Week in Review: 'Better' vs. 'Good Enough'

[Cory Moen]

Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

 

Week in a Nutshell
Last week saw the Twins face a couple of AL Central opponents. A week after losing two of three to the White Sox in Chicago, they saw the Sox for another three games, this time at home. They then welcomed the last-place Kansas City Royals in a four-game set. 

They went 3-4 in an up-and-down week, taking two of three from Chicago but then allowing the limping Royals to claim three of four. The Twins will start this week with an off day, before visiting the Tigers in Detroit. This weekend, they'll loop back to Target Field and encounter the Cardinals.

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 6/1 through Sun 6/7
Record: 3-4
Run Differential: -5
Standing: 3rd Place in AL Central (7 GB)

Game-by-Game Results: 

Game 61 | MIN 9, CWS 6: Twins Snap Five-Game Skid Behind Tristan Gray's Grand Slam

• Tristan Gray: 1-3, HR, 5 RBI

Game 62 | MIN 6, CWS 4: As Connor Prielipp Learns Ropes, Twins Rally Past White Sox

• Keaschall, Gray, Jackson: 6-12, 5 RBI

Game 63 | CWS 8, MIN 0: Twins Get Shut Out for The First Time This Season In Loss to White Sox

• Buxton, Lee, Larnach: 0-11, 1 BB

Game 64 | KC 8, MIN 6: It was Like Tug-of-War Between Two Pigs in the Mud

• Caratini: 3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Game 65 | MIN 5, KC 3: Sixth Inning Ambush Fuels Comeback Win

• Matthews: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

Game 66 | KC 3, MIN 2: Late-Inning Momentum Swings and Costly Mistake Decide the Game

• Ryan: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K

Game 67 | KC 6, MIN 5: Cameron Dominates Twins Again, Rally Falls Short As Royals Take Series

• Morris: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K

NEWS & NOTES
One of the bigger news items from this past week was the Twins trading right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. This came after the Twins designated him for assignment or release after Woods Richardson started 0-7 with a 7.74 ERA and a 6.17 FIP. As they try to cobble together a viable bullpen, meanwhile, they acquired righty reliever Justin Lawrence from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lawrence has made three appearances for the Twins, throwing 2 ⅔ innings, striking out four with three walks, and giving up zero runs.

Royce Lewis was recalled after tearing up Triple-A pitching. He's played two games (one at second base and one at first base) since being recalled. He'll probably move around the diamond for a while, depending on who else is in the lineup on any given day. The Twins pulled the trigger quickly on returning him to the big leagues, and will have to hope he rediscovers the magic that made him a good hitter until about August 2024.

HIGHLIGHTS
The Joe Ryan Experience has continued, with Ryan throwing another very good start against the Royals on Saturday. This came after throwing six innings against the White Sox on Monday night, giving up four runs over six innings—good enough for his fourth win on the season, though not good enough to satisfy Ryan. He's been solid for the majority of the year, with a 4-3 record and a 3.07 ERA over 14 starts. The closer it gets to the trade deadline, the more Ryan's name will come up in national conversations.

Another highlight from the week came in that Monday night contest, when Tristan Gray hit a grand slam in the fourth inning off White Sox starter David Sandlin. The grand slam helped the Twins to a 9-6 win over the second-place Sox. 

On Friday, Zebby Matthews threw seven innings, giving up two runs, which was a nice bounce-back after a tough previous appearance. This was a solid start for a rotation suddenly looking for more depth, after some of the depth has disappeared due to injuries or poor performance. 

LOWLIGHTS
Unfortunately, Byron Buxton was taken out of the game on Friday night after making a catch and running into the wall in center field. He was officially removed with an injury to the same shoulder he injured earlier in the season. He is considered day-to-day, and the Twins are hoping and expecting him to return for Tuesday’s series opener against the Tigers—but it's not a great sign that he wasn't available to pinch-hit with the game on the line Sunday afternoon.

The Twins' bullpen has been a storyline all year, and the inconsistencies showed this past week. The bullpen threw 27 innings over the seven games, which is more than you typically want a shaky bullpen to throw over a seven-game stretch. They had a few good outings, but the 5.24 relief ERA and their -0.60 WPA tell the real story. The latter figure was fourth-worst in the majors.

