Nate Palmer

It took extra innings, but the Twins bats picked up where they left off for much of the weekend. Three home runs and Brooks Lee in the clutch helped get the Twins the win in 11 innings in Chicago. They're 8-0 against the woeful White Sox this year. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski - USA Today Sports Box Score SP: Chris Paddack: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (78 pitches, 54 strikes (69.2%) Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (9), Matt Wallner (2), Carlos Correa (12) Top 3 WPA: Jhoan Duran (0.313), Byron Buxton (0.297), Kody Funderburk (0.203) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After taking a series from the Houston Astros over the weekend, the Minnesota Twins welcomed Chris Paddack back to the mound; Sean Aronson to the radio booth; and Marney Gellner on the television side, all in grand fashion. Larnach Makes It 26 Straight It didn’t take long for the Twins to put themselves in the run column. Squaring up a Chris Flexen curveball Trevor Larnach hit his ninth home run of the season. That solo shot into the bullpen also extends the Twins game with a home run streak to 26 games. Max Kepler and Byron Buxton kept the scoring going in the fourth inning. After Kepler hit his 16th double on the season with two outs in the inning, Buxton came in right behind him, replacing Kepler at second base with his 17th double and putting the Twins up 2-1. Kepler’s double had career significance as it was the 200th double of his career. Brooks Lee was looking to keep his career headed in a great start and nearly continued the scoring for the Twins. Lee hit his own line drive but was robbed by White Sox second baseman Nicky Lopez. Rest Seemed to do Paddack Good Chris Paddack returned to the team after some time on the IL to deal with his arm as he continues through his first full season since Tommy John surgery. For most of the game, Paddack was doing well. His velocity was back where it had been, and he worked through the White Sox lineup out side of two instances. In both instances, Paddack had the batter at a 0-2 count with two outs in the inning. Martin Maldanado hit a home run to put the White Sox on the board in the third inning. Then, in the fifth, Corey Julks doubled to score Lopez from first base. Paddak’s performance took him five complete innings before he handed the ball off to the bullpen. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. Okert Struggles in 6th Steven Okert was the first man up out of the bullpen, and it simply did not go well. He hit his first batter faced in Andrew Benintendi. That followed up with an Andrew Vaughn double to put runners on second and third. Okert got Luis Robert Jr. to strike out, ending the left-hander's evening. The Twins turned to Josh Staumont, who has pitched well in low-leverage spots and now would get the chance to get the Twins out of a jam. That isn’t quite what would happen. An Eloy Jimenez single, Lopez single, and a Ryan Jeffers throwing error brought the White Sox quickly ahead of the Twins 5-2. Twins Fight Back The Twins offense wouldn’t let things end there. Buxton hit his second double on the night. Lee followed up with a single after getting robbed earlier in the game to score Buxton. Lee now has a hit in each of his six games played. Wallner, as part of his welcome back to the big leagues, hit a home run to score Lee. Just like that, the game was tied again, 5-5. The offense was not ready to settle for a tie. Carlos Correa came up to bat and took White Sox reliever Jordan Leasure deep for his 12th home run. Leasure did his part in the seventh to help the Twins forget about the Okert, who showed up in the sixth. White Sox Wouldn’t Go Away Unfortunately, the White Sox just wouldn’t go away. With Griffin Jax on the mound, Robert Jr. would walk, steal second, and reach third on a wild pitch. Led the way for Lopez to show up again and hit a double to score Robert Jr. and tie the game up again at 6-6. That took the game into extra innings. The Twins could not do anything in the tenth and sent Jhoan Duran to the mound to keep the game alive. After intentionally walking Eloy Jimenez, it got a little scary for a moment, with runners at first and second, but Duran was able to extend the game to the eleventh inning. In the eleventh, the Twins bats were ready to go as left-handed reliever Jared Shuster took the mound. Buxton singled, then so did Lee to score Kepler and put the Twins ahead 7-6. The single not only scored Kepler but also allowed Buxton to move to third. This development proved critical, as Manuel Margot was able to ground out, but it was still enough to get Buxton home and pad the Twins' lead 8-6. Just as it was drawn up, Kody Funderburk would be called upon to get the Twins the win and collect his own save. Facing the 7-8-9 spots in the lineup, that is exactly what would happen. The Twins would hope not to have to get those kind of wins against a club like the White Sox, but it is certainly better than those sort of losses. What’s Next? Bailey Ober will take the mound for the Twins and look to continue his stretch of good pitching into the All-Star Break. The White Sox will send likely trade deadline target, Erick Fedde to the mound. Fedde seems to have bad games when he pitches against good lineups, but last time facing the Twins on April 23rd he held the Twins to one run. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Sands 14 0 28 0 0 42 Jax 0 0 0 16 23 39 Funderburk 0 26 0 0 12 38 Alcalá 0 24 2 0 9 35 Durán 0 0 0 22 13 35 Staumont 0 0 0 9 15 24 Thielbar 0 0 9 0 14 23 Okert 0 0 0 0 8 8 View full article

