Brock Beauchamp

A few times a year, we hit the pause button and take a moment to talk about and reward our most popular community members and the contributions they bring to Twins Daily. During what was (far and away) the wildest Twins off-season of my lifetime, the community exploded with content.
You wrote 123 blogs from when the Astros hoisted a trophy through the day the Twins took that field in their first split-squad games in Florida.
123 blogs. Incredible.
Let’s take a look at some of the other numbers:
During the off-season, 424 people registered to comment on Twins Daily Over that time, 806 unique people contributed content to the site Users started 1,045 topics In those topics, you wrote 26,948 posts In those posts, you awarded 55,357 reactions to other users All of those are record numbers. Every single one. Mind-blowing.
Our most prolific poster was @chpettit19, with @Mike Sixel coming in a close second. Thanks to both of you for your continued quality contributions to the community!
Let’s get to the awards, shall we?
Most Popular Post
The Luis Arraez trade was almost certainly the most controversial of the winter, and @Puckett34’s thoughtful take on the advantages and difficulties of losing a fan-favorite player was the most popular post of the off-season. This award usually goes out to someone who swoops in with the snark, so seeing it go to a serious post is a bit of a surprise. Well done, Puckett34!
We award you a thoughtful and heartfelt prize for your thoughtful and heartfelt take on the trade: a laser-etched wood photo frame of Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger holding an autographed Nick Punto baseball card.

Honorary Mention
Losing Carlos Correa to the Mets was the low point of the Twins' off-season. In the thread detailing his surprise signing (not-signing) with the other New York team, @Nashvilletwin wrote what many of us were feeling; baseball is broken, and MLB seems not to care. Unsurprisingly, this post was wildly popular with the Twins Daily community, earning it the second most popular post of the offseason!
Most Popular Blog Entry
From the fan perspective, manager Rocco Baldelli is the most controversial person in the Twins dugout. Where much of the fanbase blames Baldelli for baseball ills that transcend what happens in Target Field, @Nick Hanzlik takes the opposite approach by suggesting Baldelli is the perfect manager for today’s game. Some people agreed, which is why it’s the most popular blog entry of the Twins Daily off-season!
Congratulations, Nick, and for your efforts, you shall be awarded this (not at all garish) limited edition Spring Training 2023 Minnesota Twins bobblehead!

Honorary Mention
Want a surefire way to create conversation? Take Mount Rushmore, add your local sports team, and fire off some opinions. That’s exactly what @Luke Thompson did in writing up a blog about the four players on the Twins’ Mount Rushmore, earning the second most popular blog of the off-season!
As I mentioned earlier, Twins Daily broke every record over the off-season: more users, more comments, more blogs, and more everything. And a big reason for that is the users mentioned above and all of you who comment daily on the site and add your thoughts, insights, and opinions on the Minnesota Twins.
That’s why Twins Daily is the best place to talk Twins baseball. And now it’s time to start watching some baseball and our Minnesota Twins!

The early talk of Minnesota Twins spring training is not the return of Kenta Maeda or the leg of Carlos Correa, but rather the blistering start from Edouard Julien. The infield prospect put a bow on the chatter by belting two home runs against Atlanta in Tuesday’s 10-7 pretend game victory.
Jason Kornhaber is already mad about it.
“Edmond [sic] is a monster talent,” said Kornhaber, who found out about Julien’s existence on Friday, February 24th, when two-time Jeopardy! also-ran Do-Hyoung Park interviewed him for MLB.com. “It’s unconscionable that this team would hold him back. Are they playing to win or playing with Edwin [sic] ’s service time?”
Julien, an 18th-round pick out of Auburn in 2019, led the minor leagues with 208 walks over the last two seasons. This is just one of the recently acquired facts that Kornhaber has marshaled in Julien’s defense despite not knowing his entire name yet.
“Juilliard [sic] is a generational talent, and the Twins are throwing it away,” said the Farmington beekeeper. Per sources close to Kornhaber, he has also said this about Kohl Stewart, Alex Burnett, Michael Restovich, Deolis Guerra, Anthony Slama, and Matt Moses. In addition, a former roommate said Kornhaber vowed to get a tattoo of MTV’s Dan Cortese on his thigh if J.D. Durbin didn’t record a 20-win season. Durbin finished his MLB career with six total wins. Kornhaber denied the story.
“He’s going to lead Team Canada to a World Baseball Classic title and come back to Fort Myers with a ticket to (home of Twins Triple-A affiliate) St. Paul,” claimed Kornhaber, who discovered Julien’s nationality on Monday.
The Twins have made no indication on their plans for Julien in 2023, but Kornhaber’s anger is already at a fever pitch not seen since his misguided advocacy for Joe Webb as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback of the future.
“I can’t believe they’re doing this to Erwin [sic],” said Kornhaber.

A few times a year, we hit the pause button and take a moment to talk about and reward our most popular community members and the contributions they bring to Twins Daily. During what was (far and away) the wildest Twins off-season of my lifetime, the community exploded with content.
You wrote 123 blogs from when the Astros hoisted a trophy through the day the Twins took that field in their first split-squad games in Florida.
123 blogs. Incredible.
Let’s take a look at some of the other numbers:
During the off-season, 424 people registered to comment on Twins Daily Over that time, 806 unique people contributed content to the site Users started 1,045 topics In those topics, you wrote 26,948 posts In those posts, you awarded 55,357 reactions to other users All of those are record numbers. Every single one. Mind-blowing.
Our most prolific poster was @chpettit19, with @Mike Sixel coming in a close second. Thanks to both of you for your continued quality contributions to the community!
Let’s get to the awards, shall we?
Most Popular Post
The Luis Arraez trade was almost certainly the most controversial of the winter, and @Puckett34’s thoughtful take on the advantages and difficulties of losing a fan-favorite player was the most popular post of the off-season. This award usually goes out to someone who swoops in with the snark, so seeing it go to a serious post is a bit of a surprise. Well done, Puckett34!
We award you a thoughtful and heartfelt prize for your thoughtful and heartfelt take on the trade: a laser-etched wood photo frame of Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger holding an autographed Nick Punto baseball card.

