeles looking over their St. Paul contributions it is a tough call with Eeles having more speed. 

I'm not sure what the Twins have in either McCusker or Eeles but it behooves the coaching/managing staff to evaluate whether  these players are for real. 

[Doctor Gast]

4 hours ago, stringer bell said:

A lot of "facts not in evidence" IYAM. We can suppose that Miranda's slump came from throws at third base or maybe it was getting beaned or maybe it was general fatigue. Lee's performance might have suffered solely from his back issues or it might be something else.

Again, it seems you've made up your mind on why all of these players struggled. I agree with most of it, but not all. I think it is time for Ryan Jeffers to step up to 2/3s usage as the catcher (about 100 games in the season). 

I guess we have to agree on most but disagree on the rest. Unlike you, I look at underlying conditions & how the players respond to them. Which I deem very important & that's how I formed my groupings. I hope if we increase Jeffers's playing time to 2/3 & expect him to perform the same as when he's backup. But hope doesn't cut it. Click on his name, his 5yr. career proves out that when in a supporting role '20 & '23 he performs well. When given a slight advantage in innings '21 & '24 he starts off well but flounders in the 2nd half, And when he's given primary catching duties '22, he quickly craters & lands on the IL. If you dismiss the underlying conditions you miss the boat. Stats don't tell you everything. Looking at stats only you think oh, he's in a slump. When Polanco started not to hit in '22, Miranda & Kirloff in '24, I knew they were playing hurt.

I agree that Lee's problem could go beyond his back injury. That's why I suggested in a different thread that if Lee doesn't prove himself during spring training. He'd need more time in AAA. Again I deem recognizing underlying conditions & how the team & players'll deal with them the most important to gauge how players'll perform. 

[thelanges5]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Actually the two guys I'm most curious/excited about are older players who had magical 2024 seasons. Carson McCusker fits best as a DH but would look much the same as many of the other Twins as a corner outfielder. The adjustments McCusker made last season in his swing and his continual improvement might just give him a shot at some point. The power is unbelievable, greater than that of Matt Wallner. Payton Eeles is a great feel good story and it will be interesting if he gets more than a glance in camp. Eeles put up numbers that were a bit startling. If you had to choose between Lee and Eeles looking over their St. Paul contributions it is a tough call with Eeles having more speed. 

I'm not sure what the Twins have in either McCusker or Eeles but it behooves the coaching/managing staff to evaluate whether  these players are for real. 

Like to see Eeles and McCusker get invites to ST. ⚾️

[tony&rodney]

5 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

Like to see Eeles and McCusker get invites to ST. ⚾️

Me too. If these guys are not in ST, we can guess the Twins are not very functional as a system.

[Karbo]

7 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

The x-factor  , make or break focus on twins hitting ...

Health,  stamina and staying off the injured list with disabling injuries I agree with , I didn't read through all the players  ...

I'm going to add a main ingredient that all twins hitters need to focus on ....

----- HIT TO ALL FIELDS ------ ,

If our hitters would focus on hitting the ball with the bat to all fields of play , the hitters will see better pitches to hit from the opposing pitchers , because if our hitters have adjusted to this philosophy , their pitcher has nowhere to adjust to the weaknesses of twins hitters ...

By seeing better pitches , the occasional homerun ( we are not a homerun hitting team ) will come either by pulling  , straight away center or by going opposite field because the twins will be seeing better pitches to hit for a more exciting style of twins baseball ...

Get on base by error of the opposing team , walk , bunt for a single ( make the opposing teams defense work ), single , double , triple , put the ball in play  , hit and run and advance runners by hitting behind them , speedsters need to steal bases  ( santon in the world series stole his first base in more thsn 4 years ) ...

Name of the game are wins ( April through September and hopefully in the playoffs ) , by getting wins we need to produce rbis and runs scored  , by getting more rbi's and runs scored we have to have better strategy against the better teams to win ....

Baseball is supposed to be fun , are the players really having fun when they strikeout and don't produce in key situations  , at times they do but most times not ...

Re-read again if you are confused at what I say ...

WE ARE NOT A HOMERUN HITTING TEAM  ...

Amen! Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Schmoeman5]

10 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

Large subject matter so I'll break it up in sections. 1st injury-plagued players. IMO Buxton & Correa are getting over the hump. Miranda's problem isn't mechanical, he can really hit. The problem was how they managed his health. Instead of keeping him at 1B/ DH where he could recover 100% from his shoulder injury & stay on the field & mash. They put him at 3B where he really had to work his shoulder, overcompensating he hurt his back thus the decline in production. Hopefully, the Twins wake up & avoid this unnecessary mishap by keeping him at 1B/ DH. Lee's interview mentioned that his back problem is chronic & that he'll have to live with the pain. This concerns me. My hope is that he can manage it because we really depend on him.

