Sherry Cerny

Image courtesy of © David Richard-Imagn Images RHP Bailey Ober Age on Opening Day 2026: 30 Service Time: 4 years, 93 days 2023 Salary: $720,000 2024 Salary: $761,580 2025 Salary: $3.55 Million MLB Trade Rumors Estimate for 2026: $4.6 million Background Born in Huntersville, NC, and attending the College of Charleston, Bailey Ober was drafted by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2017 amateur draft, having previously been a 23rd-round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015. His decision to stay in college one more year made a huge difference in his talent and draft class. He made his major league at 25 years old with the Twins in 2021, going 3-3, 4.19 in 20 starts and 92 ⅓ innings. He has since turned into a regular in the Twins rotation, accruing a 4.08 ERA over 618 MLB innings. He has spent his entire career in Minnesota. 2025 Season Ober’s 2025 season was a roller coaster. He started slow and inconsistent, taking longer than usual to find his rhythm. By midseason, he was battling through pain in his left hip — a lingering issue that eventually caught up to him. In July, after a rough stretch where he went 0–5 with a 9.00 ERA and surrendered 14 home runs, Ober landed on the injured list. Before the injury, Ober had appeared in 27 games, logging 92 innings with 108 hits, 55 runs, 22 walks, and 74 strikeouts, for a 5.28 ERA and a -1.0 WPA. After a month-long rehab stint, he returned to the mound on August 2 against Cleveland and showed noticeable improvement. Over his final 10 starts, he regained command and consistency, posting a 4.80 ERA with 46 strikeouts and just nine walks, raising his WPA to 0.3. It wasn’t a perfect finish, but it was a strong recovery to close out an uneven season. Overall 2025 Stats: 27 G, 146 1/3 IP, 159 H, 31 BB, 120 K, 5.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP. Twins Depth at his Position (Starting Pitchers): 40-man roster - David Festa, Mick Abel, Taj Bradley, Marco Raya, Simeon-Woods Richardson Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Travis Adams Arbitration-Eligible: Joe Ryan Triple-A: Andrew Morris, Marco Raya, Cory Lewis, John Klein, Aaron Rozek, Kendry Rojas, Connor Prielipp. Double-A: Ricky Castro, Darren Bowen, Ryan Gallagher, Sam Armstrong, Why the Twins Should Offer Him Arbitration: Despite an uneven 2025, retaining Bailey Ober should be a straightforward decision for the Twins. He’s demonstrated stretches of frontline-caliber pitching in past seasons, remains under 30, and will come at a relatively modest arbitration price. Even for those skeptical of his long-term upside, the combination of cost control, experience, and need makes him a clear asset to keep. Why the Twins Should Non-Tender Him While tendering Ober a contract is a no-brainer, the Twins could weigh the decision to trade him even with his stock depressed. If they aren't confident his mechanics and velocity will rebound, the front office may seek to flip him to a team needing veteran innings. Projection: I think that the Twins keep him, but his future in Minnesota is anything but certain. Ober is a solid pitcher, when he is healthy. In fact, he is downright talented. He has amazing command and control of the strike zone; his height and size make him a weapon on the mound. The concern is the staying healthy part, but there is plenty of time in the offseason for him to work on straightening out his physical issues. Even with his injuries, knowing the ethic of Ober, he can come back better and stronger. His previous three seasons remind us of who he is on the mound. What do you think about Bailey Ober? Consider his stats and his health, then what is seen on the mound when he is healthy. Are there reasons they should keep him? Trade him away? Explore a buy-low extension? What would you do? View full article

Image courtesy of © Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Joe Ryan Age on Opening Day 2026: 29 Service Time: 4 years, 93 days 2023 Salary: $730,250 2024 Salary: $758,850 2025 Salary: $3.0 Million MLB Trade Rumors Projection for 2026: $5.8 million 2025 Season Ryan began his fourth full season with the Twins effectively, posting strong early stretches as the Twins leaned on him heavily amid rotation injuries and uncertainty. Though it wasn't the case on Opening Day, by mid-June, Ryan was clearly the ace of the staff. By midseason, he had posted one of the more impressive first-half ERAs in franchise history: 2.72 over 109 ⅓ innings, the best first-half mark by a Twins starter since Johan Santana in 2007. He was also the only starter who missed no time due to injury, illness or mishap. After the fire sale at the trade deadline in late July, Ryan did scuffle for the final two months of the campaign, perhaps frustrated with the direction of the franchise and perhaps shaken by a misgiven rumor that he himself would be traded just before the deadline. Nonetheless, he finished with the best numbers on the team and the best of his career. He delivered several standout performances throughout the season. He spun seven scoreless innings twice in April; had the capstone pitching performance of the team's terrific win streak on a Friday night in Milwaukee in May; overwhelmed the surging Mariners over six scoreless frames in late June; outdueled Paul Skenes at Target Field just before the All-Star break; pitched angry for 6 2/3 frames to dominate the Yankees in the Bronx; and shut down the playoff-bound Padres at the end of August. Twice, he hit 11 strikeouts, one shy of his career high set in 2024. 2025 Stats: 31 G, 30 GS, 171 IP, 138 H, 39 BB, 194 K, 3.42 ERA, 1.04 WHIP Twins Depth at his Position (Starting Pitchers): Big-League Vets: Mick Abel, Taj Bradley, David Festa, Pablo López, Zebby Matthews, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson Triple-A: John Klein, Cory Lewis, Andrew Morris, Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, Kendry Rojas Double-A: Sam Armstrong, Darren Bowen, Ricky Castro, C.J. Culpepper, Ryan Gallagher, Christian MacLeod Why the Twins Should Offer Him Arbitration: Dollar for dollar and inning for inning, he is the best pitcher the Twins have. He shouldered a heavier load when others were hurt or inconsistent. One of the hardest things about baseball is the mental game, and Ryan does a great job of keeping his intensity even under strain. He is the most durable pitcher on the roster, stabilizing Minnesota’s rotation when they needed it most. Like Byron Buxton, the value that Ryan brings to the team is worth more than twice what he'll actually be paid in 2026. Why the Twins Should Non-Tender Him There is no logical reason to non-tender Joe Ryan, and under no circumstances would the team do so. The only way Ryan won't be back next season is if he's traded—which, alas, is certainly possible, as the team faces the specter of a very limited payroll. Projection