How Will Strikeouts Impact the Twins in the Postseason?

Strikeouts have become increasingly part of the game because baseball is a game that continually evolves. Increases in research and technology have allowed pitchers to add velocity and more movement to their pitches, making them even more challenging to hit. Batters also have a wealth of data about opposing pitchers. Hitting a round baseball with a round bat is one of the most challenging tasks in professional sports, leading to higher strikeout totals. 

Pitching Staff’s Strike Out Prowess
Minnesota’s pitching staff entered play on Sunday with a league-leading 1,461 strikeouts. The Twins have baseball’s highest K% (25.4%) and K-BB% (17.9%). Minnesota can realistically move into the all-time top-25 list for strikeouts at their current rate of striking out more than 9.2 times per game. The 2018 Houston Astros set the all-time record with 1,687 strikeouts, but to reach the top 25, the Twins only need to collect 1,524 strikeouts. Building a strikeout pitching staff has taken some time, but the Twins have developed arms up-and-down the roster. 

Pablo Lopez leads the Twins with over 228 strikeouts, which puts him into elite company among the franchise’s strikeout list. Only three pitchers in team history have struck out more batters in a season than Lopez. Joe Ryan led the Twins in strikeouts during the 2022 season, and he currently ranks second on the team with 181, with Sonny Gray only two strikeouts behind him. Bailey Ober and Kenta Maeda have accumulated over 100 strikeouts during the season. Minnesota’s bullpen also includes three pitchers (Brock Stewart, Jhoan Duran, and Kody Funderburk) with a K/9 of 11.5 or higher. In tight playoff games, strikeouts can be the difference between a team getting out of a jam or seeing the opposition score runs. 

Lineup Strikeout Issues
The Twins lineup has already set the team record for strikeouts in a season, and they are in the top 15 all-time for strikeouts in MLB history. Minnesota has struck out ten times or more in 88 times through the team’s first 155 games, which smashes the previous record of 66 games with 10+ strikeouts. Unfortunately, the team has also struck out 13 times or more in 33 games this season, with a season-high 18 strikeouts versus Seattle on July 25th. Looking at the lineup, there is some hope for a late-season turnaround. 

Things have changed in the second half with the emergence of a young core that has improved the team’s overall offensive output while also improving at drawing walks. Among American League teams, only the Houston Astros have scored more runs since the All-Star break. Six Twins players have a K% above 30% for the season, with Joey Gallo leading the way (42.8%). Three of the six players will have little to do with the playoff roster, including Gallo, Trevor Larnach, and Byron Buxton. 

Recent Postseason History
Strikeouts play a role in October but don’t guarantee postseason success. During the 2022 season, the four pitching staffs in the Championship Series ranked in the top 10 or higher in strikeout rate. Offensively, none of the final four ranked higher than 13th in total strikeouts. The Astros won the World Series and finished with the fourth-most strikeouts from their pitching staff and the second-fewest strikeouts from their batters.  

In 2021, the Braves won the World Series, and their batters finished with the 11th most strikeouts while their pitchers were only slightly above the league average. The Dodgers (2nd), Red Sox (5th), and Astros (11th) were among the final four teams and ranked higher than the Braves according to strikeouts from the pitching staff. However, the Astros (2nd fewest strikeouts) were the lone final four team to be better than league-average on the offensive side. 

The Twins have embraced the strikeout on both sides of the ball. Only the 2015 Cubs and the 1958 Dodgers have led the league in both pitching and batting strikeout rates in the same season. Both clubs went on to win the World Series the following season. Twins fans likely don’t want to wait until next year and can hope their strikeout performance can carry them during the 2023 postseason. 

Are you worried about the Twins’ strikeout totals? Can a team succeed in the postseason on the two strikeout extremes? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.