In one sentence you say the Twins mismanaged Miranda  and in the next you're hoping that Lee will somehow manage chronic back pain on his own. You claimed last year how the Twins mismanaged Kirilloff by putting him in LF for a few games even though his shoulder injury happened at 1st base the previous year. I have no idea how Kirilloff injured his back and I'm not going to pretend to know. Making accusations without proof doesn't make one right. Hypothetical question for you. If Buxton or any player for that matter is nursing an injury but tells management they're good to go and then does more damage to land on the IL, does that fall on management or the player?

[Doctor Gast]

39 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

In one sentence you say the Twins mismanaged Miranda  and in the next your hoping that Lee will somehow manage chronic back pain on his own. You claimed last year how the Twins mismanaged Kirilloff by putting him in LF for a few games even though his shoulder injury happened at 1st base the previous year. I have no idea how Kirilloff injured his back and I'm not going to pretend to know. Making accusations without proof doesn't make one right. Hypothetical question for you. If Buxton or any player for that matter is nursing an injury but tells management they're good to go and then does more damage to land on the IL, does that fall on management or the player?

You have no idea what you're talking about. Where is your stupid proof, I just use common sense. When Keaschal had a poor arm did they put in RF or 3B? No they put him at 1B. 

I said I was concerned about Lee's back, & I didn't mean that he was on his own when I said he needed to manage his chronic back problems.

 

[Schmoeman5]

11 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

You have no idea what you're talking about. Where is your stupid proof, I just use common sense.

Hahaha 😆 Thats rich. Where is YOUR proof that Miranda was mismanaged? If Rocco asks Miranda to play 3rd and Miranda complains that it's putting too much stress on his shoulder and Rocco puts him there anyway, I would agree with you.  But WE have no idea if that's the case. And there have been a rash of back injuries MLB wide that from what I've read can be attributed to swinging the bat. You are flat out stating that Miranda was compensating for his shoulder pain which led to back pain.  Which in turn led to him slumping at years end. Where's your proof? 

[Schmoeman5]

15 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

You have no idea what you're talking about. Where is your stupid proof, I just use common sense. When Keaschal had a poor arm did they put in RF or 3B? No they put him at 1B. 

 

So why wouldn't they do the same thing at the ML level? Keaschall was slated for TJ surgery. Its not the same and you know it Dr. 

[David Maro]

The biggest problem is health of the team. You have way to many players that seem to find their way to the IL. The biggest concern should be the players with back issues. Those can come out of the blue and are hard to recover from. When bending down to field ground balls and swinging the bat can aggravate back problems. The one example is Kirilloff who chose to retire at a young age. 

[Doctor Gast]

11 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

So why wouldn't they do the same thing at the ML level? Keaschall was slated for TJ surgery. Its not the same and you know it Dr. 

When you want to protect someone's arm, what level does it matter? The only difference is that Falvey made the decision to go with Santana at 1B & yet wanted Miranda & Kiriloff's bat in the line-up, so he did what he does so often, overlook Miranda & Kiriloff susceptibility & hope nothing would happen. Why are you protecting Falvey? Everyone knew that Paddack's arm was ready fall off but Falvey traded for him. Mahle was having arm problems but he overlooked them when he signed him. He does them hoping.

[Schmoeman5]

31 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

When you want to protect someone's arm, what level does it matter? The only difference is that Falvey made the decision to go with Santana at 1B & yet wanted Miranda & Kiriloff's bat in the line-up, so he did what he does so often, overlook Miranda & Kiriloff susceptibility & hope nothing would happen. Why are you protecting Falvey? Everyone knew that Paddack's arm was ready fall off but Falvey traded for him. Mahle was having arm problems but he overlooked them when he signed him. He does them hoping.

Once again. Those are all assumptions from you. And you never answer my questions. Just broad brush strokes and saying you have common sense. Keaschall being slated to have TJ surgery is totally different than Miranda. If Miranda was going to have TJ surgery he would NOT have been on 3rd base. And then you said that his shoulder injury caused his back injury. Wheres your proof?  And now you're talking about Mahle and Paddack. When did Falvey have either one of those guys pitch when they weren't physically capable. I'm sure he was hoping that they would get healthy where they could contribute. For every Flaherty  there are 10 Mahles. This is not unique to just the Twins. Guys you hope can regain previous success.  Sometimes they don't work out. That's not mismanagement.

[DocBauer]

A really great OP, Nick. And I can't argue with any points you made. But I feel compelled to comment on a few guys.

BUXTON: Better health cover Lewis, Correa, and Miranda, of course. But with Buck's fixed...as close to 100% as it's been in years...might his bothersome hip be better with a "normal" offseason, as he puts it? While he'll be rested at times, I wonder if we can daydream about 120 games?

