Matthew Taylor

Aaron Sabato’s journey through the Twins organization has been a winding one, filled with hype, frustration, and a whole lot of strikeouts. He was selected by the Twins with the 27th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, a bat-first first baseman from the University of North Carolina who had just set the Tar Heels' freshman record with 18 home runs in 2019. Upon being drafted, Baseball America's scouting report made it clear what the Twins were getting: “Sabato’s signature trait is his massive power potential. He has near top-of-the-scale raw power and can leave any ballpark from foul pole to foul pole, thanks to his brute natural strength and massive wrists and forearms.” But selecting a college hitter who was already limited to first base defensively came with one big caveat. The bat had to play. And for most of his professional career, it simply hasn’t. Since entering the Twins system, Sabato has posted declining OPS figures in each season: .783, .774, .759, and .645. That last number came in 2023, his worst season yet. Not only were his numbers regressing, but his advancement through the system stalled out as well. He made his Double-A debut in 2022 and hasn’t moved up since. Even more concerning, he has struck out over 30 percent of the time in every season. The swing-and-miss issues that plagued him in college only got worse against pro pitching. As a result, Sabato faded from the radar. He wasn't ranked among Aaron Gleeman’s top 40 Twins prospects heading into the year. He’s been eligible for the Rule 5 Draft twice with zero interest. Any hope of Sabato making an impact seemed to be fading away. Until this season. Now 26 years old and in his fourth year with the Double-A Wind Surge, Sabato is having by far the best season of his career. Through 37 games in double-A, he's slashing .311/.409/.568 with a .977 OPS, eight home runs, ten doubles, and 25 RBI. He’s finally doing what he was drafted to do, crush the baseball. He’s also punishing left-handed pitching. Sabato owns a ridiculous 1.157 OPS against southpaws, with half of his eight home runs coming against them. That’s a stark contrast from last year, when he posted a .384 OPS against lefties in 95 plate appearances, and a significant improvement from his .544 OPS against them in 2022. But perhaps the most encouraging sign of growth is his improved plate discipline. For the first time in his career, Sabato has brought his strikeout rate below 30 percent. His 25.6 percent K-rate this year is still high, but it is a significant and meaningful drop. For a power hitter like Sabato, 25 percent is manageable. Thirty percent is not. That change alone gives him a fighting chance. Realistically, the odds of Sabato making it to the big leagues remain slim. Not many players with his profile, after struggling this long, break through in their late 20s. But it’s not impossible. Sabato still has first-round power and the kind of right-handed pop that can be valuable off a bench or in a platoon. What he deserves now is a chance. A promotion to Triple-A St. Paul is on the table. He’s more than proven himself in Wichita, and the Twins could use more right-handed thump, especially against lefties. Maybe Sabato isn’t the guy, but maybe, just maybe, he’s got one more chapter to write. At the very least, he’s earned the opportunity. Give Sabato some run in St. Paul and see what happens. I’ll admit I’m biased. I’ve owned property on Sabato Island for a while now. It’s been lonely out here, but lately, the market's picking up and my investment’s finally showing signs of life, just like Sabato himself. What do you think? Is Aaron Sabato worth a look in St. Paul? Could he still become a contributor in Minnesota? Let us know in the comments below. View full article

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Coming into the 2025 season, the Minnesota Twins had an obvious need: more offense. The lineup looked thin, and the departure of key bats raised real concerns about run production. At the same time, the Twins appeared to have a surplus of starting pitching, both at the major-league level and in the high minors. That imbalance led to a winter full of speculation. If the Twins were going to improve the offense, it seemed clear that pitching was the currency they'd use to do it. One name at the center of those conversations was Chris Paddack. After missing significant time recovering from Tommy John surgery, he was set to earn $7.25 million in 2025, a hefty salary for someone who hadn’t pitched a full season since 2021. Plenty of fans and media figures saw him as a logical trade candidate, not necessarily to bring back a big bat, but simply to shed salary and reallocate those dollars to offense. The front office didn’t see it that way. Instead of moving him, they kept him—not only because they believed in his upside, but because he represented something they valued more than anything this offseason, starting pitching depth. Beyond Paddack, the front office faced pressure to deal from their rotation surplus. Whether it was Bailey Ober, a proven mid-rotation starter with years of team control, or prospects like David Festa or Zebby Matthews, the Twins had arms that other teams wanted. The idea of trading one of those pitchers for a much-needed bat was a constant talking point throughout the winter. But the front office stood pat. They bet big on holding onto that depth, knowing that constructing a rotation with just five starters only gets you so far. Pitching attrition is one of the few guarantees in baseball. The Twins didn’t want to be caught scrambling when that inevitability hit. Now, we’re seeing exactly why. The first sign came when Simeon Woods Richardson struggled through the opening stretch with a 5.02 ERA. The Twins responded by calling up David