Royals 3, Twins 1: Wallner’s Early Blast Not Enough as Twins Fall Flat in KC

[Western SD Fan]

7 hours ago, Old Twins Hat said:

I would bring up a AAA lefty to face that lineup.

What you're saying is that I can start posting my favorite comment from last year again?

The ghost of Jamie Moyer could still come back and carve up this lineup at least one time through the order!

[tarheeltwinsfan]

10 hours ago, Peter said:

4 games in record at 1-3 is it to early to hit panic button? Is this a wasted season already?

Yes. No.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

At least now we can start writing about the June draft.

[Patzky]

8 hours ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

This was a classic Twins game. 

Not an Instant Classic?

[Doctor Wu]

9 hours ago, Old Twins Hat said:

If I am a major leaguer, and admittedly I am an old timer, but if I am on a losing team, I don't go wild celebrating until we start winning games.

Totally agree with that opinion! I hate those over-the-top celebrations in meaningless games. 

[jmlease1]

With this roster construction, I think they're going to struggle all season against LHP. And sadly, they have too many LH bats that don't mash the RHP enough to make up for it.

Good to see Wallner rip one, and I wasn't surprised the SWR looked solid (he answers the bell every time, seemingly always after he's doubted). The lineup needs to do better, though: they can't put up runs 1 out of 4 games...

[shimrod]

12 hours ago, Sjoski said:

After the July 31st sell off, any local high school baseball team is going to have more veteran leadership than our opening day roster in 2027.

No, the FO will bring in the usual collection of washed up / underperforming veterans to fill out the roster and keep the prospects in the minors. 

[JBK]

Impressed how quickly they got into last place!

[JD-TWINS]

13 hours ago, Sjoski said:

After the July 31st sell off, any local high school baseball team is going to have more veteran leadership than our opening day roster in 2027.

Was Duran providing leadership? Was Louie Varland providing leadership? Was Dobnack providing leadership from St. Paul?

France - Bader - Coulombe - Paddack - Castro were all free agents at the end of ‘25…….. July 31 had nothing to do with this issue in ‘26.

The lack of mental strength coming from the “core” is the issue …….. Lewis - Lee - Wallner - Jeffers - Larnach - Martin ………. these guys have all been in Pro Ball for YEARS. If there is a leadership problem, these guys need to look in the mirror.

[JD-TWINS]

Not much of a surprise that the struggles in the Win/Loss column are stemming from lack of OFFENSE.

Without Abel’s 5 runs over 3 1/3 Sunday, the pitching staff’s ERA is 2.73…….3.82 including his debacle. The PEN & lack of velocity isn’t a problem, in a micro look,…….., so far.

Anyway, pulling 4 runs together on 4 hits in the ONE win isn’t a recipe for success. TEAM is hitting a combined .200/.297/.328 slash with a .625 OPS.

Preaching to the choir here………. Lack of trading for offense &/or spending another $15-$25M on offense (couple guys) this offseason is going to haunt the Team for 100 out of the next 150 games. Ownership - ownership is the problem!

As a plausible example, what if Bader & Arraez were on the TWINS roster instead of Bell & Clemens? (just an additional $15M in salaries w/o Bell’s contract)…….I’d be more upbeat about being “competitive”.

[Greglw3]

I kept writing on these pages that if they run it back with an outfield of Larnach, Buxton and Wallner, it would be a serious mistake and struggle.

I don’t like using Larnach 2/3 of the time vs R.

Austin Martin hit .282 in 2025, .355 in spring training and is spraying line drives around and walking and is far faster and more athletic than Larnach.

So Martin starts vs. a L and gets on base 3 consecutive times, the Shelton uses the mediocre to below average (lifetime) hitter to bat for him! What else was Martin supposed to do? And I looked it up, he hit about .273 vs R in 2025. He absolutely should not be being platooned.

Shelty says we’re gonna take it to 'em and run, a new day, a new frontier and the plodding Wallner and Larnach play vs R while the two bona fide base stealers sit on the bench. Good grief.

And meanwhile, Alan Roden has about a .650 on base pct at St. Paul. If we need another righty, even though he’s off to a slow start in about 13 AB, we have GG in AAA that could probably be an effective platoon.

Bell looks shaky against L and he hit .150 against them in 2025. GG.

They apparently still don’t recognize that it’s the offense that IS the problem and HAS BEEN the problem for years. IF they weren’t going to trade for help, then let Martin and Outman run or better yet, don’t have a guy who hit well over .300 in spring training and has a .650 OBP now in the minor leagues!!!

And while they’re at it, Jenkins is off to a good start. I thought we were turning the page? Culpepper should be up too. Hope is necessary for the fans, players, staff.

Mean, median and mode, you can’t find a stat that paints the Twins run production in a good light, 1.75, 2.5 (or 1.0) and 1.0 respectively!

 

 

[RpR]

2 hours ago, shimrod said:

No, the FO will bring in the usual collection of washed up / underperforming veterans to fill out the roster and keep the prospects in the minors. 

Bring up the rookies cry has been bellowing around here for a long time.

The rookies they wanted in the past are here and they are worse than the ones they replaced.

Too much fantasy is flowing here; bringing up a rookie and watching him/them get destroyed by Major League ball is foolish, or just plain mean.

[stringer bell]

The stop-start of early season really makes it hard to evaluate players IMHO. I don't think the current Twins FO and ownership will be that patient and I don't think they should, but I think you have to give it more than a week road trip before making decisions about players.