The Twins offense may need to be addressed at the trade deadline if the team wants to make a playoff run. We already examined the outfield needs and now we turn our attention to the infield. Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports Earlier this week, we dove into where the Minnesota Twins can upgrade their lineup in the outfield. Now, we need to take a look at any existing holes in the infield. This past weekend and into this week have been a great example of how quickly the outlook of a position group can change with as little as one player regaining healthy status. One thing the infield group has going for them is a healthy Carlos Correa, who is performing more like the MVP-caliber player the Twins believed they were signing when everyone else was balking at his medicals. He is playing his usual stellar defense while hitting .252/.327/.430 and a .758 OPS. Those offensive numbers are below where Correa should be but not so alarmingly low that they create a crater as he is placed in the lineup each and every day. Royce Lewis returned Tuesday night to take his rightful spot at third base. As he loves to do, he returned with fanfare, collecting two walks and his second home run of the season. If Lewis and Correa are healthy, the Twins left side of the infield should be in good shape the rest of the way. That said, this is where the team needs to look to improve. Second Base Second base making this list is a surprise when considering how the position was widely viewed coming into the season. Since the beginning of the season, Edouard Julien has struggled mightily and was the move to make room for Royce Lewis to return to the MLB roster. Last season, Julien hit for a .839 OPS. His OPS has dropped significantly to .676 this season. I don’t need to go into detail here as his struggles have been examined and scrutinized already, but this now becomes a position that needs answers. Julien’s demotion left the Twins turning to Willi Castro to start at second in the first game without Julien. As discussed with the outfield mix, it may be time for Castro to have a starting role. What is tough now is Castro appears to be needed potentially at second, in left field, and as a utility player. Last I checked, there is only one Willi Castro, and he can’t be the answer everywhere. Now would be an excellent time for Kyle Farmer to shake off his ugly start of .163/.274/.239 and a .513 OPS. He is still best suited as a bench or platoon player, but for the short term, he could really help out the Twins lineup if he could be trusted to play second regularly. First Base/DH Technically, first base and designated hitter should be the easiest holes for any team to fill. They are at the lowest end of the defensive spectrum (or require no defense), and often, the goal is to find a player who can hit and play enough defense at first base to contribute positively. This offseason, the Twins emphasized the position's defensive side and signed Carlos Santana. Santana has carried a bulk of the load at first base in 2024, but his bat overall has yet to follow. His season numbers sit at .222/.304/.397 with a .701 OPS. Santana has shown improvement. In May, he improved to a .735 OPS, and in a young June, he is sitting at 1.043 OPS. For the Twins, designated hitter functions best in a rotation as a day of rest from the field for some of the team's better bats or oft-injured players. Because of the lack of production from some players, Ryan Jeffers has been used heavily at DH and still sits at the top of games played at the position with 24. Trevor Larnach (20 games), Alex Kirilloff (12), and Byron Buxton (6) are the following most prominent players to rotate through that spot. If it weren’t for Jeffers, the DH production would be ugly. The new wrinkle in this mix adds intrigue to how to move forward at this position: Jose Miranda. In a ripple effect move to Lewis being healthy, Miranda needs a new home, and both first base and DH could be just that for him. Backup Catcher Christian Vazquez is a joy to watch defensively. There have been a few times this year when he has thrown out potential base runners, and it has been nothing short of awesome. His bat has proven the Lego Movie song very wrong. He is part of a team, and it has not been awesome. With Vazquez’s contract, there may be nothing the Twins can realistically do about this spot unless they are willing to carry three catchers. Undoubtedly, the Twins would like to see Vazquez’s .169/.194/.237 and .431 OPS drastically change or be replaced by someone with better batting numbers. Injury Reinforcements: Lewis was the big name on this list less than a week ago. Now that he is back, the Twins are healthy at these positions. Minor League Promotions: Brooks Lee Brooks Lee recently returned from injury and is the prized promotion for the Twins infield mix. He was very desired when Correa and Lewis went down this year and certainly would have been a call-up if he was healthy. The next player to get a crack at the Twin's primary second baseman job may be a race between Lee and Julien. Lee is doing his job thus far in five games at Triple-A, batting .450/.476/.550 with a 1.026 OPS. Jair Camargo Jair Camargo was up with the Twins for a moment this season, and while he didn’t produce much at the plate in his two games of action, don’t let that fool you into thinking he can’t hit. Camargo has a .917 OPS in the minors this year, and last season had a .826 OPS with Triple-A St. Paul. Camargo is rehabbing on his way back from injury but is the Twin's answer to backup catcher whenever they make that move. Michael Helman It feels like Helman’s name continues to come up as a guy who could but just has never quite gotten a call-up. Julien and Lee are certainly ahead of him as long as they are healthy, but Helman’s .261/.357/.466 slash line, .823 OPS, and eight home runs make him intriguing. Coming into the season, I would have expected to be writing Yunior Severino or Chris Williams’ name here, but they have been unable to follow up their powerful 2023 campaigns in the same way in 2024. View full article

As has been well documented this far into the 2024 season, the Minnesota Twins offense has been all over the performance spectrum. As school closes for summer, we hit prime trade deadline speculation territory. To consider trade options well, let’s first look at where the Twins may need upgrades before making a stretch run to October and whether there are any in-house options. Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports Today, we will start by looking at the outfield mix and any improvements that could be made. Later, we will do the same with the Twins' infield mix. The Michael A. Taylor Role Last season, Michael A. Taylor filled a vital role for the Twins as Byron Buxton could not roam center field. Going into the 2024 season, there was always hope that Buxton would return to being the primary center fielder, and thankfully, outside of a quick IL trip, that has been the case. Injuries and Buxton are always a possibility, and the Twins front office recognizes that. Instead of re-signing Taylor, Manuel Margot was acquired to fill that role. While I, for one, was originally excited about this as a plan B, it has been pretty ugly thus far. Margot was competing for the worst team fWAR at -0.3 and was tied with fellow veteran Christian Vazquez for that title until this weekend when Margot got “better,” and Vazquez dropped further into the negatives. That fWAR has been accumulated by the veteran outfielder in 52 games, where he has slashed .209/.279/.264. As one can imagine, it only gets worse the further we dig into the numbers, such as a .542 OPS, a 58 OPS+, and a 61 wRC+. The hope had been for Margot to help the Twins when facing lefties, and while that split is better with a .715 OPS, it doesn’t feel good enough to overshadow the rest of his performance. That includes his normally good fielding. So far this season, Margot has a -2 Outs Above Average. At this point, Willi Castro has been trusted as the primary backup center fielder. Buxton has the clear hold on most action in center for the Twins, with Castro coming in second with 19 games in center field. Solidify Left Field Coming into the season, there was a clear path (barring health) to who would play center field (Buxton) and right field (Max Kepler). Left field, on the other hand, wasn’t as clear. Instead of clarity, there was a variety of options. Now, entering June, that clarity isn’t much better. Matt Wallner had the opportunity to grab hold of the position first, but after struggling, he was demoted to St. Paul and has yet to rebound. While Margot has not been trusted in center, he has seen 30 games in left. From there, the others to get time in left include Alex Kirilloff (19), Austin Martin (16), Castro (15), and Laranch (8). Currently, if the Twins were to run out their best lineup, it likely includes Castro as the starting left fielder. Maybe we are at a point where we need to trust that Castro deserves to be the everyday starting left fielder with his .775 OPS. Is that truly the mix the Twins want for the outfield going further? Certainly, the team may consider whether a more natural left fielder instead of a utility player would be better for the long haul. Injury Reinforcements: Often, a team can answer midseason needs by players simply regaining their health. On the major league roster, there aren’t any options like that in the Twins' outfield. Kepler and Buxton have both returned to the lineup after their IL trips. There could be a ripple effect that once Royce Lewis returns, Castro will be that much more available for outfield duties. Minor League Promotions: There are a few more minor leaguers who could be promoted to help at some point this summer. Austin Martin Martin has already seen some action with the Twins this season. His usage seemed strange at best. Outside of the power component, Martin is the player who could be perfect as a fourth outfielder and backup center fielder and fill that Taylor role from last season. The Twins didn’t seem to want to use him that way in his initial run in the majors this season, and Martin’s .224 average and .644 OPS didn’t force their hand to either. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Keirsey is approaching a point where he may have earned himself a chance to play in the big leagues. Defensively, he is fully capable of playing any of the outfield positions. While he would add another lefty to the Twins lineup, he has also been producing at the plate in 2024. Keirsey has a line of .302/.390/.538 as he has suited up for St. Paul this season. Emmanuel Rodriguez This big swing likely has a slim possibility of happening without a stop at Triple-A St. Paul first. Rodriguez has been destroying Double-A with a 1.079 OPS and seems more than ready for a new challenge. As a top-three prospect in the Twins system, the promotion of Rodriguez to the majors would bring the same sort of excitement that promoting Royce Lewis did last season. View full article

It was a mild, cool Memorial Day, but Joe Ryan brought the heat and the bullpen made fans sweat late as the Twins defeated the Royals 6-5. Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Joe Ryan: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (99 pitches, 68 strikes (68.7%) Home Runs: José Miranda (5), Trevor Larnach (4) Top 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (0.294), José Miranda (0.167), Trevor Larnach (0.111) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) As the United States paused to remember those who gave their life for our country, the Minnesota Twins played a game proving why baseball is America’s pastime. With the Kansas City Royals in town, this series can have significant ramifications when the season ends in an already very competitive American League Central. Miranda Continues to Provide Power As the Twins came to bat in the third inning, there hadn’t been anything in the way of offense outside of a Bobby Witt Jr. single. The Twins' first hit came off of the struggling bat of Edouard Julien, who almost seemed to fight off a pitch to an open hole down the third base line. Up to Julien’s hit, Alec Marsh had been perfect. After Julien knocked perfection off Marsh’s Monday afternoon resume, Jose Miranda obliterated the shutout from that same resume. In the next at-bat, Miranda took a 96 mph sinker 437 feet at 107.4 mph for his fifth home run on the season. Taking the Twins to a loud 2-0 lead. As Larnach Launches Come the fifth inning, the Twins continued to get to Marsh. It started with walks by both Willi Castro and Julien. Those walks would sure haunt. That haunting came to bear on the barrel of Trevor Larnach’s bat. Larnach took his turn, taking Marsh deep out, doing Miranda in both distance and exit velocity, and giving a dominant performance from Joe Ryan a 5-0 lead. The 6th inning was the first glimpse at Ryan looking human. With Maikel Garcia on base, Bobby Witt Jr. singled his way on for his second hit of the game and to put two runners on the basepaths. Witt was the one Royals batter to have significant success against Ryan, which makes sense as Witt is becoming one of those division rivals who is a long-term thorn in the Twins' side. He already boasts a .869 OPS in his young career when facing the Twins. Vinnie Pasquantino would put the finishing touches on a run-scoring opportunity by hitting a single and scoring Garcia. Ryan would keep the damage to just one run by striking out Salvador Perez to end the sixth inning. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know thats a promise we make good on. Ryan’s Overall Dominance Ryan was throwing some of his best stuff all Monday, holding off the Royals' offense and striking them out nine times. This included 15 swings and misses, which kept the visiting team's bats off balance. Outside of the one run scored, Ryan was only off-balance when he almost toppled over in the fifth inning. That is the sort of blunder that we can exchange for a performance like he had on Monday. After Monday’s outing, Ryan brought his season-long ERA below three to 2.96 in his 11 starts. He has also collected 73 strikeouts as he has been a bright spot in the Twins rotation. One blip on the Twins' radar Monday came to the bullpen. As the Twins extended their lead, an attempt was made to save some of the top arms later in the week. Cole Sands was unable to fulfill those duties. Instead, Jhoan Duran was called on to get the final out and the save. Duran and the defense behind him didn’t equal a sure thing. The Royals capitalized on a pair of infield hits and an errant throw from Castro to bring themselves within one run of the Twins. Thankfully, all of Twins Territory exhaled as Duran fielded a short grounder and flipped it to first for the final out. A game that should be remembered for Joe Ryan’s performance will also be remembered for a near meltdown. In the end, it counts the same in the win column. Wins are what the Twins need to continue to collect this week against the Royals. What’s Next? With the opportunity to win the first two games of an important series, the Twins will send Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound. The Royals will counter with Cole Ragans, who can be a tough lefty against any lineup. The Twins will look to keep their bats going like they were Monday afternoon. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Durán 0 15 8 0 15 38 Alcalá 0 0 0 38 0 38 Sands 0 0 22 0 16 38 Jax 0 10 0 0 13 23 Staumont 0 0 0 19 0 19 Thielbar 0 12 0 0 0 12 Okert 0 5 0 0 0 5 View full article

The Twins' woes continued Monday. Pablo Lopez's worst start of the season pushed the team's losing streak to seven, and the offense continues to struggle. Image courtesy of © Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Pablo Lopez: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (74 pitches, 55 strikes (74.3%) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (3) Bottom 3 WPA: Pablo Lopez (-0.297), Christian Vazquez (-0.061), Manuel Margot (-0.053) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) After being swept in two straight series against the Yankees and Guardians, the Twins enter Monday night desperately needing a win. With Pablo Lopez on the mound, it seemed the perfect time to get back on track as they opened up against the Washington Nationals. The Twins would strike first, but only with some missed opportunities blemishing the effort. In the second inning, following a Byron Buxton single, Willi Castro sent a double to left field. As Buxton was using his speed to get from first to third, it looked like he was beginning to slow down until getting what must have been a surprise wave home. That hesitation was enough to result in Buxton getting thrown out at home. Thankfully, on the next at-bat with Kyle Farmer at the plate, the Twins would bring Castro home to make it 1-0. For a team that has struggled to score runs in stretches, it is worth wondering what could have happened if Buxton had been full speed the whole way? Washington Brings the Bats On a night when the Twins missed an opportunity to get their offense going early, the Nationals got theirs rolling. In the second inning, the Nationals got on the board first with a two-run home run from Luis Garcia Jr. With another home run two innings later, Jesse Winker hit a solo shot to make it 3-1. It was the fifth inning when the Nationals extended their lead to 7-1. The inning was less explosive than others but showcased the Nationals putting runners on base and moving them around. The RBI producers were singles by Jacob Young, Joey Meneses, and Garcia Jr.. While Lopez produced five strikeouts against the Nationals offense, they found many different ways to put runs on the board against the Twins top starter. Mitchell Parker Flashes Nationals rookie Mitchell Parker started his seventh game of 2024. Coming into the matchup with the Twins, Parker had a 3.09 ERA, 129 ERA+, 2.0 BB/9, and a 7.0 K/9. The numbers have not painted Parker as a strikeout pitcher, but he looked like one against the Twins Monday night. That would have been normal last season, but this season, the Twins have been less prone to the strikeout, and they still fell victim seven times when facing Parker. The Twins, specifically Carlos Correa, were able to get to Parker late. After former Twin and National Denard Span called a Carlos Correa home run on a Parker breaking ball pre-game, Correa delivered in the sixth inning with a 2-run blast. The home run was the shortstop's third for the season. The Twins did leave runners on base in the sixth, which would have come back to haunt them if the game was closer. Thielbar Struggles Caleb Thielbar was the first arm out of the bullpen for the Twins. After allowing runs in appearance early to Thielbar’s start to the season, the left-hander had been getting the job done as of late. Monday night was not a continuation of that. Instead, he gave up three runs, three hits, and two walks. Some of the defensive plays around him did not help either. Namely, Vazquez made a throw down to third, which hit the runner Young in the back. This allowed Young to score, Eddie Rosario to head home, and eventually score, as the veteran catcher was not able to corral the throw home to attempt and apply a tag. Caleb Boushley Debut Caleb Boushley debuted for the Twins after getting the call after Jay Jackson was DFA’d. Boushley’s first inning went as smoothly as one could hope. The right-hander faced the minimum and collected a strikeout. The next inning got rocky. Boushley almost got out of the inning with another zero, but he couldn’t put Rosario away, resulting in the Nationals extending their lead to 12-3. What’s Next? With a seven-game losing streak, Joe Ryan will take the mound for the Twins to try and bring a stop to the bleeding. The Nationals will send veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin to the mound. We can fully expect Rocco Baldelli to counter with a right-handed heavy lineup to try and get the offense going early. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Funderburk 0 0 38 0 0 38 Boushley 0 0 0 0 31 31 Thielbar 9 0 0 0 21 30 Durán 0 10 0 14 0 24 Sands 18 0 0 0 0 18 Okert 6 11 0 0 0 17 Jax 0 9 0 0 0 9 Staumont 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

