Sherry Cerny

In the third game of their four-game series at Kauffman Stadium, the Twins finally gave Byron Buxton his first off day of the 2025 season. Necessary though that might be, it only made the question more pressing: where would this dismal lineup find some runs? Image courtesy of © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 7.0 P, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (85 pitches, 63 strikes (74%)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (1), Ty France (1) Top 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (.464); Ty France (.105); Griffin Jax (.056) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Joe Ryan started the game by putting on a masterclass during the first 7 innings, retiring six in order over the first two frames and only using 23 pitches. The first hit for the Royals came in the third, on a one-out single for Maikel García. Both Edouard Julien and Willi Castro had run-saving plays thereafter, scuppering the potential for the Royals to get on the board first. The Twins offense continued its struggle, striking out five times in three innings, and playing into outs the others. Even with Byron Buxton out of the lineup, they continue to swing at everything and make tepid contact. There seems to be no real order at the plate; they hit more desperate than disciplined. The one thing that the lineup did do, however, was run the pitch count up on starter Seth Lugo. Lugo had 55 pitches with only one out in the third. Carlos Correa drew the first walk of the game for Lugo, followed by another walk from Trevor Larnach. Both Correa and Larnach showed a lot of patience at the plate with Lugo, running up the pitches to eight in each appearance. Julien had a 2-2 count with two outs on the board. He fought through the at-bat, fouling off three pitches before getting a single to right field, scoring Correa and leaving Larnach in a pickle that ended in the final out of the inning. The Royals finally threatened in the fourth inning. Ryan allowed a double from Bobby Witt Jr., who then tried to advance to third on a line drive to center fielder Harrison Bader. Bader, however, fired to Julien to get Witt out, getting the inning-ending double play and keeping the Twins ahead on the board. Ryan seemed more locked in than any of his other starts so far this season. Even with the balls the Royals were hitting, they were effortlessly played by the defense. His velocity was not dropping; his four-seamer was used consistently, without issue; and he even used his splitter to get around some of the hitters. The lead was only one going into the top of the sixth inning. Matt Wallner led off by striking out swinging. However, Correa got a two-seam fastball, ripping it down the left-field line for a single. Larnach took an errant ball inside, advancing Correa again to third base. Lugo then intentionally walked Larnach. Ty France ripped a base hit into the gap on the right side, scoring Correa to give the Twins a 2-0 lead and advancing Larnach to second, who stayed put this time. The Royals finally sent Lugo to the showers, after 110 pitches. Ryan got an opportunity to come out for the eighth inning, something that he very well earned. Ryan only got behind the count once, leaving the inning with only 83 pitches. He was superb. Wallner has only seen three lefties this season, but his patience at the plate showed when he hung his first solo home run of the season on Royals pitcher Sam Long to put up the score 3-0. Griffin Jax came in to cover the eighth inning. Jax had a disastrous game on Sunday, being part of the loss of the lead and the game to the Astros, but Wednesday night, Jax locked in and walked out with a scoreless inning. In the ninth, France launched a ball into the Twins bullpen for his first homer as a Minnesota Twin, pushing the score to 4-0. The Twins have not only been lacking in wins, but also in longballs, with only six on the season. Wednesday night, they got two. Jhoan Duran came out to close out the game, and Witt was the only one who would reach base. (He walked.) A short chop to first from Vinnie Pasquantino ended the Twins' six-game losing streak to the Royals. What’s Next? The Twins finish the series against the Royals on Thursday. Bailey Ober (0-1; 12.15 ERA) taking the bump against Michael Wacha (0-2; 4.66 ERA) at 1:10PM CST. The club then heads home after that game to face Detroit. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Almost every team has that one guy—the heart and the soul of the team. And it’s not usually the one that you think of. More often, it’s the guy who was brought in at the last minute, to raised eyebrows and no fanfare. But when the chips are down and fans are anxious, they're the ones who come up big. Image courtesy of © Tim Vizer-Imagn Images In 2023, it was Michael A. Taylor. In 2024, it was Carlos Santana. Now, it’s Harrison Bader. Each of these players joined the team as one-year stopgaps, to fill a pressing need. Taylor was the outfield insurance behind an injured Byron Buxton. Santana was a badly needed upgrade at first base. Each was projected merely as a role player, but ended up as an indispensable piece of the everyday lineup. Now, it’s Bader’s turn. Harrison Bader came to the Twins from the Mets, an out-of-left-field free-agent signing made more thrilling because it was so unexpected. The 30-year-old Bader was selected by the Cardinals in the 2015 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 2017 as a center fielder, and won a Gold Glove Award in 2021. Bader bounced from the Cardinals to the Yankees (and then the Reds) in 2023, then to the Mets in 2024. Last season with the Mets, Bader hit .236/.284/.373 in 402 at-bats, with 12 home runs, 51 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. The Twins signed him right before spring training, on a one-year, $6.25-million deal that includes a 2026 mutual option. Already in spring training, we saw glimmers of the potential Bader was bringing to the team. In the third game of Grapefruit League play, the Twins and Yankees traded off homers, but it was Bader who worked around the gusts of 20-mph wind to swat a home run and put the Twins up 2-1. He hasn’t quit since then. Bader is a smooth operator: Pretty hair, and an even prettier swing. In the regular season, he has 24 plate appearances. He already has 3 home runs and 8 RBIs. His .261 batting average says little about his ability to create situations to help dig the team out of the slumps. Twins manager, Rocco Baldelli talked about Bader, his professional routine, how much he likes to work, being on the field and his defensive play ahead of the team's home opener Thursday. “The way he talks about the game, he loves playing baseball. He loves it. He kind of lets his emotion seep out on a regular basis, and his excitement for just being out there,” Baldelli said. He has the most home runs on the team, the most RBIs, and the most (let’s call it) pizazz. Not only has he brought the work ethic, hard defense and hungry plate appearances, but also some color. Bader, who is somewhat famous for wearing his crop tops, and confidently wearing his bright and colorful accessories (Bruce Bolt sliding mitts, guards and headbands), is relatable to a lot of the kids watching the games. He has won over the fans with affectionate names such as, Crop Top Bader Tot, Bader Tot Hotdish, and honestly, just “favorite”. In an interview before the April 5th game, Bader was talking to Dustin Morse about why he wears those colors. He cares about the game. He cares about the way it’s trending, and how to keep the kids interested and grow the game. There is always one—one player who not only produces on the field, but also grows the hearts of the fans. Harrison Bader, this year, you are the one. View full article