I agree with @Greglw3 that Austin Martin should be given a chance to see if he can be a full-time player and perhaps full-time lead-off man, even though there is considerable talent waiting to play in the outfield corners. The Twins have enough decent right handed bats that they should hit lefties, but so far it's been more of the same. The roster construction remains problematic and although the pitching staff has been okay, I see a lot of danger signs for both the rotation and the bullpen. 

I said it before the start of the season and I'll say it now, this looks like a poor ball club as composed right now. The lack of enthusiasm for this club is justified. 

[David Maro]

New manager same boring team!! They don't play baseball,it's all about the long ball. SWR was 3-2 on almost every hitter and Twins hitters were making first pitch outs. Watched the game on the radio and glad I couldn't get it on TV. Maybe time to watch the Bananas because they are more entertaining. Why is Cory still in the booth,tired of him talking about so and so going to go deep.

[LA Vikes Fan]

6 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

The stop-start of early season really makes it hard to evaluate players IMHO. I don't think the current Twins FO and ownership will be that patient and I don't think they should, but I think you have to give it more than a week road trip before making decisions about players.

I agree with @Greglw3 that Austin Martin should be given a chance to see if he can be a full-time player and perhaps full-time lead-off man, even though there is considerable talent waiting to play in the outfield corners. The Twins have enough decent right handed bats that they should hit lefties, but so far it's been more of the same. The roster construction remains problematic and although the pitching staff has been okay, I see a lot of danger signs for both the rotation and the bullpen. 

I said it before the start of the season and I'll say it now, this looks like a poor ball club as composed right now. The lack of enthusiasm for this club is justified. 

I'm with you. Play Martin 5 days a week for a month and see if his .282/.374/.365 slash line from last year can be replicated or, even better , if he can raise his SLG even to .375. If he can do that and continue to play above average defense in LF we have an everyday MLB starter  who can it in the 1 or 9 hole. 

Other suggestions:

Play Wallner every day in RF or DH to see if he can hit LH pitching enough. Just don't hit him 4 until he shows you can drive in runs from the 6 spot. 

Bring up Roden for Outman (or Larnach if you can trade him somehow). Play him 3-4 days a week (RF, LF, and DH). See if he can hit. 

Wait the 16 days to keep the extra year and then, bring up Culpeper to play SS. Lee has 2 weeks to show that he can hit; replace him when he doesn't. He may need a AAA reset. If he does hit, move him to 1B, trade Bell.    

Play GG, Mendez and/or Fedko at 1B in AAA. Plan to move the one that can hit up in July to play 1B for the Twins. 

[NYCTK]

.

[mickster]

4 hours ago, Greglw3 said:

I kept writing on these pages that if they run it back with an outfield of Larnach, Buxton and Wallner, it would be a serious mistake and struggle.

I don’t like using Larnach 2/3 of the time vs R.

Austin Martin hit .282 in 2025, .355 in spring training and is spraying line drives around and walking and is far faster and more athletic than Larnach.

So Martin starts vs. a L and gets on base 3 consecutive times, the Shelton uses the mediocre to below average (lifetime) hitter to bat for him! What else was Martin supposed to do? And I looked it up, he hit about .273 vs R in 2025. He absolutely should not be being platooned.

Shelty says we’re gonna take it to 'em and run, a new day, a new frontier and the plodding Wallner and Larnach play vs R while the two bona fide base stealers sit on the bench. Good grief.

And meanwhile, Alan Roden has about a .650 on base pct at St. Paul. If we need another righty, even though he’s off to a slow start in about 13 AB, we have GG in AAA that could probably be an effective platoon.

Bell looks shaky against L and he hit .150 against them in 2025. GG.

They apparently still don’t recognize that it’s the offense that IS the problem and HAS BEEN the problem for years. IF they weren’t going to trade for help, then let Martin and Outman run or better yet, don’t have a guy who hit well over .300 in spring training and has a .650 OBP now in the minor leagues!!!

And while they’re at it, Jenkins is off to a good start. I thought we were turning the page? Culpepper should be up too. Hope is necessary for the fans, players, staff.

Mean, median and mode, you can’t find a stat that paints the Twins run production in a good light, 1.75, 2.5 (or 1.0) and 1.0 respectively!

 

 

Roden needs to play everyday, so in the minors.   Can't bring him up and sit him.  Same with GG.  Culpepper needs to stay down as well - for now.  Reality is that we need his service time and time to let Lee prove it or lose it.  I like Larnach and think that he might be our best hitter in the OF after Buxton.  Martin as the 4th.  Outman is the one I held out hopes for, but might never reach that rookie level he showed.

[JD-TWINS]

20 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

The regular positional players remain my greatest frustration with this franchise.  We simply do not put good enough players out in the field on a daily basis.

Bullpen and rotation have their issues, but the lineup and defense remain the central problem.

Slash line of .200/.298/.328 is clearly the problem ………. through a mere 4 games, the Staff has a 3.82 ERA ……. 2.73 ERA without Abel’s 3 1/3 on Sunday. …….. until TEAM produces runs regularly, I’m not going to fret over the defensive skill level.

[JD-TWINS]

21 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Wallner actually had reverse splits last year (well basically even splits). Baldelli didn't seem to notice until Bader was traded though.

You can’t actually be putting Wallner’s 2025 mediocrity into some sort of a good light - right?

[TheLeviathan]

21 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Slash line of .200/.298/.328 is clearly the problem ………. through a mere 4 games, the Staff has a 3.82 ERA ……. 2.73 ERA without Abel’s 3 1/3 on Sunday. …….. until TEAM produces runs regularly, I’m not going to fret over the defensive skill level.

You're not wrong the the run production is the biggest issue, but this defense is going to lose the team a lot of games this year.