Twins 6, Yankees 1: In Joe Ryan's Pablo López Moment, Twins Win First Series at Yankee Stadium in 12 Years

[JD-TWINS]

30 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

There were opportunities to play him in CF when Buxton was out.  That was a real missed opportunity and now moving forward who knows where the opportunity will come from.  But a good manager keeps all his players sharp and can find playing time for everyone.

Kreidler played well in CF & contributed offensively……..you are obviously a proponent of Fedko……..that’s a tough guy to back. Fedko should be displaced, after the break.

[bean5302]

52 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

There were opportunities to play him in CF when Buxton was out.  That was a real missed opportunity and now moving forward who knows where the opportunity will come from.  But a good manager keeps all his players sharp and can find playing time for everyone.

2026 Kyler Fedko = 2025 DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. 

This was the expected outcome for Fedko. He's overmatched at the plate vs. MLB pitchers. Fedko's literally whiffing on fastballs in the zone. Players debuting after age 25 are almost never successful because of a talent gap, but its dramatically easier for a player at the cusp to keep chasing their dream now that it's not so financially crippling. Polish and hard work can carry a player a long way in the minors. It's not enough at the MLB level. The elite talent needs to be there, and Fedko doesn't have that. He's still one of the best baseball players in the world, but it doesn't take 6 years in the minors for a college draft pick with MLB talent to force themselves onto an MLB roster. It just doesn't.

The Twins also viewed Fedko as a long shot, but with potential value as a pinch runner, defensive replacement, occasional spot starter they weren't concerned with burning clock/options.

Fedko is a fun story, but folks expecting him to be good at the MLB level were really setting themselves up for disappointment. There are better every day options like Roden. If the Twins were absolutely out of it and not trying or they had moved on from Martin, traded Larnach and Buxton was definitely going to be out for a month plus, sure, start Fedko more.

The Twins are trying to win ball games right now. Fedko's not getting playing time unless he earns it right out of the gate.

[HarmonK03]

34 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Kreidler played well in CF & contributed offensively……..you are obviously a proponent of Fedko……..that’s a tough guy to back. Fedko should be displaced, after the break.

I think Kreidler was adequate in CF but by putting him there you had Gray at SS.  So what is the better defensive alignment Gray and Kreidler or Kriedler at SS and Fedko in CF.    I am not necessarily a proponent of Fedko but I do feel his production in St. Paul earned him a call.  And if you bring somebody up they should be given some opportunity.  And the opportunity was there with Buxton out for a few days.  And it's not like we have All Stars at every position that you can't give somebody a day off to give him some AB's.  My main frustration was asking him to go into yesterday's game basically unprepared.  He hadn't had a plate appearance in 12 games.  That is poor roster management and you need to keep all players sharp.  This is something TK did really well.

[stringer bell]

In the last two years, the Twins have employed Keirsey Jr., McCusker, Outman and Fedko as last man on the bench outfielders. None really had a chance to play a lot and none were able to graduate from that role to gain more playing time. In 2023, Willi Castro started the season in that role, but due to extreme versatility and good performance he eventually became a regular player.

Outman had the longest leash since he had had some success in MLB, but he just didn't hit enough. McCusker had the shortest run because his only real tool was power and he never got a ball over the fence. Fedko is closer to McCusker than Outman or Keirsey Jr. He runs okay and "can play center", but he really isn't a center fielder IMHO. 

[HarmonK03]

23 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

2026 Kyler Fedko = 2025 DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. 

This was the expected outcome for Fedko. He's overmatched at the plate vs. MLB pitchers. Fedko's literally whiffing on fastballs in the zone. Players debuting after age 25 are almost never successful because of a talent gap, but its dramatically easier for a player at the cusp to keep chasing their dream now that it's not so financially crippling. Polish and hard work can carry a player a long way in the minors. It's not enough at the MLB level. The elite talent needs to be there, and Fedko doesn't have that. He's still one of the best baseball players in the world, but it doesn't take 6 years in the minors for a college draft pick with MLB talent to force themselves onto an MLB roster. It just doesn't.

The Twins also viewed Fedko as a long shot, but with potential value as a pinch runner, defensive replacement, occasional spot starter they weren't concerned with burning clock/options.

