Nick Nelson

If Major League Baseball is going to have any kind of season in 2020, it needs to be a novelty exhibition. Trying to put anything meaningful on the record makes no sense and is likely infeasible. This is a hard truth, but one we sadly must come to grips with it.Staring down the incomprehensible collective profit loss that a cancelled season would entail, MLB and its Players Association have been hard at work trying to hammer out a salvage scenario. The latest reported example would call for a radical realignment of league structure, based on spring training site geography, and would have Minnesota playing in a "Grapefruit League South" division with Tampa, Atlanta, Boston, and Baltimore. The sheer logistical hurdles of making something like this happen, in a way that ensures player and public safety, are monumental. Stephanie Apstein's recent writeup for Sports Illustrated, Bursting the Bubble: Why Sports Aren't Coming Back Soon, spells it all out in sobering terms. She spoke with top scientific experts and arrived at a grim conclusion. The bottom line: Many of these ideas sound good in theory, but when you really think through the litany of practical implications, it's almost impossible to envision any of them working. From my view, the only way for something to actually materialize, as currently discussed, would be a broad public movement toward laxening protective measures. Or, for extreme exceptions to be made specifically for Major League Baseball. Given the economic and financial factors at play, neither of these things is out of the question. Personally, I don't see it. But let's say one of them gives. Or, a plan is architected that covers every contingency, and gains approval from public health authorities and all parties involved. One really must ask themself: If manufacturing a season requires warping the league's very fabric, and forcing players to perform (with future earnings on the line!) under these incredibly awkward circumstances, while unavoidably creating public safety concerns ... is it really worthwhile? Some fans will say, sure. I get it, and I've certainly had my own internal debates. I'm as desperate for the return of baseball as anyone, I assure you. But then I start thinking about the actual act of watching games played in empty spring training stadiums, against faux division rivals, in a condensed and warped season schedule. Players hitting home runs and silently rounding the bases, before returning to the plate where they're unable to high-five in celebration. I think about the notion of these results – and whatever champion is crowned – having legitimacy in the historical record of the game. Not just that, but many players having their careers completely altered and upended by the process. To date, there has been one major-league game played before a completely empty stadium. It was in Baltimore on April 29th, 2015, amidst a tumultuous time for the city. Earlier that month, Freddie Gray died while under police detainment, sparking riots and unrest that consumed all security and police resources required to run a traditional pro sporting event. Dan Hayes, the current Twins beat writer for The Athletic who covered the visiting White Sox back then, tweeted the other day: "I was at that game as a reporter. It was awkward. Players will not want to play in that environment. You hear everything." While the current situation is obviously very different in nature, this reflective quote from former Sox outfielder Adam Eaton (via Chicago Tribune) about participating in the game rings now with a very acute relevance: "There was a lot of weight on your heart because of what was going on in the city ... I guarantee everybody in this clubhouse at the time and over there was like, 'We have to play this game, but at the same time, there are bigger struggles going on, and baseball is not the biggest focus.' … It was a very, very weird feeling." It's true that MLB now has the advantage of being able to plan and build for this type of setup, but clearly there are "very, very weird" dynamics in place as a global health crisis ravages the world and death counts