Festa. Then Zebby Matthews. These weren’t emergency fill-ins. They were prospects the team had ready to slot in when called upon. When Pablo López strained his teres major and hit the injured list for multiple months, the rotation could have been in crisis. Instead, Matthews slid right in. Then, Matthews himself went down with a shoulder injury—another blow. But the team was able to recall Woods Richardson again, a young arm who broke out last year by providing steady, quality innings, even if this year’s start has been a tough one. Most teams would be sunk at this point. Their ace is out. Two young arms have already been cycled in and out. They’ve gone past Plan B and Plan C. But the Twins are still afloat. Thanks to the arms they kept and the decisions they made months ago, they can still field a credible rotation. Joe Ryan, Ober, a rejuvenated Paddack, Festa, and Woods Richardson, who is struggling, but has shown success in the majors and (as a No. 5 starter) can be hidden a bit. Still waiting in the wings is Andrew Morris, a hard-throwing righty who is climbing prospect rankings fast. None of this is to say the rotation is in perfect shape. It’s not. The group is stretched thin. But the only reason the season hasn’t been completely derailed is because the Twins built themselves a safety net of capable starting pitchers. They saw what could happen and prepared for it. While fans clamored for bats, the front office bet on depth. There’s also still a path to add more. If the Twins find out closer to the trade deadline that they have flexibility to spend money, and if the injury situation remains uncertain, the team could explore deals to bring in another starting pitcher. A midseason addition could help reinforce a rotation that, while still solid, is clearly walking a tightrope right now. The Twins' starting pitching depth hasn’t fixed the offense. It hasn’t eliminated all the problems. But it has kept the season alive. Do you think that the front office was wise to hoard pitching depth this offseason? Can they survive the onslaught of hits to their depth? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View full article

Well said!

When the Minnesota Twins acquired Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds at the 2022 trade deadline, it was a bold move that showed they were serious about contending. For years, fans had been clamoring for the front office to invest in a frontline starting pitcher. Mahle, just 27 years old and under team control through 2023, looked like a smart and calculated gamble. The Twins paid a significant price, sending Spencer Steer, Steve Hajjar, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Cincinnati. Unfortunately, the move quickly turned into a nightmare for Minnesota. Mahle made only four starts before shoulder issues ended his 2022 season. He returned briefly in 2023 but lasted just five starts before needing Tommy John surgery. In total, he threw 42 innings with a 3.64 ERA as a Twin. The acquisition, which once looked like the missing piece for a playoff run, fizzled out almost immediately. While recovering from surgery, Mahle signed a two-year deal with the Texas Rangers. He missed most of 2024 as he worked back from Tommy John and battled more shoulder tightness. But in 2025, things have finally come together for him. Mahle enters Tuesday’s game at Target Field with a 2.02 ERA, which ranks fifth in the American League. His 1.6 fWAR is ninth among AL pitchers. For the first time in years, he is fully healthy and showing why the Twins pursued him in the first place. He’s getting it done with a different approach. His four-seam fastball averages just 92 miles per hour, down from his 93+ MPH pre-surgery, but it has been an extremely effective pitch. Opposing hitters are batting only .173 against it, and it is generating a 25 percent whiff rate. His split-finger, which he throws nearly 30 percent of the time, is giving hitters even more trouble. The biggest change for Mahle, though, is that through 71 and one-third innings, he has allowed just three home runs. His 44 percent ground ball rate helps him avoid damage, and he is doing an excellent job limiting quality contact. Compare those numbers to 2022 when Mahle had a 35 percent ground ball rate and allowed 1.2 home runs per nine innings. Mahle has adapted his game post-surgery and the numbers speak for themselves. For Twins fans, seeing Mahle back in Minnesota and dominating might stir up some tough emotions. There was plenty of criticism for the front office after the trade fell apart. The Twins finally pushed in their chips for a frontline starter, and it felt like they picked the wrong guy. But in reality, they identified the right traits. Mahle has always had the ability to be a top-tier starter. Injuries are what derailed his time in Minnesota, not poor scouting or bad decision-making. No team can avoid pitcher injuries. That is the gamble every front office has to make. In Mahle’s case, the timing just didn’t work out. The front office wasn’t wrong. They were just early. Now, Mahle will take the mound against his former team for the first time since the trade. And the Twins will have their hands full. He is pitching like one of the best starters in the league and is finally healthy enough to prove it. What do you think? Was the Mahle trade a smart risk that simply didn’t pan out? Or was it a mistake from the start? How are you feeling about facing him in Tuesday’s series opener? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View full article