Fedko is a fun story, but folks expecting him to be good at the MLB level were really setting themselves up for disappointment. There are better every day options like Roden. If the Twins were absolutely out of it and not trying or they had moved on from Martin, traded Larnach and Buxton was definitely going to be out for a month plus, sure, start Fedko more.

The Twins are trying to win ball games right now. Fedko's not getting playing time unless he earns it right out of the gate.

If he can't contribute to a winning team then he should not have been called up.  He had no chance ever to earn playing time.  I am not saying he could be a productive player or not.  There are countless stories of players with similar coming up and having some success even for a limited time.  So just to write him off because he spent six years in the minors then again why call him up.  You need to use your whole roster, this is not a team of stars, there were opportunities to get him some playing time.  They played Gray ahead of him, don't tell me he couldn't have started a couple of games in CF with Buck out.  It seems awfully like a knee jerk reaction to write him off after 17 plate appearances.  This team will try anyone with a pulse on the mound but on the position side, I am not sure what their criteria is.

[stringer bell]

2 minutes ago, HarmonK03 said:

I think Kreidler was adequate in CF but by putting him there you had Gray at SS.  So what is the better defensive alignment Gray and Kreidler or Kriedler at SS and Fedko in CF.    I am not necessarily a proponent of Fedko but I do feel his production in St. Paul earned him a call.  And if you bring somebody up they should be given some opportunity.  And the opportunity was there with Buxton out for a few days.  And it's not like we have All Stars at every position that you can't give somebody a day off to give him some AB's.  My main frustration was asking him to go into yesterday's game basically unprepared.  He hadn't had a plate appearance in 12 games.  That is poor roster management and you need to keep all players sharp.  This is something TK did really well.

The current setup for rosters often leaves a spot for a guy with no direct way to get at-bats. Nine starters, a backup catcher, a backup utility infielder and platoon-type outfielder and .......the 13th guy. That's Fedko today and has been other guys in the past--Outman, Keirsey, McCusker. Health and platoon advantage can get more time on the field. If Fedko had the platoon advantage, he probably would have gotten those starts over Gray, but the Twins faced right handers when Buck was out.

[HarmonK03]

57 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

The current setup for rosters often leaves a spot for a guy with no direct way to get at-bats. Nine starters, a backup catcher, a backup utility infielder and platoon-type outfielder and .......the 13th guy. That's Fedko today and has been other guys in the past--Outman, Keirsey, McCusker. Health and platoon advantage can get more time on the field. If Fedko had the platoon advantage, he probably would have gotten those starts over Gray, but the Twins faced right handers when Buck was out.

And this is the problem, when you are playing with a shorter bench vs years past you need 13 players that can contribute.  The roster construction and the philosophy behind it keeps putting the team in a tough spot.  Yesterday was a great example, you asked a player who hasn't had an AB in 12 days to come in and try to contribute.  It doesn't matter the name, that is not putting the player in the best position to be successful.  

There was no reason not to play Fedko a couple of the games Buxtpm was out, Kreidler does not show a clear advantage defensively over Fedko in CF and it weakened another position.  I thought they moved Luke off of 2B because of defense. They are not consistent in this regard.

I am trying to enjoy the weekend series win because it was great.  But I want more, I want a team that can consistently win.  And this team is no different than years past right now, they are going to struggle to be anything other than a .500 team at best with the flaws they have.  I feel the front office is influencing a lot of these decisions and until Zoll is gone or a new head of baseball is brought in we are not going to have a clear consistent plan of what this team wants to do to be a winning team.

[bean5302]

3 hours ago, HarmonK03 said:

If he can't contribute to a winning team then he should not have been called up.  He had no chance ever to earn playing time.  I am not saying he could be a productive player or not.  There are countless stories of players with similar coming up and having some success even for a limited time.  So just to write him off because he spent six years in the minors then again why call him up.  You need to use your whole roster, this is not a team of stars, there were opportunities to get him some playing time.  They played Gray ahead of him, don't tell me he couldn't have started a couple of games in CF with Buck out.  It seems awfully like a knee jerk reaction to write him off after 17 plate appearances.  This team will try anyone with a pulse on the mound but on the position side, I am not sure what their criteria is.

It's not based on 17 plate appearances. It's based on 1,866 plate appearances across 6 years in the minors, plus how he's looked at the plate in his 17 plate appearances at the MLB level.