escalate. I'm sure many people reading this disagree on fundamental premise – either because the prevailing science and projections regarding COVID-19 are overblown, or because the need to return to a societal norm outweighs the unchecked impact of the virus. I'm not saying either of those viewpoints is wrong. I don't know. Plenty of major-leaguers, eager to get back to playing and earning paychecks, lean that way, no doubt. But not all of them do. And more pertinently, not all are keen on uprooting their lives, separating from their families, and subjecting their career legacies to this strange scenario in the name of making more money. Many of the game's biggest stars (and consequentially its most financially secure) are in that group, I'd wager. Without the stars, it doesn't work. In fact, without virtually EVERYONE, it doesn't work. And that's where the practicality eludes me. Anyone participating would need to to opt in; this isn't like a typical MLBPA decision where members must follow the will of consensus and leadership. There are explicit dangers and substantive sacrifices involved. What happens when (not if) the first player – like, say, Brewers starter Brett Anderson, who tweeted "It begins and ends right here" of the clause that requires indefinite separation from families – takes a hardline stance? Dominoes will fall. In a recent article for ESPN, reporters asked a wide variety of players around the league for their input on these proposals, and to a man, nearly everyone expressed strong skepticism if not blatant opposition. A few samplings: "When I think about being isolated for four to five months without being able to see my family, I don't think that would go through at all, personally.""Honestly, my reaction would be I'm not OK with being separated from my family in the middle of a pandemic.""You get into these certain scenarios just to play, and then at the end of the day, is it worth it?""Are you gonna put people at risk just so you can be kings of the sports world for a couple of months?""It just seems like a lot of stuff. I mean, I love the game, but you're changing it too much. Everyone is trying to make money.""I think it's an absurd proposal. If that's literally what it's going to take to start the season, then I don't see how it's happening."It seems clear that portrayals of robust union support for the avenues being discussed are overstated, as affirmed by one union source in a story on NBC News, who said, "We listened. But the idea that we had embraced that plan is totally inaccurate." Perhaps universal participation is not required to proceed with one of these proposals, but again, the idea of playing meaningful games with missing pieces becomes highly problematic. Is it really an MLB season if there's no Mike Trout? What if one team has a disproportionate number of players withdraw? How is it fair to them or their fans to weigh these results and outcomes as legitimate? Taking everything into account, I'll close by circling back to my introductory contention, which hopefully offers a glimmer of optimism: "If Major League Baseball is going to have any kind of season in 2020, it needs to be a novelty exhibition." While I see no path to conducting a season of record, the Florida/Arizona sideshow ideas become far more plausible if we treat them like a World Baseball Classic style exhibition tournament. Players can individually opt in (and maybe almost all of them will!), but with the understanding that this unique season, and their performances within, will not be imprinted in Major League Baseball's rich historical tapestry. The lessened need to adhere to the sport's stringent procedures, along with fewer participants reducing the scale, makes such a proposition far more viable in my eyes. Still a stretch, for the reasons covered in Apstein's piece for SI, but more viable. If you ask me, that's now where we should be setting our sights as hopeful fans, yearning for baseball's beautiful distraction. I take zero pleasure in saying so, but the notion of a 2020 MLB season worthy of adding to the official record is already off the table. Click here to view the article