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images When the Pohlad family announced this offseason that they were exploring a sale of the Minnesota Twins, it immediately introduced a layer of long-term uncertainty around the franchise. Since then, news has trickled in slowly. There are interested parties, but no sale appears imminent, and certainly not before the July 31 trade deadline. So what does that mean for this critical stretch of the 2025 season? The first and most obvious implication is financial. With the Pohlads still footing the bills and presumably looking to streamline the organization before a sale, it is hard to imagine this being a deadline where the Twins take on significant salary. If a deal for the team were close to the finish line, maybe the current owners would be more willing to absorb some added payroll, knowing a new group would soon be on the hook. But as things stand, any player acquired would likely be paid out by the current regime. That all but rules out the Twins being in the market for expensive veterans on expiring deals. It is difficult to envision them parting with prospects for high-salary players, especially without a commitment from ownership to a larger budget going forward. If the Twins are active, it will likely require creativity: salary-neutral swaps, low-cost rentals, or pre-arbitration players with team control beyond this season. The bigger question might not be what the Twins do at the deadline, but who should be making the decisions. In professional sports, we have seen it plenty of times. New ownership often brings in new leadership. That makes it fair to wonder how secure the current front office feels and whether they are the ones who will be steering the ship this winter and beyond. If changes are looming at the top, it raises two serious concerns. First, should a potentially outgoing front office be allowed to make win-now trades that mortgage the future? And second, could that same front office be tempted to prioritize short-term results in a bid to protect their own jobs? Both of those questions introduce a level of risk that could discourage aggressive behavior at the deadline, even if the standings suggest the Twins should be buyers. Another major factor in all of this is organizational identity. Without clarity from ownership, what exactly is the goal for 2025? Are the Twins contenders trying to win the Central again, or are they focused on building a longer-term core? A sale-in-progress can paralyze direction, especially when ownership is not committed to either short-term aggression or long-term rebuilding. That kind of ambiguity might lead to a deadline where the Twins stand pat, not because they want to, but because they are stuck somewhere in the middle. We are still a few weeks away from trade talks truly heating up around the league, and the standings could shift between now and the end of July. But for the Twins, the questions hanging over the organization go far beyond on-field performance. Until ownership is settled or at least publicly clarified, it is hard to envision a bold, splashy deadline approach. That may come as a disappointment for fans hoping the Twins make a serious push to fortify the roster. But based on what we know now, this feels like a deadline where the team either stands pat or makes modest, lower-cost additions. Anything more aggressive would run against the current financial and structural uncertainty, and that is a tough sell for a team in transition at the top. What do you think the Twins should do at the deadline? Should they still push for short-term upgrades despite the uncertainty, or is it smarter to ride out this limbo and wait for more clarity before making big moves? View full article

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Kaelen Culpepper) When the Minnesota Twins selected Kaelen Culpepper with the 21st overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the reaction from fans was… tepid. Another shortstop? Limited power? It didn’t exactly scream “impact pick” for a team that already had a glut of middle infielders. But just a couple months into his first full professional season, Culpepper is already proving the doubters wrong. Through 177 plate appearances with High-A Cedar Rapids, Culpepper is slashing .289/.390/.467 with an .857 OPS, six home runs, and 22 RBI. That production is quickly changing the narrative, especially for a player who was knocked for his lack of pop coming out of Kansas State. Culpepper’s junior year at K-State saw him hit 11 homers and 15 doubles in 291 plate appearances. Scouts loved his bat-to-ball skills but questioned whether his flat swing would ever generate enough lift to tap into more power. The Twins clearly saw something they could work with. Fast forward to 2025, and Culpepper has already racked up 14 extra-base hits in just 38 games. The results suggest the adjustments are working. Additionally, the swing looks violent. Culpepper is attacking the ball and creating lift required for big-league power. It’s not just the power that’s standing out, but his approach at the plate that is mature beyond where many prospects find themselves at his age. Culpepper is walking at an impressive 18% clip while striking out only 12% of the time. He’s also making an impact on the basepaths, swiping 11 bases and getting caught just once. That’s a dynamic offensive profile at any level, and one that’s starting to garner national attention. Keith Law recently updated his top 50 prospects list and slotted Culpepper at No. 45. “He’s an above-average shortstop who might get a little better with more consistency,” Law wrote. “And I might have undersold his bat a little on draft day.” That kind of recognition speaks volumes. Prospects are inherently volatile, and Culpepper still has plenty to prove, but this looks like a pick that’s aging very well. The Twins bet on a high-contact hitter with elite athleticism and strong makeup, trusting their development system to unlock the rest. So far, that bet is paying off. Defensively, Culpepper has held his own at shortstop, though