The Twins will keep Ryan. The duo of Ryan and López have been a great asset to the team, and the team should do their best to settle and avoid a hearing with him. He's the kind of pitcher who quietly dominates. He is the “Joe Ryan Experience”: precision, confidence, a relentless drive to compete, and the hair of a god. In 2025, he showed exactly what he's capable of when everything is working. He was one of the most consistent arms in the rotation and stepped up when the team needed it most. Ryan has such a great feel for the strike zone. He commands his fastball with confidence and keeps hitters guessing with his off-speed stuff. He’s aggressive, smart, and knows how to finish at-bats. What stood out this season was his ability to stay locked in deep into games and keep the momentum on his side. Will the Twins keep Ryan, or trade him? How much can he make in arbitration, before his earning power becomes a problem for the club? Is there any chance of a long-term deal? Join the discussion below. View full article

Today we continue to hand out awards for the Twins 2025 season. After naming our MVP and Rookie of the Year, we name today's pitcher of the year. 37 pitchers took the mound for the Minnesota Twins in 2025. Well, 33 pitchers and four position players. Ryan Fitzgerald might have been the best, posting a 0.00 ERA over his two innings. Our voters were impressed, but it appears they were looking for pitchers that threw more innings. In reality, it was a pretty easy selection, especially after the team traded seven pitchers at the trade deadline. There were injuries in the big leagues but also in the upper levels of the minors. There we players who didn't pitch as well as they did previously. But the Twins were led by one starting pitcher the whole season, and he was the unanimous choice for Twins Daily pitcher of the year. Here are three pitchers who did well before getting to our choice. #4: Simeon Woods Richardson certainly made the most improvements on the mound this season. SWR started 22 games and posted his lowest career ERA, 4.04. He also struck out 107 in 111 1/3 innings. Compared to the previous season, Woods Richardson improved his command, improved a couple of his pitches, and did a much better job getting out of jams. Toward the end of the season, he was able to complete five to six innings in games. His best game of the season was against the Yankees in September. He struck out a career-high 11 batters over six scoreless innings as the Twins beat the Yankees, 7-0, at Target Field. He gave up just two hits. #3: Jhoan Duran is more than an honorable mention. Coming in at number three in our voting is the best closer that the Twins have had since Joe Nathan. Duran was traded to the Phillies on July 30th, but his impact as a Twin was a fan favorite from his cool entrance to his 104mph fastball to strike out hitters. Duran was arguably having his best season before the trade; he was 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA. He struck out 53 hitters over 49 1/3 innings. Duran was also one of the highest contributors to the Twins fWAR at 1.6, third for pitchers on the Twins roster and sixth on the team, according to fan graphs. He got hitters to swing 53.3% of the time, the most swings were inside at 69.9%. Duran is number 13 on the relief pitcher rankings on FanGraphs but had the sixth most saves of those 13. Duran is dominant, he's 27, and Twins fans deserved to see more years of his show. #2: Pablo Lopez had three stints on the Injured List, but when he was on the mound, he was dominant. López made 14 starts and posted an overall 2.74 ERA, striking out 73 in 75 2/3 innings. There was not a game that Lopez started where fans were worried about getting a solid performance. Lopez is also a candidate for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given to the player who has made a significant community impact. Lopez, even during his downtime due to injury, was engaging with the fans, making sure to help the younger pitchers, and was present at every game he could attend. Lopez is everything that the team needs in a veteran pitcher. Pitcher of the Year: Joe Ryan Ryan had his best season of his career in 2025. He avoided injury but also anytime on the IL; he started 30 games, attended the All-Star game, and had one of his best seasons since joining the Twins. Ryan struck out 194 over 171 innings. His 3.42 ERA is the lowest it has been since he started with the Twins. He finished in the AL’s Top 10 in WAR for Pitchers (6th), ERA (10th), BB/9 (6th), K/9 (3rd), and K/BB (5th). One fun stat is that he left 76.8% of baserunners on base. Even in his struggles of giving up home runs at least once a game, his numbers show that he is reliable and able to get out of jams. Ryan has not been in a conversation for the Cy Young, but hopefully it’s something he is considered for in the next season or two if he continues to be dominant. Even though the All-Star appearance was a replacement for Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown, The Joe Ryan Experience can now check off “All-Star” on his resume. Ryan pitched at the top of the fourth, striking out Manny Machado, Kyle Tucker, and a pop-up to Will Smith. There is no doubt that Ryan is the most dominant and consistent pitcher on the Twins' starting rotation. While there is a lot of fear over the next move of Ryan, the front office has made it clear that they want to keep the Lopez-Ryan duo a part of the Twins. The overall feel of the pitching is that there is a lot of talent. While there were a lot of struggles in the bullpen, the pitchers under the direction of Pete Maki, continue to make adjustments, improve and give their all every game. While there is no talk about what will happen in the off-season, a tip of the cap to the pitchers of 2025. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K (90 pitches, 60 strikes (66%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (32) Bottom 3 WPA: Travis Adams (-.301), Ryan Jeffers (-.208), Ryan Fitzgerald (-.117) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Leading off Wednesday night's tussle with the Rangers, Byron Buxton did his best to set the tone. On just the second pitch he saw from Jacob deGrom, Buxton launched a solo shot to dead center, 407 feet, to put the Twins on the board. Kody Clemens did, indeed, seem to take his cue from Buxton, because he hit a fly ball exactly the same distance. Unfortunately, that one died in the glove of Texas center fielder Michael Helman—and that would prove to better reflect the tone of the game. Taj Bradley toed the rubber for the Twins. Making his 27th and final start of the season, Bradley worked a clean first frame, including two strikeouts. He had good heat, touching 98, but the curveball played especially well, earning both punchouts and a key called strike to open a count. Not in the lineup tonight was rookie Luke Keaschall. After sliding into second base Tuesday, he injured his thumb. Audra Martin reported during the broadcast that Keaschall’s season is over. He’ll be seeing a specialist, and surgery is very much on the table. Before that tough break, the rookie was slashing .302/.382/.445 with 55 hits, 28 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and four home runs. It was a thrilling introduction to the majors, but already, it's clear that injuries will be a major part of the story for yet another top Twins prospect. Bradley struck out the side in the second inning, and again, the curveball looked incredible. He allowed his first hit with two outs in the third, when Helman blooped a double to left, but he was out of trouble almost as soon as he'd gotten into it. He was very, very sharp. Clemens tried to stir up trouble in the fourth, drawing a walk against deGrom before swiping second—his fifth steal of the year. and the Twins' 45th in the last 25 games. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch. With no outs, deGrom looked like he might be losing his edge. Instead, the two-time Cy Young winner locked things down, striking out Trevor Larnach and Ryan Jeffers back-to-back before getting Brooks Lee to fly out. Clemens was stranded. Bradley’s lone mistake came in the fourth, when Texas shortstop Josh Smith took him deep to right. Larnach got back to the wall with time to give it a look, but the ball just cleared the wall to tie things up 1-1. Bradley showed resilience, though. He walked Rowdy Tellez, but stranded him with a strikeout and an easy pop fly. He ended up going six innings and fanning nine, including striking out the side again in the sixth. It was easily his most impressive outing since the Twins traded for him on July 31, and it flashed the front-of-the-rotation upside teams have long seen in him. Unfortunately, the rest of the team offered little support. The offense didn't mount many rallies through the middle of the game. Travis Adams came on to relieve Bradley in the seventh, and quickly, he found himself in big trouble. A single, a steal and another single gave Texas the lead with just one out. Yet another single put runners on the corners. Adams was struggling to control the zone, too. He threw a wild pitch that Jeffers failed to block, and Billy McKinney scored, making it 3-1. Adams was pulled from the game and replaced by Génesis Cabrera to face leadoff hitter Joc Pederson, a lefty-lefty matchup. But the Rangers switched it up, and brought out Adolis García off the bench to pinch-hit. Rocco Baldelli elected to intentionally walk García, to get to the left-handed Smith. Unfortunately, Cabrera then unintentionally walked Smith, loading the bases. With Josh Jung batting, Cabrera then loosed the team's second wild pitch of the frame, scoring the Rangers' third run. He eventually induced a flyout from Jung, but the damage was done. The Rangers brought out reliever Shawn Armstrong, who instantly got into some real trouble. An Edouard Julien double and a Royce Lewis single cut the deficit to 4-2 and brought the tying run to the plate with nobody out—but Armstrong then set the Twins down in order to escape the jam. Twins reliever Cody Laweryson spun a scoreless bottom of the eighth, giving the Twins a chance to come back in the top of the ninth, but the Rangers' defense stifled them. The game ended with the Twins' 90th loss of the season. The Twins only have four games left before the offseason. The restructuring of the bullpen and figuring out how to improve the bats is going to be paramount to the success of the team moving forward. What’s Next? The Twins have their last game of the series against the Rangers Thursday, before heading to Philadelphia to close out their season. They will get to see old friends, and hopefully end the season on a good note. Bailey Ober (5-9; 5.32 ERA) will be back on the mound against another old friend, Tyler Mahle (6-3; 2.20 ERA), at 1:35 PM CT. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley 4 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (89 pitches, 54 strikes (61%)) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Bradley (-.481), Trevor Larnach (-.224), Edouard Julien (-.120) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Taj Bradley is no stranger to the Yankees. He's spent the bulk of his career in the AL East. Still, the Bronx Bombers are always a slightly intimidating opponent. Bradley took the mound in Wednesday's rubber match, hoping to help the Twins claim an unlikely series victory—but it quickly became clear that it wouldn't be that kind of night. In the top of the first, with Aaron Judge on first base, Cody Bellinger stroked a double to left field. Austin Martin fielded the ball and threw it home to catcher Jhonny Pereda, but Pereda missed it and Judge scored. In the first inning, there was no production at the plate for the Twins, but there were certainly things to talk about. Byron Buxton got his 500th plate appearance in a season for the second time in his career, and Martin got a hit for his sixth game in a row. The Twins' lineup has looked livelier of late, to be sure. The home side's bats came alive in the second inning. A leadoff walk by Matt Wallner turned into an extra base when Luis Gil’s pickoff attempt sailed wide, moving Wallner to second. Brooks Lee followed with a single to push him to third, and Royce Lewis delivered another single to bring Wallner home and tie the game, 1-1. Edouard Julien then hit into a force out, with Lewis cut down at second. But the Twins weren’t done. Lee scored on a two-out wild pitch from Gil, giving Minnesota a 2-1 lead before a Pereda strikeout ended the inning. The Yankees, alas, responded quickly. In the top of the third, Trent Grisham jumped on a splitter from Bradley and drove it well out of the park to even things again. Bradley’s bigger battle, however, wasn’t with the hitters—it was with home plate umpire John Libka, whose strike zone seemed to shrink at just the wrong moments. Even so, Bradley managed to escape trouble, when Bellinger flied out to Martin on a great, far-ranging play near the left-field line. Bradley ran into trouble again in the fourth inning, giving up a string of runs to the Yankees. Back-to-back doubles from Paul Goldschmidt and Jasson Dominguez put New York back on top, 3-2, with just one out. In an ill-timed lapse, Bradley walked José Caballero, bringing up Grisham for a third at-bat in the game and with two runners on. Grisham won the battle, launching his second home run of the night—a three-run shot that cleared the bases and left Bradley reeling. Two more Yankees reached base, and the Twins bullpen began stirring as Bradley continued to falter. He then balked during Bellinger’s at-bat, allowing another run to score. Bradley finally escaped by striking out