The more they talk about warping the very fabric of the league to try and manufacture a season, the more I wonder if a season's worth having at all

I'm almost positive Romero has a fourth option. No one's giving up on Duran as a starter. He was simply mentioned as one of the only arms in the system with a feasible chance of replacing what Graterol brought.

Last year when I previewed this unit, a lack of proven depth was the overarching story. Today, we'll be unpacking a 180-degree turnaround. The emergence of Minnesota's bullpen as a top-tier group was one of the 2019 season's most astonishing, and promising, developments.Projected Bullpen: Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Tyler Clippard, Sergio Romo, Zach Littell, Matt Wisler, Cody Stashak Depth: Fernando Romero, Sean Poppen, Danny Coulombe, Ryan Garton, Blaine Hardy, Cory Gearrin, Caleb Thielbar Prospects: Edwar Colina, Dakota Chalmers, Jake Reed THE GOOD September 14th was perhaps the most memorable day of the 2019 season. On this date, the Twins swept a doubleheader in Cleveland, effectively putting the division on ice. While Miguel Sano's splashy grand slam dominated the highlight reels, there's no question who was the star of this show: Minnesota's blossoming bullpen. The games were "started" by Devin Smeltzer and Lewis Thorpe, and featured a total of nine different pitchers deployed by Rocco Baldelli. Smeltzer and Thorpe combined with Zack Littell, Tyler Duffey, Sergio Romo, Taylor Rogers, Cody Stashak, Brusdar Graterol and Trevor May to hold Cleveland to five runs on 13 hits in 18 innings. The seven pitchers who appeared as relievers totaled 14 strikeouts and zero walks. This immaculate collective performance epitomized the bullpen's brilliant second half. Even with top deadline addition Sam Dyson completely fizzling, the Twins relief corps ranked third among MLB teams in fWAR after July 31st, trailing only the Yankees and Rays. While the closer Rogers continued to excel, he was surrounded by strong performers, with May, Duffey, Romo, and Littell all contributing in major ways. Meanwhile, Stashak and Graterol joined the fray as impact rookies. Graterol won't return, but everyone else will, along with waiver gamble Matt Wisler and free agent acquisition Tyler Clippard, whose reverse splits make him the weapon Baldelli needs against southpaws. Minnesota is about seven-deep with quality big-league relievers, and that's before you account for long-relief options such as Thorpe and Smeltzer, or ready-to-go reinforcements such as Sean Poppen and Fernando Romero. Even with the inherent volatility of MLB bullpens, and the inevitability of at least a few injuries, this relief unit is poised to be one of the American League's finest. THE BAD Graterol is a big loss. While he was the least established among this entire crop, he undoubtedly offered the most upside, which was set to be unleashed after the team's acknowledgement he was slated for a relief role in 2020. The Twins bolstered their rotation by trading the young flamethrower for Kenta Maeda, but there's a clear trade-off in bullpen caliber. By no means were the Twins counting on Graterol to be an essential fixture in this year's bullpen, but that was the beauty of his presence: a total bonus and a wild-card, with serious "ace in the hole" potential in this season and many to come. It may not be felt as strongly since we were only beginning to acclimate ourselves to the idea of him as a long-term relief pitcher, but make no mistake: Graterol's absence creates a spacious void in the bullpen's outlook going forward. The Twins will have to hope a rebounding Romero or an emerging Jhoan Duran can fill it in some way. Ultimately, the most evident weakness in Minnesota's bullpen is a lack of established track records beyond Rogers. As good as May, Duffey, and Littell were last year, none had a substantive history of MLB relief success prior. Wisler is still searching for his first above-average season in the majors. Signing Clippard and Romo helps in this regard, of course, but they are middle relief types. The Twins are counting heavily on May and Duffey to repeat their dominant performances from 2019. There's no specific reason to think either one won't but... relievers are relievers. THE BOTTOM LINE Bullpen is undoubtedly a differentiating asset for the Twins heading into 2020, as they've retained all the top performers in a unit that progressively emerged last year as one of the league's best and deepest. Rogers ranks among the position's elite, and is surrounded by a couple setup men who could easily join the closer in this distinction. Reliable options abound for Baldelli, who shouldn't find himself running short on trusted relievers barring an abundance of injuries and setbacks. Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2020 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Center Field Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Right Field Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Designated Hitter Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Starting Pitcher MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Option 3: Press "Like This" on this comment if you want us to call up Fernando Romero and his big heater for the MLB bullpen.

