Matthew Lenz

Matthew Lenz chats with Cedar Rapids Kernels lefty Brent Headrick about his improvement early in the 2022 season. View full video

Matt Wallner was a 1st round pick for the Minnesota Twins in the 2019 First Year Player Draft. Since joining the organization, the left-handed hitting outfielder keeps hitting. With an improved hard hit rate and walk rate in 2022, is he being overlooked by Twins fans? View full video

The Twins had their second-best start to a season in franchise history at 12-9. It was a month of surprises that saw them finishing 7-1, atop of the AL Central, and a myriad of unexpected performances from players at the plate and on the bump. View full video

The Twins pitching staff as a whole had a solid first month of the season, but the starting rotation really shined. Check out who the Twins Daily writers voted as the Twins Daily Minnesota Twins Pitcher of the Month. Every starter, aside from maybe Sonny Gray, had some question marks heading into the season. Could Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan at least maintain, if not build off, their successful campaigns in 2021? Can Dylan Bundy return to his 2020 form, or was that just the exception to his otherwise Mediocre career? What will we get out of Chris Archer, and who will get innings when he inevitably misses time? We don't have the answer to all of those questions, but we can start to get the answers to some of them, which is reflected in the voting. And all those questions existed before the Twins traded for Chris Paddack the day before the season started, which opened up questions about the bullpen. We undoubtedly need more time to answer all of those questions, but all that considered, I think we can be happy about the first month of the season. Without further ado, let's see how Twins Daily writers voted. Honorable Mention #2: Joe Smith Joe Smith had quietly been a great addition to the Twins bullpen. Raise your hand if you knew that Smith had a 0.00 ERA over 7 2/3 innings across nine outings. [Embarrassingly keeps hands at his side]... yeah, either did I. The bullpen took its lumps early, but the elder statesmen has been the model of consistency for the first month of the season, and his veteran presence could prove to benefit some of the younger arms in the bullpen. The 38-year-old knows what a playoff team looks like when he sees one. He's pitched in the postseason over five different seasons, including 2017-2019 with the Indians and Astros, where he appeared in the ALCS (2018) and World Series (2019). That experience can be invaluable to a pitching staff that lacks a postseason resume. Honorable Mention #1: Dylan Bundy Are we getting the 2020 version of Dylan Bundy? Of course, It's too early to say for sure, and he was roughed up in his final start of the month but otherwise was brilliant for the Twins in April. The key for him, well, really any pitcher but especially Bundy, will be to limit the free bases and home runs. He did just that in April with a 1.27 BB/9 and 0.84 HR/9 supplemented with an 8.02 K/9, and his 2.95 ERA ended up being 0.68 runs higher than his xERA. The early results are promising, but we need a more significant simple to see if the bing, the bang, and the boom are here to stay. Pitcher of the Month: Joe Ryan Can Joe Ryan build off his cup of coffee from 2021? Uh, yeah. The rookie right-hander fooled hitters all month to the tune of a 25:6 K: BB ratio and a 1.17 ERA over 23 innings across four starts. His 2.65 xERA suggests that regression is likely, but that's not surprising, and I think he would still be the winner if that were his actual ERA for April. But that’s not just a great month for a rookie; that's a great month for any starting pitcher, no matter how long they've been doing it. He accrued 0.6 fWAR, which was good enough for 19th in all of baseball among starters. It's been a fantastic start to the 25-year-olds Major League Baseball career. He’ll look to continue improving in the month of May, starting with an outing against the lowly Baltimore Orioles. If you were to rank your top 3 for the month of April, are these the three you would have ranked? In the same order? View full article

