Twins Unique Bullpen Approach Hinges On Dominant Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax

[Cody Christie]

Each manager utilizes their bullpen in specific patterns, with some being more successful than others. The Twins use a fairly unique approach tied to the team’s two dominant (or not so dominant) late-inning arms.

Image courtesy of David Richard and Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Bullpen strategy and usage can be the difference between a team being competitive and one falling short of postseason expectations. While most teams are content with the traditional closer role locked up for one reliever, the Twins have embraced an approach known in certain circles as Primary Save Share (PSS). According to The Athletic, the concept behind PSS is straightforward: “The team prefers one reliever as the primary option for saves. However, the player may also be used in match-up-based situations, whether dictated by batter-handedness or batting order pockets in the late innings. This provides multiple relievers with save chances each series or week throughout the season.” 

Only three American League teams (Red Sox, Royals, and, of course, the Twins) along with a pair of NL teams, the Reds and Rockies, have subscribed to this modern twist. That puts Minnesota in rare company and adds a fresh dynamic to a bullpen that needs every edge it can get. 

At first glance, PSS might appear tailor-made for a staff already stacked with high-caliber arms like Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, both of whom entered the season with the lofty expectations of being among the league’s best. Yet, their early season results have been subpar. Jax ranks in the fifth percentile or lower in Barrel%, Hard-Hit%, GB%, and xERA. Simply put, Jax has been far from elite, but relievers work in small sample sizes when it takes time to recover from a couple of bad outings. 

Duran’s start this season has also been underwhelming. While he’s managed to avoid the catastrophic contact levels seen by Jax, his struggles aren’t easily dismissed. His strikeout percentage has taken a hit, and his expected slugging (xSLG) numbers suggest he’s not maintaining the kind of dominance he’s shown in the past. Perhaps most concerning is his BB%, up from a respectable 6.6% last season to an alarming 13.3% this year. Duran's recent numbers could spell trouble in a bullpen that relies on high-leverage arms.

When you consider the broader picture, it’s clear that the Twins’ PSS strategy is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it allows the team to allocate save opportunities in a way that adapts to opponents’ lineups. This flexibility means that even if one arm falters, another might pick up the slack within the same series. On the other hand, this diffusion of responsibility places immense pressure on the staff’s top performers to deliver every single time they step on the mound. The downfall of stars like Jax and Duran early in the season has forced the coaching staff and front office to reassess the rotation of responsibilities. The pressure is only amplified given Minnesota’s ongoing offensive struggles.

Yet, there is hope on the horizon. Brock Stewart is slated to return from injury and could represent a much-needed upgrade to the back end of the bullpen. Stewart has been electric during his Twins tenure, but his availability has been severely limited. He recently threw a bullpen session, and the team estimates he will return in May. His return will not only boost the bullpen’s overall depth but also potentially stabilize a role that, until now, has been marred by inconsistency. For Minnesota, this could be a huge bonus with the struggles of the other high-leverage arms.

The modern bullpen is a complex puzzle, and the Twins’ version is a case study of innovation meeting necessity. With specialized roles evolving and traditional save roles being reinterpreted, few teams manage to stay afloat when their best relievers underperform in the spotlight. Meanwhile, other bullpen arms like Cole Sands, Jorge Alcala, Danny Coulombe, and Louis Varland find themselves in a precarious position. For these arms, the possibility of regular closing opportunities seems more theoretical than practical, as the leadership roles are increasingly consolidated into the hands of those expected to be versatile enough to handle both traditional save situations and match-up-specific scenarios.

As the Twins work to stay relevant in the AL Central this season, every bullpen blowup has implications. The PSS system hinges on the ability of its chosen messengers to rise to the occasion when the game hangs in the balance. The pressure is immense for a franchise struggling to put runs on the board consistently. Each reliever must shut down an opponent and adapt in real-time to a shifting landscape of matchups, hitters, and in-game dynamics. The formula is deceptively simple, yet its execution (especially in the high-stakes innings) has not worked in 2025.