some scouts project a move to third base. Initially, that raised eyebrows, could he hit enough to justify the move? But with the power starting to show up and his overall offensive game rounding out nicely, the concerns are fading. He may still have the bat to profile at the hot corner. And if he is able to hold his own at shortstop and stick there, we could be looking at a potentially special player. The draft is a minefield, especially when picking toward the back half of the first round. So far, the Twins look like they made a savvy play, identifying a talented player with room to grow and helping him tap into that upside quickly. There is still a lot of room for things to go wrong and for his game to fade, but for now the Twins front office should be applauded for the draft pick. What do you think of Kaelen Culpepper’s breakout season? Is it too early to call this pick a win, or are you ready to buy in? Let us know in the comments. View full article

Image courtesy of © D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Box Score Starting Pitcher: David Festa - 3 2/3 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO Home Runs: Matt Wallner (3) Bottom 3 WPA: Festa (-.356), Larnach (-.080), Lee (-.065) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): The Minnesota Twins came into Thursday afternoon with a chance to finish off a four-game sweep of the lowly Athletics. Instead, they got punched in the mouth early, stumbled to their biggest blowout loss of the season, and had to turn to a position player on the mound to just get through it. Festa Falters in Opportunity With Pablo López hitting the injured list, the Twins turned to top pitching prospect David Festa to fill his spot in the rotation. It was a tough assignment made tougher by circumstance, Festa hadn’t pitched in over a week and was thrust into action immediately after his call-up. It didn’t go well. The A’s teed off on the right-hander, tagging him for eight earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Festa gave up three home runs, walked two, and served up a steady stream of hard contact as Oakland jumped all over him. The big blows included a pair of third-inning long balls from Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom, which turned a rough start into a disaster. It was a tough break for Festa, who likely has a decent runway in the rotation given the expected length of López’s absence. But his first start on that runway did not go the way anyone hoped it would. The Bullpen Didn’t Help The back half of the Twins bullpen didn’t stem the bleeding. Jorge Alcala coughed up a three-run homer to Soderstrom, his second of the game, in the fourth inning, and the A’s added another in the fifth to push the lead to 12-1. It continued the drought for Alacala and only amplified the questions surrounding his spot on the Twins' roster. The Twins scraped together a couple late runs thanks to RBI from Ty France and Brooks Lee, but the damage had long been done. A Position Player on the Mound With the game well out of reach and a weekend series looming, the Twins turned to utility man Jonah Bride to mop things up on the mound. Bride tossed two innings in his first career Major League pitching appearance, a silver lining only in that it saved the bullpen from further wear and tear. Road Trip in Perspective The 13-2 loss prevented a series sweep, but not a series win. The Twins took three of four from the A’s and finished their grueling 10-game, 11-day, two-coast, two-minor-league-park road trip with a 5-5 record, a perfectly acceptable outcome given the circumstances. What's Next Now, the Twins head home to Target Field, where they’ll open a weekend set against the Blue Jays. They’ll aim to flush this one and get back on track, hopefully with stronger outings from their reshuffled rotation. Bullpen Usage View full article

Image courtesy of © Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Jhoan Duran has been lights-out for the Minnesota Twins in 2025. Despite a dip in velocity from years past, he’s thrived as the team’s closer, locking down late-inning leads with a 0.95 ERA and the second-highest WPA on the roster, at 1.6. His dominance was rightfully recognized when he was named the American League Reliever of the Month in May. For a contending team with playoff aspirations, trading such a dominant weapon out of the bullpen seems counterintuitive, even reckless. But the Twins may be in a rare position of strength to consider it—not because Duran has lost anything, but because someone else has found something. Louis Varland, once a fringe starter, has emerged as a bullpen stud. For the first time in a full-time relief role this season, Varland has been electric. His fastball regularly hits 99 MPH, and his knuckle curve is generating a whopping 41% whiff rate. Since May began, he’s pitched in the third-highest leverage spots in the bullpen, and he owns a 2.54 ERA with a 33:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s no longer just a promising arm. He’s one of the most dominant relievers in the Twins bullpen, and flashing that dominance in big-time spots. So if the Twins can trust Varland (along with Griffin Jax) to handle the ninth inning, could they afford to deal Duran to address a glaring need on the offensive side of the roster? Although shocking on the surface, it's a question worth digging into. The Twins offense has sputtered, and any path toward adding impact bats at the trade deadline comes with risk. They could deal from their farm system, but that’s a tough sell with the team’s ownership situation in flux. Do you really want to trade away cost-controlled prospects when you don’t even know who’ll be signing the checks next year? They could explore moving a starting pitcher, as Cody Christie recently suggested with Chris