Roster sizes for all MLB teams will be shrinking by two spots on May 2nd, limiting teams to 26 players until September. Yesterday, Theodore Tollefson looked at which hitters may be on the chopping block, and now I will look at a few pitchers on the fringe. The Twins took advantage of the 28-man rosters by supplementing their bullpen with extra arms. Especially with a lockout-shortened Spring Training, this was crucial as it allowed for Twins starting pitchers to have a reasonable ramp-up period. Now that we are three weeks into the season and starters are beginning to reach their “Opening Day form,” I think we will see at least one bullpen pitcher be sent down to St. Paul and possibly two. With that said, let's look at the pitchers who might be on the outside looking in. Josh Winder I think this is the most obvious choice and would go as far as issuing a guarantee that he makes his way down to St. Paul. Winder is a promising 25-year-old prospect who has found success as a starter at every level, not to mention providing the Twins with some effective relief innings so far in 2022. The long-term picture for Winder is that of a mid-rotation arm, not a long reliever out of the pen, whose only “red flag” is being shut down in July last year due to a shoulder injury. While he should be the first to be sent down to St. Paul, he’s likely also the first to earn a spot start when the Twins have a need in the big league rotation. Griffin Jax Although he’s older than Winder, Jax is another one who needs to get innings, and I think it’s time to groom him as a reliever. In the last year or so, Jax has developed a slider that is now his best pitch and mixes that with a mid-90s fastball that seems to add a couple of ticks when he comes out of the pen. As noted by Nick, it’s a small sample, but the Twins have starting depth in their minors which provides them the flexibility to give Jax some run as a reliever. If the long-term plan is a reliever role, I could see him sticking in Minneapolis as he’s been one of the few non-starter bright spots in 2022. Cody Stashak He seems older than 27 because he’s pitched parts of four seasons at the Major League level. I’m conflicted with Stashak as I don’t see any upside to him taking a spot in St. Paul, but I don’t know how effective he can be in Minneapolis. He showed promise over 40 relief innings in 2019 and 2020, but the road has been rocky for Stashak since dealing with ineffective pitching and, of course, a strained bicep that cost him most of last season. So far, 2022 hasn’t been kind to Stashak, but I’d instead give him some time in Minneapolis in low leverage spots than any role across town with the Saints. If you are the Twins, who would your two roster cuts be next week? View full article

Carlos Correa has started the year with a sub .600 OPS which is about 250 points below his career norm. What is going on with the Twins biggest free agent acquisition since Ricky Nolasco? Can it really just be cold weather or are the Twins forever doomed at shortstop after trading away JJ Hardy? View full video

PitchCom is a new tech-based, pitching calling system that will be used widely across MLB in 2022. The goal of the system is twofold: prevent sign stealing and increase pace of play. The complete impact of the PitchCom system on the game remains to be seen but undoubtedly will help move the game forward. View full video

Three pitchers. Three different contracts. How do they all figure into the Twins future beyond this year? View full video

Do you have a source regarding your comments on Boras/Correa? Are you telling me that Boras called the Twins out of the blue?

And really that’s my biggest issue with the FO/coaching staff…IDK who is more to blame. Last year specifically I kind of liked the Happ and Shoemaker signings, but then they hung on way too long when it was clear it just wasn’t working out. Also, these are relievers. I don’t think they’ll be blocking any prospects from relieving in AAA.