With the win streak at seven, the Twins grinded out a win to extend the string to eight. It took a Santana home run, Kepler RBI single, and big relief appearances from Jax and Thielbar to secure the win. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Joe Ryan: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (86 pitches, 59 strikes (68.6%) Home Runs: Carlos Santana (4) Top 3 WPA: Caleb Thielbar (0.164), Joe Ryan (0.164), Max Kepler (0.122) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Riding a seven-game win streak, the Minnesota Twins received good news as Carlos Correa was activated and started the game Monday. Of course, one player's good news often results in the opposite for someone else. That someone was Austin Martin, who was sent back to St. Paul to make room for Correa. The Twins faced off against Garret Crochet once again, whom they were only allowed to go 4.0 innings and scored five runs against back on April 24th. The Crochet that came out Monday didn’t look like that version of the left-hander. Instead, he looked much more like the version that opened the season. Included in Crochet's opening few starts were 7.0 IP, 1 ER, and 8 K’s against the dangerous Atlanta Braves. In a puzzling move, the White Sox did pull Crochet early. This was a welcome sight for Twins batters, as he pitched five innings and struck out seven. The White Sox offense also looked much different early in the game. Chicago has been struggling with fastballs and got to Joe Ryan’s fastball early and often. Nicky Lopez singled sharply up the middle, setting up an Andrew Vaugn RBI double. Before the end of the inning, Vaughn would score on a double-play ball that would put the Sox up early 2-0. Carlos Slamtana with Sausage Power That White Sox lead held just until the second inning. The Twins roared back as Manual Margot took a walk, setting the stage for Carlos Santana to hit his fourth home run in five days. And yes, the sausage made another appearance, flying out of the Twin's dugout into Santana's hands. Unlikely Stolen Base Duo The Twins were moving on the bases Monday evening. Willi Castro was the first to swipe a bag in the second inning. We are used to Castro swiping bags, but it is the next guy who we need to get used to being involved in the running part of the running game. Christian Vazquez also stole second on a close play in the seventh inning. That puts Castro and Vazquez in a four-way tie with Austin Martin and Kyle Farmer for the team stolen base lead at two. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. The Twins and White Sox would stay tied at two from the second inning until the ninth. It was then that two long-time outfield mates got the offense going again for the Twins. Byron Buxton finally got a hold of a ball and ripped it to left field for a double. Max Kepler followed him up with an RBI single to right field, which gave Buxton plenty of time to score and go up 3-2. On a night when it seemed Joe Ryan wasn’t at his best, he still gave the Twins a great outing. Only allowing two runs put his team in a position to win as long as the offense could do its job. Ryan also helped produce nine swings and misses against White Sox batters. The Twins could then work through their bullpen with Brock Stewart into Griffin Jax into Caleb Thielbar to close the win. Jax especially had to find a way through a tough inning and a tough stretch of the White Sox lineup and did so successfully. The Twins now own an eight-game win streak and are 8-0 against under .500 teams. It is one more successful step as the Twins climb back up the division ladder after their rough start. What’s Next? The newest fixture in the Twins rotation, Simeon Woods Richardson, will take his turn on Tuesday. Wood Richardson will look to put together a third strong start for his young season. The Twins will see Mike Soroka start again. He was strong against the Twins initially, but their bats eventually got him. Twins hitters would undoubtedly like to get to him earlier on Tuesday. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON 19 Sands 13 0 0 35 0 48 Okert 10 0 0 29 0 39 Funderburk 0 0 38 0 0 38 Jax 9 0 0 6 22 37 Bowman 0 35 0 0 0 35 Stewart 20 0 0 0 15 35 Jackson 0 0 29 0 0 29 Thielbar 13 7 0 0 0 20 View full article

The Minnesota Twins' left-handed bats came alive to start the game Monday, and Chris Paddack showed the White Sox who is in charge with a much-needed series-opening win. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Chris Paddack: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (96 pitches, 64 strikes (66.7%) Home Runs: Edouard Julien (5) Top 3 WPA: Max Kepler (0.219), Chris Paddack (0.209), Trevor Larnach (0.092) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The limping Twins welcomed in the 3-18 White Sox, who are struggling far more than the Twins are to begin the 2024 season. On Bark on the Park night at Target Field, the Twins wanted to leave the canines as the only ones taking trips to the doghouse. They managed it, in just the type of decisive fashion the team and the fans needed. Twins Strike First The Twins got rolling in the first inning with a two-out rally. The conflagration began with Trevor Larnach's excellent at-bat, which resulted in a walk. Ryan Jeffers followed with a solid single, which allowed Larnach to go first to third. On the throw to third base, Jeffers advanced to second. With runners on second and third, Max Kepler stepped up to the plate for the first time since landing on the injured list. Kepler put together his own “welcome back” party by driving a pitch with a 110.8 mph exit velocity for a two-RBI double. Larnach-Kepler Strike Again As the Twins hit in the third inning, the same part of the lineup helped put runs on the board. Edouard Julien got the action going with a single. Larnach came to the plate again and made an impact with the swing of his bat, hitting a double to score Julien from first. Kepler didn’t want to be outdone and again plated Larnach with a single. The struggling Willi Castro kept the scoring rolling, giving the baseball a ride to deep right-center for an RBI double. In the early going, the Twins put a crooked number on the scoreboard and increased their lead to 5-0. Twins left-handed hitters (traditional