tony&rodney

The assessment of his fielding is fair. We saw him fail to complete a routine DP again last night. I'm not sure Keaschall has the talent to play second base. The Twins recent mild success can be partly attributed to improved defense. Moving Keaschall off the position may be tricky though, at this time. The club is likely concerned about any negative effects from such a decision. Additionally, there isn't a clear answer to fill the spot. Lewis is looking ok at first base and he could be good at the position. Lee is too slow for second base and is getting better at the hot corner. Maybe Kody Clemens is an option but he is thriving as a super utility player. Thus, Keaschall remains for now. A potential middle infielder could be added if the Twins pull off a major trade in July. That seems to be the best move going forward. Adding significant talent that includes above average defense is the ticket and that may be difficult. Eventually, second base could belong to Kaelen Culpepper but he is ticketed for shortstop until such time as another better defender arrives. So ..... tricky, which likely means Keaschall stays unless he completely folds at the plate. The larger point is that the Twins need to reduce or move on from below average gloves. It is possible to get by with one or two but more than that is a prescription for failure. Matt Wallner should never play another inning in the outfield. Yes, he is that bad. There really isn't any counter argument. Wallner could be a successful DH, potentially. Right now he looks pretty bad playing for St. Paul. Forget the stats and watch him. What the Twins do with others, like Keaschall, will make for tough decisions and determine whether the Twins are moving towards a consistently competitive club.

I was watching it live. Brown hits right-handed. They had not changed the name in the box score or on the screen until well after the home run. If you know the players it isn't confusing but otherwise it can be easy to get mixed up when names are not updated.

Twins playing well. Hope Joe Ryan can close Texas out on Thursday afternoon. The team could really use a sweep.

Actually it was Graham Brown pinch hitting for Jenkins. I have been watching the minor leagues fellows on the little screen.

FYI - Mick Abel through 5 innings with 61 pitches, 4 hits, 0 BB, 5K and 1 earned run.

Sometimes it seems picky to keep pounding the importance of defense and it really does in a game where the Twins are ahead 10-0. However ..... Luke Keaschall, despite some fairly widespread support from the kind folks on Twins Daily, plays a pretty weak second base and we saw the slow turn and weak arm just now to allow a run. The run doesn't make a difference at all tonight, but good defense has been important forever. The Rangers are not looking too thrilled at work tonight.

Bowden is a goof, but it is true that Philadelphia and every other team in baseball would love to have Byron Buxton.

It is quite a leap from A+ ball to MLB. Love to see that Marek Houston is doing really well this season, but 2028 is far more realistic. Any improvements on defense are a plus. We are watching the current Twins team play better defense and it relaxes the pitchers.

June 15 - I heard there would only be positive comments on the board tonight. I'm thinking Paredes gets a win.

The team continues to work hard. Tomorrow is June 15 and a month from now is the All Star break. The Twins had a strange trade deadline last July and an offseason of no direction. Considering those two factors these guys are fighting hard. Change is coming and we can hope the front office/owners have direction moving forward. I'm as frustrated by anyone by the starts and stops/ the stuttering and the blown games. It is my opinion that the club is more fun to watch than the last two years. I also think a few of the guys who may get a shot later on will upgrade the talent and the defense specifically. Hang in there. Nick, I always appreciate these weekly recaps - nice job. Thanks again.

That was sweet.

That's a yippee.

Morris is such a work in progress. He is working on developing his pitches in the major leagues. That strike three changeup wasn't a great pitch except for the batter was never expecting it. The players know that Morris has a good FB and don't bite often on the other pitches. As Morris gains command and sharpness he will be tough. Why can't Brooks Lee hit at Target Field?

This team is so much more interesting than the last two years but the lack of enough bullpen pitchers and the lean talent can be frustrating for us.

He didn't get a good read.

Need a SF.

yahhhh

So true. This is such a tough year because next year there will be at least four new regulars in the lineup.

Have we ever seen Royce Lewis bat with the bases loaded? I thought his SF recently was impressive. Do the little thing.

C'mon Kody.

Clutch?

Kreidler has been scuffling. Hit one here.

Austin Martin has lost his confidence, which makes him a less than stellar option. He was on a good streak for some time but there are a number of holes in his game that suggest he does not make for a regular starter on a decent team.

That is actually correct. So you tell me, did DOGE save the U.S. three trillion dollars? The numbers either count or they don't count. Same, same .... but different. FWIW, I had a system of keeping track of fielding plays and plate appearances that I used for decades. It was quite complex but simple to keep track of and record. I never shared it and never felt it was definitive either. To each their own.

The Cardinals are tough. They find ways to score and make all the plays on defense.