Nick Nelson

Ha, I mean it's a fair point but how many pitchers are you comfortable cutting from this roster, especially when it's for stopgap veterans? Kent, sure. Adams maybe? I doubt they'll eat the money to cut Topa.

They might nominally be viewed as starters for now, but I believe the team realistically views both their futures being in the bullpen. They've openly hinted as much re: Prielipp. Big part of it is that in 8 combined pro seasons, neither has cracked 85 innings pitched.

It's a question of roster math. Their 40-man is full and they're gonna need to make room for every new addition. I have a hard time seeing them carrying all of Hendriks, Chafin and Altavilla out of camp, especially if they're also needing to make room for Arcia on the position-player side. As for Laweryson, he's in the depth picture but the fact they cut him last year after he pitched pretty well in a late-season audition sort of says it all to me.

He'll make the team and he'll be pitching in the ninth inning. I can almost guarantee that at this point.

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images According to FanGraphs, the Rays are projected to have the third-best bullpen in baseball, with Griffin Jax as their best reliever. The Phillies are projected to have the fourth-best bullpen, with Jhoan Durán as their best reliever. The Blue Jays are projected to have the 12th-best bullpen, with Louie Varland as their second-best reliever. The Twins, meanwhile, will be looking to replace all that lost impact with a bullpen that's generously projected to finish 20th in fWAR, a 19-spot drop from last year. Holdover Cole Sands will be surrounded by a group of aging, over-the-hill vets and fringe or young arms looking to turn a corner. In all likelihood, it won't be pretty, especially in the early going. TWINS RELIEF PITCHERS AT A GLANCE Projected Bullpen: Cole Sands, Taylor Rogers, Justin Topa, Liam Hendriks, Andrew Chafin, Eric Orze, Anthony Banda, Zak Kent Depth: Kody Funderburk, David Festa, John Klein, Travis Adams, Dan Altavilla, Grant Hartwig, Matt Bowman Prospects: Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, Kendry Rojas, Ryan Gallagher, James Ellwanger Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 7th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 20th out of 30 THE GOOD There are some real track records of success here. Twins fans know how good Taylor Rogers was during his glory days in Minnesota, and how good Liam Hendriks was after he left. Andrew Chafin has a 3.35 ERA over a 12-year MLB career. Anthony Banda, Justin Topa and Eric Orze have all posted sub-four ERAs in the majors over the past couple seasons. A casual follower of baseball might look at this list of names and conclude that it's actually a pretty good bullpen — certainly a very accomplished one. The Twins are hoping the depth of experience and "been there, done that" factor will pay dividends, especially under the leadership of a new bullpen coach who embodies those qualities in LaTroy Hawkins. Much of this unit's outlook hinges on Hendriks. He's a complete wild-card, with fewer than 20 innings pitched over the past three seasons while dealing with myriad health issues. From 2019 through 2022 he was one of the very best and most dominant relief pitchers in baseball. It seems unlikely he'll recapture that form now at age 37, but the Twins would take anything in the realm. It would be a stretch to say Hendriks has been blowing people away or generating massive enthusiasm in spring training, but with his fastball reaching the mid-90s, he's shown enough to instill belief that he's not cooked. Sands, when at his best in 2024, looked a little bit like Hendriks of yore, pairing an overpowering arsenal with excellent control to log a 3.28 ERA and 2.63 FIP in 71 ⅓ innings. If both of those two can stay healthy and perform at a reasonably high level, it will make a huge difference for a bullpen whose most apparent shortcoming is a lack of impact righties in the late innings following the departures of Durán, Jax and Varland. One area where the Twins do seem relatively well equipped is the left-handed side. Minnesota's Opening Day bullpen is likely to feature three southpaws and maybe even four. Rogers, Chafin and Banda check a lot of boxes in terms of results and experience, including in high-leverage situations. Banda ranked second on the Dodgers in Win Probability Added last year, with a 96 MPH fastball and wipeout slider that held opponents to a .223 wOBA. Rogers and Chafin have seen their velocity and stuff degrade over time, but you wouldn't really know it from their numbers. These are crafty vets who can get people out, especially left-handed hitters. THE BAD There's a reason Rogers, Hendriks and Chafin were available late in the offseason on minor-league contracts or very cheap MLB deals. There's also a reason Orze was acquired in a low-wattage trade, and Banda and Zak Kent were essentially waiver claims. These are not in-demand pitchers. They are not viewed around the league as likely to make substantial positive impacts. Those are just the undeniable facts. Everyone's aware of what these guys have done in the past. When you look beyond ERAs, you start to see why, because the outlook gets a lot less favorable. Rogers had a 3.38 ERA last year but a less impressive 4.38 FIP, thanks to issuing 23 walks in 50 innings and posting the highest HR rate of his career at 34. Chafin, Banda and Orze also have had their own share of control issues that threaten to derail solid top-line performance. This year's Twins bullpen mix features only one reliever projected by FanGraphs to post a WAR above 0.4 (Sands). Last year saw seven relievers post a WAR higher than 0.4 for the Twins bullpen, including five who spent only two-thirds of the season as part of it. You might look at this and think, "Wow, despite all that, the Twins bullpen is projected to be only the 11th-worst in baseball?!" And yeah, it does say a lot about how many teams are struggling to find confident stability on the relief pitching front. Which underscores what a risk that Minnesota's front office took last year in trading away three who've proven themselves to the degree of Durán, Jax and Varland. The Twins are hoping that they can eventually develop similar bullpen stalwarts out of an emerging slate of arms that includes Kody Funderburk, David Festa, Connor Prieilipp, Marco Raya, John Klein, Kendry Rojas, Ryan Gallagher and James Ellwanger. It's definitely not hard to envision some legit late-inning arms coming out of that group, in time. But figuring it all out is a nonlinear, trial-and-error process that requires exercising patience and enduring pain. The odds of this bullpen being even average in the first half of the 2026 are extremely slim, which will have major implications on the team's ability to remain competitive and avoid another deadline sell-off. THE BOTTOM LINE This is clearly not a good bullpen. From my view, it's likely to be quite terrible, whereas sources like FanGraphs project it merely as below average. Either way, a clear strength was flipped into a clear weakness through Minnesota's actions at the deadline last year. These actions were designed to benefit the long-term outlook, and evaluating them through that lens will take time. But there's little doubt that the short-term outlook for the bullpen is severely worsened. The Twins felt the effect in August and September of last year, and they'll continue to feel them this year unless several overlooked vets can score rare victories against Father Time. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Center Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Right Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Designated Hitter Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Starting Pitcher View full article