TRENDING STORYLINES
Another thing to keep an eye on is how Connor Prielipp is adjusting to hitters adjusting to him. His start against the White Sox on Tuesday was a nice (though not dominant) rebound after two difficult outings. The follow-up on Sunday was similarly good, but equally un-great. Prielipp has had ups and downs, but his development into a solid starting pitcher is one of the most important things to track throughout this season for Minnesota.

Matt Wallner is looking to follow in Lewis’s footsteps and earn a call back up to the big-league club. He's been crushing Triple-A pitching to the tune of .275/.359/.897 since being demoted in mid-May, with five home runs, six doubles, and eight walks over 80 at-bats. If he continues this hot stretch, he could be back at Target Field in short order. 

Speaking of crushing Triple-A pitching, former first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper has looked the part of a top prospect this year, hitting 14 home runs in 56 games played with the Saints, recording a .862 OPS along with 13 stolen bases. With Lewis changing positions and Brooks Lee moving to third base, don’t be surprised to see Culpepper with the Twins in the very near future, if he continues to produce at the level he has so far this year. 

LOOKING AHEAD
The Twins start the week with a long-awaited off day. Their last day off was Thursday, May 21. They'll head to Detroit and play three games against the Tigers, who have (surprisingly) struggled this year. Both clubs are looking to turn things around before it gets too late. The Twins would love to take advantage of a struggling rival before hosting the second-place Cardinals. It should be a fun and interesting week.

• MONDAY, JUNE 8: OFF DAY
• TUESDAY, JUNE 9: TWINS @ TIGERS - RHP Taj Bradley vs RHP Troy Melton
• WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10: TWINS @ TIGERS - TBD vs LHP Framber Valdez
• THURSDAY, JUNE 11: TWINS @ TIGERS - RHP Zebby Matthews vs RHP Keider Montero
• FRIDAY, JUNE 12: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD
• SATURDAY, JUNE 13: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD
• SUNDAY, JUNE 14: CARDINALS @ TWINS - TBD vs TBD

•  

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[Peter]

Thinking 4-7 wins this week!!! We need to have winning week/start taking series-KC was series we should’ve won 3 or swept them! Gomez needs to be our closer-also twins desperately need ober/rojas/able back!!! I’ll still continue to watch every game as twins aren’t as bad as some of you suggest 

[mikelink45]

The big question isn't if Wallner should come up, but rather can Lewis find success in MLB after shining in AAA?  Short term he has not looked great in two games - let's hope he catches lightning in his bat soon.

Prielipp is pitching well below his expectations.  After watching Pittsburgh's young pitchers blossom it is time for one of ours to shine.

When Culpepper comes up which of the Gray, Kreidler, Arcia trio leaves?

Can Martin regain the batting mojo that he had for the first two months?

Will we ever score enough so Ryan can win as many games as he deserves?

When does a pitcher return from his injuries?  We need a starter. I was disappointed that Morris did not take advantage of his work as an opener and when a rotation spot. Will they try Parades in one of the TBD slots?

[thelanges5]

I keep hearing and reading about the Twins playing against the struggling Royals and Tigers. Well KC just took 3 at Target Field and the Tigers have won 4 of their last 5. Twins are 3-7 in the last 10, they are the team heading in the wrong direction here. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Honestly this well written summary of the past week was just depressing to me.  Instead of being slightly above average, the Twins were slightly below average. This season is just like the past Twins' seasons and this season  will not end with a bang, but with a whimper. 

[Bracky]

3 hours ago, Peter said:

Thinking 4-7 wins this week!!! We need to have winning week/start taking series-KC was series we should’ve won 3 or swept them! Gomez needs to be our closer-also twins desperately need ober/rojas/able back!!! I’ll still continue to watch every game as twins aren’t as bad as some of you suggest 

I feel this. I'll keep tuning in. I don't know, but for me some parts of this year are still more fun than others recently. No good logical explanation as to why. 

[thelanges5]

3 hours ago, Peter said:

Thinking 4-7 wins this week!!! We need to have winning week/start taking series-KC was series we should’ve won 3 or swept them! Gomez needs to be our closer-also twins desperately need ober/rojas/able back!!! I’ll still continue to watch every game as twins aren’t as bad as some of you suggest 

Not sure what to make of this Detroit series, but after that is a pretty tough stretch - St. Louis, at Texas, at Arizona, and then the Dodgers. 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Honestly this well written summary of the past week was just depressing to me.  Instead of being slightly above average, the Twins were slightly below average. This season is just like the past Twins' seasons and this season  will not end with a bang, but with a whimper. 

