Riverbrian

I hope Erod's thumb is OK.

His numbers do show a decline but his bat speed is still well above the major league average. We still got a power hitter potential. I think it's possible that his timing being way off is a possible cause of the decline. If you get ahead of the pitch, you'll naturally hold your hands back and this will diminish your bat speed. My eyes and let me be clear... non-expert opinion is that he just looks clunky to me at the moment. I also think Royce has looked really clunky for awhile. They just don't look smooth in the batters box. With Wallner... His timing just seems to be way off. His load... his front foot lift used to be very pronounced. He used to lift that front leg high enough that a normal sized adult pig could run underneath it. This year he has cut that front foot lift back quite a bit and I think that's good but now his stride and launch is starting to quick. I'm not an expert but he always seems to be way in front... he is falling forward when he swings and when your body gets ahead you would hold your hands back to compensate and that is going to cut your swing speed down and make you look clunky. The result... more K's and pulling off the baseball when he does make contact and that's a lot of weak grounders to 1B and 2B and that's exactly what I'm seeing. Just stay back a beat. He needs a compact hand driven swing. If he gets that timing down. I think the swing speed comes back. The barrels... The exit velocity and dingers. Royce on the other hand. Or other foot. What is going on with his back foot. His back foot comes off the ground consistently. It should pivot with his rotation. It's like he jumps at the baseball. I don't know for sure but I assume that coaching wouldn't suggest that his back foot comes off the ground and lands in a different spot while swinging. If the coaches are not coaching that way... they have to be seeing it if I'm seeing it. We got a couple of messed up guys and I'd rather see Martin and Gray in the lineup until they unmess themselves.

The Twins could right now. Mix in Erod, Martin, Buxton, Larnach, Bell and Jeffers as the primary RF, CF, LF, DH and 1B. Wallner and Caratini could decently mix in at RF, DH, 1B and C without excessive bench time for anyone. Clemens and Gray. Could mix in at 2B, 3B and SS. Lewis needs somebody mixing in at 3B and honestly... so does Keaschall right now.

I think the promotion of Jenkins or Culpepper is unlikely due to not being on the 40 man roster. They would have to explode beyond what the players on the actual 40 man roster are doing to get a call up. Adding them to the 40 man would start their clocks those are two players where years of service will probably matter. So they will have to blow the doors off the place to by worthy of starting their clocks. Fedko who isn't on the 40 man roster is a guy who intrigues me. Speed and Power combo who can play a little infield has the highest slugging on the team. Better than Erod. His OBP is too low right now and his strikeout rate is on the high side but when he squares it... he squares it. At age 26 they probably are not worried about service time so Fedko should be a consideration as well. Considering those on the 40 man roster. OF - Erod seems to be at the front of line right now. High OBP... High Slug. High exit velocity. It has to be tempting to call him up. I would... I'd give him Outman's roster spot. They are not utilizing Outman anyway and we do not need a pinch running, defensive replacement specialist taking up 26 man roster space. Roden is hurt and won't be available for a month or so. I assume he'd be high up the list of considerations otherwise. Gonzalez is trying to pick up some first base with 6 games played at the position and he probably needs some additional time playing 1B. Plus G Gon right now seems to be all or nothing power. He isn't striking out and he isn't drawing walks but his OPS is a low .688 despite hitting a home run every 15 AB's. Not walking, Also not striking out a lot and low BA suggests that he is swinging at pitches that he shouldn't but punishing some of those that he should. A little 1B work and some plate discipline and he joins the conversation. IF - Yikes... Kriedler is probably the guy who comes up with an injury anywhere on the IF. Arcia is probably number two and he will take a 40 man roster deduction for his addition. If Culpepper gets the call it will be out of desperation. Otherwise it's Kreidler. Lewis, Lee, Keashcall and Gray have basically nothing to worry about apart from injury. They can hit like crap for an extended period and keep their jobs. Our IF depth is really really bad. C - I assume it's Jackson if an injury occurs. Catching and IF depth. Uff Da is how we say it in these parts.

Since the beginning of the season. The Twins have had a roster that consisted of 5 Right Handed Hitters, 5 Left Handed Hitters and 3 Switch Hitters. This has been consistent for all 32 games. The only roster adjustment was the right handed Kreidler called up when the right handed Royce Lewis went on the DL so the composition has been unchanged. Last night's game against Kevin Gausman and the Blue Jays was the first time that Shelton started all 5 right handed hitters on the roster against a right handed starter which is significant. In order to reach the magic number of all 5 playing in the same game against a right handed pitcher. Shelton must play Buxton, Lewis, Keaschall, Jeffers and Martin in the same game. That's all of them on the roster and they all started last night for the first time. Shelton has gone with 4 right handers 7 times. It kind of illustrates how Martin was/is considered to be the last right hander on the roster. Buxton, Keaschall and Lewis have been every day players since the onset of the season. Jeffers is the primary catcher so the potential for 4 is always there. The key is adding Martin and it kind of illustrates how Martin has been considered the last of the right handers and how easily he slips into a dreaded short side platoon role. I repeat... over 18 games against a right handed starter... this is the first time that all 5 right handed hitters were in the lineup against a right handed starter. Now... before I applaud Derek Shelton for saying the hell with the platoon for a night and before I applaud him for starting Martin and resting Wallner. I should mention that Kevin Gausman... has reverse splits. Left handed hitters struggle more against him than right handed hitters do (Both Career, last season and this season). Despite these reverse splits from Gausman... I did notice that Brooks Lee who is a stronger hitter right handed did not bat Right handed against the right hander. Of course that would introduce a new question. Is Brooks Lee stronger as a right handed hitter or is Brooks Lee stronger against left handed pitching? Go ahead and take a stab at that one.