Honorary Mention
Losing Carlos Correa to the Mets was the low point of the Twins' off-season. In the thread detailing his surprise signing (not-signing) with the other New York team, @Nashvilletwin wrote what many of us were feeling; baseball is broken, and MLB seems not to care. Unsurprisingly, this post was wildly popular with the Twins Daily community, earning it the second most popular post of the offseason!
Most Popular Blog Entry
From the fan perspective, manager Rocco Baldelli is the most controversial person in the Twins dugout. Where much of the fanbase blames Baldelli for baseball ills that transcend what happens in Target Field, @Nick Hanzlik takes the opposite approach by suggesting Baldelli is the perfect manager for today’s game. Some people agreed, which is why it’s the most popular blog entry of the Twins Daily off-season!
Congratulations, Nick, and for your efforts, you shall be awarded this (not at all garish) limited edition Spring Training 2023 Minnesota Twins bobblehead!

Honorary Mention
Want a surefire way to create conversation? Take Mount Rushmore, add your local sports team, and fire off some opinions. That’s exactly what @Luke Thompson did in writing up a blog about the four players on the Twins’ Mount Rushmore, earning the second most popular blog of the off-season!
As I mentioned earlier, Twins Daily broke every record over the off-season: more users, more comments, more blogs, and more everything. And a big reason for that is the users mentioned above and all of you who comment daily on the site and add your thoughts, insights, and opinions on the Minnesota Twins.
That’s why Twins Daily is the best place to talk Twins baseball. And now it’s time to start watching some baseball and our Minnesota Twins!

A few times a year, we hit the pause button and take a moment to talk about and reward our most popular community members and the contributions they bring to Twins Daily. During what was (far and away) the wildest Twins off-season of my lifetime, the community exploded with content.
You wrote 123 blogs from when the Astros hoisted a trophy through the day the Twins took that field in their first split-squad games in Florida.
123 blogs. Incredible.
Let’s take a look at some of the other numbers:
During the off-season, 424 people registered to comment on Twins Daily Over that time, 806 unique people contributed content to the site Users started 1,045 topics In those topics, you wrote 26,948 posts In those posts, you awarded 55,357 reactions to other users All of those are record numbers. Every single one. Mind-blowing.
Our most prolific poster was @chpettit19, with @Mike Sixel coming in a close second. Thanks to both of you for your continued quality contributions to the community!
Let’s get to the awards, shall we?
Most Popular Post
The Luis Arraez trade was almost certainly the most controversial of the winter, and @Puckett34’s thoughtful take on the advantages and difficulties of losing a fan-favorite player was the most popular post of the off-season. This award usually goes out to someone who swoops in with the snark, so seeing it go to a serious post is a bit of a surprise. Well done, Puckett34!
We award you a thoughtful and heartfelt prize for your thoughtful and heartfelt take on the trade: a laser-etched wood photo frame of Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger holding an autographed Nick Punto baseball card.

Honorary Mention
Losing Carlos Correa to the Mets was the low point of the Twins' off-season. In the thread detailing his surprise signing (not-signing) with the other New York team, @Nashvilletwin wrote what many of us were feeling; baseball is broken, and MLB seems not to care. Unsurprisingly, this post was wildly popular with the Twins Daily community, earning it the second most popular post of the offseason!
Most Popular Blog Entry
From the fan perspective, manager Rocco Baldelli is the most controversial person in the Twins dugout. Where much of the fanbase blames Baldelli for baseball ills that transcend what happens in Target Field, @Nick Hanzlik takes the opposite approach by suggesting Baldelli is the perfect manager for today’s game. Some people agreed, which is why it’s the most popular blog entry of the Twins Daily off-season!
Congratulations, Nick, and for your efforts, you shall be awarded this (not at all garish) limited edition Spring Training 2023 Minnesota Twins bobblehead!

Honorary Mention
Want a surefire way to create conversation? Take Mount Rushmore, add your local sports team, and fire off some opinions. That’s exactly what @Luke Thompson did in writing up a blog about the four players on the Twins’ Mount Rushmore, earning the second most popular blog of the off-season!
As I mentioned earlier, Twins Daily broke every record over the off-season: more users, more comments, more blogs, and more everything. And a big reason for that is the users mentioned above and all of you who comment daily on the site and add your thoughts, insights, and opinions on the Minnesota Twins.
That’s why Twins Daily is the best place to talk Twins baseball. And now it’s time to start watching some baseball and our Minnesota Twins!

A few times a year, we hit the pause button and take a moment to talk about and reward our most popular community members and the contributions they bring to Twins Daily. During what was (far and away) the wildest Twins off-season of my lifetime, the community exploded with content.
You wrote 123 blogs from when the Astros hoisted a trophy through the day the Twins took that field in their first split-squad games in Florida.
123 blogs. Incredible.
Let’s take a look at some of the other numbers:
During the off-season, 424 people registered to comment on Twins Daily Over that time, 806 unique people contributed content to the site Users started 1,045 topics In those topics, you wrote 26,948 posts In those posts, you awarded 55,357 reactions to other users All of those are record numbers. Every single one. Mind-blowing.
Our most prolific poster was @chpettit19, with @Mike Sixel coming in a close second. Thanks to both of you for your continued quality contributions to the community!
Let’s get to the awards, shall we?
Most Popular Post
The Luis Arraez trade was almost certainly the most controversial of the winter, and @Puckett34’s thoughtful take on the advantages and difficulties of losing a fan-favorite player was the most popular post of the off-season. This award usually goes out to someone who swoops in with the snark, so seeing it go to a serious post is a bit of a surprise. Well done, Puckett34!
We award you a thoughtful and heartfelt prize for your thoughtful and heartfelt take on the trade: a laser-etched wood photo frame of Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger holding an autographed Nick Punto baseball card.

Honorary Mention
Losing Carlos Correa to the Mets was the low point of the Twins' off-season. In the thread detailing his surprise signing (not-signing) with the other New York team, @Nashvilletwin wrote what many of us were feeling; baseball is broken, and MLB seems not to care. Unsurprisingly, this post was wildly popular with the Twins Daily community, earning it the second most popular post of the offseason!
Most Popular Blog Entry
From the fan perspective, manager Rocco Baldelli is the most controversial person in the Twins dugout. Where much of the fanbase blames Baldelli for baseball ills that transcend what happens in Target Field, @Nick Hanzlik takes the opposite approach by suggesting Baldelli is the perfect manager for today’s game. Some people agreed, which is why it’s the most popular blog entry of the Twins Daily off-season!
Congratulations, Nick, and for your efforts, you shall be awarded this (not at all garish) limited edition Spring Training 2023 Minnesota Twins bobblehead!

