Trevor Larnach, or: When Disrupting the Routine is a Good Thing

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

After 22 games, the Minnesota Twins have six batters with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. Catcher Ryan Jeffers and fourth outfielder Austin Martin are just off that pace, with 65 and 62 plate appearances, respectively. Just below those eight players, there's a tier of three guys who have been part-timers this season, with between 40 and 50 plate appearances despite being active all year. For Kody Clemens and Tristan Gray, that's to be expected; these are the roles they're meant to play. For Trevor Larnach, though, 47 trips to the plate in 22 healthy games reflects the strangeness of the team's early schedule.

Through a series of matchup coincidences, the Twins have faced left-handed starting pitchers 13 times in their 22 games. Larnach, a lefty batter who's had little luck against southpaws during his career, has therefore started only half of the 22. He's been in there all nine times against righties, but only twice in the 13 games against lefties—and then, partially because of injuries to other players.

Normally, players hate having the routine of playing every day disrupted. Only good players get the privilege of assuming they'll be in the lineup for each game, and those clinging to the fringes of the majors are happy to fill in wherever and whenever they're needed, but Larnach has long been able to plan on playing at least five times a week, at least when he's been healthy enough to do so. This pattern of (dis)use is extremely unfamiliar to him, and it's begotten a very weird version of Larnach so far in 2026—but weird in a good way.

Larnach is batting .265/.468/.412. In his 47 trips to the plate, he's drawn an eye-popping 13 walks, to go with three extra-base hits and just seven strikeouts. He's still whiffing at a catastrophic rate against everything but fastballs, and by now, fans know better than to expect anything else. Against fastballs, though, he's only whiffed once, and more importantly, he's been extremely patient. His swing rate was around 41% in both 2022 and 2023. It rose to 44% or so in 2024 and 2025. So far this season, he's swung at 33.8% of the pitches he's seen. Thence come all those walks—though also lots of questions.

Generally, that low a swing rate isn't viable in the big leagues. That goes double for someone who swings and misses as much as Larnach does against anything offspeed or breaking. It's a recipe for too many strikeouts, even if it does come with a fair number of walks. It's also, certainly, not what Larnach is trying to do.

The Twins are a slightly more patient team than they were last year. New hitting coach Keith Beauregard has them trying to wait for the right pitch a bit more. The difference isn't huge, though, and no one is telling Larnach to swing barely a third of the time. He's just not in enough of a rhythm to swing any more often. He can't get off his 'A' swing consistently enough to justify swinging at all, given not only the plan he's taking to the plate but the years of practice and programming that have gotten him this far. It doesn't help that, after being strictly a platoon guy in 2023 and 2024 and getting only partial exposure to lefties last year, he's seen them in 11 of his 47 trips so far this season. 

In this small sample, though, Larnach has benefited from being forced to behave bizarrely at the plate. Swinging much, much less is working for him, not only because he's not getting himself out, but because the strike zone is smaller this year and pitchers aren't throwing as many strikes. A more patient approach might suit him, after all. This level of selectivity will probably never profit such a whiff-prone slugger, but unless and until Larnach can get his swing ranged and start producing the power he only intermittently accessed last year, waiting hurlers out is a good plan. He might have tried a bit more of this, no matter what. Because he's not playing especially regularly and is seeing some tough matchups, though, he's had to lean into it—and the results are as peculiar as this stretch of lefties on the schedule was.

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[Riverbrian]

13 minutes ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

Normally, players hate having the routine of playing every day disrupted. Only good players get the privilege of assuming they'll be in the lineup for each game, and those clinging to the fringes of the majors are happy to fill in wherever and whenever they're needed,

Players may hate it but Trevor in a small sample is basically showing that the routine of playing that players think is necessary just may not be disruptive to actual performance and that is more important than the every day routine of all levels from good to bad accomplishment.    

It can't be argued both ways. If anyone wants to make the argument that not playing everyday is disruptive to their timing, emotions, karma or whatever it disrupts. You can't also argue that platooning makes sense because platooning in it's very nature is a disruption of the routine that the players want.     

You can't select both... yet... both are typically selected. It's like Mark Knopfler said back in 1982. Two men say they're Jesus... one of them must be wrong. 