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment if you want us to call up Brent Rooker from Triple-A, so his potent and MLB-ready bat can factor into the big-league team's fortunes.

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment if you want us to move Jordan Balazovic into the rotation with hopes of jumpstarting his game, and providing some stability in the fifth spot.

With 40 games in the books, we're almost exactly one-fourth of the way through our interactive simulated 2020 Twins season. Let's zoom out to take a look at how everyone's performing, and where we can improve as we try to chase down the world-beating Cleveland Indians in the standings.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 5/11/20 Team Record: 23-17 Leading OPS: Miguel Sano (1.023 in 127 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Kenta Maeda (2.54 in 49.2 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Taylor Rogers (1.47 in 18.1 IP) LATEST RESULTS Gm 31 @ LAD: W 6-2 (Donaldson HR, 3 RBI) Gm 32 @ LAA: W 5-2 (Maeda 8 IP, 0 ER, W) Gm 33 @ LAA: W 8-1 (Bailey 6.1 IP, 1 ER, W) Gm 34 @ LAA: L 6-5 (Dobnak 2.2 IP, 4 ER) Gm 35 vs SF: W 8-7 (Kepler 4-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI) Gm 36 vs SF: W 2-1 (Odorizzi 8 IP, 1 ER) Gm 37 vs SF: L 4-2 (Cruz 4-for-4, HR) Gm 38 vs KC: L 15-2 (Bailey 2.2 IP, 6 ER) Gm 39 vs KC: L 9-4 (Dobnak 4.2 IP, 8 R, 4 ER) Gm 40 vs KC: W 4-3 (Berrios 7 IP, 2 ER, W) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings51120.jpeg THE RUNDOWN Last time, commenters overwhelmingly voted for Randy Dobnak as the choice to replace Rich Hill as fifth starter, so we made it happen. Runner-up Devin Smeltzer was called up to fill Dobnak's long relief role in the bullpen. To his credit, Hill took the news of being DFA'ed quite well. After passing through waivers, he in fact accepted an assignment to the minors. At 40, the man is keeping his dream alive and you've gotta respect it. Should he turn things around in Rochester, he could factor as a late-inning reinforcement for the rotation. With about 25% of our season in the books, we're six games above .500 but still trailing the Indians by 5 1/2 in the Central. Cleveland's solid play since an 11-0 start to the season is keeping them well ahead of the pack with MLB's best record (30-13). On our end, the most noteworthy storyline is our team's impeccable run of good health; we've not used the Injured List once through six weeks. Personally, I credit the manager's routine of steady rest and careful pitcher workload management. But that's just me. At this milestone juncture of the season, it felt fitting to give everyone a big-picture view of how the roster's faring. Here the numbers so far for our starting lineup: Max Kepler, RF: 161 PA, .317/.379/.510, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 32 RJosh Donaldson, 3B: 181 PA, .294/.376/.550, 12 HR, 30 RBI, 27 RNelson Cruz, DH: 169 PA, .322/.391/.530, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 18 REddie Rosario, LF: 157 PA, .290/.325/.510, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 22 RMiguel Sano, 1B: 153 PA, .315/.425/.598, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 18 RJorge Polanco, SS: 156 PA, .274/.372/.407, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 19 RMitch Garver: C: 118 PA, .263/.398/.453, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 15 RLuis Arraez, 2B: 133 PA, .307/.406/.500, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 22 RByron Buxton, CF: 134 PA, .193/.260/.235, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 11 RAnd the bench...Marwin Gonzalez, UTIL: 87 PA, .269/.345/.487, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 10 RAlex Avila, C: 60 PA, .269/.367/.596, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 RWillians Astudillo, C: 47 PA, .256/.304/.279, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 5 RJimmy Kerrigan, OF: 25 PA, .130/.200/.217, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 RHere are the numbers for our rotation, including the newly added Dobnak...Jose Berrios: 52.2 IP, 4-3, 4.61 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 37-to-22 K/BBJake Odorizzi: 53.2 IP, 4-3, 2.68 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 54-to-15 K/BBKenta Maeda: 49.2 IP, 5-0, 2.54 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 48-to-29 K/BBHomer Bailey: 40.0 IP, 4-1, 4.95 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 33-to-17 K/BBRandy Dobnak: 23.2 IP, 1-1, 4.18 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 10-to-11 K/BBAnd the bullpen, listed basically in order of the leverage hierarchy I've been using...Taylor Rogers: 18.1 IP, 1.47 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 16-to-3 K/BB, 10/11 SVTyler Duffey: 17.0 IP, 2.12 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 20-to-9 K/BBTrevor May: 16.1 IP, 3.31 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 20-to-8 K/BBTyler Clippard: 17.0 IP, 2.12 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 13-to-10 K/BBSergio Romo: 14.1 IP, 4.40 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 13-to-3 K/BBZack Littell: 14.0 IP, 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 9-to-4 K/BBJordan Balazovic: 19.1 IP, 8.84 ERA, 2.17 WHIP, 18-to-7 K/BBDevin Smeltzer: 5.1 IP, 8.44 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1-to-5 K/BBI'll share a few general notes and thoughts, then we'll dissect some decisions that lie ahead of us as we look to gear up for key stretches in the schedule. Much like last year, offensive dominance has come in a holistic fashion. Everyone in the lineup (save Buxton) has been very good, and the team ranks second in the majors in runs scored (213), but no individual player's been out-of-this world. As such, the Twins aren't leading All-Star voting at any position position. (Miguel Sano and Max Kepler have the third-most votes at first base and right field.) May Day? More like Maeda Day. On May 