Bellinger, but the damage was done. The Yankees led 7-2. Travis Adams took over for Bradley in the fifth and delivered exactly what the Twins needed—a clean inning, keeping the deficit in check and giving the offense a chance to climb back. In the bottom half, Buxton and Trevor Larnach reached base. Luke Keaschall stepped to the plate with two outs. The Twins have thrived on two-out rallies lately, and Keaschall came through again, singling to center and trimming the Yankees’ lead to 7-3 as Buxton raced home. The Twins brought in right fielder James Outman to replace Matt Wallner in the lineup (due, we later learned, to back spams for Wallner). Outman drew a walk to load the bases. On the very next pitch, Brooks Lee lined a sharp single, scoring both Larnach and Keaschall to bring the Twins within two, 7–5. That knock forced the Yankees to turn to their bullpen. Pierson Ohl took the mound in the sixth and worked a clean inning to keep the Twins within striking distance. The Twins went down scoreless in the bottom half, sending the game to the seventh with New York still ahead 7–5. Kody Funderburk entered in the seventh and continued his strong September, tossing another clean frame to hold the deficit at two. For the month, Funderburk has allowed just four hits and two runs, posting a 3.00 ERA. Cole Sands took over in the eighth to face the bottom of the Yankees order. Unfortunately, he plunked Dominguez, who then stole second and scored on a single by Ryan McMahon. In the bottom half, Brooks Lee led off with a single, marking the second straight inning the Twins put the leadoff man aboard. This time, they faced reliever Luke Weaver, who had been roughed up by the Twins earlier in the series. Weaver got lucky after Lee, though, as the next two batters’ hits lost steam at the warning track. He struck out Kody Clemens to avert trouble. Génesis Cabrera gave up a two-run homer to Bellinger in the top of the ninth, widening New York's lead. The Twins had no further answer. What’s Next? The Twins have a day off before facing the Guardians over the weekend; their visitors are engaged in a last-second and somewhat desperate (but not hopeless) push for the playoffs. Pablo López (5-4; 2.64 ERA) will be back on the mound, opposite Parker Messick (3-0; 1.84 ERA) at 7:10 PM CST. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (98 pitches, 57 strikes (58%)) Home Runs: James Outman (2); Byron Buxton (31) Bottom 3 WPA: Kody Clemens -.230, Austin Martin -.207, Mickey Gasper -.130 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After getting nothing going Tuesday night, the Twins tried to come out of the gate and create an early advantage Wednesday. Trevor Larnach hit a two-out single in the top of the first, and Luke Keaschall followed with a double to left. As is the Twins' new plan, Larnach pushed the envelope by trying to score from first—but he was gunned down, and it wasn't especially close. Taj Bradley came out firing strikes, though, and the Twins would get that first lead, after all. In the third inning, against recent teammate José Ureña, James Outman tagged his second Twins homer. Ureña, seemingly flustered, then loaded the bases, but a Kody Clemens line drive found the glove of right fielder Jo Adell, forcing the Twins to settle for a lone run. Bradley finally ran into trouble in the bottom half of the frame, though. With two outs, a Mike Trout single brought Sebastián Rivero home to tie the game. Then, a two-run home run from Zach Neto gave the Angels the lead, 3-1. It was a frustrating sequence, as the scoreboard seemed to flip in the blink of an eye. The Angels made a pitching change heading into the fifth, and things looked like they might finally tilt the Twins’ way. Andrew Chafin came in and walked Larnach to lead off the inning, and a wild pitch to Luke Keaschall moved him to second. In the middle of it, Angels coach Ryan Goins was tossed by home plate umpire Junior Valentine, adding even more chaos to the proceedings. Keaschall then reached first when second baseman Luis Rengifo botched a play and dropped the ball. With two on and no outs, momentum was squarely in the Twins’ hands—until it wasn’t. Chafin got a pep talk from his infield, then promptly struck out the next two batters and induced a harmless fly ball from Mickey Gasper, leaving yet another rally wasted. After his minor derailment in the third, Bradley locked back in for the next two innings and moved the game along with no issues. He has been working on his command and gaining confidence. Bradley has been coachable and dedicated, and on Wednesday, he kept his team in the game. The Angels made another pitching change, and the Twins' constant chance creation finally paid off. Another leadoff walk, this time for Ryan Fitzgerald, set the table for Byron Buxton, who hit a 396-foot homer to the opposite field to tie the game, 3-3. Bradley worked into more trouble in the seventh, but getting that deep into the game was a nice change of pace for the Twins lately. With one out and two on, Rocco Baldelli went to Cole Sands, who got out of the jam and kept the score tied. The eighth inning, however, didn't go as well. Sands gave up a triple to Bryce Teodosio, on which Outman (playing center in this game) appeared to have a play but didn't get there. A sacrifice fly from Trout scored Teodosio, giving the Angels a one-run lead, 4-3. Kenley Jansen, the future Hall of Fame closer, pitched a 1-2-3 inning to end the game and secure the series win for the Angels. What’s Next? The Twins head home to play Arizona on Friday. Pablo López (5-4; 2.84 ERA) will be back on the mound, this time against Brandon Pfaadt (13-8; 5.18 ERA) at 7:40 PM CST, after the travel day. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews - 6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (84 pitches, 55 strikes (65%)) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Justin Topa (-0.641), James Outman (-0.163), Luke Keaschall (-0.145) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Zebby Matthews pitched last against San Diego, and had probably one of his best outings of the season. Matthews was locked in early against the White Sox, setting them down 1-2-3. On the other side, the bats for the Twins have been swinging back into form, with 25 runs in the last five games. Alas, in this series in particular, the White Sox had already twice found ways to make that not matter. The team's best hope was to split the four-game series. Trevor Larnach created momentum in the first inning with a single to center field and waited patiently for his turn to go. With a 3-2 count on Luke Keaschall, he was off with the pitch, and a Keaschall double that reached the left-field wall scored him easily from first. Matt Wallner then singled to right, and Keaschall scampered home when the ball was misplayed by a charging Brooks Baldwin. The White