Fedko struggled at levels he should have dominated, he slowly moved up the ladder and continued to frequently struggle. xwOBA is a lot more valuable than wOBA when it comes to evaluating how a player looks vs. traditional values. 

Players with talent do not follow this pattern. Top college draft picks make MLB in 1-2 years. Legit prospect college picks make MLB in 3-4 years.

Fedko was not called up because the Twins were planning on playing him as a regular. He was called up to be a defensive replacement in CF when Buxton wasn't playing, to be a pinch runner and give the regulars a spot of rest when deemed necessary. That bit player role is exactly why the Twins chose Fedko. They didn't want to waste service time of legitimate prospects filling a role like Fedko's being asked to fill. Harsh, but truth.

 

[HarmonK03]

1 minute ago, bean5302 said:

It's not based on 17 plate appearances. It's based on 1,866 plate appearances across 6 years in the minors, plus how he's looked at the plate in his 17 plate appearances at the MLB level.

Fedko struggled at levels he should have dominated, he slowly moved up the ladder and continued to frequently struggle. xwOBA is a lot more valuable than wOBA when it comes to evaluating how a player looks vs. traditional values. 

Players with talent do not follow this pattern. Top college draft picks make MLB in 1-2 years. Legit prospect college picks make MLB in 3-4 years.

Fedko was not called up because the Twins were planning on playing him as a regular. He was called up to be a defensive replacement in CF when Buxton wasn't playing, to be a pinch runner and give the regulars a spot of rest when deemed necessary. That bit player role is exactly why the Twins chose Fedko. They didn't want to waste service time of legitimate prospects filling a role like Fedko's being asked to fill. Harsh, but truth.

How are you wasting Roden's service time by having him up here over Fedko.  You need 13 players that can play.  And he was not called up to spell Buxton because he didn't play when he was out.  This issue is more about roster mismanagement than one player.

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

If Fedko had the platoon advantage, he probably would have gotten those starts over Gray, but the Twins faced right handers when Buck was out.

My guess is that this is correct. Gray has been frustrating recently but he hit well early in the season. Gray has some limited history whereas Fedko has none at the MLB level. Kreidler is the superior defender at both shortstop and centerfield, so he gets starts. It is a really tough spot for Fedko and I have empathy for him. Additionally, Fedko is a player who goes on runs, at least as shown in the minor leagues. Sometimes that is multiple games in a row with several extra base hits but other times he does have spurts where he swings and misses frequently. Fedko playing very sporadically is very difficult. The best 13th guy on the roster players are usually veterans.

While I feel for Kyler Fedko and found myself urging him on to get a hit more than I ever would for a regular player, I do believe Shelton is managing correctly.

[DJL44]

Fedko has also struggled with every level promotion. I think the Twins are doing him a favor by letting him fail in limited exposure so he knows what he needs to work on to improve.

[Squirrel]

MODERATOR NOTE: Please keep your posts to baseball and not on individual posters, no matter how much you might disagree. And leave name calling out of the equation.

Thank you.

[David HK]

When I remember all the really good teams we've sent to the Bronx over these lost years, only for have them to wilt in the lights of the Stadium, and roll over and play dead for their masters.  To take this marginal team with holes the size of the Grand Canyon there, and kick their @$$, well, I'll take it.

I'll take it.  Well done, boys.

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, HarmonK03 said:

How are you wasting Roden's service time by having him up here over Fedko.  You need 13 players that can play.  And he was not called up to spell Buxton because he didn't play when he was out.  This issue is more about roster mismanagement than one player.

Roden was literally just activated from a two month IL stint when the Twins called up Fedko to replace Outman. While I agree the Twins shouldn't waste a roster spot on a guy with a role of pinch runner, occasional defensive replacement, they've been doing that for years now.

If your argument is Fedko shouldn't have been called up because he's not MLB worthy, I'd agree. His expected performance in AAA is league average, and that's where he'll settle after he's demoted. He'll almost certainly turn right back into a pumpkin just like DaShawn Keirsey did.

If your argument is this front office is poor at roster management; wasting a roster spot on a guy who will only play 5% of the time, I'd also agree.

If your argument is the Twins should have called up Roden (who was literally activated from what might as well have been a 60 day IL trip that day, I'd say I disagree since Roden would be rusty as the Titanic.