It was an interesting day for the minor league teams. Sunday marked the first day that all four full-season affiliates played. Read below to see who came out swinging and who needs some more reps. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Gabriel Gonzalez) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 3-6 St. Paul Saints: 2-4 Wichita Wind Surge: 1-2 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 2-1 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 1-2 TRANSACTIONS On Sunday, the Twins sent Brooks Lee on rehab assignment to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Columbus 2 Box Score Another pitching duel. Another blown save in the late innings. An extra-innings loss, and the Saints being shut out again in Columbus. For a guy who has been pulled up and down in the organization, pitcher Randy Dobnak continued to show this organization why he is an asset and why he deserves a chance to stay. Dobnak pitched five scoreless innings and gave up just tone hit. He had three strikeouts and certainly gave his team a chance. Veteran Vince Velasquez started for Columbus and only lasted 2 2/3 innings and gave up the only two runs the Saints got. Austin Martin had a single and a walk. Ryan Fitzgerald went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double. The Saints struggled with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-10 and left 12 on base. Mike Ford, was walked three times and was responsible for one of the two RBI in combination with Minnesota Twins #2 prospect, Emmanuel Rodriguez. Rodriguez contribution, as small as it was, produced the most for the Saints. In the third inning his single to left field scored Ryan Fitzgerald to give the Saints the 1-0 lead. It also moved Luke Keaschall to scoring position and soon after, a walk by Ford scored Keaschall. The Saints led 2-1 going to the bottom of the ninth and brought in pitcher Anthony Misiewicz to close out the game. Angel Martinez doubled. The next two outs came on a fly out and a whiff. Misiewicz was one out away from closing the game, leaving Martinez on base, but Clippers hitter, Petey Halpin hit a cutter at the bottom of the zone, bringing in Martinez to tie the game 2-2. In the top of the tenth, the Saints got hitters on base, but a fly out from Ford stopped the Saints dead in their tracks. Ryan Jenson came in for the bottom of the 10th and gave up a sac bunt and a sac fly and there was another walk-off loss for the Saints. WIND SURGE WISDOM Game One: Wichita 0, Springfield 5 Box Score After falling to Springfield on opening night, 6-2, the Surge struggled to even get on base in game one of the double header on Sunday. Minnesota native Aaron Rozek was the starting pitcher. He went four innings before he was pulled. But it wasn’t the fourth inning that gave him trouble. It was the innings prior. In the second inning, Rozek gave up four singles and a double to Springfield putting them up 3-0. Rozek could not seem to stay ahead of the hitters, and while he gained a little more composure, and gave up only one run in the fourth, the damage was done. The Wind Surge could not catch back up. The Wind Surge had 22 plate appearances, one hit and walked six times, but went scoreless. Every single bat that found a ball, when it wasn’t a strike found the glove of a defender on Springfield. The Surge struck out seven times. Max Rajcic, the pitcher for Springfield, only allowed one hit, a single on a line drive from Rubel Cespedes. The Surge also walked five times but were never able to push a run across home plate. Game Two: Wichita 10, Springfield 2 Box Score The second game had a much larger margin of victory and this time, it went to the Wind Surge. In the second inning, Noah Cardenas got the scoring started with an RBI single that scored Rubel Cespedes. Tanner Schobel doubled to drive in Kyler Fedko and Cardenas. The line up continued to rake. Before the second inning ended, Kala'i Rosario hit a two-run homer to make it 6-0. Rosario is a solid player and a consistent contributor to the Surge’s runs. Trent Baker started for the Surge against his former teammates. Baker was one of the Twins minor-league Rule 5 draft picks in December. He worked the first three innings. He gave up no runs on no hits. He had three walks to go with three strikeouts. John Klein came on for his Double-A debut. He was charged with two runs on three hits over two innings. Joel Cesar and John Stankiewicz each worked a scoreless inning. In the fourth inning, Ben Ross hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot to centerfield to make it 9-0. Springfield tried to threaten with hits in the ninth but were unable to generate any runs, falling (finally) to the Wind Surge 10-2. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 7 Box Score The Kernels lost for the first time this season on Sunday. After a hard fought battle from the line up. the Kernels fell short in the ninth to reclaim the lead and the win. The Kernels and the Rattlers went head to head throughout the entirety of the game. The Kernels hitters came out hitting. Kaelen Culpepper smashed a triple to center field to lead off the game. Billy Amick who was the best on the field and at the plate all day, doubled on a line drive to left-center to drive in Brandon Winokur, who reached on a fielder's choice. Gabriel Gonzalez switched places with Amick to make it 2-0. The lead would not last long. The Rattlers bats were just as hot and ran up the count on Kernels starter Tanner Hall.. They scored three runs before he got his first out. The Kernels tied it up 3-3 in the second inning, but the work was far from over. The Kernels were forced into situational hitting for the remainder of the game. Every plate appearance hitters would get positioned for scoring with their first or second hitter. The team saw sac-flies, triples and doubles to put the pressure on Wisconsin. Billy Amick was a huge contributor to the Kernels staying ahead throughout the six innings. The third baseman went 3-for-4 with three runs and a walk. There was also a lot of production from left fielder Gabriel Gonzalez. He went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs. The two teams battled though the seventh inning, exchanging the lead eight times. The Rattlers took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh and never relented, securing another run in the eighth. The Kernels were treated to a solo home run from Gonzalez, but the Rattlers shut down any chance of the Kernels coming back with defensive outs, with astrike out from Kyle Hess to end the game. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 10, Palm Beach 11 Box Score The game to close out the series against Palm Beach was intense. A lot of back and forth in the late innings of the game looked to give the Mussels an advantage before falling in the ninth to the Cardinals. The first few innings things looked contentious, but the Mussels and Cardinals started trading off home runs in the third and fourth innings. Both Daniel Peña and Dameury Peña’s solo home runs were tight line-drives down the left field line. The Mussels led 2-1 after the four innings. Jacob Kisting came out to replace Michael Ross who fought for five innings and only gave up one run. Kisting gave up a walk to Deniel Ortiz, and that was just the start of the chaos. The Cardinals kept a steady rotation on the bases after the steal from Ortiz, with a single, a fielders choice to advance Angel Del Rosario. It wasn’t for lack of defense, the defense was creating plays and getting outs, but Kisting seemed to keep the ball directly in the path of the Cardinals bats allowing them to run up the score 5-2 by the end of the inning and another two in the bottom of the seventh pushed them 7-2. The eighth inning was a return on the Cardinals runs. The entire line up took turns getting on base, staying ahead of pitcher Yordy Herrera, who was haunted by the walks he allowed, when Yasser Mercedes got a sac fly that scored Jay Thomasson and Isaac Peña scored to close the gap. A steal from Angel Del Rosario allowed Byron Chourio to score, then scored himself after a throwing error from Josh Kross, got the score up 6-7. The walks that the Mussels generated created a nice cushion to help them throughout the game. They had 12 walks in total, and two stolen bases, but it wasn’t enough to over come the bats of the Cardinals. The Mussels had a 10-7 lead on the Cardinals heading into the ninth after their heavy hitting eighth and ninth to give them the lead. But, errors and a wild pitch would seal the fate of the Mussels, even with pitcher Hunter Hoopes had only one out left. Every player saw a base, with the exception of rehabbing shortstop, Brooks Lee, so he will get a pass. Starting his rehab assignment, Lee struck out twice, but any news is good news for the shortstop who missed opening day for the Twins due to injuries he had from spring training (back). Lee will continue to rehab with the Mussels. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day - Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, 2-2B, HR, 3 RBI Pitcher of the Day - Randy Dobnak (St. Paul): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K, 75 pitches, 39 strikes (52.0%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our recently-updated Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Sunday. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) – Game 1 (0-for-4, K) #2 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, RBI, 2 K #3 - Luke Keaschall (St. Paul) – 0-for-2, BB, R #7 - Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-3, BB, 3B(1), R, K. #8 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-5, R, K #13 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, RBI, K, SB(2) #15 - Yasser Mercedes (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, R, RBI, 2 K #17 - Billy Amick (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-4, BB, 3 R, RBI, 2-2B(3), K #18 - Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) - Game 1 (1-for-4, HR(1), R, 2 RBI), Game 2 (0-for-2, BB, K) #19 - Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-4, 2-2B(3), HR(1), R, 3 RBI. #20 - Ricardo Olivar (Wichita) - Game 1 (2-for-5, R, RBI) TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) – RHP Zebby Matthews (1-0; 0.00 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (6:35 PM CST) - TBD Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - TBD Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the roster, and discuss Sunday’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! 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Bailey Ober and the Twins were both seeking redemption in game two of the Astros series, and they did not disappoint. Signs of life in the lineup and pitching were a vast improvement over Thursday's home opener. Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 4 P, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (84 pitches, 54 strikes (64%)) Home Runs: Jose Miranda (1) Top 3 WPA: Jose Miranda (.242), Ty France (.099), Bailey Ober (.084) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The game started out with Jose Altuve wasting no time making up for his five-strikeout game on Thursday by hitting a home run off the first pitch, putting the Astros up 1-0 immediately. Altuve has seen Ober twice; both times, home runs. Ober had a drop in velocity over spring training, and it has yet to increase through these two starts. Through the the second inning he had already thrown 44 pitches, but ended up getting out of a jam after the first two batter reached base, and then he retired the side in order in the third. Astros pitcher, Spencer Arrighetti, put the Twins away six up, six down in the first two innings. The offense was able to find the ball with the barrel, but they also found gloves. The third inning showed a little promise when Edouard Julien and Christian Vazquez walked, but Carlos Correa’s at-bat ended with a pop-out to first baseman, Christian Walker, stranding them. Up to that point, Vasquez was 0-11 to the start this season. The fourth inning saw more Astros reach base, but Ober escaped giving up any runs, but also had 84 pitches. In the bottom half, the Twins got on base, at the expense of Byron Buxton taking a pitch to the hand. Buck was visibly uncomfortable but stayed in the game and stole second base. The momentum continued with a walk by Trevor Larnach , and a single line-drive to left field, combined with a bobble from Altuve, scored Buxton standing up, tying up the game 1-1. The bats continued to heat up. Jose Miranda , who has really struggled, waited patiently worked his way back from an 0-2 count before making contact and getting his first home run of the season (and since July 2024), scoring Larnach and Ty France. The Twins were up 4-1 and firing up the crowd and dugout as Vasquez, no longer hit-less, smacked a deep ball into left and dug in to get a stand-up double, prompting the Astros pitching change and bringing up Matt Wallner. Wallner hit a line drive to right, hugging the line, scoring Vasquez, with a stand-up (back-to-back) double. Twins 5-1. Everyone would have a chance to come to the plate this inning, with Correa hitting a chopper to pitcher Tyler Scott, who misthrew the ball to first base, allowing Wallner to score. Twins. 6-1. All it took was a smack on the hand to Buxton for this team to come alive, sending a message: don’t hit our guy. The inning ended the same way it started, with Buxton at the plate, this time a fly ball to center ended his plate appearance. Pitcher Louis Varland replaced Ober, and the Astros threatened to add to their run total with runners on each corner. But Varland struck out Christian Walker to move the game into the sixth. Varland now has eight strikeouts in five innings with his transition to middle relief, and his fastball reached 99.9 mph today. The Twins bullpen has certainly done its job to keep the score down and the game in line. Cole Sands came in to relieve Varland with a 1-2-3 inning. Jorge Alcala came in the seventh and looked strong, but quickly loaded up the bases. Pitching coach Pete Maki had to come out and calm his reliever down with Yordan Alvarez at the plate and bases loaded. Alcala responded with a strikeout looking versus Alvarez, and got Walker to fly out to Larnach. Justin Topa also had a scoreless inning, keeping the Twins locked in at 6-1 heading into the ninth inning, to give Jhoan Duran a chance to close out the game. Duran gave up one hit to Altuve, but shut the rest of the line up down for the first win at home of 2025! It was the longest game this season thus far for the Twins. They continued to show there are gaps in the starting pitching and long at-bat battles with hitters at some points, but it was a great opportunity to see what the club is capable of, especially after losing the home opener. What’s Next? The Twins finish out their home series against the Houston Astros. Chris Paddack (0-1; 24.30 ERA) taking the bump against Ronel Blanco (0-1; 5.40 ERA) at 1:10PM CST. The club then heads to Kansas City for its second round of divisional games. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage View full article