In essence, the Twins’ bullpen is emblematic of modern baseball's broader challenges. Strategic innovation like the Primary Save Share system represents an effort to distill every drop of potential from a roster. However, with performance gaps in key roles and offensive support lacking, Minnesota’s roadmap to success is anything but straightforward. The Twins bullpen was expected to be among the league’s best and their strategic use of late inning arms won’t matter if their pitchers continue to struggle. 

Are the Twins using the wrong bullpen strategy? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Mark G]

"Are the Twins using the wrong bullpen strategy?"

Let's see........how can I put this........YES! 

 

[karcherd]

You can't match up for every situation over the course of a season.  Put your best pitcher, right now that is Duran as the closer.  I want the best option to be pitching  against whoever is batting in the ninth inning and if he is not good enough then find somebody who is.

[IndianaTwin]

Duran going from a 6.6 BB% last year to 13.3% this year seems pretty concerning.

Until you check and see that it means he has given up 3 walks this year compared to the 1.5 that last year’s rate would suggest. And two of those three walks were in the “let’s get him some work because he hasn’t thrown in five days” second game of the season when they were already down 4-1.

Percentages mean very little in SSS.  

[DJL44]

Even with Jax and Duran they can only cover half the innings they want the bullpen to cover to win a game.

[DocBauer]

With all due respect, I don't really follow/agree with the premise of the OP. The Twins are basically relying on 2 arms to be the ANCORS of the pen with a collection of another 6+ arms to fill in the rest? 

Generally speaking, isn't that exactly what virtually EVERY team does, and has done for DECADES? The only difference is they are following a pattern that Cleveland did almost a decade ago where their BEST arm was often used in the 8th inning against the heart of the lineup vs saving said arm...no pun intended...for the 9th. That's not exactly radical thinking.

I'm not smart enough or "plugged in" enough to know the workings of every arm on the Twins staff to know or understand how they "tick". IF Duran has the mental and physical ability to just turn it up another notch as the 9th inning guy, then maybe he needs to throw then, and keep Jax as the FIREMAN for the 7th or 8th inning. 

But that also means BOTH have to prove themselves. Duran's BB numbers in such a limited number of appearances shouldn't be counted as an absolute at this point. Nor should a couple bombs and a HORRIBLE missed throw to the 1B that cost the Twins a game by Jax undo all the great performances he's had the last few years.

Like everyone else I'm disappointed and frustrated and confused how poor the team has played, and how many different ways they've chosen to lose games. But as Nick pointed out in his OP the other day, the pen has been generally excellent, but also poor at the same time. With some uneven starts and poor offense, how are we to quantify this pen at this point? They've absolutely cost a couple games. But they've also kept the Twins in a couple games where the bats utterly failed.

As frustrated, confused, and almost angry as I've been to the start of this season, I can't quantify anything after 15 games. More modern thinking has shown that the "closer" role who got all the saves was a skewed statistic as many of those saves were against the bottom of the order, meaning the setup man may have actually been used in a higher leverage situation. But all teams have their version of a power duo at the back end of their pen. The only difference is if they are applied as "best fit" for the situation on hand, or used in the traditional "setup-closer role". 

[Karbo]

They need a couple of good 2 inning guys. Then they could be a little more "traditional" with usage. IMO guys like knowing about when they called in.

[Bodie]

10 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Even with Jax and Duran they can only cover half the innings they want the bullpen to cover to win a game.

Since they can't/won't pitch every day, they cannot cover half the BP innings... not for long, anyway!