Paddack. But with the riskiness of starting pitching injuries and how valuable the Twins’ rotation has been, that feels like an unnecessary gamble. Certainly, this week's unfortunate Pablo López news highlights that. The third, perhaps most logical option, is to trade from the bullpen, the one area of true organizational depth. Of course, trading Duran would create a domino effect. Everyone else in the bullpen would have to move up a rung. But the Twins have effectively built a unit deep enough to handle it. Cole Sands and Brock Stewart have both earned trust in key situations. Danny Coulombe is set to return soon. Beyond them, the front office could create another Louis Varland out of a minor-league starter like Marco Raya, Andrew Morris, or Connor Prielipp, all of whom profile as potential weapons in short stints down the stretch of the regular season. There’s also the financial reality. Duran is making more than $4 million this year, and that number could exceed $7 million next season in arbitration. If the Twins aren’t planning to hang onto him at that cost (and there’s no guarantee they will), this could be the moment to flip a valuable asset for a hitter who can help both now and in the future. Losing Duran wouldn’t be easy. But with Varland thriving, Jax dominating (1.50 ERA and a 31/3 K/BB over his last 19 appearances), and the bullpen pipeline stocked with arms, it might be a move the Twins can afford to make. Especially if it brings in a bat that finally balances this lineup and helps push the team to another level. What do you think? Could Louis Varland's emergence allow the Twins to trade Jhoan Duran? Would you make that deal for the right bat, or is Duran simply too valuable to this roster? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View full article

Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo The Minnesota Twins continued their dominant run on the mound through the month of May, establishing themselves as one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. As a team, they finished the month with a 3.11 ERA, good for fourth-best in the majors. They led the league in pitching fWAR, with 6.1—more than a full win ahead of second-place Philadelphia (4.8). The rotation ranked ninth in ERA (3.25), while the bullpen was even better, checking in fourth with a 2.90 ERA. Several pitchers contributed to the team's excellent month, but four stood out above the rest. #4: Bailey Ober 6 G, 2.76 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 29 1/3 IP, 33 H, 7 BB, 25 K Ober made six starts in May, and while the surface stats might not immediately leap off the page, his steady consistency helped the Twins win four of those games. A rain-suspended outing against Cleveland skewed his innings total a bit, but Ober still didn't allow more than three earned runs in any appearance all month. Since his rough season debut, he's quietly continued his run as one of the more reliable arms in this rotation and in the American League, chewing innings and keeping his team in games every time out. #3: Jhoan Duran 15 G, 0.60 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 15 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 20 K Duran was lights-out for most of the month, allowing just one earned run in 15 innings. That lone blemish came in a blown save against Cleveland, though the Twins ultimately walked it off to salvage the win, and give Duran credit for the W. He also earned seven saves in May, more than triple his April total. Even with one ghost-runner-induced loss in extra innings, Duran remained dominant and reaffirmed his role as the bullpen's undisputed anchor. The league recognized him with the AL Relief Pitcher of the Month Award, which has to count for something. Duran's the first Twin to win those honors since Joe Nathan in 2009. #2: Chris Paddack 5 G, 2.40 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 30 IP, 23 H, 5 BB, 18 K Paddack turned heads in May, bouncing back from early-season struggles with one of the strongest months of his career. He threw at least five innings in four of his five starts and gave up two runs or fewer in all but one. He was especially electric in back-to-back outings, tossing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball against San Francisco, followed by seven shutout innings against Baltimore. After a long road back from injury, Paddack is finally showing the potential that made the Twins hang onto him this offseason. #1: Joe Ryan – Twins Daily Pitcher of the Month 5 G, 1.86 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 29 IP, 16 H, 5 BB, 33 K Ryan was nearly untouchable in May, dominating hitters with elite command and his usual dominant stuff. He posted quality starts in four of his five outings and never allowed more than five hits in any of them. His signature performance came in a rivalry win over Milwaukee, when he spun six shutout innings with just two hits allowed. Ryan is not only the staff ace right now, he’s pitching like a legitimate Cy Young contender. There’s no reason to believe the Twins’ pitching will slow down any time soon. If the bats can turn the corner, this team could be in for a special summer. Who was your pick for Pitcher of the Month? Do you agree with the order above? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images On Saturday in Seattle, Jorge Alcala was handed a one-run lead in the seventh inning. Before that outing, the Twins had avoided using Alcala in a spot like that, as he had been relegated to low-leverage duty. Workloads forced him into this spot, though, and he promptly walked Cole Young, Seattle’s No. 8 hitter playing in his first major-league game. He then served up a two-run homer to J.P. Crawford. That was the difference between a win or a loss in the game. Alcala now owns a 7.08 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP on the season. Since last year’s All-Star break, he has allowed 30 earned runs in 40 innings. That's nearly a full season’s worth of work with results that range from underwhelming to disastrous. It is a sharp decline from the promising start he had to 2023, and at this point, the Twins have clearly lost trust in him. He has been relegated almost exclusively to mop-up duty, with just six of his 19 outings this year coming in even moderate leverage. In three of those six, he gave up 4, 3, and 2 earned runs, respectively, providing little reason to believe he is turning a corner. Yet, the Twins find themselves in a bind. Alcala is out of minor-league options. Sending him to Triple-A St. Paul would mean exposing him to waivers, where another team would likely scoop him up. His fastball still averages 97 MPH, and his pitch arsenal continues to generate strong expected stats. His expected batting average against is .193, good for the 96th percentile, and his expected ERA is a solid 3.25. There is evidence in the peripherals that the tools are still there, and certainly enough that a team would be enticed to give him a shot. But results matter. For three straight seasons now, Alcala has not been able to turn his stuff into consistent, reliable production. The long ball continues to hurt him. He has not solved his struggles against left-handed hitters. And time and again, when given a shot in a meaningful moment, the results have gone the wrong way. It raises a tough but necessary question: Is the value of Alcala’s upside worth the cost of carrying a reliever who cannot be trusted, especially in a bullpen that has been otherwise very good this year? With Danny Coulombe on the injured list, Kody Funderburk’s struggles have been tolerated because he is the lone left-handed reliever on the roster. Once Coulombe returns, Funderburk is a clear candidate to head back to Triple-A, with minor-league options making that decision a straightforward one—leaving Alcala as the one remaining weak link with no easy path to improvement. If the Twins want to shake things up, they do have options. Right-hander Travis Adams has quietly put together a strong showing in St. Paul, with a 3.43 ERA and a 37:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 42 innings. Anthony Misiewicz has posted a 3.54 ERA and a 23:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 20 1/3 innings and would allow the Twins to have another lefty in the bullpen. Both pitchers could potentially fill Alcala’s low-leverage role with less risk and more upside. Alcala is already making $1.5 million this year, one of the higher-priced arms in Minnesota’s bullpen. With another year of arbitration eligibility on the horizon, it is hard to imagine the team bringing him back for 2026 unless something drastically changes. At this point, there is little to suggest that change is coming. Jorge Alcala still looks like a big-league pitcher on paper, but for a long time now, he has not pitched like one when it matters. If the Twins cannot trust him with real innings, and if the only role he serves is to soak up outs in blowouts, then maybe it is time to find out whether someone else can offer more, both now and in the future. What do you think the Twins should do with Alcala? Would you keep trying to make it work, or is it time to move on? Share your thoughts in the comments. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images When the Minnesota Twins stumbled to a 7-15 start this season, many fans were ready to throw in the towel. The reaction was swift and intense: calls to fire Rocco Baldelli, trade away veterans, and shift the focus to the future flooded social media. Some had already written off the season by late April. It’s understandable. Sports fans are conditioned to expect immediate results, especially in a world shaped by football’s weekly drama and short season. But baseball doesn’t work that way. Baseball is unique. It’s a game of long seasons, slow builds, and constant recalibration. A 162-game season means a single game, or even a stretch of 20, doesn’t carry the same weight as it might in other sports. In football, a 1-3 start can derail a season. In baseball, it’s just a blip. That’s why reacting to a poor start, or even a hot streak, too strongly can be misleading. After all, the Twins followed up that 7-15 start by rattling off a 13-game winning streak and now find themselves firmly in the playoff hunt. The same people who buried the team in April are now proclaiming them contenders in May. The truth is probably somewhere in between, and the only thing we know for sure is that we don’t know anything for sure. Not yet. This isn’t just about the team as a whole. It applies to players, too. Griffin Jax looked broken to begin the season. Through 10 appearances, he had an ERA north of 10 and couldn’t be trusted in any kind of leverage. Fans called for him to be demoted to lower leverage, assuming the version they were seeing was the new reality. But baseball doesn’t work like that. Since that rough tenth outing, Jax has allowed just two earned runs in more than sixteen innings. He looks every bit like the high-leverage weapon he was last year. Turns out he just needed time for his stats to even out. Royce Lewis is going through something similar. The highly touted third baseman has struggled mightily at the plate since returning to the lineup. He’s pressing, trying to make an impact, and the results haven’t been there. But that doesn’t mean he should be demoted or cast aside. He’s still adjusting. Just like Jax, Lewis deserves the benefit of time. A player can’t be judged after 20 games—just like a team can’t be judged after 20 games. These things take time. That’s just the nature of the sport. Baseball is a game of sample sizes. It’s