and switch) did well against White Sox starter Jonathan Gannon. Those lefties collected eight hits as a group. Max Kepler would finish his return to the lineup by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Law and Order On a night of great performances, Chris Paddack likely gets the award for “top dawg.” Monday night’s start will undoubtedly be marked as one of those great leaps forward in reestablishing himself after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Paddack starte the game masterfully, collecting two strikeouts in the first inning, and from there on, he looked to be efficient and in cruise control. There was a bit of a blip in the fourth, which has been a mark of Paddack’s good starts this season. The difference in this game is that the right-hander was able to shake free of that adversity. He pitched around some tough plays that Castro was unable to complete on defense. With the bases loaded and one out, an amazing Alex Kirilloff grab at first followed by a Paddack strikeout got the Twins out of the inning. Paddack ended the night with his longest start of the season, generating 16 swings and misses while also collecting ten strikeouts. The White Sox are a struggling group, but no matter who is on the other side, a performance like that is still something to celebrate. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know thats a promise we make good on. Henriquez Season Debut Getting the call-up on Monday, Ronny Henriquez got the opportunity to make his 2024 debut out of the bullpen. Henriquez would end up with a nearly flawless first inning. With a slightly more interesting ninth inning, the righty would finish the game for the Twins with a line of 2.0 IP, two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. What’s Next? Pablo Lopez will look to keep the Twins in the win column. On the other side, Erick Fedde will take the bump for the White Sox. Fedde’s overall numbers do not look as rough as his Baseball Savant page does. There is a lot of blue and the Twins should have a good opportunity to hit the ball hard again Tuesday. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon... Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Henríquez 0 0 0 0 47 47 Thielbar 0 17 0 22 0 39 Jax 0 21 12 0 0 33 Bowman 0 0 3 30 0 33 Sands 0 0 10 23 0 33 Jackson 0 0 0 32 0 32 Funderburk 0 2 22 0 0 24 Okert 0 0 17 0 0 17 Stewart 0 15 0 0 0 15 View full article

The Minnesota Twins faced one of the most exciting lineups in baseball Monday, and they saw just exactly why Baltimore is generating so much hype in a 7-4 loss. Image courtesy of © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Louie Varland: 5.0 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (94 pitches, 66 strikes (70.2%) Home Runs: José Miranda (1) Bottom 3 WPA: Louie Garland (-0.335), Christian Vázquez (-0.129), Kyle Farmer (-0.073) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Coming off a disappointing weekend in Detroit, the Twins hoped to turn things around as they opened a series against the Baltimore Orioles. The hope was that the pageantry of Jackie Robinson Day might have given the club a spark, but instead, all that magic seemed to go Baltimore’s way. Orioles Show Off Strong Lineup The Twins got an up-close look at last season's American League East champions and their multitude of good, and often young, hitters. Those bats wasted no time and got to the Twins in the first inning, as Jordan Westburg doubled and drove in Adley Rutschman and Ryan O’ Hearn. That truly was only the beginning of a good offensive showing for the Orioles. Five of the Orioles’ top six hitters had multi-hit games, with O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins, and Gunnar Henderson all hitting home runs. Miranda Providing Offense If there was any Minnesota magic, it would come in the form of Jose Miranda. With so much fire out of the lineup, this is Miranda’s opportunity to save his spot not just in the Twins lineup but possibly on the roster. Monday night it included some good steps in that direction. Coming into the evening, Miranda had only put together a line of .154/.267/.154 with a .421 OPS. Those numbers should see a bit of a jump after his performance on Monday. Miranda got it all started with a second-inning home run that trimmed the Orioles' lead to 2-1. After a Byron Buxton double, Miranda would also provide the second Twins run with an RBI single. Miranda would end the game with a three-hit night, going 3-for-4 with no strikeouts, two singles, and his home run. Jeffers Extends Hitting Streak While Miranda may have felt like a miracle, Ryan Jeffers remained the steady and reliable force in the Twins lineup. After the slow start, Jeffers took his game-hitting streak to six games. Extending the streak wasn’t just squeaked out. It was done with an exclamation and Jeffers' own three-hit game. The third hit was a two-RBI double that drove in Austin Martin and Edouard Julien. Bowman Debuts Matt Bowman made his Twins debut after being called up and kept on the roster, while Jorge Alcala was sent to the minors. The welcome was not kind, as Gunnar Henderson decided the best welcome was to take the right-hander deep for his fourth home run of the season. Bowman would settle down after the home run. While the end of his outing in the eighth inning did get a bit scary, Bowman would ultimately provide the Twins with three scoreless innings in relief. Now, we will await his fate as he likely will not be available for a bit after tossing 46 pitches. While the Twins were able to force the Orioles into a save situation, the game never truly felt that close. Varland may get the most of the attention after a bad start, but the bats continue to deserve a similar amount of credit for a game like this. What’s Next? Chris Paddack will look to get the Twins back in the win column while possibly earning his first win of the young season. The Twins will take on the Orioles’ young, promising starter, Grayson Rodriquez. The Twins will have their work ahead of them trying to deal with a pitch mix that includes a 96 mph fastball, an 84 mph changeup, and an 81 mph curveball. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Bowman 0 0 0 0 46 46 Funderburk 0 15 17 0 0 32 Jax 0 0 11 18 0 29 Stewart 0 0 19 10 0 29 Sands 0 0 28 0 0 28 Jackson 0 13 10 0 0 23 Okert 0 0 13 0 0 13 Thielbar 0 0 0 13 0 13 View full article

I would think we would see Julien move to 1B before Lewis.