[LambchoP]

Doesn't matter how well our pitchers throw the ball when we basically have MLB worst defenders behind them booting and throwing the ball all over the field. I've never seen the Twins rack up this many errors in so short a time. Going to be a long year. Most exciting games will be seeing some of our young guys debut. Rodriguez, Keaschal, Festa, Mathews, Morris. Mccusker is sure hitting like he wants a chance. He seems like a RH Wallner kind of hitter. Couldn't hurt to try out some of these guys, it's not like the guys now are getting it done :(

[JD-TWINS]

10 hours ago, DocBauer said:

With all due respect, I don't really follow/agree with the premise of the OP. The Twins are basically relying on 2 arms to be the ANCORS of the pen with a collection of another 6+ arms to fill in the rest? 

Generally speaking, isn't that exactly what virtually EVERY team does, and has done for DECADES? The only difference is they are following a pattern that Cleveland did almost a decade ago where their BEST arm was often used in the 8th inning against the heart of the lineup vs saving said arm...no pun intended...for the 9th. That's not exactly radical thinking.

I'm not smart enough or "plugged in" enough to know the workings of every arm on the Twins staff to know or understand how they "tick". IF Duran has the mental and physical ability to just turn it up another notch as the 9th inning guy, then maybe he needs to throw then, and keep Jax as the FIREMAN for the 7th or 8th inning. 

But that also means BOTH have to prove themselves. Duran's BB numbers in such a limited number of appearances shouldn't be counted as an absolute at this point. Nor should a couple bombs and a HORRIBLE missed throw to the 1B that cost the Twins a game by Jax undo all the great performances he's had the last few years.

Like everyone else I'm disappointed and frustrated and confused how poor the team has played, and how many different ways they've chosen to lose games. But as Nick pointed out in his OP the other day, the pen has been generally excellent, but also poor at the same time. With some uneven starts and poor offense, how are we to quantify this pen at this point? They've absolutely cost a couple games. But they've also kept the Twins in a couple games where the bats utterly failed.

As frustrated, confused, and almost angry as I've been to the start of this season, I can't quantify anything after 15 games. More modern thinking has shown that the "closer" role who got all the saves was a skewed statistic as many of those saves were against the bottom of the order, meaning the setup man may have actually been used in a higher leverage situation. But all teams have their version of a power duo at the back end of their pen. The only difference is if they are applied as "best fit" for the situation on hand, or used in the traditional "setup-closer role". 

 

21 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

Doesn't matter how well our pitchers throw the ball when we basically have MLB worst defenders behind them booting and throwing the ball all over the field. I've never seen the Twins rack up this many errors in so short a time. Going to be a long year. Most exciting games will be seeing some of our young guys debut. Rodriguez, Keaschal, Festa, Mathews, Morris. Mccusker is sure hitting like he wants a chance. He seems like a RH Wallner kind of hitter. Couldn't hurt to try out some of these guys, it's not like the guys now are getting it done :(

Didn’t get through all of this but certainly agree with Doc that nearly every respectable bullpen has the same similar approach as the Twins. 6 guys mixed & matched according to match-ups and recent workload ………then, if available, a couple guys taking the ball routinely (in winning situations) in the 8th/9th. Do not understand the “strategy” discussion specific to the Twins?

[Guest]

The Twins' bullpen issues vary indirectly to the starters' length, to wit, the earlier the starter leaves, the greater the pressure on the 'pen.  Nothing new here, but the Twins baby their starters.  Pulling Festa in the 5th after a couple of hard-hit balls, for example, was premature in my view, and that contributed to a negative outcome.  If the Twins' starters are as good as they maintain (a leap of faith), then stretch them.

The in-game 'pen pressure also decreases when the guys go for two innings.  Logically there's no real obstacle to the first reliever being able to go once through the order.

Solve the above two issues first and then Rocco can PSS his ass off.

[DJL44]

9 hours ago, Bodie said:

Since they can't/won't pitch every day, they cannot cover half the BP innings... not for long, anyway!

They won't have a lead every day.

[Bodie]

13 hours ago, DJL44 said:

They won't have a lead every day.

Yeah, they only pitch with the lead...