Twins Daily HItter of the Month: March/April 2025

[Steven Trefz]

The Twins have started 13-18 in their 2025 campaign, and their offensive struggles are the most to blame for this disappointing start. Minnesota ranks in the bottom third of most major offensive categories, and has averaged just under four runs per game across their first 31 contests. The fact that Matt Wallner only had three RBI, and Carlos Correa had a .579 OPS serves to illustrate just how poor the offense was functioning. When the team is slumping this badly, those who actually have been able to put the bat on the ball with any consistency have risen even higher above the heap. Here are the best hitters for the Twins in March & April.

Honorable Mention: Luke Keaschall  .368/.526/1.065, 5 SB, 4 R, 7 H, 5 BB
In a desperate time, 26 at-bats served as hope against hope, a light in the darkness. Keaschall debuted with the Twins on April 18th in Atlanta, and over the next seven games he electrified the team and the fan base as much as one man could. As the only Twin with an OPS over 1.0, Keaschall provided hits in volume and magnitude in his brief week on the field before he took a fastball to the arm. When Keaschall returns in late June, all of Twins Territory will be ready for more of this.

#3: Trevor Larnach .236/.368/.696, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 17 R, 25 H, 14 BB
Larnach started the season by getting platooned out against left-handed pitching, but by the end of April he was a regular regardless of mound opponent. A slow start became a torrid week, and he showed an eye at the plate that helped to lengthen innings and increase rallies. The OPS number needs to rise, along with the average, but when Larnach delivered the team seemed to win. His 0.4 WAR shows that he was a factor to start the season, and Twins fans are hoping for more deliveries in the clutch as the calendar turns to May.

#2: Byron Buxton .239/.477/.751, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 7 SB, 23 R, 26 H, 4 BB
The lead here is that Buxton had 117 plate appearances through the end of April. That, in and of itself, is worthy of a spot on this list given his importance in the field and in the lineup. The power and the stolen bases give evidence that the Byron that heats up in the warmth of summer could indeed bloom into view. The 40 strikeouts with only four walks is ridiculous, and has squashed many a hopeful rally over the first five weeks. The Twins' problems with the bases loaded need look no further than this pressing issue. But, despite the K-rate, Buxton managed to score the most runs on the team and knocked in another 17 to boot. For a team struggling to score runs, no stats matter more.

March/April Hitter of the Month: Ty France .266/.404/.745, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 14 R, 29 H, 9 BB
He's not Pete Alonso, and he's not Carlos Santana. But to say Ty France has been a disappointment at the plate would be a stretch. France leads the Twins in hits and RBI, and his OPS is trending up as the season progresses. Perhaps most shocking, daunting, or damning? France also leads the team (along with Larnach) with 123 plate appearances. The other plans at first base all fell by the wayside early and often, and France kept on taking his hacks and delivering at a pace that while not earth-shaking, stood high enough above the rest of an extremely anemic offensive squad in the opening months. France's best was even good enough to garner him player of the week honors, so perhaps the ceiling is higher than Twins fans originally thought? If its as high as this blast against the Guardians, maybe there is hope in Whoville after all.

What do you think Twins Daily faithful? Who would get your award for Twins Hitter of the Month in March/April? Leave your own rankings below.

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[CRF]

There be some slim pickins here, but out of that bunch...I'd have to go with France.

[Road trip]

Given the options, I guess France was the best of an extraordinarily bad group of healthy position players.

I'd suggest vacating the award for April, with hope that there is some actual qualified competition for it in May.  

[Linus]

Nobody. 

[mikelink45]

To my shock - I agree and I criticized the France move.  I would still have Keaschall #2 and Wallner #3 and Buxton #4.  And the new hitting coach wearing a bag over his head.

[Blyleven2011]

Tc bear has more hits with the fans than the Twins hitters have 

[NYCTK]

I don't know why you would ever deliver AVG/SLG/OPS and just leave OBP as an inferred stat when the triple slash has always been AVG/OBP/SLG with OPS implied. 

Please stop this madness. 

 

[NYCTK]

Also, don't know that I like just focusing on HITTING as opposed to the complete player. Maybe you do a monthly MVP but I don't remember that being the case. And that of course, would not be Ty France.

Let's be honest, Ty France is a pretty bad first baseman. The number of pitcher errors isn't exactly his fault, but his inability to scoop anything is part of the problem if we're being completely honest. He is the team's best hitter, but should probably be a DH at this point in his career. 

Looking only at the position players, the MVP would probably be Buxton or maybe, my boy, Harrison Bader. Everyone give it up for Harrison Bader, the undeniably great budget free agent acquisition! 

 

[thelanges5]

Vive la 🇫🇷 and Darth Bader have been good acquisitions for the Twins. They are sporting 118 and 115 OPS+ respectively. 
 

Batters ranked by WAR

🦌

Bader

Wallner

Lee/Jeffers

Keaschall/🇫🇷

Wallner and the ROY Keaschall are sorely missed in this lineup. 

[Western SD Fan]

At least Bader and France are taking advantage of their current opportunity to parlay it to a trade with a contending team in July. 🙂

[Parfigliano]

Congrats ASG rep France

[gman]

I'd go with a "Nobody won the award this Month" pick.