Last Game Right Handed Starter April 30 - Kevin Gausman - Win - 7 Runs Scored Lineup Composition - 5 RH - 2 Switch - 2 LH Record vs RH Starter 9-9 Season Average Run Scored 5.00 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs LH Starters Record vs LH Starters 5-9 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.57

You see it and you get it. It's a fundamental quality thing... that is my contention. The platoon gains are marginal on a game by game and even more marginal on an AB by AB basis. Statistical platoon gains only present themselves over a lengthy period of time. In the time it takes to produce noticeable platoon advantages is also time that could be used toward development that would eventually negate the need to platoon... or at least minimalize the amount of platooning. Strict platooning is just lazy managing. It ignores hot or cold or all matchup data. Wouldn't it stand to reason that if a player is seeing the ball well and on a bit of a hot streak. Wouldn't that display against both hands... Yet the platoon will just take the player out regardless of his timing at an optimum level. For example. We can look at Trevor Larnach's overall OPS of .603 against left handers in 2025 and give him the thumbs down. However... Is best month in 2025 was August. He produced an .846 OPS overall in August 2025. His OPS against left handed pitchers that month was: .858 It was .838 against right handers in August. Platoon splits are not linear they are influenced by hot and cold. What are we doing? Matt Wallner had a decent OPS .790 against lefties in 2025. Right now he can't hit either hand. But. we can't find AB's for Martin who has been consistently getting on base at .500 CLIP and currently has a .840 OPS against Right handers. Ultimately I'd like this research to show that in regards to W's and L's. Platoon has very little influence on it. I suspect that staffing for platoon probably negates any potential gains and takes it into the negative. Maybe it will show me I'm wrong. Let's find out.

Last Game Right Handed Starter April 29 - George Kirby - Loss 3 Runs Scored Lineup Composition 4 RH 2 Switch 3 LH Season Average Runs Scored 4.88 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs LH Starters Record vs LH Starters 5-9 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.57

This post is exactly right. Eliminate the Outman/Keirsay role. If the Twins don't think Outman can compete with what Wallner is producing he serves no purpose. How can Outman secure a future in Minnesota? He can't with his utilization. He has 3 hits in his last two starts which was one start last Sunday and a start the Sunday before that. Has he figured it out? He could 5 for 5 in one of those Sunday starts and it won't change his utilization. He can't fix it. He has been pre-determined to be a role player on a contending team that doesn't have the talent to contend and therefore no real need for role players. There is nothing stopping the team from calling up Erod and letting Wallner know that he better figure it out.

Yes I did use the word nothing. To be honest... Nothing is actually to light switchy for me and I'm not a fan of light switchy. I'm more of a dial guy. Not enough does work better so it's not enough for today and it's not enough for tomorrow either. Calling up ERod? That isn't really my immediate suggestion. It's my example because he seems to have moved to the front of the AAA queue. I'm saying that Erod could be called up tomorrow. This 2026 team does not have enough talent on it to not consider it and if the only thing stopping this move is playing time. That's a self inflicted issue. Because this team has playing time available when 4 of your top 6 guys in plate appearences have an OPS under 7. When two of your top 6 guys are under 6. When Outman is being utilzed like a pinch runner and defensive replacement has been the key to the 13 victories. Weather Erod hits the ground running or joins the guys under 6 OPS... Is yet to be seen. It potentially solves nothing today. As for the state of the organization. I agree with you. It sure looks like a ditch to me. Whose to blame... I don't know either. I just strongly assume that it's Pohlad going forward. We might disagree on the length of time it will take to pull itself out of the ditch but we've never discussed length of time. I think you can speed it up with more players and not dying with a few pre-selected players. It is indeed going to take longer if we can't figure out things like promotion and playing time allocation on a team with players who are not earning that level of playing time.