designed to weed out flukes and expose consistency. The key is not to ride the highs too high or let the lows pull you too far down. That doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t be passionate or emotional; it’s part of what makes following a team so fun. But it does mean we should try to keep perspective. Baseball doesn’t give you instant gratification. It rewards those who wait. It rewards those who keep watching, keep caring, and keep believing, even when the results aren’t there yet. The Twins are still writing the story of their season. We don’t know the ending. We don’t even know what kind of team this is yet. By July or August, we’ll have a much better sense. Until then, the best thing fans can do is stay patient, stay balanced, and enjoy the ride. Because that’s what baseball is. A journey. How is your patience level? How are you holding up? Tell us about it in the comments. View full article

On Wednesday, the Twins optioned Carson McCusker back to the minors after a short stint in the majors. That decision wasn’t paired with a corresponding roster move. Byron Buxton will likely return Friday, but Thursday’s off day gave the Twins cover to delay his activation by 24 hours. Why make the move a day early? It’s simple. By doing so, the team saves roughly $4,200 in salary and a day of service time. That’s the daily rate for a major leaguer making the league minimum (compared to about $200 per day for a triple-A player). To McCusker, who climbed from indie ball to the majors and likely isn’t long for an extended big-league career, that day meant everything. To the Twins and their ownership group, it amounted to a rounding error. This isn’t a one-off decision. The McCusker move is the latest in a clear and troubling trend. So far in 2025, the Twins have repeatedly executed this kind of roster manipulation, and did the same last year. They send players down on the eve of an off day and delay the promotion or recall of a replacement until after the break. Ryan Fitzgerald, Mickey Gasper, David Festa, Eiberson Castellano, and Edouard Julien have all been subject to this strategy. (Hat tip to Greggory Masterson, who’s been tracking these decisions. We believe the team has saved nearly $100,000 through a bevy of these one-day layover transactions.) Technically, it’s legal. Across the league, the practice is becoming more common. But no team seems to embrace it as eagerly or as frequently as the Minnesota Twins. The motivation is clear: money. But the cost isn’t zero. These small-sum savings, $4,000 here, $4,200 there, might protect the club’s books, but they undercut its culture. That missing service time and Major League salary matters, especially to fringe players who may never build enough days to qualify for arbitration or earn pension benefits. And the message it sends is that the organization prioritizes savings over people. This isn't just about McCusker. It’s about the perception the Twins are creating across the baseball world. Prospects, minor-league free agents, and indie ball standouts pay attention. They see who treats players like people and who treats them like payroll liabilities. The more the Twins act like the latter, the harder it becomes to attract high-character depth options in the future. Major League Baseball already has a history of poor treatment toward non-union players in Triple-A. Facilities are worse. Accommodations are worse. Salaries hover around $200 per day. Players who don’t crack the 40-man roster are largely on their own. And when they finally get the call, it’s a coin toss whether they’ll be held up as a feel-good story or used as a financial lever. The Twins’ off-day demotion strategy may be within the rules, but it is outside the spirit of the game. It reflects a mindset that prioritizes marginal gains at the expense of human beings. That’s a bad look for the front office. Over time, it could become a bigger problem for the franchise than the pennies they are saving are worth. What do you think? Is this just smart roster management, or is it a short-sighted move that damages the Twins' reputation? Leave a comment below and start the conversation. View full article

In a deal that initially flew under the radar, the Minnesota Twins acquired utility man Kody Clemens from the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this season in exchange for journeyman financial asset Cash Considerations. At the time, the move was met with shrugs. Now, it’s being met with "Did they really just fleece Dombrowski?" Since arriving in Minnesota, Clemens has transformed into a left-handed sledgehammer. In just 61 plate appearances, he's slashing an otherworldly .321/.400/.736 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI. That’s good for 1.2 WAR, which is, according to statheads, exactly 1.2 more WAR than Cash Considerations has compiled since joining the Phillies. To be fair, Considerations has seen limited playing time in Philadelphia, largely because he's a pile of money and not technically eligible for the 40-man roster. Still, let’s go to the stat comparison: Player AVG OBP SLG HR RBI fWAR Kody Clemens .265 .359 .588 5 12 0.8 Cash Considerations .