1st, I ran into my most controversial decision of the season. Kenta Maeda was through eight innings against the Angels with zero hits allowed. He had, however, issued six walks and run up a fairly high pitch count, with this stamina teetering on the brink of depletion. Rather than strain our best starter in pursuit of the no-hitter, I turned to the bullpen with a 5-0 lead. Zack Littell gave up a couple runs before Taylor Rogers came in for a cheapy one-out save. Maeda's been a steady force atop the rotation with his 5-0 record and 2.54 ERA. (If you're curious, Brusdar Graterol has a 7.33 ERA in the rotation for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate.) My favorite game of this set: Maeda's no-no flirtation was a fun one, of course, but four days later we came out on top of an 11-inning thriller against the Giants with a Target Field walk-off. A game log snapshot of the ending is below, and I'm presenting it mainly just to pat myself on the back for a great pinch-running decision. (Kepler was on the bench due to a planned rest day.) Download attachment: gamewinnerlog.jpeg Dobnak's transition to the rotation has been rocky. His first start came in Anaheim against the Angels, and things didn't go well. A first-inning homer by Mike Trout set the tone in a tough outing that lasted only 2 2/3 frames, with the Halos scoring four times on six hits and a walk. Zero strikeouts. Dobnak's next turn at home against the Royals didn't go swimmingly either (4.2 IP, 8 R, 4 ER), although a costly Marwin Gonzalez error hurt him, as evidenced by half of the runs charged against him being unearned. Dobnak has allowed eight earned runs in 7 1/3 innings as a starter after allowing three in 16 1/3 innings as a long reliever. Incredible performances in the American League. It won't likely come as a surprise that the league-pacing Indians have two familiar contenders in the MVP race – Jose Ramirez has a 1.168 OPS and Francisco Lindor is scantly behind him at 1.055. But the talk of the league through early May, without question, is Boston's J.D. Martinez, who is unconscionably slashing .363/.414/.819 with 19 home runs and 46 RBIs through 39 games. Those totals put him on pace to finish with 77 homers and 186 RBIs. Martinez is either gonna cool down at some point or re-write the modern record books. The two Martinezes and Lindor have their teams (Cleveland and Boston) in first place, with the two best records in the AL. How can our Twins get to this level? Time for some tweaking. DECISION TIME: HOW CAN WE GET BETTER? We've been playing pretty well, but need to keep pushing hard in order to close the gap against Cleveland. While there are no glaring needs necessarily demanding our immediate attention, I see a few different opportunities to proactively shake things up and address some trouble spots. I'm gonna let you guys choose where we take action. Here are three ideas. Option #1: Move Jordan Balazovic into the starting rotation This probably seems counterintuitive and perhaps even moronic on the surface. Balazovic is struggling as a long reliever in the bullpen, with a ghastly 8.84 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings. However, I will submit he's pitched than the numbers show. He has a higher overall rating (74) than Dobnak (73) or Homer Bailey (73). And here's the thing, that rating could theoretically be a lot higher. MLB The Show 20's Franchise Mode has a player morale system, which actually has a meaningful impact on outcomes. The idea is that if a player is unhappy, he'll play worse. Balazovic has the lowest morale on the team, and it's dragging down his overall rating by a whopping five points, from 79 to 74. This is partially because he's getting crushed, and partially because he's not in his desired role. Download attachment: balavovicmorale.jpeg What if we give him a shot in the rotation and see if it gets things moving in the right direction? Production could hardly be worse than we've received from Hill or Dobnak in that spot, and Balazovic offers more achievable upside than anyone else in this mix. I'll admit, though, it's a hasty plug-pull on Dobnak. Option #2: Call up Brent Rooker to replace Jimmy Kerrigan Kerrigan's a reasonably functional bench piece, but he hasn't been any kind of difference-maker in a month seeing being called up. If we want to swap him out, we could aim a little higher. In 25 games at Rochester, Rooker is hitting .282/.384/.565 with a team-leading six home runs for the Red Wings. Download attachment: rochesterleaders.jpeg My thinking is that we can rotate Rooker through left field semi-frequently, with Rosario going to right and Kepler to center. Buxton still hasn't been able to get anything going at the plate, so a reduction in playing time is as warranted as the opportunity for Rooker. Option #3: Call up Fernando Romero for the bullpen Remember him? He's pitching well through 12 appearances (one start) at Triple-A, with a 3.45 ERA and 29-to-8 K/BB ratio through 28 2/3 innings. His high stamina rating (75) would make him a nice fit as replacement for Devin Smeltzer, who's been a complete mess since joining the big-league bullpen (5 BB, 1 K in 5.1 IP). Download attachment: romeroprofile.jpeg Decisions loom large, with a series in Cleveland coming up on the next road trip and no off days in the next two weeks. What should we do? Sound off in the comments to voice your preference. Feel free to vote multiple times on this one if you're so inclined, since they're non-exclusive. COMING UP 5/11: @ DET 5/12: @ DET 5/13: @ DET 5/14: @ DET 5/15: @ CLE 5/16: @ CLE 5/17: @ CLE 5/18: vs BAL 5/19: vs BAL 5/20: vs BAL PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Hmm, that's strange. Here's what you should see if you're logged in on desktop: I don't know that it shows up on the mobile version, which is an unfortunate bug. But for anyone who doesn't see the "Like This" button, feel free to submit your choice as a comment and it'll be counted equally!