Sox answered with a second-inning solo homer by Edgar Quero, but Matthews then put it in cruise control. The score held at 2-1 until the sixth, despite a leadoff triple by Byron Buxton in the fifth. He was cut down on a Keaschall dribbler to the pitcher, trying to score. Matt Wallner stranded Keaschall at first by popping out. He was heard later in the game on the hot field mic, saying, "I'm not that good right now" to the umpire—before taking a swing at a ball he thought was low and in the zone, but was a strike that sent him packing. Matthews departed after six frames, having allowed just the one run and needing only 84 pitches. Before any reliever could even toe the rubber, the offense gave their starter a bit more run support. Ryan Jeffers collected his third hit of the night. Brooks Lee moved him into scoring position on a groundout, to set up Royce Lewis. Lewis, in turn, notched a third hit of his own, scoring Jeffers to bump the lead to 3-1. Lewis also stole two bases, and continues a recent surge in all facets of the game. Cole Sands came on in the seventh, and knocked out the White Sox hitters in fast and accurate fashion. Sands has been throwing harder lately, and is turning around his season in its final several weeks. He mowed down Chicago to the tune of two innings, no baserunners and four strikeouts. Kody Funderburk got the nod to start the ninth inning, looking to secure the game against a left-leaning pocket of the White Sox lineup. Funderburk got Colson Montgomery to start his outing, but put the tying run on base by yielding a single to Quero. He battled with Benintendi at the plate, working up a full count, but he ultimately walked him. The Twins moved on to Justin Topa, who has a great ground-ball rate. Although the tying run was aboard, a double play would get the Twins out of the inning and secure the win. But two outs can be awfully hard to find, sometimes. Topa fanned Curtis Mead, but a broken-bat flare over the head of Keaschall off the bat of Baldwin brought home pinch-runner Korey Lee to halve the lead. Maki came out to calm down Topa, and whatever he said, Topa got Michael A. Taylor to chase the first two pitches, both sweepers. Ahead 0-2, though, he kept trying that sweeper out of the zone. Taylor watched two go by, during which time Baldwin stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Topa's fifth straight sweeper hung on the inner half of the plate, and Taylor crushed it—down the line and hooking, but fair, scoring Benintendi and Baldwin for the White Sox lead 4-3. The Twins had one more chance to make a go at the win, with Buxton up first. He cracked a double to left, and Larnach followed with a hard-won walk. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. came in to pinch-run for Larnach, and just like that, the Twins had great speed on the bases representing both the tying and the winning runs. Keaschall, though, hit a routine fly to Benintendi for the first out, and Outman sliced an equally harmless ball to the same man. Jeffers stood in as the last chance, but instead of heroics, he could produce only a routine ground ball for the final out of the game. The Twins have lost the season series to the White Sox for the first time since 2021. What’s Next? The Twins finish out the series with the White Sox before heading to the Kansas City Royals. Taj Bradley (6-7; 4.83 ERA) will be taking the mound against Shane Smith (4-7; 3.81 ERA) at 6:40 PM CST, Thursday. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Mick Abel 3IP, 7H, 6ER, 2BB, 2K (63 pitches, 42 strikes (65%)) Home Runs: Kody Clemens (14), Matt Wallner (17), Royce Lewis(8) Bottom 3 WPA: Mick Abel (-.413); Byron Buxton (-.074); Matt Wallner (-.063) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Mick Abel made his Twins debut on Saturday in Chicago, just weeks after being acquired from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal at the deadline. The 2020 first-round draft pick has spent most of his 2025 season in the minor leagues. He made six starts for Philadelphia with his MLB debut on May 18th. The Twins started the game with a walk from Trevor Larnach and single from Luke Keaschall, before Matt Wallner hit into a double play to end the inning. Abel’s first inning with the Twins began with a routine pop-out, but the sun was wreaking havoc on any ball hit in the air in the outfield. Miguel Vargas hit a sun double. Colson Montgomery followed by hitting the ball back at Abel, hitting him in the thigh, and got another single. However, Abel responded well, by recording a double play which ended the inning. Abel only threw 11 pitches, avoided injury (thank goodness!) and kept the White Sox off the board. In the top of the second inning, a two-out solo home run by the-one-and-only Kody Clemens put the Twins on the board first. Abel’s second inning was a struggle. He got his second strike-out of the game but allowed three singles, the third was a Chase Meidroth single to center which drove in Andrew Benintendi and evened up the score 1-1. Runners were still on the corners with two outs after former Minnesota Twins outfielder Michael A. Taylor struck out. Abel got ahead of Kyle Teel walked him on seven pitches to load the bases. Abel’s biggest struggle was getting behind in the count, struggling to find the strike zone and racking up his pitch count with foul balls and walks. The second walk from Abel gave the White Sox the lead 2-1. Star rookie Colson Montgomery came up and launched a grand slam which pushed the lead 6-1. Davis Martin had the Twins hitters on the ropes the second inning, a three-up, three-down inning, got the defense back out and Abel joined them. Perhaps a redemption inning. Abel gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the third frame, but it led to no runs. Abel seemed to come out that inning with a little more command, and a lot more control. He got out of the game after a "confidence inning" and a handshake with manager Rocco Baldelli. Matt Wallner knocked a solo home run in the top of the fourth, to make it 6-2. Thomas Hatch came out to the mound to replace Abel and was again very good. He began by tossing four shutout innings and needed just over 30 pitches to do that. He tired in the ninth and gave up a solo homer to Luis Robert, but that was the only run he allowed. He gave up just three hits, walked none and had five strikeouts. Most important, he allowed the Twins to get through the game with just two pitchers. With uncertainty (and youth and injury concerns, etc.) throughout the pitching staff, innings eaten are quite valuable. It was Hatch's second consecutive "team-saving" outing. The Twins put a little pressure on Martin top of the fifth. A leadoff single from Clemens got things started. Clemens took an aggressive lead on first, making Martin attempt to pick him off and divide his focus, resulting in hitting