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 "It's early," said Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski when asked about the production gap. "Obviously, Kody is playing well, but we believe Cash just needs time to adjust to our culture and maybe a currency exchange. We’re still optimistic about his upside in the luxury tax column." Cash Considerations, acquired for the 483rd time in MLB history, reportedly showed up late to his Phillies physical, citing “bank holiday delays” and “wire transfer fatigue.” He’s been mostly invisible since, which mirrors his performance at the plate and on the field. One unnamed Phillies scout, when asked how Cash looks in pregame warmups, replied, "Honestly? Shiny. Crisp. High denomination. But I wouldn’t trust him in the 9th inning." Meanwhile, Clemens has quickly earned a cult following in Minnesota. Not only is he delivering clutch hits, but he also reportedly paid for lunch for the bullpen using leftover Considerations. "I think we won this deal," said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. "Every time Kody homers, we text the Phillies’ front office a screenshot of his stat line and a Venmo request." The Phanatic once held up a sign reading “Let’s Go, Cash!” during a mid-inning skit. Sources confirm it was supposed to say “Let’s Go, Castellanos.” As the season progresses, it's clear the Twins made a savvy move. Clemens continues to contribute. Considerations continues to not be a person. The verdict is in: Advantage: Minnesota. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Ty France delivered the 100th walkoff win in Target Field history earlier this month, hammering a game-winning homer against the Royals. It was a milestone moment for the ballpark, and before there was time to reflect on it, the Twins added another the very next day. Rookie Brooks Lee came through with his first career walkoff hit, completing back-to-back wins over Kansas City and pushing the total to 101 walkoff victories at Target Field. It was the perfect moment to dig into a long-standing idea: a complete look at every walkoff win the Twins have recorded at their home park, and the trends that have shaped them. How the Twins Walk It Off The most common walkoff outcome at Target Field is also the most familiar. Of the 101 total walkoff wins, 47 came on singles. Another 30 were walkoff home runs, with the rest spread across a mix of outcomes: 7 doubles, 1 triple, 5 sacrifice flies, 3 walks, 2 hit by pitches, 3 fielder’s choices, 2 errors, and a lone wild pitch. While many of these were typical baseball endings, a few defied expectations. In 2022, Miguel Sanó hit a sharp line drive to right field against Detroit that turned into two runs scoring, after a throwing error by the catcher. The official scoring credited no RBI and no earned runs. It's the kind of play that’s nearly impossible to explain without video. R3hWR1lfWGw0TUFRPT1fRHdSWVZnY0ZYZ1lBWFZWUkJBQUFBbE5SQUFOVEJnTUFVRklEQndJRkNWZFNBZ01F.mp4 Peaks and Valleys by Season Walkoff totals have varied year to year, with the most coming in 2023, when the Twins recorded 10 walkoff wins. The fewest came in 2019, with just four—which is notable, given that the 2019 team won 101 games. But they also led so many games comfortably that walkoff chances were limited. The first walkoff at Target Field came in May 2010, when Jason Kubel drove in Joe Mauer with a sacrifice fly to beat the Brewers. The most recent was Lee’s RBI single in, just over 14 years later. Who Delivers in the Clutch? Max Kepler leads all Twins players with 11 walkoff hits at Target Field. That's four more than Jorge Polanco, and five more than Brian Dozier. No one else has more than five. Kepler also owns the latest walkoff, a 17th-inning single that beat the Red Sox in 2019. S2REOWpfWGw0TUFRPT1fRHdZREJ3VU5Vd1lBQUFSWFV3QUFVZ2RVQUZrTkJRSUFVMUJRQ0FJQkFWY0VBQUZW.mp4 In total, 50 different players have notched walkoff hits for the Twins. Some are franchise staples. Others are the kinds of names that spark deep memories for diehard fans, including Chris Herrmann, Josmil Pinto, Rene Tosoni, and Ronald Torreyes. azY3NURfWGw0TUFRPT1fVUZKUlhBSU1WRllBWGdjSFVBQUFCQTREQUZoUlVBUUFCZ2NCQVFBRkNWWURCd1pR.mp4 Opponents on the Wrong Side of History—or at Least Memory As expected, the Twins have walked off against their AL Central rivals more than any other teams. They have 14 walkoffs against the White Sox, 13 against the Guardians, and 12 against the Tigers. The most frequent non-division victim is the Red Sox, who have lost seven games at Target Field in walkoff fashion. On the mound, a few opposing relievers stand out. Liam Hendriks and Gregory Soto have each been walked off three times. Jorge López allowed walkoff hits in back-to-back games in 2022, only to be traded to the Twins later that season. (It turned out the one might have been an omen warning against the other. Alas.) Game Situations and Notable Moments Most walkoffs happen with the game tied, and that is true at Target Field as well. Ninety of the 101 walkoff wins came in tie games. The remaining 11 required a comeback, with the most dramatic being Josh Willingham’s three-run home run with two outs in the ninth against Oakland in 2012, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win. That swing carried a .91 WPA, the largest change in any of the 101 walkoff moments. Twenty-one of the walkoffs came with the bases loaded, the most common base-out situation. Five ended with sacrifice flies, including the first ever at Target Field. One ended on a wild pitch. A few others came via infield singles or throwing errors that let the winning run score. What the Numbers Tell Us Through 14 and a half seasons, Target Field has already seen a wide variety of walkoff wins. Some were delivered by franchise cornerstones. Others came from role players in brief appearances. Some ended standard games. A few came in the 12th, 14th, or 17th inning. Altogether, they paint a picture of a team that has consistently found ways to win late, especially in front of the home crowd. Walkoff wins will always be remembered for the emotion they create in the moment. But behind that emotion, the numbers tell a story of their own. The Full List of Target Field Walkoffs What’s your favorite walkoff memory at Target Field? Was it a dramatic home run, an unexpected hero, or just a game you happened to be at? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments below. View full article