Matthew Lenz

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Yoendrys Gómez was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in early May, and since arriving in Minnesota, he has been sensational. Through 16 appearances, he owns a 0.64 ERA (2.25 FIP), and eight holds plus saves while allowing just one earned run in 14 innings. Those numbers would be impressive for anyone, but are even more so given the backstory of Gómez, who is now with his fifth organization in just over a year. Before landing with the Twins, he went from the New York Yankees to the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox to the Tampa Bay Rays. Three of those teams have excellent reputations for pitching development and acquisitional acuity, but that's not exactly a trajectory that screams “high-leverage reliever". However, that's what he's become since donning the navy and red. His time in Tampa was rough. He posted a 6.23 ERA across 17 1/3 innings, with a 13:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The command seemed to be the culprit; the "stuff" was always there. This is precisely what the Twins saw when nobody else did—or at least, what the Twins have been able to unlock, partially thanks to the others running out of patience with the project. To understand why Gómez has been baffling hitters, you have to start with his sweeper. The pitch sits at 84 miles per hour and has generated an elite 39.3% whiff rate. The shape and spin rates seem to be pretty similar to previous season. Instead of those characteristics transforming, it's been a change in pitch mix that has unlocked Gómez’s next level. It's become his second-most-leaned-on offering and his go-to pitch in two-strike counts. What makes the pitch especially dangerous is how it pairs with his fastball. Gómez’s four-seamer runs at 95 miles per hour, which on its own would be a solid offering. But when you stack it with a sweeper with glove side-run and a sinker with arm-side run, hitters face a serious problem. He’s able to tunnel the three offerings, meaning opposing batters have a hard time identifying each. By the time the break of the sweeper (or sinker) happens, it's too late to adjust. While the sinker hasn't been nearly as effective, opponents have a combined sub-.200 batting average against the other two offerings. He rounds out his arsenal with a cutter at 91 miles per hour (less glove-side action than the sweeper) and keeps hitters guessing by mixing in a changeup 2.4 percent of the time. That is four distinct weapons, which gives Gómez the ability to attack hitters differently at every count and in every situation. The sweeper is the headliner, but the depth of his arsenal is what makes him a legitimate weapon out of the bullpen. The Twins have leaned on Gómez heavily, and he has been one of the more reliable arms in the bullpen. As much as Twins fans can grumble about the player development on the offensive side of the ball, Minnesota identified the stuff and acquired one of their most valuable bullpen pieces for “cash considerations.” His overall 2026 ERA across both teams has dropped from 6.23 with Tampa to 3.73. In Minnesota alone, the numbers look like those of an elite high-leverage reliever. The question worth asking at this point is whether Gómez can sustain the success over a larger sample. There's no doubt he’ll get that opportunity in 2026, but with five additional years of team control, we could be looking at the Twins' next great closer. Have the Twins found a diamond in the rough? Let us know what you think in the comments. View full article

The Minnesota Twins are Yoendrys Gomez's fourth organization in the last 13 months. After being designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays, the Twins claimed him off waivers and have seemingly turned him into an elite bullpen arm. How have they pulled this off? View full video

After his start against the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan seemed disgruntled with the team's game plan. Despite six solid innings, the coaching staff seemed to have him attack hitters differently, given it was his second consecutive start against the divisional rival. Was he right to be upset? View full video

For the first six weeks of the season, Austin Martin was one of the Minnesota Twins' best hitters. Thrusted into an everyday role after Matt Wallner was optioned, he's chased more and walked less. Is he in the middle of a slump, or have his weaknesses been exposed? View full video

In a surprising move, the Minnesota Twins designated Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment. At times, he looked like a mid to back-end of rotation lock, but more recently, he looks like a guy who didn't belong. What happened? View full video

Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton recently stated that Brooks Lee will be the Minnesota Twins' third baseman moving forward. How does this impact Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, and the Twins' top prospects? View full video

Once again, Joe Ryan is looking like a legitimate ace to start the season. Once again, the Minnesota Twins have a decision to make - should they trade him or should they look to extend him? View full video

Ryan Jeffers has been diagnosed with a fractured hamate bone and will miss the next 6-8 weeks. What does it mean for his future with the Minnesota Twins? Can the Twins fill his void over the next two months? View full video

Royce Lewis is on the struggle bus and has been for the majority of the last three seasons. Whether it's a demotion to Triple-A Saint Paul for a reset or a trade, Royce Lewis is in desperate need of a change of scenery. View full video

Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo The Minnesota Twins hosted their annual Taste of the Twins event Tuesday, ahead of Friday’s home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. The event acts as a preview of what’s to come at Target Field for the upcoming season, including enhancements to the fan experience. It also allowed attendees to taste-test the new food and beverage options. As has long been true, Target Field offers some of the best ballpark fare that you will find in all of Major League Baseball, and they’re adding excellent options to an already impressive list. What I particularly enjoy about the food offerings is that so many of them come from small, locally-owned businesses around the Twin Cities. Whether it’s a sausage from Kramarczuk’s, a slice from Pizza Luce, or street tacos from La Tapatia, Target Field has made it a point to give fans variety and an opportunity to support a local haunt. This season will be no exception. In addition to new local vendors (such as a soon-to-open Japenese restaurant called Izakaya Kazama or exican cuisine from La Madre), Red Cow adds a popular burger to their kitchen in section 223 that previously could only be found in their brick-and-mortar restaurants. Moreover, Target Field will have additional gluten-friendly and vegan options to create a more inclusive set of food offerings. So, without further ado, let's get into the specifics of the new food and beverage options at Target Field. Double Barrel Burger from Red Cow Red Cow brings their Double Barrel Burger to Target Field in 2026, featuring two 4-ounce beef patties, white American cheese, and grilled onions. However, what sets this burger apart from the rest of the menu (and made it my favorite savory item at the event) was the burger butter and horseradish cream sauce slathered between the beef patties. Even if horseradish isn’t your jam [Ed. note: it really is more of a sauce; I can't make the case that it's a jam], I can’t recommend trying this burger enough. Mixed with the burger butter, it adds a creamy, tangy flavor to the burger and isn’t overpowering as horseradish can sometimes be. You can find this burger at their normal location, in section 223 on the center field porch. Elote from La Madre Disclaimer: I LOVE me some elote (or Mexican street corn), so trust me when I say this: the elote from La Madre was rather bland. With a booth in section 110, La Madre will offer the following varieties of the popular corn-based dish. After slathering it in mayonnaise, you can choose to coat your corn on the cob in cotija cheese, tajín and arbol spice, crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, or crushed “hot blue” corn chips. As someone who would be hard-pressed to bypass the traditional toppings of mayo, cotija cheese, and chili powder, I took this opportunity to try the two unique offerings coated in crushed chips. I found both the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and “Hot Blue” corn chips to lack the flavor punch that I expected. Additionally, with the way the event is set up, the dish had been sitting for an extended period of time, causing the mayo to make the chips less crunchy—a texture I thought would be a nice touch to a normally creamy dish. Now, I’m not saying the elote was bad, but it was a little underwhelming. It’s definitely something I’d like to try again when the toppings are added at the time of ordering. Mac and Yes Please A new vendor to Target Field, Mac and Yes Please can be found in section 113, where you will find a plethora of options to level up your bowl of mac and cheese. With a base of cavatappi pasta and a creamy white cheddar sauce, fans will have the option to add buffalo chicken, brisket, blue cheese crumbles, shredded cheddar, green onion, bacon bits, sliced hot peppers, fried onion crisps, a buffalo ranch sauce, and/or a barbecue drizzle. If you’re looking for something simpler, they also offer a kids mac and cheese. I had the opportunity to try a bowl that included brisket, green onion, peppers, blue cheese and BBQ. In short, it was phenomenal. The brisket was tender, the green onion and sliced hot peppers added just the right amount of kick, and the drizzle pulled it all together. I will say, as someone who likes blue cheese, I found it to be very overpowering in this dish. If you like blue cheese but don’t love it, I’d recommend you skip that choice of topping; swap it out with the shredded cheddar. Chocolate Fish on a Stick from Izakaya Kazama Holy. Smokes. This was by far my favorite item at the event and will be a must-have item every time I visit Target Field. Chef Matthew Kazama of Izakaya Kazama (a restaurant opening soon at the corner of 34th Street and Nicollet in south Minneapolis) deep-fries a fish-shaped waffle filled with a sweet, chocolate filling. It's served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Found in Town Ball Tavern, the flavor and texture of this dish were absolutely divine. The outside of the waffle is crisp, while the inside is soft and gooey with the sweet chocolate filling. The waffle, which is placed on a pair of chopsticks, could stand by itself as a 10/10 dish, but then you elevate it with the ice cream and chocolate drizzle, and hoo boy. What you get is one of the most delectable desserts you’ll find in the Twin Cities…served at Target Field Justin’s Candied Popcorn Bar Sticking with the sweet treats, new to section 106 will be fresh-popped popcorn that you can top with upwards of a dozen different toppings. From Reese’s Pieces and M&Ms to Nerds clusters or mini marshmallows, there are a plethora of combinations to add to satisfy that salty and sweet craving at the ballpark. Other Inclusive Offerings Target Field continues to add to its expansive cuisine offerings by introducing the Grand Slam Shawarma (section 114), a Mediterranean bowl or wrap that includes steamed rice topped with chicken shawarma, diced red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce. For those who may have dietary restrictions, you can find a variety of gluten-free options, whether it be an entree, a snack, or a beverage. In section 112, you’ll find No Gluten Way, which offers a beef burger with white American cheese, grilled onions and a “bistro” sauce or an all-beef hot dog with grilled onions, both served on a gluten-free bun. I tried the burger, and it was very good, though the bun was a little dried out (again, could have just been the way the event was set up, having it sit under a warmer for an extended period). They also feature gluten-free cookies (chocolate chip and oatmeal cherry coconut) from the local Atuvava Bakery. Look, we’re north of 1200 words, and I’ve only covered the featured items at the Taste of the Twins and didn’t even touch on the beverage menu. Lately, there haven't been a lot of good things to say about the Minnesota Twins. However, if there is one thing that has rung true for years, it’s that they more than make up for the struggles on the field with triumphs on the concourse. A new season may not bring newfound hope, but it does bring new food that’s worth the price of admission. (Just keep in mind that you also have to pay for the food itself.) What new food item are you looking forward to trying at Target Field this year? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

The Minnesota Twins and Target Field are expanding their already impressive food and drink line up in 2026. You'll find something for everyone, whether it's the new Double Barrel Burger from Red Cow, Hot Cheeto Dusted Elote, gluten free and vegan food options, deep fried waffle on a stick, or an all new refreshing lineup of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks! View full video

In the third installment of the Twins Daily top prospect rankings, we enter the top 10 as voted on by Twins Daily contributors. Gabriel Gonzalez had a monster 2025 season, but was it enough to crack the top 5? Discussed in the video are Charlee Soto, Marek Houston, Kendry Rojas, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Dasan Hill. View full video