CARTAYA and CAMARGO: I really hope Cartaya's defense and throwing improve. I hope his back is OK...been reports he had some issues of late...and he gets his BAT working again. But he really hit a wall at AA. Meanwhile, Camargo has a much better CS % for his MILB career, and unlike Cartaya, his BAT began to take off when he reached AA. There's been a lot of comments about his poor 2024, but his 2022 was pretty solid, and his 2023 was quite good with an .826 OPS for St Paul. The Twins won't play him, for whatever reason, but he's been the #3 catcher for 2yrs and I've never heard anything negative about him. So what's going on there?

KIDS: A lot of hope and faith that Rodriguez and Keaschall will debut by midseason. But I really hope the Twins bring both McCusker and Eeles in to ST for more than a casual look. McCusker is long and has a K issue, but he's also made a lot of improvement. And while Eeles may be short, he's really built solid and can run. And you can't ignore the bat to ball ability and plate discipline he's shown thus far. 

LATE BLOOMERS: I don't know what to expect from either Helman or Keirsey. They've done enough the past couple of seasons to indicate the ability is there. If they were each 2yrs younger would we be more excited about them? Considering their roles...4th OF and 7 positional super utility player and both with some pop and speed...what kind of OPS do they need to show to be viable options? If they would both OPS around .680-ish, and the league average was about .700, does that make them viable ML bench players/contributors?

JOURNEYMEN: I'm not excited about Ford at all. Maybe he surprises. Gasper has some intrigue, and NOT because he can be an emergency catcher. He doesn't have speed and doesn't have much power. But if his bat to ball and good eye ability could translate to the ML level, he MIGHT have a shot as a PH/DH and part time 1B. He'd certainly provide a different look as a contact hitter.

[tony&rodney]

Derek Falvey must have an incredible amount of confidence in the future (as in 2025) performance of all of the current Twins because there have not been any steps taken to acquire new players for the roster. I'm not counting minor league invites as roster additions. The only addition, as of today, to the 26 person roster is a Rule 5 pick. I would say the Twins are counting on all of these guys to be healthy and productive, so ...... all make it.

[Doctor Gast]

8 hours ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Once again. Those are all assumptions from you. And you never answer my questions. Just broad brush strokes and saying you have common sense. Keaschall being slated to have TJ surgery is totally different than Miranda. If Miranda was going to have TJ surgery he would NOT have been on 3rd base. And then you said that his shoulder injury caused his back injury. Wheres your proof?  And now you're talking about Mahle and Paddack. When did Falvey have either one of those guys pitch when they weren't physically capable. I'm sure he was hoping that they would get healthy where they could contribute. For every Flaherty  there are 10 Mahles. This is not unique to just the Twins. Guys you hope can regain previous success.  Sometimes they don't work out. That's not mismanagement.

I did answer your question, but not the way you wanted. If you want to protect a player who is physically susceptible, you put him on 1B, that is common sense. Now, when Keaschal comes back from his surgery, do you think they'll put him in RF or 3B even though normally he can play there? No, they'll play him at 1B, because they want him to recover properly. That is common sense, what proof do I need? If Falvey tells you to put your hand over a burner and I tell you don't, you'll burn yourself. You say where's the proof? You put your hand over the burner & you burn yourself. I say I told you, so. You say where's your proof? You shouldn't need proof you need common sense. 

[Schmoeman5]

3 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

I did answer your question, but not the way you wanted. If you want to protect a player who is physically susceptible, you put him on 1B, that is common sense. Now, when Keaschal comes back from his surgery, do you think they'll put him in RF or 3B even though normally he can play there? No, they'll play him at 1B, because they want him to recover properly. That is common sense, what proof do I need? If Falvey tells you to put your hand over a burner and I tell you don't, you'll burn yourself. You say where's the proof? You put your hand over the burner & you burn yourself. I say I told you, so. You say where's your proof? You shouldn't need proof you need common sense. 

You've not proven anything other than the ability to be long winded.

[Schmoeman5]

13 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

You have no idea what you're talking about. Where is your stupid proof, I just use common sense. When Keaschal had a poor arm did they put in RF or 3B? No they put him at 1B. 

I said I was concerned about Lee's back, & I didn't mean that he was on his own when I said he needed to manage his chronic back problems.

 

Did not answer question

[Schmoeman5]

3 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

I did answer your question, but not the way you wanted. If you want to protect a player who is physically susceptible, you put him on 1B, that is common sense. Now, when Keaschal comes back from his surgery, do you think they'll put him in RF or 3B even though normally he can play there? No, they'll play him at 1B, because they want him to recover properly. That is common sense, what proof do I need? If Falvey tells you to put your hand over a burner and I tell you don't, you'll burn yourself. You say where's the proof? You put your hand over the burner & you burn yourself. I say I told you, so. You say where's your proof? You shouldn't need proof you need common sense. 

Did not answer question