Honorary Mention
Want a surefire way to create conversation? Take Mount Rushmore, add your local sports team, and fire off some opinions. That’s exactly what @Luke Thompson did in writing up a blog about the four players on the Twins’ Mount Rushmore, earning the second most popular blog of the off-season!
As I mentioned earlier, Twins Daily broke every record over the off-season: more users, more comments, more blogs, and more everything. And a big reason for that is the users mentioned above and all of you who comment daily on the site and add your thoughts, insights, and opinions on the Minnesota Twins.
That’s why Twins Daily is the best place to talk Twins baseball. And now it’s time to start watching some baseball and our Minnesota Twins!

We're trying something new for Twins Daily's Caretakers: an audio report from John Bonnes on what he's seeing and hearing from players, coaches, and management inside Hammond Stadium. Today's report includes:
News on Jorge Polanco's slow ramp up in spring training, and whether is knee is already a concern Emilio Pagan's offseason, and why his first bullpen session was so encouraging Thoughts from pitching coach Pater Maki on camp and how the Twins are adjusting to the new pitching clock. If you're a Caretaker, just scroll down for your exclusive content!
And if you're not, maybe consider becoming a Caretaker? You likely visit regularly, and that's going to become even more likely as the season gears up. Supporting something you value feels good, especially when it's been here feeding your baseball habit for over 10 years for free, right?
We're in spring training reporting because we love this stuff, and we want to share it as much as we can, so you can find lot of free content from Fort Myers other places on the site. But unfortunately, spring training is expensive, and that's especially true this year after Hurricane Ian damaged a lot of the lodging options. 
Plus, there are lot of other benefits, like a free Winter Meltdown ticket and early access for guest, special callouts on the site, and lots more inside or in-depth content like this. So please consider joining our little club. The money is going to a site you love, to support coverage you love, and writers you value. Thank you so much.  
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With the new shift ban coming into effect in 2023, several Minnesota Twins’ hitters could stand to benefit. Joey Gallo, perhaps the face of the new rule change, is certainly one player who could see increased production. Max Kepler is another very pull-heavy hitter who could potentially see his numbers increase with a now more open right side of the infield. A lot of the focus of the shift ban has been directed to left-handed hitters, and understandably so.
The shift against left-handed hitters was quite apparent, as it often involved a second baseman in right field and sometimes four outfielders, making baseball traditionalists sick to their stomachs as none of the players were seemingly in the spots they were supposed to be. 
There is one Twins hitter who might benefit most from the shift ban that I have rarely seen mentioned. He may not be an obvious shift victim candidate due to his physical profile and offensive production in the last couple of seasons, but he stands to gain more from the rule change more than players like Kepler and Gallo. That hitter is Byron Buxton.
Believe it or not, Byron Buxton is not only the most pull-heavy hitter on the Twins but also the most pull-heavy player in all of baseball. According to Statcast, in 2022, out of hitters with 300 plate appearances, Buxton had the highest pull% in MLB at 54.2%. Gallo was eighth in pull% at 48.4%, and the league average pull% is 45.9%.
 

 
 
Teams noticed this pull-happy tendency from Buxton and adjusted their defenses accordingly. In 2022 among hitters with 250 plate appearances, Buxton was shifted 78.8% of the time, good for 34th most in MLB but second most among right-handed hitters, only trailing Eugenio Suarez of the Seattle Mariners. 
The shift impacted Buxton dramatically. Contrary to standard thought, Buxton only hit .188 (13-for-69) on ground balls, despite his world-class speed. His shift and non-shift splits were jarring as well. In the 301 plate appearances against the shift, Buxton registered a .312 wOBA. When there was no shift, Buxton’s wOBA was .517 in only 81 plate appearances. The league average wOBA is .316, so a .517 wOBA in an 81 PA sample is astounding. His .205 difference in shift versus non-shift wOBA was the biggest in all of baseball among players who received at least 15 plate appearances against both the shift and no-shift.  
 
 
While it is impossible that Buxton can sustain a .517 wOBA, it may have been understated how much he can benefit from the shift ban. While the strikeout rate may limit him from reaching the elite tier of hitters in MLB, Buxton makes as consistent and hard contact as anyone. He ranked in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity, 97th percentile in barrel%, and 93rd percentile in hard hit%. 
His .224 batting average in 2022 may have disappointed some, but I would be shocked if it stays that low in 2023. Being able to hit ground balls again opens up new avenues for all hitters, particularly for ones like Byron Buxton, who runs like the wind. So while this new era of baseball defense may take some below-average hitters to average ones, it may also take the Twins’ superstar into a class of his own.  

Every spring training, baseball writers document which player in camp has cut weight, hit the gym, and is generally in “the best shape of his life.”
“It’s one of those clichés that happens to be true,” said the Star Tribune’s Phil Miller. “There’s always a player who really got after it in the winter and it’s hard to miss.”
“I was on Jeopardy,” confirmed MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park.
For the Fargo Forum’s Steve Fraley, it’s another matter entirely.
“I have let myself go,” said Fraley. “Things are not good.”
Fraley, battling his second hangover of the weekday, confirmed to Twins Daily that he is in the worst shape of his life heading to Fort Myers.
“The thing they don’t tell you about cigarettes is how good they make you feel,” said Fraley. “You get up in the morning, reheat a cup of coffee, then light up that dart. Man. Then you figure out where you left your phone, dry swallow four Advils, and get on with the day.”
Fraley is in his fourth season of covering the Twins for the newspaper and says this is as slovenly as he’s ever been before Opening Day.
“I live right next to an Applebee’s,” said Fraley. “You just wander across the parking lot, settle in, order some nachos, and brother, you are feeling good in the neighborhood. Sometimes the Law & Order rerun is one I haven’t even seen yet.
“That said, the advancements they’ve made in nacho delivery technology have had some undesirable side effects. Going up a size on the board shorts and Hawaiian shirts this year, can’t smoke my way out of this one even though I plan to try.”
Fraley’s fellow scribes agree that it’s a struggle to get into the writer’s version of midseason form.
“I honestly don’t know what airport I’m landing in or how I’m getting to the park,” said The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman. “I’m in the air right now.”
“Twice. I was on Jeopardy twice,” added Park.
Image license here.