I understand this reservation. I am pretty sure I penned/said/tweeted similar words about either Sano or Josh Donaldson or maybe both. Let's just hope I didn't deliver the KOD on this matter.

The Minnesota Twins have struggled to get a combination of stability and production from the left-side of their infield in recent history. The team seems to be on the verge of that with the duo of Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis both looking healthy headed into 2024. The lack of production produced from the shortstop position for the Twins pre-Carlos Correa has been well-documented over the years. Even though Correa stumbled through the 2023 season, he still has plenty of time to become not just one of-- but the best shortstop in Minnesota Twins history. Meanwhile, third base hasn’t been nearly as bad from a production standpoint. While many have produced for the Twins at third base, it has often been a new face year to year or every couple of years, which has made third base also a position lacking the combination of stability and production year to year going back as far as Corey Koskie. It seems that as of the middle of last season, Correa may have found lining up to his right the stability that the position needs in the form of Royce Lewis. Finally healthy, Lewis was able to play 58 games for the Twins last season while amassing a 2.4 WAR with a .921 OPS, 15 home runs (four of which were grand slams for a franchise record), and six stolen bases. While being proficient with the bat, Lewis has turned his shortstop skills into third base defense that continues to improve as he spends more time there. Lewis’ numbers drew national attention, and he has put his name alongside some of the greats in baseball. Paul Casella at MLB.com notes that Lewis joins eight other rookies in hitting .300 with at least 15 home runs and a 150 OPS+. Those eight being Yordan Alvarez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig, Mike Trout, Ryan Braun, Albert Pujols, and Mike Piazza. Next to Lewis is Correa, who, in a down year, still put together a 1.1 WAR season but is capable of much more like his 4.4 WAR his first season in Minnesota. Steamer has projected Correa at a 3.5 WAR and a .787 OPS. Something that would pair nicely with Lewis’ projected 3.7 WAR and .820 OPS. Of course, both players must avoid injuries, which hasn’t been easy for either while part of the Twins. If the two of them can spend more time on than off of the field, those projections put them in the conversation for one of the best offensive left sides of the infield in baseball. This is exciting news for Twins fans. With Correa already locked in long-term and reports of extension talk circling around Lewis, Minnesota could be preparing to watch a generationally great type duo—an exciting place even after a lackluster offseason. How excited are you for a Lewis-Correa left-side? When did you last feel this good about that part of the Twins infield? Join the conversation below! View full article

Former Minnesota Twin Mitch Garver just won the World Series with the Texas Rangers. Let's take a look back at how the move to trade him has aged since it happened a couple offseasons ago. Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports As the baseball world was treated to a Texas Rangers World Series championship, Minnesota Twins fans watched former Twin and fan favorite Mitch Garver perform well throughout the playoffs. His highlights included a golf-shot home run off of Merrill Kelly in Game 2 and an RBI single to break open the scoring in the title-clinching game. With the Rangers' incredible run fresh in mind, let’s take a trip back to examine the trade that landed Garver in Texas. The trade followed a 2021 season with the Twins where Garver had played in only 68 games but hit for an .875 OPS and 139 OPS+ in those limited plate appearances. That left the front office with a decision to make. Could they rely on the often-injured Garver, was it time to hand the reins to the rising Ryan Jeffers? Or, could they both share the catching load? With other needs to fill on the roster, the decision ultimately was made to trade Garver away. A deal with the Rangers materialized and resulted in Garver leaving with Ronny Henriquez and Isiah Kiner-Falefa coming to Minnesota. This trade will always be challenging to analyze on its own because it set off a string of moves, which included trading away Josh Donaldson and eventually signing Carlos Correa. The Immediate Move Based on the holes on the Twins roster at the time, it was understood that either Garver or Jeffers could be traded at some point in the 2021-2022 offseason. The return of Henriquez and Kiner-Falefa did feel light for what fans had hoped to see in a return for Garver. Kiner-Falefa was an example of the front office setting a floor at an empty position. His bat has never been that impactful, boasting a meager 84 and 78 OPS+ over the past two seasons. What IKF does provide is above-average defense across the infield and, most notably, at shortstop, which was a hole on the roster heading into the 2021-2022 offseason. There is still a chance that Henriquez will turn into a bullpen arm for the Twins. He came to the organization as a potential starter but, due to his struggle to stay healthy, has shifted primarily to the bullpen. While there is still a chance for Henriquez to impact the Twins roster, he will need to rise the ranks to meet the value of Garver when the two are placed side by side. The Long-Term Ripple Effects The positive of this move comes from the chain reaction it set off. The trade allowed the Twins to send out Josh Donaldson, his contract, and his negative clubhouse presence to the Yankees, who were keen on