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Their vaunted rotation-fronting trio was to be foundational for Minnesota's hopes of fielding an unlikely contender this year. When Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober are healthy and on their games, it's hard to discount this team. Unfortunately, López went down with a season-ending elbow injury on the first day of spring training. Ryan and Ober were slow to get going in the first half of camp, and both have question marks attached to them entering their second-to-last seasons under team control. It's unclear which version of Ober we're going to get this year, and whether Ryan will still be a Twin after the deadline. These factors increase the urgency for the next wave of pitching talent to firmly establish itself in the major leagues. It is going to be the central storyline of this season, with major implications for the team's ability to compete in 2026 and contend for a championship down the road. TWINS STARTING PITCHERS AT A GLANCE Projected Rotation: Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel Depth: Zebby Matthews, Andrew Morris, David Festa Prospects: Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, Dasan Hill, Charlee Soto, Riley Quick Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 16th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 14th out of 30 THE GOOD The Twins have invested heavily in turning their pitching pipeline into a strength. They used high draft picks on Connor Prielipp, Dasan Hill, Charlee Soto and Riley Quick. They targeted Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel and Kendry Rojas in high-profile deadline trades. Several of those pitchers on the verge of joining the MLB rotation mix, if not on already in it. Others are rising fast through the minors and garnering acclaim. It's an exciting group. Woods Richardson has proven himself as at least a solid big-league starter, and his strong finish last year hinted at more to unlock. Bradley undoubtedly has more to unlock as a former top prospect who hasn't quite pulled it all together, but is still only 24. Rojas and Abel have commanded attention with their performances in camp, and the latter is angling for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. Abel is competing for that spot against Zebby Matthews, who was conversely not acquired via any ambitious investment, but rather through savvy drafting and development. He's gone from eighth-round draft pick to potentially entrenching himself in the major-league rotation if he can stay healthy and find consistency. Much like Bradley, Rojas and Abel, Matthews has frontline-caliber stuff and that's plain to see. Same goes for David Festa, who will hopefully be able to rebound from a shoulder setback and contribute. This deep assortment of promising arms could give the Twins a big advantage when facing lesser fourth and fifth starters for other clubs. The top of the rotation took a major hit with the loss of López, but in such a scenario, few teams could turn to an alternative No. 1 starter as good as Ryan. He's coming off an All-Star season at age 29. This year, only 11 AL starters are projected for a higher fWAR than Ryan's 3.1. The right-hander was slowed out of the gates in camp by a minor back tweak, but threw three innings in his spring debut last week and went four in a crisp outing on Monday. Minnesota projects as a middle-of-the-pack team for starting pitching. If some of these young starters and post-hype prospects take real steps forward, they can easily finish a lot higher. The front office is counting on just that. THE BAD In a recent survey, MLB coaches and executives were asked to name the best teams at pitching acquisition and development. The Twins received only four votes, ranking near the bottom. That's not what we were hoping for after seven years of Derek Falvey's leadership. For all the talk of his pitching specialization, and all the success stories we've seen sort of start to materialize, not that many panned out under Falvey. Injuries have ravaged the pitching pipeline. Guys like Matthews and Festa, who rose to prominence as prospects, have stalled out in their entry to the majors. And the Twins are taking on several more similarly intriguing but unfinished projects that other orgs more or less gave up on in Bradley, Abel and Rojas. Jeremy Zoll now leads baseball ops for the Twins, but otherwise the faces are mostly the same. Pete Maki survived a coaching shakeup and still runs the pitching staff. These guys need to buck the trend and turn some young arms into actual difference-makers in the MLB rotation. Past successes are already starting to fade from the picture. López will be coming back from Tommy John surgery in his final season under contract. Ryan seems somewhat unlikely to make it past this trade deadline as a Twin. And Ober saw a dramatic drop-off last year due to a velocity loss that shows no sign of being resolved. No doubt these emerging arms entering the fold can be good. They just haven't been good yet. Bradley has a 4.86 career ERA, including 6.61 with the Twins last year. Able has a 6.23 career ERA (8.36 with Twins). Matthews and Festa haven't turned the corner, with ERAs over five. Rojas has yet to find success in Triple-A. At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. THE BOTTOM LINE This is going to be a transitional year for the Twins rotation. The younger starters have a chance to stake their claims and position this unit for a bright future, but they need to stay healthy and turn promise into results. Up until now, none have really been able to do it on the big-league stage. I don't want to say "now or never" for them because they've all got time left to figure things out, but if several don't do it now, the Twins will never have a chance in 2026. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Center Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Right Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Designated Hitter View full article