Outman with a pitch. Two runners on base, but nothing to show for it. The White Sox brought in lefty Tyler Alexander into the game for the top of the sixth. He tossed a scoreless inning. Then with one out in the top of the seventh, he gave up a solo home run to Royce Lewis to cut the team's deficit to 6-3. What are your thoughts on Thomas Hatch? He has had a couple of solid outings of late. Who do you think have been the best waiver claims by the Twins in 2025? The Twins couldn't come back in the last inning, falling 7-3, but have a chance to claim the series with a win on Sunday. What’s Next? The Twins finish out the series with the White Sox before heading into Canada to take on the Blue Jays. The Twins will avoid Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, and Shane Bieber, but they will face Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and Eric Lauer Monday through Wednesday. But first, the Twins will finish out this series with the White Sox on the south side of Chicago. The Twins will try to figure out Yoendrys Gomez starting at noon central time on Sunday, The Twins haven't announced their Sunday starter yet, at least not officially. However, we know that Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson are with the Twins in Chicago. We could see one or both of them. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober - 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (82 pitches, 53 strikes (65%)) Home Runs: no one Bottom 3 WPA: Royce Lewis (-.254), Byron Buxton (-.210), Génesis Cabrera (-.190) Win Probability Chart (per FanGraphs) Bailey Ober made his fourth start since returning from the hip injury that sidelined him this summer. His velocity remains a concern—strong in his first two outings, but leveling off in his most recent. The team has also dropped his last three starts, with Ober responsible for all but one of the runs surrendered in those appearances. Tonight was one of his better appearances, despite the dearth of velocity. Ober's back was tight in pregame warmups, but he said it loosened up as the outing progressed, and he felt he had unusually good feel for each of his pitches. The Athletics struck first in the top of the second. Tyler Soderstrom led off with a double, and Darell Hernaiz followed with a sac fly to center. Byron Buxton tracked it deep to the wall and made the catch with ease, despite facing into the sun. The run scored, but that was all Oakland managed, taking a 1–0 lead. In the bottom of the third, James Outman collected his second hit as a Twin—a double—to open the inning. Ryan Fitzgerald, his new “twin” in the lineup, followed with a single of his own. On an airy throw into the infield by right fielder JJ Bleday, Fitzgerald alertly took second base, putting both runners in scoring position after aggressive baserunning. Buxton then hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Brett Harris, however, and Harris's sure-handed pick and peg home nailed Outman to kill the would-be tying tally. Once again, the Twins failed to cash in with runners aboard. Like so many innings before, the threat ended in a double play—this time off Trevor Larnach’s bat. No matter the opponent, the Twins hit into double plays, as if rehearsed. Ober entered the fourth inning at 51 pitches. On his second batter, second pitch, he surrendered a solo shot to Soderstrom—just clearing the center-field wall and out of Buxton’s reach. Ober regrouped to strike out Hernaiz, and the Athletics finished the inning up 2-0. Both pitchers allowed their share of hits, but the defenses held firm on both sides. The Twins stayed aggressive on the bases, yet Oakland’s defense matched their energy. Luke Keaschall provided another spark with the team's second extra-base hit of the game—and his seventh of the year. He then stole third during Kody Clemens’s at-bat, barely beating the tag. Clemens couldn't bring him home, however. With two outs, Ryan Jeffers drew the first walk issued by Athletics pitching all night, bringing up Matt Wallner with a chance to tie it. But Wallner’s at-bat ended quickly on a routine fly to right. The crack of the bat drew a collective breath from fans, but instead of cheers, only a groan of continued frustration followed. The fifth inning was the turning point for the Twins lineup. Instead of dying after one out, they rebounded. Outman clubbed another double to start the frame. Even after what looked like a home run (or at least another double) from Fitzgerald was snatched in center field, followed by Buxton striking out for the fateful second out, the rally wasn't quite extinguished. Larnach came through and hit a single off a sinker. The line drive to left field gave Outman the chance to run home and get the Twins on the board, 2-1. Brooks Lee then hit a liner to right-center that center fielder Lawrence Butler (better cast in right) couldn't catch, and Larnach came all the way around as the ball went to the wall. After a walk to Keaschall, the Athletics went to the bullpen early. In response, Rocco Baldelli pinch-hit Royce Lewis for Clemens, but before he could even swing, a misread from Lee leaving second base ended the inning; catcher Shea Langeliers threw him out at third. Ober started the sixth inning, but was replaced by Kody Funderburk with two outs, to face Soderstrom. Funderburk walked Soderstrom, but Keaschall and new first baseman(!) Fitzgerald combined on a putout to escape the miniature jam. Lewis singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but was caught stealing during Ryan Jeffers's at-bat. The Twins were caught twice out of the four times attempting to steal bases against the Athletics tonight. The decision to be aggressive on the bases is a conscious one, Baldelli affirmed after the game, and it will continue—but it comes with some pain. Cole Sands worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning. The game remained tied 2-2 through seven. Justin Topa came in to work the eighth, and immediately put himself in danger against the teeth of the Sacramento lineup. With two on and nobody out, Langeliers registered the first out. A short flyout from Brent Rooker held the runners and got the second out. Soderstrom was intentionally walked, and what happened next was the stuff baseball is made of. With the bases loaded and two outs, Topa struck out Colby Thomas on three pitches to end the inning. Leading off the bottom half of the frame, Lee got his third hit of the night, a single to left field that fell just short of Soderstrom. Austin Martin pinch-ran for Lee. Lewis and Jeffers each flied out to center without allowing Martin to advance, though. A's manager Mark Kotsay made another pitching change, bringing in Hogan Harris to face Wallner, who struggles to hit lefties. Wallner fought through a full count, but grounded out to end the mild threat. Brooks Kriske came out in the