With the bullpen still in flux a week out from Opening Day, the Twins were busy on Thursday adding much-needed bullpen depth to the organization. The Twins signed veteran right-handed relievers Tyler Bashlor, JC Ramirez and Jake Petricka to minor-league deals. Each of the names mentioned above has varying amounts of Major League experience, although that comes with a considerable amount of time missed. Since the 2018 season, JC Ramirez and Jake Petricka have combined for just 84 1/3 innings, of which Petricka provided 45 2/3 in 2018. On the other hand, Bashlor has gone up and down between Triple-A and the big leagues since 2018, but he spent the entire 2021 season with Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate. These signings are of the same ilk as Chi-Chi González. The Twins are taking a low-risk flier on guys with experience but aren’t fully committing to them past a minor-league deal. In other words, these signings are not in the same realm as “low-risk” signings from previous offseasons. As it stands now, the three will likely start in St. Paul and will need to earn their trip West on 94. Let’s look at what the three veterans could provide to one or both teams in the Twin Cities metro. Tyler Bashlor was drafted by the Mets in 2013 and was traded to the Pirates in the middle of the 2020 season but was sent to Pittsburgh’s alternate site before throwing 8 1/3 innings for the Pirates towards the end of the season. Although it was with their AAA affiliate, Bashlor had a successful 2021 season throwing 37 2/3 innings over 37 relief appearances and struck out 10.8 K/9 with a 2.39 ERA but also carried a 4.5 BB/9 which has been his Achilles heel throughout his career. His most recent Savant profile from those eight innings in 2021 shows a mid-90s fastball and slider mix with the occasional changeup. (Look at the curveballs in the below video and try not to think about Matt Wisler.) JC Ramirez has only thrown 14 2/3 relief innings since 2018 due to a combination of Tommy John Surgery, costing most of 2018 and 2019, and the cancellation of 2020 spring training due to COVID. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Ramirez has pitched in Mexico and China with some success over the last two seasons. However, the level of competition isn’t nearly what he faced stateside. His Savant profile from 2019 tells us he has a fastball that sits in the low-90s, although it’s worth noting it averaged 96 miles per hour in 2017, and a slider and curveball. Before his injury in 2018, he was just a passable back end of the rotation option, but sometimes those guys can reinvent themselves as effective relievers. I wouldn’t hold my breath but benefit from a minor league deal. A Northfield (MN) native, Jake Petricka might sound familiar as he was a good reliever for the Chicago White Sox from 2013 through 2015. He was with the White Sox until 2017 but has since bounced around the league with the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He’s avoided Tommy John Surgery, but he also has a history of elbow and forearm injuries which could explain why his career has gone south since that three-year run ending in 2015. Most recently, he provided the Angels organization with some depth with their AAA affiliate so he isn’t as far removed from Major League Baseball as Ramirez and profiles similarly. He throws a low to mid 90’s fastball with a slider and changeup. These three moves won’t move the needle, and to be frank, minor-league deals shouldn’t especially those signed a week before the season starts. Last year, the Twins used a total of 35 pitchers. Depth is good. These pitchers can provide the organization with some relief depth, and, who knows, maybe one will rediscover himself and provide some effective innings in Minneapolis before the season is over. View full article

Yea, considering all the “graduates” from last year, it’s impressive to see our farm system with so much talent that could be ready to contribute within the next year or two. I agree on Miller, but would take it as a bad thing if Palacios is our shortstop next year…does that mean Correa left and neither Royce Lewis or Austin Martin are ready? I guess a positive could be they were traded for a starter, but I think Palacios is realistically a solid utility depth piece.

Yea, always hard to say how these guys will turn out…even when it’s an “expert” making the list.