Poor Chacin. Is anyone even gonna give him a pity vote?

OOTP is highly recommended for those seeking a more realistic simulation experience! That aspect kinda went out the window for us here when we signed Jordan Balazovic as a free agent before the season started haha

The game doesn't account for his rehab and delayed start, so he was available out of the gates. Although, in light of his performance, maybe they were accounting for it? If he was pitching with an only partially healed UCL then I feel a bit bad about my decision... but I stand by it.

Option 3: Press "Like This" on this comment if you want us to replace Rich Hill as fifth starter with Jhoulys Chacin, who's been merely okay at Triple-A but has a 69 rating.

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment if you want us to replace Rich Hill as fifth starter with Devin Smeltzer, who's 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA at Triple-A.

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment if you want us to replace Rich Hill as fifth starter with Randy Dobnak, who's rocking a 1.65 ERA as a long reliever for the Twins.

My friends, the time has come to pull the plug on a veteran starter in our rotation. This is a decision I must make unilaterally out of pure exasperation, but if you're willing, I will enlist your help in selecting a replacement. The latest update on our interactive 2020 Twins season, now reaching the end of April, lies ahead.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 4/29/20 Team Record: 17-13 Leading OPS: Josh Donaldson (1.003 in 123 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Jake Odorizzi (2.95 in 35.2 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Zack Littell (0.00 in 11.0 IP) RESULTS Gm 21 vs DET: L 9-4 (Berrios 1.1 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 22 vs DET: L 4-3 (Donaldson 3-for-5, HR) Gm 23 vs SEA: W 6-5 (Maeda 7 IP, 2 ER, W) Gm 24 vs SEA: W 6-1 (Arraez 3-for-4, 2 R) Gm 25 vs SEA: L 7-6 (Garver 2 HR, 5 RBI) Gm 26 vs SEA: W 6-0 (Berrios CG SO) Gm 27 vs BOS: L 2-0 (Odorizzi 7.1 IP, 1 ER, L) Gm 28 vs BOS: W 8-1 (Donaldson 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) Gm 29 vs BOS: W 9-5 (Cruz GS) Gm 30 vs LAD: W 5-3 (Berrios 7 IP, 3 ER) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings42920.jpeg THE RUNDOWN I gotta say, I'm a little surprised. And maybe a little disappointed? In our last edition, I proposed a change on the bench as we looked to replace Ehire Adrianza's redundant presence with a speedy outfield backup. The options were to sign a free agent (Rajai Davis being the favorite), or promote an internal option from Triple-A. And by more than a 3-to-1 margin, you guys picked... internal promotion. Typical cheap Pohlads. In all seriousness, I applaud the very rational decision. We promoted Jimmy Kerrigan, who seemed the best fit as a righty-swinging outfielder with good speed. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut on the day he was called up, filling in for a scuffling Byron Buxton in center and finishing 1-for-4 as the No. 9 hitter in a 9-4 loss to Detroit. Kerrigan – who becomes the first Twin since Augie Ojeda in 2004 to sport No. 4 on his uniform – will continue to serve as a late-inning bench option, and very sporadic starter. Download attachment: kerriganprofile.jpeg Our last 10 games brought a winning record, with plenty of ups and downs. Jose Berrios started the slate off with a thud, coughing up five earned runs before we had to give him the hook with one out in the second. For whatever reason, our rotation-fronter just seemed off. In his 1 1/3 innings, he allowed five hits and a walk without a strikeout. Luckily, Berrios would bounce back in a big way five days later, tossing a complete game shutout against the Mariners to seal a 3-1 series victory. The righty actually made three starts in these 10 games, adding seven innings of three-run ball against Los Angeles in the final contest we simmed. That's because I made the executive decision to skip Rich Hill's latest start. We'll get to that later. Through 30 games, the Twins are 17-13, still chasing the Cleveland Indians and their sizable division lead, which is buoyed by an 11-0 start to the season. When I next check in, we'll be about one-quarter of the way through the season, so at that point I'll give you all a full statistical breakdown across the roster. But for now, here are the notable performers. WHO'S HOT Josh Donaldson is officially going ham. He leads the Twins in home runs with 11, well ahead of second-place Miguel Sano (7). Among AL hitters, only J.D. Martinez (15) and Eloy Jimenez (13) have more long balls. Donaldson is slashing .309/.393/.610 with 24 walks and 16 strikeouts in 140 PA. The newly signed slugger is a standout, but basically the entire offense is scorching. Nelson Cruz is slashing .304/.380/.500 with a team-leading 25 RBIs. Miguel Sano is mashing to the tune of .314/.408/.569 with seven homers and 23 RBIs. Leadoff man Max Kepler is rocking a .933 OPS, and his 25 runs scored rank second to only Francisco Lindor (28) in the AL. Luis Arraez is batting .310 with an even 11-to-11 K/BB ratio, which probably doesn't surprise anyone, but how about this: he already has four homers in 87 at-bats, and is slugging .529. Juiced ball? Who needs it? In the rotation, Berrios's overall numbers (4.69 ERA, 1.49 WHIP in 40.1 IP) have suffered from a of couple clunkers, but he has five quality starts in seven turns. Meanwhile, Jake Odorizzi has looked every bit an ace, turning in a 2.95 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 42-to-9 K/BB ratio in 39 2/3 IP. Kenta Maeda joins him as a sturdy fixture, with a shiny 4-0 