Never give up. Hope is eternal. The last decent season was when three rookies led the team. It can happen again.

[Blyleven2011]

24 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Never give up. Hope is eternal. The last decent season was when three rookies led the team. It can happen again.

Glory days , well they will pass you by in a wink of a young girls eye ...

2 of them are not on the roster , wallner AAA and Julien playing for the Rockies ...

Lewis underperforming and we are hoping for a turnaround  ...

[tony&rodney]

51 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Glory days , well they will pass you by in a wink of a young girls eye ...

2 of them are not on the roster , wallner AAA and Julien playing for the Rockies ...

Lewis underperforming and we are hoping for a turnaround  ...

My money is on Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins, and Emmanuel Rodriguez all surpassing the trio of Lewis, Julien, and Wallner. Look to the future. At the close of the 2023 season I suggested the Twins cash in all three of those rookies. Lewis had high value and both Julien and Wallner only had futures as DH guys for a good team. The next group has a significantly better set of baseball tools. 

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

Disappointing week.

The bullpen has lost so many games this season. Theres a couple decent arms there, but a lot of inconsistencies too. Shelton needs to quit messing around with this closer by committee and stick with Gomez. His response to dropping those ineffective pitches has been great. Banda seems to have turned it around after a very rough start. Morris and Adams just aren't ready yet, but pitching up here out of necessity. Rogers and Orze have looked good one night and questionable the next. Outside of Banda and Gomez, I dont trust anyone else. 

Clemens is having such a great season so far. Solid to very good defense wherever he's playing. The bat has been more consistent than in the past. Its been really good to watch. Buck and Jeffers playing well, too. Unfortunately both are injured. 

But the rest of the team has been pretty awful. Larnach has been ... ok ... but I'm still not a fan of his defense. Martin went from great to unplayable. Atleast his defense has been good. Bell is so bad. Brooks Lee keeps flirting with being an average bat, but we need so much more from him. Hopefully his defensive number improve with the move to 3B. I thought Keaschall was turning it around but hes ice cold again. His defense is below average, too. Caratini has been awful. We'll see what happens with Lewis, but early results are not inspiring. 

At this point, I just dont understand why the guys mashing at AAA aren't getting a look. Fedko, Sabato, etc. They really cant be any worse than what we have. 

[Saxophone Joe]

Credit where it's due - Vic Caratani stepped up and had a great week. I think he batted close to .400? Jackson had a couple of great plays on Friday, too. 

[RpR]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

My money is on Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins, and Emmanuel Rodriguez all surpassing the trio of Lewis, Julien, and Wallner.....

WELL, as Ziggy said quite correctly: "Remember a couple of years ago when there was a lot of chatter about how great it will be when Lee, Martin and Lewis would man the infield.'

aLTHOUGH - It would be hard not to surpass, any of the rookies, from the Twins system,  that came up recently. 👽

[Hunter4848]

1 hour ago, RpR said:

WELL, as Ziggy said quite correctly: "Remember a couple of years ago when there was a lot of chatter about how great it will be when Lee, Martin and Lewis would man the infield.'

aLTHOUGH - It would be hard not to surpass, any of the rookies, from the Twins system,  that came up recently. 👽

Be hard not to surpass the collection of veteran players that the Pohlads have assembled...

[tony&rodney]

3 hours ago, RpR said:

WELL, as Ziggy said quite correctly: "Remember a couple of years ago when there was a lot of chatter about how great it will be when Lee, Martin and Lewis would man the infield.'

aLTHOUGH - It would be hard not to surpass, any of the rookies, from the Twins system,  that came up recently. 👽

No comparison.

[RpR]

24 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

No comparison.

Same clutter, different pile.

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, RpR said:

Same clutter, different pile.

Not at all. You need to consider that change happens. We are going to die some day. Different players take the place of those who are currently in place. It happens and nobody and nothing can stop time. There are players who are better and those who are not. Kirby Puckett arrived as a surprise singles hitter who held down CF. Everyone can have their own opinion on the next guys but they are coming. 

You may think that the prospects like Culpepper, Jenkins, etc. are the same as Julien, Wallner, etc., which is your right on this site, but I will suggest the next crew fields better, runs better, and will hit better. Choose the negative, laugh, and down vote but that only brands one as stuck in a bad place of negative thought. Finally, those who have negative views of the minor league players, please tell me you have watched at least 25 games to form your opinion as opposed to looking at lame data.