Last week, I looked at the Twins who cracked MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects, and now they have released their Top 30 Prospects for the Minnesota Twins. This article will examine that list and make some notable observations from the rankings. MLB Pipeline featured four Twins in their top-100 and an additional player who "just missed" the cut. You can review last week's article to get some additional insight on those prospects. This article will note observations of the remaining Twins in their top-30, including the risers, fallers, and especially those who are new to the list compared to the final rankings from the end of the 2021 season. Those rankings were updated at the end of August, and between then and now no Twins reached their rookie minimums meaning that there are no “graduates” to note. The Twins have seen a lot of positive movement from their prospects over the offseason, so let’s dive into the rankings! Risers Spencer Steer (2B/3B) rose from 23rd to 11th over the offseason, which is tied for the biggest jump for any Twins prospect with the player you’ll read about next. What’s interesting is that after the rankings were published, Steer had one of the worst months of his season at AA-Wichita although it would be short-sighted to think that recent performance is all that goes into the rankings. As noted in his MLB Pipeline scouting report, Steer was able to add power in 2021 without sacrificing much of his OBP as shown by his season-long .348/.484 OBP/SLG and had a pretty successful run after being promoted in late June. We won’t be seeing him in 2022 (probably) and there are a lot of guys ahead of him who play (or can play) similar positions, so his route to Minneapolis is going to be a challenging one. That said, if he proves that his combination of power and OBP are here to stay, he’ll put himself in a position to get to the Major Leagues sooner rather than later. As noted before, Louie Varland (RHP) also jumped 12 spots over the offseason and finds himself as the Twins 15th-ranked prospect headed into the 2022 season. Varland had an impressive four starts following the release of the rankings last August in which he posted a 2.86 ERA and 31:4 K:BB over 22 innings which punctuated an impressive 2021 campaign between Low A Fort Myers and High A Cedar Rapids. Over 20 starts (10 at each level) and 103 innings pitched, Varland boasted a 4.73 K/BB, 2.10 ERA, and 1.09 WHIP which earned him Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors. Not yet reaching AA Wichita means that a 2022 debut is unlikely for Varland but if he has another year like 2021 then he’ll absolutely compete for a rotation spot in 2023 Spring Training. Fallers Former 13th overall pick, Keoni Cavaco, dropped 13 spots over the offseason after spending a majority of the season at Low A Fort Myers. In just his first full season as a pro, it’s way too early to call Cavaco a bust considering he was drafted out of high school and missed the 2020 season, but he didn’t help his cause with a sub .600 OPS and a 34.2% strikeout rate. Can’t emphasize enough that, especially with all factors considered, it’s way too early to judge Cavaco (although he was picked ahead of bigger name shortstop prospects like Bryson Stott and Anthony Volpe). Signed as an International Free Agent in 2018, Yunior Severino, who was ranked 30th last August, has fallen off the most recent version of the list. He actually posted his best season as a pro with an .802 OPS, but the addition of five players you’ll read about below made him the odd-man-out of MLB Pipelines top 30 Twins prospects. Even the most recent Fangraphs rankings put the switch-hitting second baseman outside of their top 40 prospects for the organization. Newcomers Ronny Henriquez, acquired in the Mitch Garver trade, comes in as the Twins' 14th-best prospect. MLB Pipeline retroactively added him to the 2021 list where he was ranked the 19th-best prospect in the system, and I’ll direct you to Lucas Seehafer’s article for more information on the right-handed pitching prospect. Cade Povich, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jermaine Palacios are all guys who have been with the organization but are new to MLB Pipelines top 30 sitting at 27, 29, and 30, respectively. Povich is a left-handed pitcher drafted in the 3rd round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Nebraska. In 10 innings in 2021, he had a 19:2 K:BB ratio, allowed nine baserunners, and four earned runs. The Twins added corner infielder Encarnacion-Strand in the 34th round of the 2021 draft out of Oklahoma State. In 87 at-bats, he posted a 1.022 OPS with four home runs and a strikeout rate of 29.9% Palacios is a veteran of the Twins minor-league system at this point. He originally signed back in 2013 at just 16-years-old. He was traded to the Rays in the Jake Odorizzi acquisition, and he came back to the Twins on a minor-league deal ahead of the 2021 season. The Venezuelan is a glove-first utility infielder who posts passable numbers at the plate with a career OPS of .715 over 2,456 minor league at-bats. It remains to be seen where the Twins farm system will rank as a whole, but even after the graduation of so many top prospects last season, they ended as MLB Pipelines 15th-ranked system. Since then they’ve added a prospect to the top 100 and have had a lot of positive movement in their system. How do you feel about the Twins system as we enter a competitive window? Are you in the boat of trading some of these prospects for Major League talent or letting the prospects develop their way to Minneapolis? Let us know in the comments! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Lol! I wouldn’t mind seeing Rogers extended for a couple years. Relievers can be so volatile and unpredictable though so nothing long-term.

They need to acquire him first.