It is fairly easy to remember how long Mike Radcliff has been in the organization. He joined the Minnesota Twins as an area scout in 1987 after four years as a scout for the Major League Scouting Bureau. A native of Kansas City, he became the Twins Midwest Supervisor in 1988. In 1993, Radcliff was named the team’s Director of Scouting and was in charge of all of the area scouts, regional supervisors, and cross-checkers. 
It was in that role that he was ultimately responsible for the Twins draft picks. While no Scouting Director bats 1.000 with their picks, Radcliff had many successes during his tenure. He is the guy who drafted Twins first-round picks such as Torii Hunter (1993), Todd Walker (1994), Mark Redman (1995), Michael Cuddyer (1997), Joe Mauer (2001), Denard Span (2002), Trevor Plouffe and Glen Perkins (2004), and Matt Garza (2005). He found other good players in later rounds as well. 
In 2007, he was promoted to the team’s Vice President of Player Personnel. It was a step up. He continued to work in the scouting group with new Scouting Director Deron Johnson and his staff, but he also worked more with the international scouting and the pro scouting departments. He traveled all over the world to watch baseball talent. He worked with Fred Guerrero in scouting the Dominican and Venezuela. He played a big role in that 2009 international signing class that included Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Miguel Sano. 
He has been fighting pancreatic cancer for the past few years but was still involved with Player Personnel decisions. 
Mike Radcliff was always really nice to me. During the early years of SethSpeaks dot net, I would send him questions for Q&As on players, and he was always generous with his responses. He didn’t just give the short answer to get it done with. He always replied. 
From those responses, I learned a couple of things about him. First, he was obviously very knowledgeable about every player in the organization. I get that is his job, but he could provide detail on over 200 players plus past players and players from other organizations that he had watched. 
The other thing I learned from those interactions was that he could be brutally honest. Just because I was a blogger from Nowheresville, it didn’t matter. 
One example from probably 2006 or 2007. There was a prospect who had experienced several ups and downs in his minor-league career. Frankly, his numbers were not great. There was a second minor-leaguer who played the same position and had consistently outperformed the ‘prospect’. So, one of my questions was about the two and if the second player could be better than the higher-profiled prospect. 
Radcliff’s response was basically to say that the prospect was clearly the better player, much more highly thought of, and definitely part of the Twins' future. Brutal honesty, but after I posted the article, I got an e-mail from the second minor leaguer's dad just saying that isn’t what he wanted to read from someone whose opinions carried so much weight in the organization. 
Also, the “prospect” went on to play more than a decade in the big leagues. The other minor leaguer spent parts of three seasons and around 100 games in the big leagues, still a tremendous accomplishment. 
Remember back when Twins Fest was in the Metrodome? Back then, there was a ‘Down on the Farm’ area where fans could get in line and get autographs from Twins minor leaguers. I would primarily stay right around there and talk to some of the players I’d communicated with. But a lot of times, Radcliff was there too. He was just standing in the area, observing the players and interacting with fans that might have a question. 
I would always find him there and stand with him and talk about baseball things but also just other things. But I would come up with questions about prospects and he would answer, again, pretty honestly. 
At Twins Fest 2010, we were standing there talking as one group of players was leaving and a new group was entering the area. Radcliff was observing and said to me, “Danny Valencia... Who would have thought he’d be added to the 40-man roster?” 
Valencia had mashed throughout the minor leagues, but despite a solid college career at Miami, he fell to the 19th round of the 2006 draft. 
Oh, and just try to give him credit for a draft pick he made making it to the big leagues, or becoming a star. Radcliff would stop you short and make sure to credit the area scout who was convicted in his belief in the player. 
I would see Radcliff most years down in Ft. Myers. Not at Hammond Stadium. Not in the press box. But on the back fields watching the minor leaguers. For those familiar with the back fields, there is an observation tower in between the four fields that are together. Radcliff would be up there at times, but usually, he was positioned at ground level, where he would see two fields and a bullpen. 
Radcliff was quiet, and again, just observing, taking it all in. You could tell he loved it, being at the ballpark, watching young players. He had scouted many of them and was now seeing them going through the development process. It’s not an exact science. He always understood that these are people. People with flaws, and people who have a lot of talent. He understood how difficult the game can be. 
Again, standing by him, watching him watching ballplayers was interesting. Trying to figure out what he was observing. But again, I could ask him questions, and he would respond thoroughly. 
It was always funny when a member of the Twins front office staff would throw out a name to him, and without hesitation, Radcliff would respond with “6th round, 2004.” And he was always right.
In 2011, Mike Radcliff was named the Scout of the Year in the Midwest. In 2014, he was inducted into the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame. In September 2021, he was elected to the Killebrew Root Beer Professional Scouts Hall of Fame. You can see his plaque at Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers. 
In 2016, he was given the George Genovese Lifetime Achievement Award in Scouting (given by the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation). Finally, in 2021, he received the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award at the Diamond Awards. 
“The Minnesota Twins today mourn the loss of Mike Radcliff. Mike was the heart and soul of our scouting department for over 30 years, a man who was beloved and respected by staff, players, fellow scouts, agents, and his peers alike. One of baseball’s most revered talent evaluators, his character, work ethic, kindness, and sense of humor set the tone for our player development and evaluation processes. His baseball legacy lives on in the number of Twins Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and great teams that bear his fingerprints, while his impact as a person will be forever felt by those that knew him. In the words of his trade, Mike was the epitome of a five-tool player, and he will be greatly missed across Twins Territory. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife Sherry, son Brett, daughter Erin, and the entire Radcliff family during this difficult time.”
In the Twins' 60+ years in Minnesota, few have had as much of an impact on the organization as Mike Radcliff. Best wishes to his family and all his friends in the Twins organization.
 

When the offseason began, there were two certainties: The Twins would move heaven and earth to get Carlos Correa back, and Max Kepler was going to be traded.
Through a wild series of events, Correa is back in Minnesota for a while. However, that second certainty? At this writing, it’s uncertain at best.
“Spring Training is two weeks away and Max (Kepler, Twins outfielder) is still here,” said Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach. “We sort of removed him from all of our group chats. It’s weird.”
The signing of fellow lefthanded corner outfielder Joey Gallo seemed to signal that Kepler’s time as a Twin was nearing an end. The trade for Michael A. Taylor seemed to put an exclamation point to it.
And yet.
“I sort of moved my stuff into his locker at Target Field,” said Larnach. “It’s going to be awkward already when we start texting him out of the blue about Fort Myers restaurants and agreeing he’s right about how great German chocolate is. We get it, bro, you’re from Germany. The locker is harder to explain.”
Fellow outfielder Byron Buxton agrees that it’s going to take a little finesse.
“We all kind of thought he was gone,” said Buxton. “And he doesn’t quite have a handle on how we use emojis here, so if we welcome him back with the wrong one, it could get sideways. The ‘cry laughing’ one means something so disturbing where he’s from that he didn’t talk to (Ryan) Jeffers for two months.”
Larnach was asked if Kepler might be open to bargaining.
“I just read some Grimm’s Fairy Tales to acquaint myself with his culture,” said Larnach. “These stories are messed up. The Godfather Death ruins harvests and the Three Nymphs of the Black Forest steal your soul and your maiden fair. I don’t know what a maiden fair even is. Maybe I should just buy him a car?”
 

