Emilio Pagan's 5 Biggest Meltdowns with the Minnesota Twins

Emilio Pagán meltdowns are like car accidents, they are awful to look at, but you can’t look away. That’s why we’re going to count down Pagán’s five biggest meltdowns with the Minnesota Twins.

5. April 26, 2022 versus the Detroit Tigers
WPA: -0.510

The first entry on the countdown comes in what was just Emilio Pagán’s fifth appearance with the Minnesota Twins at home against the Detroit Tigers. The appearance came on the heels of back-to-back saves for the right hander as he appeared to be working his way up the bullpen pecking order.

Pagán entered the game with a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning, but with some trouble on the base paths with two runners on and one out. Pagán wasted no time in letting the lead slip away as he served up a three-run home run to Javier Baez which gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead. The home run decreased the Twins’ winning percentage in that game by 53%

Thankfully for Pagán, the Minnesota Twins were still able to pull out a win in the bottom of the ninth inning when they scored on a walkoff error from the Tigers’ defense. This being the only meltdown on the list that ended in a Twins win.

4. June 2, 2022 at the Detroit Tigers
WPA: -0.563

The next entry on this list came last season against the same Tigers team. Pagán entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, nursing a 2-1 lead. After allowing a single to Eric Haase , Pagán served up a two-run home run to right-hander Daz Cameron . Cameron’s homer gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead and lowered the Twins’ winning percentage by 57%. The Tigers went on to win the game

3. June 28, 2022 at the Cleveland Guardians
WPA: -0.604

Number three on the list of Pagán meltdowns came in what has been probably the most memorable series of Pagán’s tenure with the Minnesota Twins (memorable in a bad way!). In a two-day span, Pagán gave up two earned runs in back-to-back games, raised his ERA one and a half points, and contributed in a big way to the Twins dropping three out of four games to the rival Cleveland Guardians.

The entry on this list, though, came in the June 28 game against the Guardians in which Pagán entered in the bottom of the eighth inning, with a 2-1 lead against Cleveland. After beginning the inning with back-to-back walks, followed by a wild pitch, Pagán surrendered a single to Amed Rosario which put the Guardians back in the lead and gave them a 3-2 lead by which they would ultimately win the game.

2. May 17, 2023 at the Los Angeles Dodgers
WPA: -0.611

After three consecutive entries coming from last season, the two biggest meltdowns from Pagán’s tenure with the Minnesota Twins have come in this current season.

Number two on the list comes from their series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers when Pagán came into the bottom of the seventh inning, trying to protect a 3-2 lead. After having won the previous day, the Twins were looking to be in a good spot to take the series against the Dodgers on the road, which undoubtedly would have been massive.

José De Leon started off the inning for the Twins with back-to-back strikeouts. After allowing back-to-back singles, Pagán came into the game to try to get the final out of the inning.

The bottom of the seventh inning went completely pear-shaped, though, when Pagán surrendered back-to-back walks (the second of which forcing in a run) followed by a grand slam from James Outman. After entering the inning up a run, the Twins exited the inning down 7-3, ending the game and their hope at a series win against the Dodgers.

1. June 11, 2023 at the Toronto Blue Jays
WPA: -0.680

Number one on the list of the biggest meltdowns from Emilio Pagán with the Minnesota Twins is one that is fresh in everyone’s mind right now, his Sunday meltdown in Toronto.

Pagán entered this one in the bottom of the eighth inning with a two-run lead. Immediately, Pagán showed that he did not have it at all, as he surrendered back-to-back singles, followed immediately by a 423-foot bomb by the ever-struggling Cavan Biggio . The three-run shot gave the Blue Jays a 7-6 lead that they would not surrender and gave the Twins a loss, preventing them from taking a sweep of the Jays.

Which Emilio Pagán meltdown eats at you the most? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!