ninth. Edouard Julien came in play to first base and Fitzgerald moved to the shortstop spot vacated by Lee. In the shuffle, Outman had move to right field, where he immediately made what could have been a fatal mistake, falling down beneath a routine fly ball that became a gift double. A walk ended up bringing Nick Kurtz to the plate with two outs and two on. Baldelli called upon Génesis Cabrera to face Kurtz, who also struggles against lefties. Cabrera got him out with no incident, moving the game to the bottom of the ninth and shifting the pressure to the visitors. With the game on the line, Fitzgerald drew a one-out walk. Byron Buxton hit a long fly ball to center field that had the crowd loud and hopeful, but it died in the outfielder's glove. In another two-out situation, with the winning run at first, Larnach pulled through with a single to right field, advancing Fitzgerald to third. Martin, however, couldn't bring him the rest of the way, flying out to send the game to extra frames. Cabrera came back out to start the 10th. Kurtz started on second for the Athletics. As he did Tuesday night, however, Langeliers made the telling difference, crushing a two-run home run to give Sacramento a two-run edge. He has the most homers in the league since the All-Star break. (grumblegrumble) Good for him. The next three outs came quickly, but the damage had been done. The Twins would have to pull something magical to pull off the win. Inexplicably, on a flyout by Lewis to begin the 10th, Martin tagged up and went to third. He was safe—but barely, and he should feel lucky, because his run meant relatively little in that situation. Jeffers drew a two-out walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Mickey Gasper, while Julien made his first hitting appearance of the evening. The light was snuffed out, though, with a grounder hit to the second baseman to end the game. The Twins battled at the plate and were aggressive on the bases, Ghost-Runner strikes again. What’s Next? The Twins finish out the series with the Athletics Thursday, before heading into the third divisional series of the month with the Kansas City Royals at home. José Ureña (0-0, 4.06 ERA) takes the ball for the Twins, opposite righty Jack Perkins (2-2, 4.28) for the A's. First pitch is at 12:10 PM CT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of © Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Pierson Ohl - 2 2/3 IP, 4H, 4ER, 0BB, 3K (61 pitches, 41 strikes (71%)) Home Runs: Brooks Lee (11); Austin Martin (1); Alan Roden (2) Top 3 WPA: Luke Keaschall (.248); Brooks Lee (.178); Thomas Hatch (.175) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Since the trade deadline, the Twins have surprised many. Despite major roster shake-ups, the team is playing with grit and intensity. Wins haven’t come easily, but the effort is there. There has been timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and pitching that’s keeping them in games. It’s a shift few expected this late in back-to-back series. The Twins got things going early with a leadoff single from Alan Roden off Jack Flaherty. Matt Wallner followed with a fly ball misplayed by the Tigers’ defense, pushing Roden to second. Though Ryan Jeffers and Kody Clemens struck out, they drove Flaherty’s pitch count up. Then came Luke Keaschall who ripped a gapper to center. Another Detroit miscue allowed Roden and Wallner to score, giving the Twins a 2–0 lead. It’s not just the bats showing urgency. The defense has been adapting on the fly, especially after Trevor Larnach exited with an injury. Clemens shifted to the outfield, Julien moved to first base, Brooks Lee took over at short, and Keaschall slotted in at second base, The reshuffle highlighted everyone's versatility, which has quickly become an asset. Before the game, Clemens acknowledged the fans’ frustration but emphasized that the team is locked in and giving its all. That determination is starting to show. Pierson Ohl opened with a sharp, efficient first inning—no hits, one strikeout, and just 12 pitches. The Twins' pitching staff has quietly been steady lately, consistently working through five or six innings, with the bullpen holding its own aside from a few rough outings. Overall, the rotation has been surprisingly solid. In the second, Brooks Lee’s first at-bat ended with a ball off Flaherty’s glute, followed by a dropped ball that allowed Lee to reach first. Flaherty was clearly off his game. A line drive by Edouard Julien zipped past him, putting runners on base, and a wild pitch during Alan Roden’s at-bat brought Lee home to make it 3–1, Twins. One of Lee’s underrated strengths is his baserunning IQ—he knows he’s not fast, but he's smart and aggressive when it counts. Ohl gave up a solo homer to open the bottom of the second, a frustratingly familiar sight for Twins fans, but limited the damage. He ran up his pitch count slightly but escaped with just one run allowed, stranding two and finishing two innings with only 35 pitches. By comparison, Flaherty had already faced 11 batters, while Ohl had seen just seven. Early on, this looked like a game the Twins were firmly in control of. Kody Clemens continued to showcase his versatility, shifting from right to left field in the third inning. On a routine play turned highlight reel, he nearly robbed Zach McKinstry of a home run—gloving the ball at the wall before losing it on the way down. McKinstry's homer cut the Twins’ lead to 3–2. Still, Clemens’ athleticism has been on full display, both in this game and over the past five. Pierson Ohl ran into trouble in the third, pushing his pitch count to 61 and surrendering a two-run homer to Kerry Carpenter with two outs, giving the Tigers a 4–3 lead. With Thomas Hatch warming in the bullpen, a slow mound visit bought time. Hatch, recently claimed from the Royals after spending most of the season with AAA Omaha, was set to make his Twins debut. The Tigers' lead didn’t last long. Brooks Lee jumped on the first pitch of the fourth inning and crushed a 430-foot homer to right-center—his 11th of the season and longest of his career, leaving the bat at 105.2 MPH to tie the game at 4–4. Matt Wallner followed with a single that was mishandled at second, allowing him to reach safely. Ryan Jeffers then dropped a bloop into center, and Wallner turned on the jets, scoring all the way from first to give the Twins a 5–4 lead. As he crossed home, Wallner made a gesture mimicking opening a book—a symbolic nod to the team starting a “new chapter” after the trade deadline. It was a meaningful moment for a clubhouse still processing the recent shake-up. Luke Keaschall added to the momentum in the fifth with his fifth double of the season and third RBI of the game, driving in Jeffers to put the Twins up 6–4. That would end Flaherty’s day, with Tyler Holton coming in for the Tigers. In the sixth, Austin