With the Orioles, López was a dominant backend of the bullpen arm, outfitted with an upper 90s sinker and wiffleball movement at the top of the zone. He had some intriguing offspeed stuff, was missing bats, and locking down games. 
The Twins may have thought they could take a pitcher right near the cusp of being elite and make him that much better. However, that initial experiment has backfired. 
What happened?
Pick any stat you want from Jorge López and it was likely substantially worse with the Twins. 
Strikeouts? Down — from 28% with Baltimore to 16% with the Twins. Walk rate? Up — from 9% to 15%. Batting average allowed? Up — it was a clean 174 with Baltimore and grew to a grotesque 314 with the Twins. Hard hit balls? Up — exit velocity of balls over 95 mph went from 30% to 44%.
Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse tweeted on September 20 that López "was tremendous and always had excellent stuff… Finally harvested in the bullpen. Twins were dazzled by his 97 mph sinker and proceeded to turn him into a guy constantly behind in the count throwing breaking balls." 
The reality is the Twins kept him consistent in his sinker usage.
"There's been suggestions that we have him throwing more offspeed pitches than in Baltimore," Falvey later refuted to Reusse. "That's not true. He's still throwing a lot of fastballs and with the same velocity."
Which was an accurate statement but also… misleading. 
True, if you look at the overall pitch data of his sinker/two-seam fastball usage (50.3% in Baltimore and 50.9% with the Twins), they are basically the same. It is also true that López maintained that same crisp velocity in both uniforms (97.8 in Baltimore, 97.4 with the Twins). And finally, López threw more pitches while ahead in the count with the Twins than he did with the Orioles (so, no, he wasn’t “constantly behind in the count”). 
Falvey's narrative holds up as long as you only look as far as the total pitch type percentage and velocity. Consider two-strike counts. López used his sinker less frequently with the Twins — it went down from 47% to 40%. Equally as important was how he was using it. Watch this video.
Jorge Lopez Video.mp4  
If you watched those clips and thought I was trying to hypnotize you by staring at the blobbies, here's what's up: With Baltimore, López threw his sinker at the top of the zone with 2-strikes. With the Twins, it was middle and down. With the Orioles, it was thrown with conviction and intent. In Minnesota, instead of ripping it, it feels like he was guiding it, trying to get the right amount of run and sink. He was trying to blow their doors off. 
Look at how much the performance suffered.
Jorge López Sinker In 2-Strike Counts
  Thrown%
K
Upper 3rd%
Swinging Strike%
BAA
BALT
46.5
26
69.3
16.7
.122
MINN
39.5
3
46.7
2.2
.227
It was not just that the sinker's use was limited with the Twins — he also was throwing more changeups in 2-strike counts. 
With the Orioles, López got a bulk of his strikeouts with his sinker and used his other pitches fairly evenly (sliders 18%, curveballs 14%, and change up 18%). Hitters held a .044 batting average against his non-fastballs with 2-strikes. The Twins had him use the sinker less and all but eliminated the slider from his arsenal in the 2-strike scenarios, throwing more changeups (35%) compared to sliders (4%) and curveballs (15%). Hitters posted a .286 batting average against those pitches.
This is the element that Reusse was referring to, that López was not using his sinker as much and opting for other stuff (“throwing breaking balls”). 
When you look at his sinker's greasy metrics — such as tilt, release point, and movement — you'll find that it was a slightly different shape with the Orioles than it was with the Twins. The axis in which the ball spins out of his hand changed a bit (from 1:32 to 1:48), and his release point was about 2 inches lower (from 70.2 inches to 68.7 inches), and the vertical movement had two more inches of drop (from 8.9 induced vert to 6.7 induced vert). This was a concerted attempt at getting the ball to stay down in the zone. 
 
SINKER LOCATION (ORIOLES VS TWINS)

It cannot be said with absolute certainty because no one has publicly acknowledged this, but the Twins have encouraged Jorge to adjust his sinker. The working theory is that by throwing it down in the zone, he can pair it better with his changeup (a solid pitch in its own right). Like the sinker, López slightly altered his changeup at release (different spin axis, lower release, etc.) and induced more horizontal run and drop. Those results were positive.
CHANGEUP LOCATION (ORIOLES VS TWINS) 
 

Jorge López Changeup
  Thrown%
Swing%
K
Zone%
Swinging Strike %
BALT
15
43.5
6
31
14
MINN
17
42.1
9
24
24
In short, López’s changeup benefitted from the modification of his sinker whereas his sinker’s performance -- his prime pitch with the O’s – suffered. 
Plenty of what López is going through stems from the tough lessons the Twins learned in the Ryan Pressly trade. Notoriously Presley was traded to the Astros and was told to spin it. Spin it good. He did and went from a pitcher with excellent stuff to a lights-out All-Star closer. 
"It was a very hard lesson and very discouraging for us," Assistant General Manager Daniel Adler said in October 2018. "On the other hand, in some ways, it was a really strong teachable moment for us. … In some ways, I think it makes it easier to go to the next player."
To ensure they never fail to communicate information like that again, the Twins built a strong bridge that extends from the player development system into the clubhouse. Knowledge discovered in the front office is integrated into the day-to-day. Pitchers acquired – no matter how much success they are having at their previous stop – will receive information to optimize them, be it through an arsenal change, mechanical tweak, or something else. 
Kenta Maeda. Chris Paddack. Matt Shoemaker. Sonny Gray. Jharel Cotton. Nobody is a finished product. 
With the Twins, Jorge López has gone down the same path to middling results. The changeup seems much improved and could be an excellent weapon. On the other hand, they may have come at the expense of his sinker's performance – especially in those 2-strike situations. 
There appear to be crossroads ahead. López will be part of the 2023 bullpen, but what will his approach be? Will he continue to lean into the sinker/changeup mix, hoping to perfect that combination by next season? Or will he return to throwing moving heat at the top of the zone?