acquiring Kiner-Falefa. Donaldson’s absence opened up payroll space to bring in Carlos Correa for his initial deal, paving the way for this year's long-term contract. Garver has also seemingly had the judgment passed on him that between injuries and performance, others should be playing catcher over him. The Twins did pass on Garver in favor of Jeffers, and the Rangers chose Jonah Heim and trade deadline acquisition Austin Hedges behind the plate. While they were two of the three best defensive catchers in the game, according to Baseball Savant, it is still worth noting that the Rangers saw a need to acquire Hedges when Garver was in the locker room. Even as just a right-handed bat, Garver could have helped the Twins, especially considering his .938 OPS against left-handed pitchers in 2023. The only issue would be roster space and playing time. The Twins are currently seeing a roster crunch when all players are available at designated hitter (and corner positions if he was willing to play first base), and Garver would only add to that crunch. In the end, the initial deal looked like a short-sighted one. Thankfully for the Twins and us as fans, the Yankees were desperate to grab IKF and created all those other moves. Moves that, in ways, laid the groundwork for 2023 and beyond. Now, Garver will hit the free agent market, and we will see if everyone views him simply as a designated hitter or if someone will give him a chance to catch again. How did watching Garver win a championship with another team sit with you? How do you feel about the trade a couple of years later? Let us know below! View full article

After a long road back from Tommy John surgery, Chris Paddack steadied the Twins in Game 4 against the Houston Astros. Will he be able to provide a similar presence for the rotation in 2024? Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports In the early days of the 2023 season, during spring training at the Minnesota Twins complex in Fort Myers, Florida, a 6’5” figure could be seen walking. Walking with a weighted vest on. Around the parking area and on the field pregame. Walking and certainly itching to be ready to throw once again. That figure was Twins pitcher Chris Paddack. At that point, Paddack was still recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. Certainly, he wanted to nail his recovery so that he would not be taken out of action for a similar time frame again. To be able to spend 2024 Spring Training ramping up his workload to get ready to start for the Twins instead of reaching for that glimmer of hope that he might be able to do something at the end of the season as his 2023 went. For Paddack and the Twins, that slice of being able to compete was realized at the end of this season but came into a larger view during the playoffs. Paddack prepared himself and delivered when the Twins needed him to. No time bigger than in Game 4 against the Houston Astros, unfortunately, a game that we now know would ultimately eliminate the Twins from World Series contention. Paddack entered the game in the fourth inning where just two batters previously Jose Abreu took Caleb Thielbar deep to break the 1-1 tie. Now facing a 3-1 deficit, Paddack came on to face Chas McCormick and try to steady the ship. After giving up a single to McCormick, Paddack was able to calm what must have felt like a Titantic-sized ship. Paddack would finish out the fourth and go three up, three down in both the fifth and the sixth innings, which included striking out in order Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker. At a quick glance, it was a mere 29 pitches of 2 1/3 innings, but those pitches were very valuable in keeping the Twins in the game and not allowing the Astros to cause more damage. On a night when so much would go wrong, Paddack went right. At the same time, others like Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien would give glimpses of hope for the offense in 2024. Paddack can give that same sort of hope for the pitching staff. We, as fans, must remember that we are a season removed from Paddack being a piece of the Taylor Rogers trade. If healthy, he certainly could have changed our opinion of that trade significantly based on his start to 2022. Chris Paddack only made five starts, but those five starts left an impact on a struggling starting staff. His five starts fell slightly shy of accounting for a full win above replacement at 0.9 fWAR. A fWAR total that would lead the team in that metric well beyond him being injured and shut down. His actual ERA may at first seem like it could be more impressive at 4.03 but out of qualified starters would have been top-30. Paddack's expected ERA of 3.10 certainly jumps off the page and is something to be optimistic about. Not to mention, if the Twins can find something to boost Paddack’s performance, we could see a bit more from him. As a reliever, he saw an over 14 K/9 after putting up a 8.1 K/9 in 2022 and a 8.2 K/9 in 2021 as a starter. Even some marginal improvements for a now healthy Paddack could help the Twins round out a rotation looking at the strong possibility of losing one of their leaders in Sonny Gray. Of course, every team is chasing that sort of improvement from middle or back-of-rotation starters. As Twins fans, we are believers after seeing what happened when Lopez added a sweeper into his repertoire. Can the Twins catch lightning in a bottle a second time? Only time will tell. What we do know is that reportedly Derek Falvey was optimistic postgame. How do you feel about Paddack’s performance and future? Is it enough to cover for a rotation without Gray if he signs a deal elsewhere, or do the Twins need to continue and explore another addition? View full article