[theBOMisthebomb]

10 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Not at all. You need to consider that change happens. We are going to die some day. Different players take the place of those who are currently in place. It happens and nobody and nothing can stop time. There are players who are better and those who are not. Kirby Puckett arrived as a surprise singles hitter who held down CF. Everyone can have their own opinion on the next guys but they are coming. 

You may think that the prospects like Culpepper, Jenkins, etc. are the same as Julien, Wallner, etc., which is your right on this site, but I will suggest the next crew fields better, runs better, and will hit better. Choose the negative, laugh, and down vote but that only brands one as stuck in a bad place of negative thought. Finally, those who have negative views of the minor league players, please tell me you have watched at least 25 games to form your opinion as opposed to looking at lame data.

25 minor league games watched to have an opinion on a prospect? That's a demanding standard. I'm guessing most of the national writers don't have that many games watched on a prospect before publishing an opinion. 

[tony&rodney]

23 minutes ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

25 minor league games watched to have an opinion on a prospect? That's a demanding standard. I'm guessing most of the national writers don't have that many games watched on a prospect before publishing an opinion. 

Tune in and get a decent sample of the prospects. 

[RpR]

23 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Not at all. You need to consider that change happens. We are going to die some day. Different players take the place of those who are currently in place. It happens and nobody and nothing can stop time. There are players who are better and those who are not. Kirby Puckett arrived as a surprise singles hitter who held down CF. Everyone can have their own opinion on the next guys but they are coming. 

You may think that the prospects like Culpepper, Jenkins, etc. are the same as Julien, Wallner, etc., which is your right on this site, but I will suggest the next crew fields better, runs better, and will hit better. Choose the negative, laugh, and down vote but that only brands one as stuck in a bad place of negative thought. Finally, those who have negative views of the minor league players, please tell me you have watched at least 25 games to form your opinion as opposed to looking at lame data.

All the - bring the rookies up - is not based on how good or not good players are, here.

It is based - I want this guy, not that guy. 

I thought Keaschall might be the best rookie since Buxton; I now have rethought that but can see how some here get ideas in their heads , without any thing but their opinion to go by.  He does not have Julien's iron glove and so far he is a 2nd base version of Lee at Short Stop; not terrible but still lacking the range and quickness such spot require..

I will admit I had zero fond views of Wallner and Julien from the get go as they had iron gloves from the get go; Lewis never showed he was more than an average at best rookie, BUT, he had the misfortune of hitting a cluster of bases loaded home runs before the veteran pitchers figured out his style and shut him down.  Larnach has shown this year he can and probably should be a long term player for the Twins ( he was not a favorite of mine either)  but he has listened , adapted and is now doing well, but , so many here want him gone so their favorite rooky can play.

I read Baseball Reference stats. for defense also; and no one at this point looks like they will better, for  a team where defense has been between poor and just plain bad far too long.

Their offense numbers are based on AAA pitching which unless they are facing a rehab veteran, AAA are not what they were 20 years ago for ability, while many on defense by numbers are less than what the Twins have.

 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, RpR said:

All the - bring the rookies up - is not based on how good or not good players are, here.

It is based - I want his guy, not that guy. 

I thought Keaschall might be the best rookie since Buxton; I now have rethought that but can see how some here get ideas in their heads , without any thing but their opinion to go by.  He does not have Julien's iron glove and so far he is a 2nd base version of Lee at Short Stop; not terrible but still lacking the range and quickness such spot require..

I will admit I had zero fond views of Wallner and Julien from the get go as they had iron gloves from the get go; Lewis never showed he was more than an average at best rookie, BUT, he had the misfortune of hitting a cluster of bases loaded home runs before the veteran pitchers figured out his style and shut him down.  Larnach has shown this year he can and probably should be a long term player for the Twins ( he was not a favorite of mine either)  but he has listened , adapted and is now doing well, but , so many here want him gone so their favorite rooky can play.

I read Baseball Reference stats. for defense also; and no one at this point looks like they will better, for  a team where defense has been between poor and just plain bad far too long.

Their offense numbers are based on AAA pitching which unless they are facing a rehab veteran, AAA are not what they were 20 years ago for ability, while many on defense by numbers are less than what the Twins have.

 

Didn't call for the rookies now. In fact I have said Culpepper is more likely in July but late June would not be a surprise. The others are more August calls. The larger point is that there are players with a broader spectrum of skills that are coming and there is hope. The talent takes time and patience is required.