One other thing. Some everyday players need to be disrupted. Too many times I've watched players who are supposed to be terrific producing terribly for entire 100 AB stretches playing every day. 

 

 

[Matthew Trueblood]

51 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Players may hate it but Trevor in a small sample is basically showing that the routine of playing that players think is necessary just may not be disruptive to actual performance and that is more important than the every day routine of all levels from good to bad accomplishment.    

It can't be argued both ways. If anyone wants to make the argument that not playing everyday is disruptive to their timing, emotions, karma or whatever it disrupts. You can't also argue that platooning makes sense because platooning in it's very nature is a disruption of the routine that the players want.     

You can't select both... yet... both are typically selected. It's like Mark Knopfler said back in 1982. Two men say they're Jesus... one of them must be wrong. 

One other thing. Some everyday players need to be disrupted. Too many times I've watched players who are supposed to be terrific producing terribly for entire 100 AB stretches playing every day. 

 

 

No player chooses to be platooned, is the thing. Everyone wants to play every day. Platoons aren't tools to optimize the performance of individuals. They optimize team production at the *expense* of individuals.

[Riverbrian]

22 minutes ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

No player chooses to be platooned, is the thing. Everyone wants to play every day. Platoons aren't tools to optimize the performance of individuals. They optimize team production at the *expense* of individuals.

Agreed. Platoons do occur at the expense of the individuals involved. Optimizing production on the other hand is a matter of debate for another time that isn't really germane to what is being discussed. 

Agreed. Every player wants to play everyday but that isn't the point either.  

The point is:

The belief from players, coaches, fans and farm animals that "Normally, players hate having the routine of playing every day disrupted". For what purpose... will the players not be as good if that routine is disrupted or is it because they will be too unhappy to play when put back in the lineup? 

If that's true that players performance suffer from this disruption. That thought is mutually opposed and simply cannot coexist with a functioning platoon that operates by it's very nature without that routine of playing every day but yet is declared as "optimizing team production".

If everyday playing time is disruptive. The Platoon is also disruptive. Perhaps more... You simply can't have it both ways.  

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

You can't select both... yet... both are typically selected. It's like Mark Knopfler said back in 1982. Two men say they're Jesus... one of them must be wrong. 

+1000 for the excellent Dire Straits reference.

[twinstalker]

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

You can't select both... yet... both are typically selected. It's like Mark Knopfler said back in 1982. Two men say they're Jesus... one of them must be wrong. 

Hello to Vij.

[JD-TWINS]

Larnach, hopefully, realizes the platoon measures are to optimize his performance when “in” the line-up. It’s working. He’s striking out at a 15% rate and his walk rate is sky high. I don’t really understand the angst over him “not swinging enough”? Repeatedly stating he “whiffs often” doesn’t seem to jive with the 15% K rate. I haven’t seen anyone say Martin & his walk rate are due to him “not swinging enough”.

A .265 BA & .468 OBP (which is elevated in a small sample size) is all positive & it is the intention of the Platoon………..Martin’s similar success is due to the irregular amount of LH starters the Team has seen so far in ‘26 - he is getting positive results due to the Platoon……..I ASSUMED THIS WAS THE CASE….. it turns out Martin is hitting .250 BA v. LH pitching with a .250 Slug%. Versus RH pitching he’s got a .375 BA & a .875 Slug%. Sure seems he’s showing signs he should be playing nearly every day!

Larnach’s splits, very early in the season, are .292 BA v. RH pitching and .167 BA v. LH pitching. Seems clear how to use him effectively.

[palmspringstwinsfan]

I was dreaming that our GM called the Cinncy GM during the recent series and offered Larnach (and someone else/cash) to the Reds for Spencer Steer. Twins could use a right handed 1B/OF and the Reds need a left handed bat. Oh well it was just a dream. Now I’m dreaming that Keaschall moves to 1B, Lee to 2B and Kreidler to SS to improve the defense. A guy can dream can’t he?

[Whitey333]

I know there is a lot of negativity around Larnach and I understand that to a degree.  But this lefty on lefty platooning involving him is interesting.  They platoon him but what about Wallner?  Why is he allowed to play regularly?  He is an equal opportunity strikeout.  He looks bad against both lefties and eighties.  Yest he keeps batting against lefties.  He surely can't be better than zlarnach against lefties.  Can he?