Rain threatened to cancel the rubber game of the Twins' series with the White Sox, but neither team relished their options for a rescheduled contest, so the game went on. On a cold, wet day, the Twins' bats continued to warm up. Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Pablo López 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (98 pitches, 67 strikes (68.3%)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (1), Harrison Bader (3) Top 3 WPA: Pablo López .237, Harrison Bader .223, Byron Buxton .116 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins got off to a hot start, with a 446-foot bomb to left-center field by the driver of the Buck Truck. In his first at bat of the game, Buxton hit his first homer of the year to put the Twins up immediately, 1-0. The Twins have had a rough time with their plate appearances, followed by their deja vu issues with runners in scoring position, but there has now been a turning point. The past two games have shown that the offense just needed to get going and that’s exactly what they did. Fresh starts for everyone. Pablo López, who lost his first game of the season, wasted no time following Buxton’s vigor by striking out two hitters. He served up a hittable pitch and suffered hard contact from the Sox's Nick Maton, but a flying Buxton snared the ball to end the frame. López threw 12 pitches, two pitches shy of his 10-pitch goal per inning. No longer held hostage by a dead bat, Carlos Correa managed to get a ground ball into the hole between first and second to get him onto his first official base of the season. It was a moment to celebrate and bask in relief. First baseman Ty France hit a bloop into center field in the top of the fourth to get another rally started, followed by Willi Castro, who was (shocker!) hit by a pitch. Harrison Bader, the charismatic king of crop tops who has been the most consistent bat in the lineup thus far, came to the plate and did what he does, and got a three-run home run, his third of the season, to move the Twins up 4-0. After an 0-18 start, Correa got his second consecutive hit of the season and this game in the fifth, ripping a double that paved the way for an RBI double from Buxton. That put the Twins up 5-0 with only one out. The White Sox replaced Sean Burke with Cam Booser on the mound, but that didn’t slow down the Twins. France got his fourth hit in seven at-bats, an RBI double to score Buxton making it 6-0. The rain that delayed the start of the game by three hours and change once again appeared in the top of the seventh inning, but the game continued, with Lopez pitching right through it. He gave up his first run of the game, a solo home run to Baldwin off a high changeup; blame it on the rain. He still finished seven strong frames. The game made it all nine innings and ended with the Twins on top! Two games, two wins. Let's just forget what came before them. Can they continue the streak when they come home? What’s Next? The Twins come home to have their home series against the Houston Astros. Joe Ryan (0-0; 1.80 ERA) taking the bump against Hunter Brown (0-1; 3.oo ERA) at 3:10PM CST. Target Field has some great new eats, so if you are coming to the game, check them out! Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Report View full article

The Twins made a few moves near the end of the offseason. After Carlos Santana returned to the Guardians, first base wasn't a huge priority, though the signing of Ty France does create some questions. Image courtesy of © Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Did the Twins need to bring in Ty France when they already had someone like Jose Miranda who can play first base? On the heels of Carlos Santana leaving via free agency, it’s possible that the club wanted to create a little competition rather than just having Miranda completely take over at first base. First In, First Out? We don't know if Miranda was upset about the front office's decision to bring France in. If so, he hasn't acted like it. He hasn’t been the player he was in his outstanding rookie season of 2022. Unfortunately, Miranda was limited to just 40 big-league games in 2023, fighting a shoulder injury most of the season. He had surgery after that season. Last year was mixed with ups and downs. He had an MLB-record hits in 12 consecutive at-bats but then, like several others, really struggled down the stretch. Not even the sausage's magic helped them. Frankly, Miranda’s injuries, performance and lack of consistency makes the front office’s concern understandable. In 2024, he played three positions, most frequently first and third base. With Santana playing Gold Glove defense, Miranda wasn’t needed at first as much. However, manager Rocco Baldelli continued to get him time there to keep him fresh. Third base is called the hot corner for a reason; it’s one of the most-challenging positions to play. All six of Miranda's errors in 2024 came at the hot corner, which is certainly not surprising. Miranda often spelled Royce Lewis at third base. New Kid At First Base? It's not that France is better than Miranda. Comparatively, Miranda had much better appearances at the plate than France did last season. France isn't usually a "slumpy" player. In fact, he enjoyed strong seasons with the Mariners in 2021 and 2022, earning an All-Star nod in ’22 when he was a last-minute addition after Mike Trout opted out due to back problems. Like Miranda, France struggled last season. His struggle came during the season after being hit by a pitch during a Royals game in June, fracturing his foot. Even with the injury, France posted a combined slash line of .234/.305/.365 with 13 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 46 runs scored. Had he not been injured, it may have been a different story. Or, perhaps, the trade between the Reds and Mariners and the Injury took a toll on him physically and emotionally. France has always been considered a good clubhouse guy. When the news of the Mariners DFAd him, and France entered free agency, there was a lot of concern that he was washed up. However, France bet on himself. He spent more time in free agency than he would have liked, but he was determined to be the player that everyone, including himself, remembered, France spent the offseason getting “back to basics” and not focusing on analytics, which seems to be this season's theme for many players. He worked on his swing with Twins legend Denny Hocking (whose uniform number was retired by the Twins a few years ago), plating his back foot and stabilizing more, allowing him to make more barrel connections. Everyone Loves France France has been looked at off and on by the Twins front office for a few years. It's early in camp, but it seems his hard work is paying off, and everyone loves him. The Twins front office loves to take players who have a chip on their shoulders. Maybe they had injuries or been passed over by other teams. Mainly a first baseman, France has spent limited time at second and third base in past years. According to Baldelli, he can use the whole field and is a quality defender. But the accolades don’t stop there. During his introductory press conference earlier in the week, Baldelli mentioned that France would not be spending all his time at first base but that he is a strong stability player, a strong hitter who is not strictly in a platoon but will get plenty of at-bats. Baldelli and Tingler are familiar with France and sing his praises, leaving the base to believe that maybe Miranda is being left behind and has to fight for a roster spot. Room for Two? It’s not a rarity that players have to fight for a position in spring training, but the light seems dimmer and dimmer for Miranda to have a permanent place in the lineup with France at first and Royce Lewis at third. The Twins don't want a full-time DH, but Miranda and France are both likely to get at-bats in that role. So will Edouard Julien and any number of the team's veterans to keep them off of their feet for a day. It’s early in spring training, and there are many things to iron out, but at this point, the front-runner for first base seems to be Ty France according to the Twins manager. It will be interesting to see how the starting lineup for Opening Day shakes out. Over the course of a 162-game season, the Twins are likely to need contributions from both players. View full article