record to go along with his 3.03 ERA in 35 2/3 IP. Taylor Rogers is leading the bullpen with a 1.13 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 16-to-3 K/BB ratio through 16 frames. He's 7-for-8 on save chances. Zack Littell still hasn't allowed a run through 11 innings. Tyler Clippard (1.64 ERA) and Tyler Duffey (2.25) are getting 'er done as well. WHO'S NOT Byron Buxton, sadly, continues to struggle immensely. Through 106 PAs, he's slashing .183/.260/.237 with zero homers, five RBIs, and nine runs scored. The production looks especially bad when compared to his peers in the Minnesota lineup, but it's lackluster from any angle. On the bright side, I've chosen to take an aggressive approach with his 99-rated speed on the bases, where his nine steals (on 12 attempts) lead the American League. While the bullpen's mostly been good, two key late-inning cogs have had their issues. Trevor May (5.23 ERA and 1.94 WHIP in 10.1 IP) has been plagued by control issues, with six walks to go along with his 12 Ks. Meanwhile, Sergio Romo's control has been impeccable (7-to-0 K/BB in 10 IP) but he's been haunted by the long ball, with four homers allowed and a 5.23 ERA. And then there is Rich Hill. As you may recall, I put his removal from the rotation up for vote after 10 games, because his first two starts were so brutally bad. In responsible fashion, you all shot down that notion overwhelmingly, opting to show patience with the reputed southpaw. Sure enough, he showed a bit of improvement over the following couples starts. But in his latest turn... the wheels came off entirely. Hill's fifth start opened up like this: hit, home run, hit, error, home run. With five runs and zero outs on the board, I had no chance but to yank him and make it a bullpen game. This egregiously poor performance ballooned his ERA to 9.78 and his WHIP to 1.97, with eight homers allowed in 19 1/3 innings. What's really frustrating is that the offense came to play in this game – led by Mitch Garver homering twice and driving in five – to nearly pull out a victory, but we lost 7-6 in 10 innings. With any kind of competent effort from the starting pitcher, we probably win that game and sweep Seattle. Hill's sixth start was scheduled to open the Los Angeles Dodgers series, which most recently got underway, but I couldn't bear the thought of sending Hill into Chavez Ravine to face his stacked former team. Since the series followed on off day, I skipped Hill's start and turned the rotation over instead. And I'm sorry to say, but that's it for Hill. Can't do it anymore. As a 40-year-old on a one-year deal, and with several viable replacement options available, I just can't see a compelling reason to hang on anymore. DECISION TIME: WHO SHOULD REPLACE RICH HILL AS FIFTH STARTER? My first instinct would be to say let's give top prospect Jordan Balazovic, who's been working in a long relief role out of the bullpen, a shot to find some traction in the MLB rotation at age 21, cuz that'd be fun. He actually does have the highest overall rating (74) of anyone we'll discuss here. But his performance (7.31 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in 16 innings) doesn't remotely justify a promotion. So we'll consider three worthy options, and y'all can vote for your preferred choice in the comments. Candidate #1: Randy Dobnak, RHP While he and Balazovic are both operating as long relievers out of our bullpen, Dobnak's been the higher-leverage option, and he has been absolutely tremendous. The 25-year-old has picked up right where he left off in 2019, posting a 1.65 ERA through 16 1/3 innings. However, that shiny number does conspicuously come attached to a 7-to-8 K/BB ratio and 4.53 FIP. Download attachment: dobnakprofile.jpeg Candidate #2: Devin Smeltzer, LHP Smeltzer would've been pitching alongside Dobnak in the MLB bullpen, but got bumped to Triple-A before Opening Day when we decided to sign Balazovic (who was oddly available in free agency). The left-hander has been Rochester's ace, with a 3-0 record, 2.86 ERA and 19-to-4 K/BB ratio through 22 innings in four starts. Download attachment: smeltzerprofile.jpeg Candidate #3: Jhoulys Chacin, RHP His case isn't especially great on the surface, as he's 0-3 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.65 WHIP at Triple-A. But the argument for him is this: he's an established veteran who's mostly been effective (ERA was 2.25 before he gave up 4 ER in 4 IP in his last start), he has a higher overall rating than Smeltzer (69 vs. 68), and his stamina rating is significantly superior to Dobnak (75 vs. 66) so he'd likely put less burden on the bullpen. Download attachment: chacinprofile.jpeg Scroll down to the comments and make your pick! COMING UP 4/29: @ LAD 5/1: @ LAA 5/2: @ LAA 5/3: @ LAA 5/4: vs. SF 5/5: vs. SF 5/6: vs. SF PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Twins are loaded on offense and in the bullpen. These are clear areas of strength. The rotation stands out as a pivotal factor in determining whether this is a division-winning team or a championship-caliber team. So let's dissect this unit from front to back.Projected Rotation: Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Kenta Maeda, Homer Bailey, Jhoulys Chacin Depth: Michael Pineda, Rich Hill, Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer, Lewis Thorpe Prospects: Jordan Balazovic, Jhoan Duran, Blayne Enlow THE GOOD The Twins will be at least three-deep with upper-tier starters out of the gates. Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi were All-Stars last year and both ranked among MLB's top 20 starting pitchers in fWAR. Kenta Maeda has a track record as one of the game's premium strikeout pitchers, and was a longtime cog for the always-dominant Dodgers. These are thoroughbreds, and Minnesota's sophisticated coaching infrastructure increases the likelihood of optimal output. As much as folks want to treat last year's rotation as a crippling weak point that doomed the Twins in October, their starters were collectively respectable in 2019. They ranked seventh among MLB teams in fWAR, 11th in ERA, and eighth in FIP. Those numbers were dragged down significantly by Martin Perez and his 4.99 ERA in 29 starts. He's gone, and it's tough to imagine any replacement coming close to his level of ineffectiveness. Kyle Gibson too was a liability down the stretch, diminished by his physical ailment, and he also has moved on. Tentatively slated to replace them in the back half of the rotation are veteran free agent signings Homer Bailey and Jhoulys Chacin. Each one brings a certain element of intrigue: Bailey made major strides late last year with a weaponized splitter, and Chacin has a better career ERA+ than Berrios, Odorizzi and Maeda. That said, the Twins are not beholden to either back-end option, least of all Chacin with his non-guaranteed contract. There are plenty of capable arms vying to take their places, not counting the eventual arrivals of front-end talents in Michael Pineda and Rich Hill. Randy Dobnak pitched exceedingly well as a rookie during the stretch run last year, and made a start in the playoffs. Devin Smeltzer posted a 3.86 ERA over 49 innings, looking very much up to the task as a fill-in. Lewis Thorpe offers the most upside of the three and flashed big strikeout stuff during a bumpy debut. Then you've got top prospects Jordan Balazovic and Jhoan Duran, who are both nearing the point of a potential call-up. I can't ever remember a time where the Twins were this deep on quality options. Even back in the glory days, when boasting one of the league's top overall rotations led by Johan Santana, Minnesota always seemed to have blatant weakness on the back end, with a lack of high-caliber reinforcements to step in. Obviously nothing is guaranteed with the likes of Bailey, or Chacin, or the various mostly-untested minor leaguers, but there are a lot of quality options in this mix, providing the Twins with plentiful contingencies in the inevitability of health and performance setbacks. THE BAD The Twins might now have more depth than those classic Santana-led rotations, but they what they don't have is a Santana. Minnesota has won two of its 21 postseason contests dating back to 2003, and both of those games were started by Johan, underscoring the vital importance of a shutdown No. 1 starter. It's not clear the Twins have one. It's also not clear they don't; Berrios and Odorizzi both bordered on that designation in 2019, and neither has turned 30 yet. Maeda has frequently been dominant on the big stage, and has qualities that put him into the potential ace discussion. Hill has put up stellar numbers when on the mound. Berrios in particular is interesting. He's still only 25. He and the team are fully focused on making the transition from excellent to elite, which would require a sturdier second half. One wonders how a shortened season might affect a pitcher who owned a 2.80 ERA through the end of July last year. But, unless and until such a fortuitous development takes place, the Twins are plainly lacking a prototypical ace to match their contending counterparts in New York and Houston. This may not greatly hinder them in their goal of winning the division, but it's certainly a hurdle for getting over the hump in October (November, December... what have you). THE BOTTOM LINE The Twins have put themselves in very good position with starting pitching. They brought back key pieces from last year's group by re-signing Odorizzi and Pineda, added veteran depth with Bailey and Chacin, placed an exciting wild card in the deck with Hill, and found their impact pitching in the form of Maeda. This plan might not live up to the hopes of those who clamored for the acquisition of a clear-cut No. 1 via trade or free agency, but such assets are in short supply, and Minnesota's front office did a helluva job improvising. This is the deepest Twins starting pitching corps I can ever remember, complete with legitimate upside and high-caliber reinforcements. It's well crafted to support an elite offense and propel the team where it needs to go – especially if the rotation's burden is lessened by a robust bullpen that carries much of the load. ~~~ Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2020 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Center Field Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Right Field Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Designated Hitter MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Couldn't agree more. Don't even get me started on EA Sports destroying the NFL 2K franchise and leaving us with crappy Madden as our only football VG option. Sore subject haha

I run through them in "Quick Manage" mode, which basically means every AB is simmed but I control substitutions and bullpen moves. It seems to give us fairly reasonable results, and takes my (lack of) skills out of the equation. Yeah, I've seen some funky glitches in the gameplay itself. But for the most part I think Sony does a nice job with the game.

I've been thinking on an easy way to present them. Could just take screenshots of the stat screens in the game but they turn out so fuzzy and hard to read. Perhaps for the next edition I'll just take the time to get them all typed out, since it'll be a good 1/5th of the season checkpoint at ~30 games in the book.