4 Closer Candidates for the 2023 Twins

Bullpen usage continues to evolve, with some teams not relying on one player to fulfill a traditional closer's role. The Twins had nine players earn at least one save last season, including Emilio Pagan (9 saves), Jhoan Duran (8 saves), and Jorge Lopez (4 saves). All three players are back on the Opening Day roster, so who will lead the Twins in saves during the 2023 season?

The Projected Closer: Jorge Lopez
Lopez was an All-Star closer with the Orioles before being acquired by the Twins at the 2022 trade deadline. He struggled after being acquired by the Twins with a 4.37 ERA and an 18-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22 2/3 innings. Ideally, the Twins likely want him to be used in a more traditional closer role because that gives the team more flexibility with their usage of other bullpen arms. If Lopez leads the team in saves, many things have gone right for the Twins. It likely means his performance is closer to what he did with Baltimore before the trade. Lopez made three scoreless appearances in the World Baseball Classic, so the Twins hope he is back on track for an improved 2023. 

The Weapon: Jhoan Duran
Duran will get save opportunities, especially if the opposition's best hitters are due up in the ninth inning. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters that he daydreams "about [Duran] closing big games for us." During the 2022 season, he showcased why he is one of baseball's best relievers. In 67 2/3 innings, he posted a 1.86 ERA with an 89-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He collected more than three outs in 14 of his 57 appearances, with ten appearances lasting two innings. It will be hard for him to replicate those numbers, but he continues to refine his pitches and get more comfortable at the big-league level. 

The Proven Closer: Emilio Pagan
Entering last season, the Twins traded Taylor Rogers to the Padres for Emilio Pagan and Chris Paddack. Pagan was included in the deal to give the Twins another late-inning option. He struggled in the first half when being used in a closer role. In 34 games (32 2/3 innings), he had a 5.23 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP and a 48-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Twins moved him to lower leverage roles in the second half, and he dropped his ERA to 3.56, but his strikeout rate dropped from 13.2 K/9 to 10.7 K/9. It seems unlikely for Pagan to get many save opportunities in 2023, but he has accumulated 31 total saves in his six-year big-league career. 

The Wild Card: Griffin Jax
Duran wasn't the only young pitcher to transition from a starter to a reliever in 2022. Jax was among the few bright spots in the Twins bullpen with a 3.36 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 9.7 K/9. He was one of a handful of Twins pitchers that went to Driveline Baseball this winter to work on new pitches and refined mechanics. Jax added a cut-fastball, and the results have been outstanding this spring. He has allowed one run in six scoreless appearances and struck out nine batters. He also believes he can add more velocity this season to his fastball, which averaged just over 95 mph in 2022. Jax used his slider over 48% of the time in 2022, but a fastball closer to triple-digits is a scary proposition for opposing batters. 

Who do you think will lead the Twins in saves this season? Will any players have more than ten saves? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.