There's no time left for load management, or even cautious handling of long-term assets. The only hope for a Twins team in desperate need of an offensive spark is to have their best players give their all. If not now, when? Image courtesy of © Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Everything seemed to be moving toward another strong finish and a second consecutive playoff appearance. Then, it happened. Twins ownership decided not only not to increase the payroll from 2023 to 2024, but to drastically reduce it. As a result, there's about $40 million worth of talent missing from this roster, and its absence has been felt down the stretch, about the way you'd feel it if someone wantonly harvested a kidney from you. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton are star-caliber players, when they're available. Their previous numbers on the field, offensively and defensively, made them outstanding assets to the team. The best part of having such well-rounded, two-way contributors is that they are an integral part of the team's winning game plan, in a way more one-dimensional players can't match. The problem is that both of these irreplaceable talents require replacement too often. When Buxton signed a long-term contract with the Twins, his injuries were considered and priced into the deal. While his availability is limited, if you start from the premise that his deal reflected an understanding of that limitation on the part of the Twins, he's been worth his salary. But matching market value isn’t everything when the numbers are bleak. Buxton has appeared at the plate 329 times, striking out 96 times and only getting 59 runs and 53 RBIs. The team around him hasn't created enough chances, and his injury trouble has translated into inconsistent offense. Correa, of course, was passed on by two would-be teams interested in long-term deals with him, after the Twins picked him up for one season. In a last-minute pivot, he came back to the club as a third option. Correa is one of the highest-paid players on the team and in the league, and should play as such, but because of pre-existing conditions either overlooked, missed, or downplayed by all parties involved, he has joined teammate Buxton on the bench for a majority of the season. That's after a 2023 in which he played most days, but poorly, and after stints on the injured list in 2022 (brief) and each years from 2017-19 (longer). In his 80 appearances, Correa has 56 strikeouts, 52 runs, and 52 RBIs, his lowest numbers for any big-league season save the COVID-shortened 2020. In his last five games, Correa has one run, and that was in a loss against the Guardians on Sept. 16. He's looked good since returning to the lineup, but not good enough to carry an offense that looks helpless much of the time. Outside of their bats, both players are experts in their defensive positions. The value gap between Buxton and Correa and their replacements in center field and at shortstop, respectively, is enormous. Baseball Prospectus has a Range Out Score for defenders, which provides a rare insight for fielding metrics: a rate stat to use for comparison of uneven samples. It's indexed to 0, with positive numbers representing the percentage of plays charged to that fielder they made above the average and negative ones representing the percentage of charged plays they didn't make, that an average fielder would. Player Position Range Out Score Carlos Correa SS 2.5 Kyle Farmer SS 0.9 Brooks Lee SS -2.6 Willi Castro SS -3.6 Manuel Margot CF -2.2 Byron Buxton CF -4.1 Austin Martin CF -4.5 Willi Castro CF -6.7 The numbers say that not all of Buxton's brilliance in center came back after his gap year as a DH, but even so, he's better than the two most-used alternatives to him at that position. Correa, meanwhile, is far superior to the rest of the team's shortstop options, especially since his stint on the IL partially overlapped with that of Kyle Farmer, who rates as the next-best player to whom they can turn. Players like Austin Martin, Willi Castro, Manuel Margot, Farmer, and Brooks Lee are underqualified to replace the stars, not because every team must have multiple above-average players at every defensive spot, but because this team knew they would be without Buxton and Correa for long stretches, and they still didn't reinforce the roster accordingly. With both the players and management saying they are healthy enough to go, then, there is no reason to hold back. It is time to make up for lost time and put Correa and Buxton in on a daily basis during this absolutely crucial time. Even if the Twins miss the playoffs, the team and fans deserve to end this season with a fierce effort. It's clear that the only way this team can put up such a fight is to have their two highest-paid players in the lineup every day. Ownership signed off on two high-caliber, high-paid players who haven't been able to consistently anchor the lineup this year, leaving the continuity of the team lacking. While expecting the team to allow the “heavy lifting” to be done by two players, it is not acceptable to let those two players contribute to less than 60% of games throughout the season. The crime here is primarily in not having better supplemented the roster, but since that's where we are, the time has come to ride the stars hard and (if needed) put them away wet. Paying these two players, knowing that they have durability issues, knowing they would have to build a team around them to be successful, and then slicing payroll and not allowing them to make up for their absences was a failure on the ownership. While their contracts aren’t a detriment to the team, the ownership failed to allow leadership to build a deep, competitive roster, and it hurt the team by having them on the bench more consistently than on the field. Days off are more than acceptable; every player should have them. Buxton and Correa are indispensable to this team at this moment, though. The two players aren’t getting any younger, and there is little hope that the Pohlads will rediscover their checkbook and spend the missing $40 million on next year's team. Every team experiences injuries and setbacks, but at this point, the Twins have to play their two legitimate All-Stars as much as their luck and health will allow. View full article

