3 Early Surprises for the Twins

Dylan Bundy Strong Starts
When the Twins signed Dylan Bundy, he looked like a veteran pitcher that would add depth to the back of the starting rotation. He was coming off a terrible season for the Angels, where he posted a 6.06 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. It was easy not to get too excited about what he could mean to the Twins based on his previous performance. However, he has faced two potential playoff teams, and his season couldn’t have started much better. 

Against Seattle, he pitched five shutout innings while only allowing one hit. On Monday in Boston, he pitched into the sixth inning while racking up six strikeouts and limiting a potent Red Sox lineup to one run. This year, his most significant improvement is a big jump in chase rate as he ranks in the 92nd percentile. His slider, which he uses against righties, resulted in a 60 Whiff%. Bundy is also using his changeup more regularly, so these will be trends to watch in his future starts. 

Carlos Correa’s Cold Bat
Carlos Correa is coming off a tumultuous winter where he tested free agency for the first time, changed agents, and arrived at spring training after other players. Maybe all of those aspects impact his on-field performance, or he is just in the middle of a rough patch. Either way, he is off to the worst start of his career with a .595 OPS with three extra-base hits in the team’s first nine games. Minnesota was certainly expecting more from Correa, and he was likely expecting more from himself. 

His cold start also brings up another intriguing aspect for the years ahead. Minnesota signed him to a three-year contract with opt-outs at the end of each season. Correa was likely hoping to hit the free-agent market again next winter as he entered his age-28 season and cash in on an even more lucrative deal. If he has a poor performance in 2022, he may reconsider staying with the Twins for 2023. That decision is a long way off at this point, and Twins fans hope his bat warms up as the weather improves. 

Jhoan Duran’s Strikeout Totals
Fans were excited to see what Jhoan Duran could add to the Twins bullpen, especially those that have followed his minor league career. His appearances have turned into must-watch TV with his triple-digit fastball and his already famous splinker. Duran has racked up some strikeout numbers in limited action. Across six innings, he has 11 strikeouts which rank second among all relievers in baseball. The only pitcher ahead of him has appeared in three more games than Duran and pitched one more inning.

It will be interesting to see how the Twins use Duran throughout the rest of the season. Minnesota will likely watch his innings pitched and his time between appearances with his previous injury history. Duran has already made appearances in close games during the late-innings. He will likely serve in a closer role at some point in the future, but will he get those opportunities in 2022?

Which of these surprises stands out most to you? Are there other surprises on the team? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.