I've been listening and reading reactions from media, fans, this blog, etc. since FA opened. I'm pretty sure the front office went home pissed, bummed out, confused, and with all sorts of mixed emotions when Carlos Correa signed with the San Francisco Giants. It's deflating when an agent calls to say their client is going to go in another direction. 
I know this is the job we/they have signed up for, so it comes with criticism. You put a lot of time, effort, and emotions into something and must have it play out the way you want. It's even more exhausting when your job is evaluated every which way by outsiders, and you truly are doing what you think is best. You're not trying to be cheap or make it look like you're just putting in effort for show. You honestly are trying the best you can, given your circumstances. For fans and media, the armchair quarterback stuff is fun. I get it.
Did the Twins get played in this Correa saga? 
Were they played? A little by Correa's actions throughout 2022, but Derek and Thad are smart. They have dealt with Boras plenty. They know his playbook. They took a shot with the initial contract and tried to make the best of it. They knew it was a one-year deal unless Correa had a TERRIBLE year in 2022. 
They wanted to sell him and his family on the area, the culture, and the ballpark and show him what he could have. A season-long recruiting visit, so to speak. Before NIL, that stuff used to work in college. It can work in capped leagues where you must find advantages outside player salaries. You take care of the players' families. You upgrade the travel accommodations, nutrition, etc. -- things that don't count against a salary cap. It's a little more challenging in baseball. Those two knew the risks they assumed when entering this contract.
Plenty of comments claim the Twins should have known that 10 years for $285 would not get it done. A couple of points here:
Minnesota knew they would not be the highest bidder in the end. They were hoping to keep it close enough to stay in the race. Like many businesses, they hoped the relationship between the manager, club, ownership, and player meant something. 
Also, having been involved in player negotiations for many years, Boras took his best offers to San Francisco Giants and whoever else and told them you had 24 to 72 hours to match or beat it. San Francisco chose to be the highest bidder, for better or worse. Only time will tell. 
The Twins didn't get beat because ownership is cheap. They aren't cheap - they are disciplined. And I realize that makes fans upset. Some fans want the emotional owner who will do "whatever it takes." 
Were they aggressive enough while having Correa?
Phil Mackey had a little rant on YouTube yesterday saying the Twins should have been more aggressive in other areas, particularly pitching, for the one season they knew they had Correa. 
At first, I thought Phil was correct. But I thought about it more. 
You can argue with the results, but they were aggressive in acquiring starting pitching. They traded for the three of them for the 2022 season. If you want to debate the individual pitchers, I can understand that. Or, if you're going to argue trading for injured pitchers because they cost less, you can do that, too. The results were mixed from poor, to below average, to solid. But they were aggressive. We have yet to learn who else they tried to acquire via trade. We know the end results.
When players hire Boras in a situation as Correa did, they hire him to be a fixer. Here's how: 
In that first contract, he works on finding the best fit so the player can reestablish his value. Boras calls it a "pillow contract." Then he usually searches for the most significant deal he can find, either by Average Annual Value (AAV) or by total guaranteed money. Sometimes a big-time Boras free agent takes a little less to go where they want to go, but not often. That's the inherent risk of chasing "big fish," particularly chasing Boras clients. 
If you plan contingencies, you can avoid getting stuck holding the bag at the end. The Twins planned contingencies. It does not mean they will work out, but it's been reported they've met with Swanson and Rodon already. We don't know what options C, D, and E are. 
The focus on Correa
Aaron Gleeman wrote a fantastic article on The Athletic, laying it all out there. You should read it if you still need to. There are a lot of areas to fix on the Major League roster for 2023. 
They still need a shortstop. They need pitching. They need offense. They need pitching. (Yes, I know I listed it already). 
There are ways to work the roster without Correa and still improve it. It's still only December.
Jack Goin served in various roles in Baseball Operations with the Minnesota Twins from 2003-2017, including Director of Baseball Research and Director of Pro Scouting. He most recently served as a Pro Scout and Player Personnel Analyst with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2018-2021

IF CORREA SIGNED WITH THE TWINS:
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss. Yes. Yes. I told you, I told you, and I know I told you. Now let’s get a catcher and some more pitching. If I had a football I’d spike it.
If CORREA SIGNED ELSEWHERE:
Well. That sucks. Huh. Can Royce Lewis get healthy faster? What time do the Vikings play on Sunday? I’m not crying. You’re crying. Shut up.
IF CORREA REMAINS UNSIGNED:
OK. Well, I’m just going to keep refreshing Twitter obsessively. I wonder if anyone in my friend circle has Jeff Passan’s number. I bet he wouldn’t mind if I just shot him a quick text to ask what he’s really hearing, not that sanitized stuff he shares on ESPN. Come on, Jeff. Just tell me that Carlos Correa is coming home. Tell me, Jeff. Now, Jeff. Now.
IF CORREA PULLED A REVERSE MICHAEL JORDAN AND TAKES UP BASKETBALL:
I mean, when you can join the Sioux Falls Skyforce, why wouldn’t you? No state income tax, easy access to Brookings. Done and dusted.
IF CORREA RETIRED TO PURSUE HIS TRUE PASSION, BIRD WATCHING:
I’ve never trusted birds. Shifty eyes, beaks, always up to something. That said, I guess that’s OK? He doesn’t need the money, and I guess if I could just quit my job and follow my dream of writing the first ska musical about Alexander Hamilton, I’d do it too.
IF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WENT INSOLVENT AND FOLDED:
I guess we can’t lose to the Yankees anymore.
We can’t, right? Because this sucks already. I don’t need this.
Image license here.
 