The Twins had a glimmer of hope in what needed to be a bounceback game, after dropping the first half of a Sunday doubleheader. It was extinguished in a torrent of missed opportunities and Red Sox runs, and now, the team is in real trouble. Image courtesy of © Eric Canha-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (87 pitches, 55 strikes (63%)) Home Runs: N/A Top 3 WPA: Cole Irvin (-.405), Cole Sands (.-202), Carlos Correa (-.079) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Zebby Matthews made his eighth start of the season against Boston in game two on Sunday, a makeup game to the rainout on Saturday. Matthews has been a really positive developmental story this season. It’s not easy to start in the league as a starting pitcher, and harder still to come in during a pennant race, but he's truly holding his own. Crucially, the youngster pitched well enough to provide himself with the luxury of pitching around Triston Casas twice--something Pablo López couldn't afford to do when Casas came up the first two times in the first game of the day. Matthews kept a calm demeanor, and the longer he stayed, the more locked in he became. The offense showed up big-time (by their recent standards) in the fifth inning, giving the kid some run support from none other than Kyle Farmer and Christian Vázquez, who have both been on hitting streaks over the past 13 games. Farmer got the fun started with a single to first, followed by a single from Vázquez and another single from Byron Buxton bringing home Farmer to get the Twins on the board first. After the Buxton RBI, Trevor Larnach singled on a hard sharp line drive to right field bringing in Vasquez to go up 2-0 on the Red Sox. Matthews didn’t get to finish out the fifth. Manager Rocco Baldelli replaced him with Cole Irvin with two outs, one on base and lefty Jarren Duran coming in. Irvin walked his primary assigned man, though, which brought Romy Gonzalez to the plate. Improbably, yet predictably, the light-hitting Gonzalez clubbed a three-run homer, giving the Red Sox the 3-2 lead in a split second. Irvin continued to implode as his appearance went on, hitting Wilyer Abreu with a sinker that didn’t move. Irvin was taken out of the game after throwing 25 pitches and recording just two outs. Cole Sands came in to prevent runners from doing any further damage in the sixth inning, but after a single to load the bases, he hit Ceddanne Rafaela in the same place as Abreu, walking in a run and putting the Red Sox up 4-2. Then, in the blink of a weary eye, a double on a fly ball from Duran brought in three more to run up the score: 7-2. The bleeding didn’t stop. Sands was replaced by Michael Tonkin, who gave up two more runs before the inning closed out at 9-2. The Twins rallied in the eighth, managing to load the bases and bringing up Willi Castro with two outs. Castro battled through the at-bat, refusing to go down without a fight. Watching Castro’s appearances has been a fun part of the game, he continues to stay disciplined and make the pitchers work, driving up the count. Josh Winckowski was brought in to relieve starter Kutter Crawford, and Castro worked him up to a full count before taking a walk, bringing in a run and another RBI to narrow the gap to 9-3. Carlos Santana came up to bat, and while he battled, too, he ended up hitting a harmless fly ball to kill the rally. What’s Next? The Twins have Monday off, which is welcome news. They head home for the final week of the campaign, starting with a three-game set against the NL-worst Miami Marlins, which is even more welcome news. The only question, alas: Does it matter who or where this team plays? Or have they become an unstoppable losing machine? Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

After dropping the opening game of their series at Kauffman Stadium, the Twins needed to press the gas and rally out of their recent funk. Bailey Ober ensured that gas was pedal to the metal tonight, but the bullpen brought the brakes to a screeching halt in an other crushing defeat. Image courtesy of Peter Aiken-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (83 pitches, 59 strikes (71%)) Home Runs: -0- Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-.468), Jhoan Duran (-.241), Royce Lewis (-.128) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Edouard Julien has not been in the leadoff position for some good time, but that changed tonight. Julien got the game off a good start battling against starting pitcher Alec Marsh, looking like his old self, and took seven pitches before hitting a line single to left. The Twins mounted a threat in the first but stranded two runners aboard. Bailey Ober faced the Royals Saturday night for the third time this season. His first and second meetings were both ugly losses. He could have pitched in August against the Royals, but they moved him off the rotation, potentially stoking his fire for redemption. Ober wasted no time setting the tone, striking out Tommy Pham, and getting Bobby Witt, Jr out on a pop-fly before bringing up Salvador Perez. The last time Ober and Perez met, Perez hung two home runs on Ober, so when Ober struck Perez in the shoulder during the first pitch of the at-bat, Perez slowly removed his guards and strolled to first base, never taking his eyes off of Ober. The pitcher was unfazed and finished the inning with no damage. The Twins and fans at the field and online welcomed rookie DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to center field and the lineup. Keirsey appeared defensively in the game on September 5th, but this game was his start, batting ninth. In Keirsey's first at-bat, he made contact on the second pitch, getting just a bit under it for a pop-out. He continued to make contact in each at-bat and showed promise for being a solid big-league hitter. In his second AB, Julien notched a double, putting him in the scoring position for Miranda, who'd struck out his first time up. Miranda squared up and hit a line-drive triple, scoring Julien. Wallner came up to bat and swung so hard at the first pitch he knocked himself down, but his next swing found contact, resulting in another line drive double, scoring Miranda for back-to-back runs, producing hits, and giving the Twins a 2-0 lead on the Royals. The game remained relatively calm for a while. The Royals brought in lefty reliever Daniel Lynch in the sixth, and he completely shut the Twins down for three innings. Ober cruised through inning after inning, retiring the last 15 men he faced. With a 2-0 lead, and Ober still at 83 pitches, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli made the controversial decision to bring in Jhoan Duran for the eighth inning, Things quickly turned stressful. Freddy Fermin got on base, and Duran then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch to put up two runners on with one out. It was the most players the Royals had on all night. Kyle Isbel singled sharply to drive in a run, cutting the deficit in half. In this precarious spot, Baldelli pulled Duran and turned to Griffin Jax, with the tying run on second and go-ahead on first. Jax induced a chopper to short, but a charging Brooks Lee had no play at first. He threw it anyway, it short-hopped Kyle Farmer (replacement for Carlos Santana, who left with illness) and the Royals tied the game. Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a bloop single to take the lead. He was thrown out at home two at-bats later to end the inning, but not before the Royals had added another run. The Twins went down 1-2-3 in the ninth to cap off another hugely discouraging loss in an important game. What’s Next? The Twins continue with the Royals tomorrow in hopes of getting a win to not be swept. Simeon Woods-Richardson (5-3; 3.95 ERA) taking the bump against Michael Wacha (11-7; 3.50 ERA) at 1:10PM CST. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Twins announced on Friday that they're officially moving Louie Varland to the bullpen for the rest of the season. His latest performance made clear this was the right course of action. Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Louie Varland’s potential as a pitcher is undeniable, but his optimal role within the Minnesota Twins’ roster is as a reliever rather than a starter. Now, he'll be able to fulfill that role with the team announcing Friday that he's officially moving to the bullpen. This comes after his latest performance added to Varland's track record of fluctuations in performance, and wavering ability to maintain effectiveness across multiple innings. He can help the Twins. But it' became all the more clear he wasn't going to do it in a starting role. Although it further thins out the team's starting depth, moving him to the late innings will allow Varland to be the best pitcher he can be. His performance metrics, pitch selection, stamina concerns, and ability to handle high-pressure situations all suggest that his talents could be better utilized in relief. Starting pitching involves a deep array of pitches and the ability to adjust strategies as the game progresses. Varland has shown potential with a few compelling pitches, but his pitch selection has sometimes seemed less versatile than what is typically needed for a starter. Meanwhile, his stuff has clearly played down after one trip through the order. Varland’s ability to perform under pressure has been notable, and his stuff tends to play up in shorter appearances. The bullpen role allows him to leverage his strengths in tight spots, a scenario where his competitive nature and sharpness could shine more brightly compared to the extended grind of a starting role. Varland absolutely has a phenomenal arm and has shown he knows how to use it, but his execution after more than three or four innings becomes disastrous. Over the course of his age-26 season, Varland has shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the majors, showing occasional bursts of improvement that keep failing to sustain. The starts and stops of his season were perfectly showcased on Wednesday night versus the Tampa Bay Rays. Entering after the first, Varland started hot through two perfect innings innings, but was obliterated in the fourth inning, giving up eight runs before finally being relieved by pitcher Scott Blewett to close out the inning. The defense did not help Varland in that situation, however, it was another example of the right-hander running into rocky tides after initial smooth sailing. By transitioning Varland to the bullpen, the team can utilize his skills in a role where he will have a more immediate impact. Additionally, this move allows the Twins to balance their rotation while maximizing Varland’s effectiveness in shorter, high-stakes situations. Wednesday's game was a microcosm of what we saw last year, when Varland demonstrated a sharp contrast between two pitching roles. Between April 2023 and June 2023, Varland started 10 games and posted a 5.30 ERA, striking out 54 and allowing 14 home runs in 56 innings. He went to Triple-A and returned in September as a starter, working his way into increasingly high-level spots, striking out 17 over 12 innings with a 1.50 ERA. As we've seen, Varland can maximize his effectiveness in a bullpen role by focusing on his best pitches in high-leverage situations without needing a deep arsenal to navigate an entire lineup. The more he can go to this best pitches and avoid batters seeing any one pitch too much, the better off he'll be. By focusing Varland on high-leverage relief appearances, the Twins can harness his strengths more effectively while also preserving his durability for the long term. As the team continues to refine its pitching strategy, embracing Varland’s role in the bullpen could be a savvy move that benefits both the pitcher and the team. What do you think? Are you excited to see Varland in the bullpen again? Do you think it's a switch that will (or should) stick permanently this time? Share your thoughts in the comments. View full article

The Twins are jockeying for wild-card position with the Kansas City Royals, who have outplayed both Minnesota and Cleveland since the All-Star break, setting this weekend series at Kauffman up as a big one. The Royals set an emphatic tone in the opener. Image courtesy of Denny Medley-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (89 pitches, 60 strikes (67%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Zebby Matthews (-.122), Carlos Santana (-.064), Austin Martin (-.064) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins and the Royals have met 11 times this season, starting with the first series out of spring training. The Twins have won all three series heading into this final showdown of the season, with the two teams neck-and-neck for second place in the division and the race for the wild card. This was rookie Zebby Matthews' second time facing the Royals. His first meeting was his major-league debut, and he got the win. Matthews outlasted Royals pitcher Seth Lugo, staying on the mound for five innings, throwing 77 pitches, only two earned runs, no walks, and five strikeouts. However, Matthews' most recent start against Toronto was a very rough one. Tonight, he looked to bounce back against veteran Royals All-Star pitcher Cole Ragans. The offense was going to be challenged to put up some runs to help the rookie out like they did the last time against KC. Minnesota's lineup could not get on the board early on in the game. They mounted a threat against Ragans in the first but couldn't capitalize. Twins hitters spent the next six innings chasing pitches and striking out against Ragans, who was dominant. The Twins' best threat to score came in the fourth. Kyle Farmer was on first when Austin Martin hit a ball deep into the left field corner. Tommy Watkins the third base coach waved Farmer around, and the relay from Bobby Witt Jr. made it to catcher Salvador Perez who easily tagged Farmer out to end the inning. The sends from Watkins have been questionable lately and have created some frustrating outcomes for the players. The Royals struck first on an RBI double from Tommy Pham, bringing home Kyle Isbel, who was Matthews's only walk of the game. The defense and Matthews' pitching kept the Royals to one run until Michael Massey hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth for a 2-0 lead. Kansas City tacked on two more in the fifth, and Matthews exited down 4-0. Ronny Henriquez came in for the sixth and seventh innings and not only had two clean outings on 13 pitches but was assisted by a fantastic catch from Martin to rob MJ Melendez of continuing the inning. Caleb Thielbar handled the eighth and gave up a run. The Twins never really had a chance in this one. The bats were dead on arrival, leading to their ninth shutout of the season. With the Royals now a half-game ahead of the Twins, these next two games are vital to the club if they want to stay in front of Kansas City in the playoff pecking order. What’s Next? The Twins continue with the Royals in this critical series. Bailey Ober (12-6; 3.95 ERA) taking the bump against Alec Marsh (7-8; 4.70 ERA) at 6:15PM CST. Both pitchers have been crucial to their teams, so it will be a battle. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Twins were shut out by the Blue Jays, but that's not the worst part of the night. Jose Berrios’ redemption game left the Twins and fans alike shaking their head in disbelief. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews 2 IP, 10 H, 9 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (69 pitches, 45 strikes (78%)) Home Runs: 0 Bottom 3 WPA: Zebby Matthews (-.462), Trevor Larnach (-.017), Matt Wallner (-.014) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Past vs. The Present Saturday night’s pitching matchup had some history as it was a rematch of last year’s Game 1 of the Wild Card round. Tonight’s matchup - Jose Berrios versus Zebby Matthews - has some history, too, but in a more philosophical vein. When Berrios was traded from the Twins to the Blue Jays in 2021, many assumed the Twins’ impetus was primarily financial. Berrios had talked openly about looking forward to free agency. The reality was that any contract extension to extend his time as a Twin wouldn’t include any significant hometown discount. Indeed, after being traded to the Blue Jays, he did sign an extension, but that 7-year, $131M contract reflected costs similar to what he might have made as a free agent. However, looking at the path the Twins have taken since then, especially with their starting pitching, suggests there may have been a philosophical component, too. Berrios was drafted, developed, and made his Major League debut while Terry Ryan was the Twins GM. Berrios was a bit of an outlier compared to other pitchers that Ryan’s group developed. He was shorter (6’ 0”), had higher velocity (93 mph fastball), was drafted out of high school, and displayed a higher strikeout rate than, say, Kyle Gibson, Scott Baker, or Kevin Slowey. But like them, he was an early draft pick (1st round) and steadily marched through the minors, duplicating his stuff and success from level to level. On the other hand, his rival tonight represented the prototypical template of Derek Falvey’s overhaul of the Twins' pitching pipeline. Matthews was not a high draft pick (8th round). His velocity (95 mph) and stuff have jumped considerably from when he was drafted. And his progression through the minors has been anything but slow and steady; he started this year in A ball. This is not to say that Matthews will have anywhere near Berrios' career. Indeed, projecting any pitching prospect to match that career thus far - starting 238 games with a career 4.10 ERA and 1319 punchouts - is more than optimistic. Plus, at only 30 years old, Berrios is not done yet. But in retrospect, it’s easy to see that Berrios did not fit the template that the new Twins front office had in mind for their future, especially given his future cost. Berrios can be seen as representing the last example of a different era for the Twins. Matthews, along with Bailey Ober and David Festa, represents a very different philosophy for how to find, develop and leverage starting pitchers. A Totally Different Story Tonight, Berrios outlasted Matthews, completing 6 innings and gave up no runs. Matthews, meanwhile, lasted two innings and did not return for the third inning after the Blue Jays hung nine on the rookie, leaving the bullpen to fight through the remaining innings. The Blue Jays continued to stomp on the Twins pitching pushing the score up 15-0, and the bleeding only stopped when the game ended. Honorable mention goes to Kyle Farmer who pitched the last inning for the Twins. He allowed one run, which seems insurmountable. The Twins offense was unable to compete against Berrios arsenal early in the game. They made an effort to start coming back in the sixth inning when Berrios started to give up hits, but the RISP continued to be an issue and the guys were left stranded. The Twins didn’t remain hitless, but they didn’t get any runs, getting completely shut out by the Blue Jays, their fifth shutout this season. What’s Next? The Twins continue with the Blue Jays in the last game of the series with Bailey Ober (12-6; 4.06 ERA) taking the bump against Yariel Rodriguez (1-6; 4.82 ERA) at 1:10pm EST, in hopes to secure the series before heading out on a long road trip starting with Tampa Bay starting on Monday. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet John Bonnes contributed to this story. View full article

In the ever-evolving landscape of Major League Baseball, rosters and roles shift with the seasons. The Minnesota Twins have an intriguing opportunity to solidify their bullpen, by giving a more concrete gig to one of their up-and-down arms. Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports Josh Winder has demonstrated a powerful arm and a dynamic pitch arsenal. His fastball (which regularly touches the mid-90s), coupled with an effective slider and changeup, can be devastating. Winder’s ability to generate swings and misses and his strikeout potential are invaluable in high-leverage situations, where every pitch counts. In his past four appearances with the Twins, Winder has pitched nine innings, and while he allowed seven hits and three earned runs, all of those were in his appearance back on Jul. 5. In his appearances in August, he hasn’t allowed any runs; he’s only had two walks and eight strikeouts. The fact that he is not a permanent reliever with the club is head-scratching. Winder started the season in St. Paul, before suffering an injury and needing to spend time in Florida. He was moved back up to Triple-A in May. Winder has allowed 13 walks and 50 hits in 38 innings for the Saints, and a .426 BABIP. His surface-level numbers are ugly, but the underlying indices are strong. His changeup is racking up whiffs at a phenomenal rate, for instance. One of Winder’s strengths is his versatility. Having experience as both a starter and a reliever, he brings a well-rounded skill set. His experience as a starter allows him to understand how to adjust his approach based on hitters’ tendencies and game situations. He has been brought up to cover for other relievers and injuries, and fallen victim to the numbers game in the bullpen. More than once, the Twins have sent him down simply because he was the arm they could farm out without exposing anyone to waivers. Injuries and that roster crunch have made it difficult for Winder to establish himself in the big leagues, but with players like Josh Staumont and Steven Okert now out the door, there's a pathway for him. Winder continues to improve, and has adapted well to being placed in a late relief position, showing he has what it takes to adjust. His calm demeanor, ability to stay focused, and track record indicate he has the mental fortitude to excel, which the Twins need, especially if they want to make a postseason run. Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, and Cole Sands are trustworthy high-leverage arms for Rocco Baldelli, but they need one or two more. Brock Stewart is unavailable, and Jorge Alcalá isn't exactly dependable. A reliable late reliever to help when the arms are tired is essential for maintaining leads and securing victories, and Winder’s potential to fulfill this role could help strengthen the Twins' overall performance and playoff aspirations. The Twins went out and got Trevor Richards at the trade deadline, seemingly more to appease the masses than to materially improve, but that was the last thing they indeed did, and with the injuries from Chris Paddack and Joe Ryan, not making a massive move for the bullpen is something that has affected the team. While there are complaints about Baldelli’s bullpen management, it's extremely challenging to manage what you don’t have. Winder’s combination of pitch mix, control, mental toughness, and versatility makes him an appealing option for the Minnesota Twins’ relief corps. By allowing Winder a full spot on the roster as a late reliever, the Twins could benefit from a pitcher with the tools and demeanor to thrive in high-pressure situations. As the Twins look to solidify their bullpen and enhance their competitive edge, Winder represents a promising solution for helping secure victories. View full article