This sentence either describes A. A dead franchise with nothing for today and nothing for tomorrow. Or B. A franchise that won't stop self inflicting wounds upon themselves. This team could call up Erod at any time. To add Erod... I'd DFA Outman before I'd DFA Clemens but Ok let's pretend that Outman being a late inning defense and pinch running sub and his 29 AB's in 31 games is vital to the 13 wins we have produced. Lets say Clemens is the guy who must go and let's pretend that we have to choose 9 players because it's a log jam otherwise. Bell to 1B, Larnach to DH. Erod to LF. Done. Seth Stohs and others feel it's a waste to put Erod in the Outman role. Erod must play every day and so must Wallner and so must Bell and so must Keaschall and so must Lee. Out of our top 6 leaders in PA's. Three of them have a current OPS in the FIVES. One of them Josh Bell has fallen Babe Ruth into the sixes and we can't figure out how to add and subtract. I'm sorry that wound is self inflicted. The waste isn't Erod in the Outman role. The waste is the role itself... the waste starts with Outman in the Outman role. If the manager can't figure out how to get Martin more playint time than Wallner. Well... we have a manager can't manage his way out of the platoon paper bag that he stuck on his own head. BTW... Fedko... Surely we can waste Fedko. His brand of speed and power obviously isn't going to play in the majors... this has been pre-determined. Instead we will watch the pre-determined players who are producing the .500 OPS.

Who knows but this sure sounds like a front office and coaching staff that was not on the same page. Removing a manager is one thing. The majority of the coaching staff also being let go is another.

26. Cardinals 27. D-Backs 28. Royals 29. Angels 30. Astros

Our bullpen is crafty. A little too crafty is my concern. For comparison against our peers: The Twins Rank 22nd in Team ERA: 4.40 The Bullpen ranks 25th in Bullpen ERA: 5.13 The Starters rank 11th in ERA: 3,93

Last Game Right Handed Starter April 28 - Logan Gilbert - Loss - 1 Run Scored Lineup Composition - 4 RH - 2 Switch - 3 LH Season Average Runs vs RH Starter 5.00 ----------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs LH Starters Record vs LH Starters 5-9 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.57

Congrats to Connor on his first major league win. Congrats to Cody on a big game at the plate. On the negative side. Dear Derek Shelton, #16 What are you doing with him? When the Right Handed pitchers returned on April 19. Austin sat three straight games. He then played 3 straight games. The first two of those games were against right handed pitchers. He went 4 for 7 during the two games against right handers.... he went Ofer against the lefty. For a 4 for 10 stretch. Which led to his being benched for two straight games last night and Sunday. 3 Sit, 3 Play, 2 sit. Matt Wallner has played 6 games during this 8 game stretch of right handers and has gone 3 for 21. His OBP is .274 his OPS is .564.

Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.

Apparently Christian Vazquez can produce a decent 45 AB stretch. Don't believe we had a decent 45 AB stretch with the bat during his three years with us. With the Astros he currently has a .913 OPS

Last Game Right Handed Starter April 27 - Luis Castillo - 11 Runs Scored Lineup Composition 3 RH - 2 Switch - 4 LH Record vs Right Handed Starter 8-7 Season Average Runs vs RH Starter 5.27 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs LH Starters Record vs LH Starters 5-9 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.57

Last Game Right Handed Starter April 24 - Drew Rasmussen - Runs Scored 2 Lineup Composition 3 RH - 2 Switch - 4 LH Record vs Right Handed Starter 7-6 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH 5.08 -------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs Left Handed Starter Record vs LH Starter 5-8 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.85

The biggest reason Clemens is still on the roster. The Twins didn't really focus on trying to get him off the roster this off-season. In other words... the acquisitions of Wagaman, Arcia and Kreidler are the guys who can currently take him off the roster. Out of those 4... I'll take Clemens.

Last game Right Handed Starter April 23 - Christian Scott - Loss - Runs scored 8 Lineup Composition - 4 RH - 2 Switch - 3 LH Record vs Right Handed Starter 7-5 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH 5.33 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs Left Handed Starter Record vs LH Starter 5-8 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.85

I really couldn't tell where he started from but yeah... My eyes also saw the pull up and while I didn't bang the gavel on his guiltyness... I did say to myself that I would have dove for it... at least I would have back in my softball days... especially in that situation where a catch hangs a zero on the board of a tie game. Much like Buxton did a play later. Would the ball have bounced passed him after his clumsy diving attempt and possibly created additional runs for the Mets... Yeah Probably... But I like players who make the full effort and I don't care if it's game 24... game 106 of the season or game 7 of the world series.

There are so many different things to consider in regards to matchups. How does this hitter do against breaking pitches... what kind of breaking pitch does the starter have for example. And there are other things like hotness and coldness. The Left/Right platoon seems to override all of the other pieces of data... it seems to override all other considerations and that drives me crazy. Martin isn't sitting due to how he is playing. He is sitting because he is right handed and he is sitting because someone has to be hand cuffed to lefty hitter. He is sitting because there is a decent replacement if he sits. He is sitting because he isn't expected to be as good as other right handed hitters that get to face them. Players like Lewis who is supposed to be amazing but hasn't been. Lewis can struggle for years and it's ok... Martin will have to OPS 1,000 for things to change. I simply don't understand why managers can't get out of the way and just let hot hitters keep doing what they are doing. The best way to cool off a hot streak is to not play the player during a hot streak.

We get 6 years. We have invested 2.043 Years. I'd rather show patience than pulling investment before maturity. There is a 28 year old baby in that bath water.