TOM KELLY (MANAGER, 1986-2001): Just a great gal. Broke out of the gate quickly, lightning fast down the stretch, amazing haunches. So powerful. Always left the track in a good mood when she ran. [INFORMED THAT THIS IS NOT QUEEN ELIZABETH II, THE GREYHOUND KELLY WAGERED ON AT ST. CROIX MEADOWS, BUT RATHER THE HUMAN WOMAN] Oh. Well, that’s a shame. What country?
EMILIO PAGAN (PITCHER, 2022): I was fortunate enough to meet her on a visit to Great Britain in 2018. I even threw her a baseball for a photo op. She hit it 440 feet. I tip my cap to her.
ANDRELTON SIMMONS (SHORTSTOP, 2021): 96-year-old woman dies after getting the COVID vaccine? Coincidence? Yeah, right.
JOE MAUER (CATCHER, 2004-2018): Wow. Pretty big deal.
NICK PUNTO (INFIELDER, 2004-10): I slid headfirst into Buckingham Palace once. Guards got all bent out of shape about it and I’m like, “Hey, hustling doesn’t stop at the water’s edge, muchacho.” Anyway, that’s the only other time I had to fight extradition for wanting it more. RIP get money.
JUSTIN MORNEAU (FIRST BASE, 2003-16): As a Canadian, this means one thing: I must take up arms for the crown. If (Glen) Perkins or (Dick) Bremer get in my way, so be it.
GLEN PERKINS (PITCHER, 2006-2017): You know, it’s a complicated legacy. I th—wait a minute, what is (Justin} Morneau doing with…is that a musket?
DICK BREMER (TWINS PLAY-BY-PLAY, 1983-PRESENT): That’s a musket. Take cover, Glen. Fortunately, I’ve been to a St. Cloud State Homecoming or two in my day. [LIGHTS MOLOTOV COCKTAIL, HEAVES FLAMING COUCH AT POLITE YET FERAL SASKATOON HORDE]
BRAD RADKE (PITCHER, 1995-2006): I don’t think she was much of a fisherman, right?
BYRON BUXTON (OUTFIELDER, 2015-PRESENT): England is a country where I’ve never had a devastating injury. Liz is good by me.
ROCCO BALDELLI (MANAGER, 2019-PRESENT): Was following Phish around the country in 2015, just chill vibes for days. They played Alpine Valley and on night 1, the minute they kicked into “Tweezer,” who gets up on stage but the Queen herself? Just started jamming with Trey, couldn’t believe my eyes. Everyone says I was “feeling the effects” so to speak and there’s no video evidence, but I know what I saw. Her Majesty could shred.
DAN GLADDEN (OUTFIELDER, 1987-1991; RADIO ANNOUNCER 2000-PRESENT): America fought a damn war for me not to care about this. I tell you what though, if the Queen came out to the farm and helped me move some earth, lay some sod, get her hands dirty, and maybe punch that egg-sucking bastard Steve Lombardozzi right in the solar plexus, I’d pay my respects.
Image license here.

As the Minnesota Twins closely monitor the condition of Byron Buxton’s knee, at least one fan thinks the whole situation has gone too far.
“There’s a difference between hurt and injured, and sometimes you have to play hurt,” said Charlie Johnsrud, 54, a real slob. “I think the Twins know this, but they’re coddling him a little bit.”
The Bloomington-based call center manager, who has called in sick to work because of a hangover twice in the last three months, claims it’s unusual for a team’s superstar to take so many days off.
“I just think, given the financial commitment the team made to him, that he has to put his big boy pants on,” said the twice-divorced goon, who has a pair of sweatpants he calls “my going-out ones.”
Johnsrud, who would drink the dipping sauce from Raising Cane’s out of a pint glass if people would just be cool about it, thinks Buxton’s patellar tendinitis is as mental as it is physical.
“He’s had a ton of injuries in his career, so he’s probably paranoid,” said Johnsrud, whose unused Lifetime Fitness membership is entering its fourth year. “He needs to get out of his head and onto the field, just saying.”
With the team out of first place for the first time in months, he thinks the urgency of the moment demands action.
“When I threw out my back, I still had to go to work,” said Johnsrud, who actually took two weeks off to recuperate after his cat scared him while he was on the toilet. “Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. They need all hands on deck.”
Johnsrud, who attacks a Culver’s ButterBurger with a ferocity not usually seen outside the animal kingdom, still considers himself a Buxton fan.
“I love the guy, I even bought a Buxton jersey last year. When he’s healthy he’s a beast.”
Johnsrud could not confirm if the significant stain on the jersey was ketchup or spaghetti sauce, but agreed that it looks like Germany.
 

Multiple unvaccinated Twins players must sit out this weekend’s series in Toronto due to Canada’s COVID policies. While the medical community almost universally hails the efficacy of the vaccines, the worst doctor we could find thinks the Twins are getting a raw deal.
Dr. Gary Van Lowe, a retired family physician from Chanhassen, says the players (Max Kepler, Caleb Thielbar, Emilio Pagan, and Trevor Megill)  are probably in better shape than their vaccinated teammates.
“I was doing my own research just this morning,” said Van Lowe, “And realvaccinetruth.biz said the vaccines have little microchips in them that allows the government to turn you into a human microwave. I got right up off the toilet to see if any of that was in the newspaper. Not a word.”
The 61-year-old, whose frequent malpractice settlements earned him the nickname “Mal” from Fairview Southdale's attorneys, said the lack of further media coverage points to a larger conspiracy.
“I don’t think they’re doing this just to screw over the Twins in a critical road series,” said Van Lowe, nursing his “seventh or eighth” Mich Golden Light on the 17th tee box at Deer Run in Victoria. “Could it be to mess with the Vikings and Wild, too? Good luck finding that out in the Red Star (sic) from Michael Bland (sic).”
Van Lowe, who left medicine in 2015 after a series of lurid sexual harassment accusations from fellow doctors, nurses, and the entire front of house staff at the Eden Prairie Buca di Beppo, now runs a medical consultancy firm for insurance companies looking to deny benefits.
“The jury is still out on this vaccine,” he said, wobbling over a putt on 17. “All I know is that Betty White was perfectly healthy before she got the jab. Makes you think.”
Van Lowe ended the interview in order to ask the beer cart driver if she needed a ride home.

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

It’s Twins Daily Community Awards time! If you’re unfamiliar with our community awards, it’s something we organized last year to recognize the top participants in the Twins Daily community. We award two prizes: most popular post and most popular blog entry. We also recognize some of our most prolific posters and contributors but award them nothing for it. We don’t want to inflate anyone’s ego, after all.
Our prizes have a theme for the first time: “Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt.” Enjoy, Twins fans!
Top Posts of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @Sielk and their comment in the topic Twins Acquire RHP Sonny Gray from Reds for Chase Petty. After months of hearing Twins fans scream about pitching, sielk offers the quite-reasonable opinion, “wait… so they went and got pitching, and you’re still complaining?” I feel you, sielk. I feel you.
The Top Post and Prize Winner: @4twinsJA and their comment in the topic FO's tentativeness is killing the team. During the more-than-mildly-concerning period of the offseason when the front office seemed to want to do nothing, 4twinsJA went the tried and true route that always plays up in the Twins Daily community... taking a swipe at Jake Cave. This is a textbook comment, but its excellent execution puts it over the top. For that the comment wins the ultimate prize: a ticket stub from game one of the 2004 ALDS in Yankee Stadium, more colloquially known in Minnesota as “the last ****ing time the ****ing Twins won a ****ing postseason game.”

Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason goes to…
Honorable Mention: @cjm0926 and their blog entry A Different Idea For Twins Catching. Writing this entry in early November, cjm0926 had a crazy idea… trade your catchers! All of them. Ultimately, the Twins front office got halfway there, trading Mitch Garver to the Rangers in a shocking move. This entry deservedly gained a lot of traction with our users, as illustrated by its popularity and honorable mention in the blog entry category.
The Top Blog Entry and Prize Winner: @Doc Munson, long-time Twins Daily stalwart, takes home the prize for their entry. What are we waiting on to complete our roster? After a flurry of moves followed by radio silence, Doc wasn’t the only Twins fan left scratching their head. Why haven’t we seen more pitching acquisitions? Are we really going to take such half-measures? In the wake of this offseason, what stands out the most was Doc’s now-humorous idea to overpay Trevor Story on a one-year contract… check and mate, Doc.
As a token of our appreciation for this wildly popular blog entry, I present to you yet another Johan Santana visited the Big Apple, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt prize: a ticket stub from Johan’s no-hitter in a Mets uniform, something he never did in a Twins uniform.
*weeps silently for a moment*
After further consideration, these prizes suck.

Most Popular Topic of the 2022 Offseason…
@MMMordabito wins the no-prize for the topic T-Mobile to offer Free MLB.TV again in 2022. This is a rarity in the Twins Daily awards category, as it’s only Twins-adjacent but highly informative. Personally, the free MLB.tv is half the reason why I’m with T-Mobile to this day. Thanks for the topic, and keep it coming!
Most Read Blog Entry of the 2022 Offseason…
@Doc Munson must have spent the offseason ‘roiding up because they’re flat-out dominating the blogs with yet another entry, Post Lock out Moves: Potential Twins Trades. This entry examined some potential trades the Twins could have executed post-lockout, bringing over 1,800 readers to check out what Doc had to say on the subject. Well done yet again, Doc!
Prolific Posters of the 2022 Offseason…
We have a new postmaster for the 2022 offseason! In a surprising out-of-nowhere appearance, @mikelink45 brings home the no-prize with 1,514 reputation points over the offseason! But, as always, laying in wait with a second-place finish is the ever-present @Mike Sixel with 1,283 reputation points… Watch out, Mike, uh… Mike… is coming for you. Wait, what?
That’s all we have for today; thanks to everyone who makes this site such a great place to hang out every day of the year, even through multiple years of difficult baseball. It means a lot to us that you’ve stuck with Twins Daily through a pandemic, a shortened season, no-attendance games, and a lockout. Without all of you doing your thing daily, Twins Daily would be a shell of its current self.
We’ll see you mid-season, and let me tell you, that prize is incredible, so get typing, you fools…

First and foremost, I believe it’s crucial to get as much important information about this topic as possible out in the open. People shouldn’t just stick to shallow common-places when there’s so much in-depth information and analysis out there. That’s especially true when it comes to the effects of altitude in baseball.
In this brilliant 2020 article, Rox Pile’s Kevin Larson buts the myth that hitters at Coors Field only succeed because of the altitude. I’ll be quoting a few parts of that article here, but I think everyone would learn a lot if they read the whole thing. Basically, Larson advises people to do two things when analyzing players' performances at Coors:
Take into account the unique circumstances Rockies hitters live through, having to adjust to different pitcher approaches in Denver and on the road; Ignore the traditional stats splits and focus on Park Adjusted stats, like wRC+, OPS+, and DRC+, which can paint the big picture more nicely; Then, Larson goes on to provide several examples of both hitters who improved their wRC+ after leaving the Rockies, but also the contrary, players whose offensive productivity decreased after they joined the Rockies from other teams. Can you guess a former Twin, winner of an MVP in Minnesota, who falls in that last category?
The bottom line is, things aren’t as simple as “hitters won’t succeed after leaving Coors.” Trevor Story's traditional splits sure don’t look good, but that shouldn’t be a reason not to bring him to Minnesota. Not only would the Twins be giving up on a potentially above-average right-handed hitter, but they would be bailing on one of the best defenders in the game.
One of the best examples of former Rockies who succeeded elsewhere is second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who was signed by the Yankees in 2019 and has since won two Silver Slugger awards and received MVP votes in two seasons (finishing third in 2020). Take a look at some of his numbers.
DJ LeMahieu's splits during his time with the Rockies (2012-2018), per Fangraphs:
Home
.329/.386/.447 (.834)
.374 wOBA
96 wRC+
13.4% K%
8.6% BB%
Away
.267/.314/.367 (.681)
.298 wOBA
84 wRC+
17.0% K%
6.2% BB%
DJ LeMahieu as a Yankee, overall (since 2019), per Fangraphs:
.307/.370/.461 (.831)
.356 wOBA
126 wRC+
13.2% K%
8.8% BB%
The same way the belief that “Coors hitters do badly once they leave Colorado” shouldn’t be a rule, LeMahieu’s example isn’t a rule either. Former Rockies cornerstone third baseman Nolan Arenado, for instance, didn’t improve his numbers the same way LeMahieu did. However, his overall numbers in St. Louis didn’t get worse either. They were actually slightly better than his road numbers while with the Rockies.
Nolan Arenado's splits during his time with the Rockies (2013-2020), per Fangraphs:
Home
.322/.376/.609 (.985)
.409 wOBA
129 wRC+
13.7% K%
8.0% BB%
Away
.263/.322/.471 (.793)
.334 wOBA
108 wRC+
16.3% K%
7.8% BB%
Nolan Arenado as a Cardinal, overall (since 2021), per Fangraphs:
.255/.312/.494 (.807)
.336 wOBA
113 wRC+
14.7% K%
7.7% BB%
In conclusion, Trevor Story’s splits shouldn’t dissuade the Twins from trying to sign him. As someone who follows the Rockies very closely, I can attest to how talented and hard-working he is, and also how fun it is to watch him play every night.
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