Martin replaced Edouard Julien and made an immediate impact—launching a first-pitch home run to left, padding the lead to 7–4. Martin is still finding his place within the organization, and with limited opportunities left, performances like this are crucial. It was his first homer of the season with the Twins. The Twins weren’t done. Alan Roden joined the home run party with his second of the season—and first in a Twins uniform—pushing the lead to 8–4. Hatch continued the sixth inning, and continued a great appearance for his Twins debut. Both innings, 1-2-3 innings. The seventh inning Detroits pitcher Tommy Kahnle was behind the count consistently and had two on base and one out, and walked Martin to load the bases. Pitching change ensued and the Twins scored Royce Lewis on an RBI ground out from Mickey Gasper to first a 9-4 lead. Hatch stayed through the start of the eighth inning until the lefty hitter Ibanez came in and Kody Funderburk came into the game to face him. Funderburk is another pitcher in relief position who has had a rocky season bouncing back and fourth four times, but has really been locked in these last two series. Ibanez has struggled against sinkers and Funderburk, the match up made a lot of sense, and Funderburk eliminated Ibanez with the first out. The Tigers got runners on the corners and a quick breather, and Funderburk pitched pinch-runner Jahmai Jones into a double play to secure the lead and eliminate damage on the way out. For their final act, the Twins brought out reliever RHP Brooks Kriskie to finish out the game and the ninth inning. Kriskie comes from the Cubs off of waivers. Kriskie worked his way through the first three hitters, striking out two and only one on base. His next pitch, found the barrel of the bat, but was fielded by none other than Keaschall to end the game, and the series. What’s Next? The Twins get a day off on Thursday, before heading into the third divisional series of the month with the Kansas City Royals at home. Joe Ryan (10-5; 2.83ERA) will be taking the mound against a pitcher to be named later at 7:10PM CST, Friday. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

To be fair, no one has a chance of being on this roster outside of maybe, FIVE players. This team isn't safe for anyone.

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images For many, these final two months of the 2025 season are nothing short of an audition: a chance to prove they belong or risk being left out of the club’s future plans. Three such players—José Miranda, Edouard Julien , and Austin Martin—have all spent time at the major league level. But instead of earning a recall, the Twins turned to external additions like Ty France, Harrison Bader, and most recently, Kody Clemens. The message? It’s now or never. José Miranda: Time Running Out Once considered a cornerstone of the Twins' rebuild, José Miranda hasn’t played at Target Field since April. After a breakout debut in 2022, Miranda struggled to sustain success. His inconsistencies earned him multiple demotions, and by 2024, he was no longer part of the Twins’ regular plans. Now 27, Miranda has spent most of 2025 with Triple-A St. Paul, where his numbers have been far from inspiring. As of August 1, he's hitting just .203 with a 585 OPS in 61 games. Once praised for his compact swing and gap power, Miranda has lost his offensive identity. He still has one minor league option left and boasts a solid minor league track record, hitting .272 AVG with 77 HR over 2,500 plate appearances—but his future hinges on quickly rediscovering that form. Watching his colleagues get called up around him while he is still struggling in AAA-St.Paul must be difficult to watch. If he can raise his OBP toward .320 and regain confidence at the plate, Miranda could still carve out a bench or utility role for 2026. But if his struggles continue, a DFA seems inevitable. Édouard Julien: A Star Dimmed Two years ago, Édouard Julien was being penciled into Minnesota’s future infield. With elite plate discipline and a natural fit at second base, he seemed like a sure bet. But his 2024 & 2025 campaigns have derailed that narrative. Julien made the Opening Day roster but was optioned to Triple-A on May 5 after a lackluster start. He posted a 198/.288/.319 slash line and his difficulty handling fastballs and breaking balls carried over from 2024. Once demoted, Julien initially continued to struggle at St. Paul. But in late June, he found his rhythm, batting .343 with five home runs over a 19-game stretch, including a walk-off hit on June 28 that hinted at renewed confidence. As of August 1, his Triple-A numbers are among the best in the system. In 67 games, he's hitting .275 with a .414 OBP and a 880 OPS. He's slugged 11 home runs with 34 RBI. This weekend, Julien struggled, making a poor judgment during a defensive play that allowed runners to advance. In Saturday's game, down by a run in the ninth inning, he watched what he thought was a game-tying home run, only to watch it bounce off the top of the wall, earning himself a double but probably costing him a leadoff triple. He never scored that tying run. Austin Martin: Battling Time and Injuries Of the three, Austin Martin may have the toughest road ahead, largely due to injuries. Once a top-50 MLB prospect, Martin entered 2025 eager to stake his claim, but hamstring strains in April and May derailed his season early. He didn’t return to consistent playing time until mid-June. Yet, when healthy, Martin flashed the tools that once made him such a coveted talent. As of early August, he was hitting .306 with a .379 OBP and a 782 OPS, albeit in 124 AB. He also had three stolen bases. Martin’s athleticism could earn him a utility role, and at age 26, he still has time on his side—but not much. The Twins need healthy, available players who can contribute across multiple positions. His injury history, combined with limited production earlier in the year, puts him in a precarious position. He can’t afford another injury setback. These final weeks are critical if Martin wants to stay in the picture for 2026. If he keeps up the plate discipline and fielding, he may very well secure that spot. What Comes Next The Twins made it clear through their trade deadline activity: performance matters, and the window of opportunity is small. With new names stepping in and others stepping up, Miranda, Julien, and Martin are all playing for more than stats—they’re playing for their jobs. By season’s end, Minnesota’s front office will decide who stays, who gets DFA’d, and who—if anyone—can still be part of the Twins’ long-term blueprint. For these three, the clock is ticking. View full article

He really wants to be as well! Time will tell, but the comeback and year 14 is pretty solid! Thank you! I'm better at the human stories at times, because we forget that they are human at times.