[Riverbrian]

5 hours ago, bean5302 said:

2026 Kyler Fedko = 2025 DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. 

This was the expected outcome for Fedko. He's overmatched at the plate vs. MLB pitchers. Fedko's literally whiffing on fastballs in the zone. Players debuting after age 25 are almost never successful because of a talent gap, but its dramatically easier for a player at the cusp to keep chasing their dream now that it's not so financially crippling. Polish and hard work can carry a player a long way in the minors. It's not enough at the MLB level. The elite talent needs to be there, and Fedko doesn't have that. He's still one of the best baseball players in the world, but it doesn't take 6 years in the minors for a college draft pick with MLB talent to force themselves onto an MLB roster. It just doesn't.

The Twins also viewed Fedko as a long shot, but with potential value as a pinch runner, defensive replacement, occasional spot starter they weren't concerned with burning clock/options.

Fedko is a fun story, but folks expecting him to be good at the MLB level were really setting themselves up for disappointment. There are better every day options like Roden. If the Twins were absolutely out of it and not trying or they had moved on from Martin, traded Larnach and Buxton was definitely going to be out for a month plus, sure, start Fedko more.

The Twins are trying to win ball games right now. Fedko's not getting playing time unless he earns it right out of the gate.

For those reading along. Please consider that the Baseball Savant Page copied and pasted is for 17 AB's at the MLB Level in 2026... 17 AB's that occurred over a stretch of 18 baseball games.  

Just out of curiosity. 

How did Kody Clemens look... in let's say 2024 at the age of 28? 

[h2oface]

On 7/5/2026 at 6:27 PM, strumdatjag said:

Hey, the Twins have had GRANT BALL-FOUR and James OUT-man, why not add Woo-Suk-Go.     First we “woo” him and then…

And…. A 34 year old pitcher they paid 7 million who could barely take the field (8 total innings due to injury in the shortened 2020 season), Homer Bailey. He did have 2 no-hitters with Cincinnati, 

[Mike Sixel]

9 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

For those reading along. Please consider that the Baseball Savant Page copied and pasted is for 17 AB's at the MLB Level in 2026... 17 AB's that occurred over a stretch of 18 baseball games.  

Just out of curiosity. 

How did Kody Clemens look... in let's say 2024 at the age of 28? 

The odds of anyone starting that way being good are very low.......very. Pointing out outliers doesn't prove much.

I'd DFA Gray, and call up Roden, and play one of those two in CF when Buxton isn't playing.....or when Buck is DH (that's not great for having Bell....).

[Riverbrian]

7 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

The odds of anyone starting that way being good are very low.......very. Pointing out outliers doesn't prove much.

I'd DFA Gray, and call up Roden, and play one of those two in CF when Buxton isn't playing.....or when Buck is DH (that's not great for having Bell....).

Alright... here we go again. I've gotten myself into a position where folks will get the impression that I'm a Fedko fan and I'm going to be forced to take a pro-Fedko position.

LET ME BE CLEAR... I'm not heading down that rabbit hole again. Let me be clear... I'm not pro or anti-Fedko. I have no idea. And let me be clear. You don't either. There is a high probability that Fedko will be a below average player if given the opportunity to be a below average player but it sure appears that he won't be allowed to become even below average. 

The only thing that I will bet the house, wife and kids on is this: Kyler Fedko will not make it if he is just another pinch running, late inning defensive specialist and if that's the case... GET HIM OFF THE ROSTER NOW!!! It isn't necessary to draw hard lines on what could be very thin margins but these lines are drawn because a line has to be drawn somewhere.  

In this particular category... That's all we have are outliers. Every single Kody Clemens is an outlier. BTW... Can we add Kriedler to the outlier category? It's a miracle that there are outliers to be found at all. 

Let me ask you a question. These outliers that you speak of... this grouping of players. Who belongs in this outlier grouping? Is it a talent issue that grants you membership? Does Clemens get to be an outlier because he sucks? 

Are they outliers because AJ Hinch force fed the new big money free agent Javier Baez 590 PA's and the 30 year old vet Jonathan Schoop 510 PA's and the 28 year Jaimer Candelario 429 PA's and the former 1st pick overall Spencer Torkelson 404 PA's in 2022. 

BTW... Can we add Willi Castro to this outlier group along Kriedler and Clemens. Willi got 392 PA's on this 66-96 Detroit Tigers team and was DFA'd for his efforts. 

How do you get into this outlier category or grouping? Is it because... they sucked and suddenly started not sucking or is it possible that Rob Thomsen liked Bryce Harper better? Maybe Thomsen liked Schwarber, Bohm and Bryson Stott better? Never mind that Bryson Stott has never really hit the ball in his life but he got 571 plate appearances. 

Would Clemens be an outlier if he started with the Twins 1 for 10 in 2025? I doubt it. Some players get chance after chance. Most players have to perform immediately,,, like RIGHT NOW to get another chance. Clemens get to be an outlier because he went 8 for 18 after sitting for two weeks while the Twins auditioned Jonah Bride after half the team got hurt. Yeah he's an outlier. Of course he is. A miracle had to happen for him to be an outlier. 

But... Let me be clear... I'm not going to get painted into some Pro Fedko Corner.  

HarmonKO3 is making valid points. 

 

[stringer bell]

Here are some generalizations: LH hitters and pitchers get more chances than RH hitters and pitchers. High draft choices get more chances than undrafted or low draft choices. Guys with above-average tools get more chances than guys without such tools. That is the unfair world of MLB.

Fedko was a low draft choice, he hits right handed and his tools are more average than above average. He's gotten a chance because of good numbers in the high minors, but the window is pretty small to climb through. 

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Here are some generalizations: LH hitters and pitchers get more chances than RH hitters and pitchers. High draft choices get more chances than undrafted or low draft choices. Guys with above-average tools get more chances than guys without such tools. That is the unfair world of MLB.

Fedko was a low draft choice, he hits right handed and his tools are more average than above average. He's gotten a chance because of good numbers in the high minors, but the window is pretty small to climb through. 

Yep exactly 

And in most cases... that small window gets shut by his superiors while a player is half way in the window with a 26 man roster spot.  

I'd like the team to roster players that they believe in. If they don't believe in them. Don't roster them. 

BTW... Here's another small sample interesting point. Please take note that I said small sample before I typed interesting point. Fedko has made 4 starts. The Twins are 3-1 in those games. They got clobbered 12-3 by the Dodgers in the one loss so I'm not sure that his presence in a lineup has been detriment despite his 0-17 start to his scattered opportunity small sample career. 

I get it... The Twins are currently the top offense in the American League. In the past 30 days the Twins have had a full lineup of players who are doing quite well.

Larnach, Bell and Buxton all have an OPS over 1,000 in the past 30 days. 

Caratini, Keaschall, Clemens, Lewis, Lee and... and Alex Jackson all have an OPS over .800 in the past 30 days.

Kriedler has a decent .749 OPS in the past 30 days. 

That's 10 players who deserve to play with a lineup card that holds 9 over the past 30 days.

Martin and Gray have not been performing and Fedko is not allowed to perform. If I was the manager... I'd be letting those hitting keep hitting. I get it.

However, things are going to change and you gotta prepare for the change that is going to come. Buxton... is he hurt? WIll Larnach get hurt? Clemens? Do they all of sudden turn to Fedko with the Buxton injury? Hope those 17 AB's have prepared him for that? I also think it's quite possible that any of those 10 players go in the tank for a stretch because baseball is baseball and it roller coasters every single year. The next 30 days could be the Mariners current 30 days with a team OPS of .631... With Dominic Canzone the top dog on the team with a .961 OPS. 

BTW... The Twins are 3rd in Team OPS over the past 30 days with a team .830. As amazing as the Twins have been over the past 30 days. The Rockies and Marlins are #1 and #2. How many of Karros, Rumfield, McCarthy, Carrigg, Goodman, Sullivan, Moniak, Johnston and Sterlin Thompson are outliers? How many of Stowers, Lopez, Pauley, Mack, Hernandez, Esteury Ruiz (Who has been passed around from organization to organization), Caissie, Hicks and Sanoja are outliers? I don't know but all of the players listed are out playing Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez over the past 30 days. 

But... somehow... we know who should get the window shut on them.

I sure don't know. I will raise my hand and state... I don't know. 

[Riverbrian]

And with all of that said... I personally believe that Shelton has done a great job with the utilization of the majority of his entire roster. At least in comparison to what Rocco was doing in previous years.