I meant top long-term contingency if Lee gets injured or just isn't cutting it at all performance-wise, not if he needs a day off here and there.

Thank you! Hill actually was mentioned among the big-velo arms: "Prielipp, Hill and Rojas throw harder than almost any left-handed pitchers in Twins history." It's an exciting time in that regard. (Side note: I said "almost" because I didn't do the full research and didn't want to make firm statements, but it opens a question: who is the hardest throwing LHP in Twins history? Will all three of these guys surpass that benchmark if they reach the majors?)

Image courtesy of William Parmeter Youth. Prospects. The future. Some years, these are the only places to focus if you want to feel hopeful and positive about your favorite team. For Twins fans, it looks like this is going to be one of those years. Fortunately, the current state of Minnesota's farm system gives plenty of cause for enthusiasm and optimism. Read on for a rundown of our rankings plus analysis of how the Twins compare to the rest of the league, and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Twins Top 20 Prospects of 2026 Click on the player's name to read our full profile. Walker Jenkins, OF: If he shakes the injury bug, his path to becoming an MLB All-Star is plain to see. Kaelen Culpepper, SS: Broke through in first full minors season, now stands as heir apparent at short. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF: Boom-or-bust profile is easy to dream on, with rare power/patience blend. Eduardo Tait, C: Standout hitting tool, legit defense make him MN's best catching prospect since Mauer. Connor Prielipp, LHP: Finally healthy last year, he made a convincing case as the system's best arm. Dasan Hill, LHP: Oozing top-of-rotation potential after fanning 83 over 62 IP in first season out of HS. Gabriel Gonzalez, OF: Line-drive machine batted .329 across three levels in breakout 2025 campaign. Kendry Rojas, LHP: Lanky southpaw has drawn attention in camp, flashing impressive FB/SL combo. Marek Houston, SS: Defensive wiz will play in MLB based on glove alone, with star potential if he hits. Charlee Soto, RHP: Boasting some of the org's best stuff and looking to rebound from arm injury. Riley Quick, RHP: Reaches the upper-90s from a 6-foot-6 frame, could rise fast if he stays healthy. Andrew Morris, RHP: Polished strike-thrower who provides immediate depth for the MLB rotation. Brandon Winokur, SS/CF: A big man with big power potential and exceptional athleticism for his size. Quentin Young, SS: Similar traits to Winokur. The question for both: will they make enough contact? Marco Raya, RHP: Hoping to weaponize his high-powered sweeper following conversion to bullpen. Hendry Mendez, OF: Controls the zone well and offers upside if he can start elevating the ball more. Kyle DeBarge, 2B/SS/CF: Speedster struggled in the second half at Cedar Rapids, but stole 55 bases. C.J. Culpepper, RHP: Continues to get results, but must show he can stay healthy and throw strikes. Khadim Diaw, C/CF: Disciplined hitter with an intriguing defensive profile, looking to add some pop. James Ellwanger, RHP: Hard-throwing college draftee has strikeout stuff, could be fast-tracked as RP. POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN Catchers: 2 Infielders: 4 Outfielders: 5 Right-handed Pitchers: 6 Left-handed Pitchers: 3 ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIMELINES 2026: Jenkins, K. Culpepper, Rodriguez, Prielipp, Gonzalez, Morris, Raya 2027: Rojas, Mendez, C.J. Culpepper 2028: Tait, Houston, Soto, Quick, Winokur, DeBarge, Diaw, Ellwanger 2029: Hill, Young LEAGUEWIDE SYSTEM RANKINGS ESPN: 8 out of 30 Baseball Prospectus: 8 out of 30 MLB Pipeline: 9 out of 30 FanGraphs: 12 out of 30 Baseball America: 12 out of 30 The Athletic: 21 out of 30 STRENGTHS The Twins are generally viewed as having an above-average, but not quite top-tier, farm system relative to the rest of the league. In sizing up their overall mix of talent, a few strengths stand out. Near-ready impact: At least six of the top 10 have a reasonable chance to debut in the majors this season, including all of the top three (Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, Emmanuel Rodriguez). Left-handed pitching: There was a long stretch where the Twins had zero left-handed pitchers among their top prospect. How things have changed. Our top three pitching prospects are all southpaws, with Connor Prielipp, Dasan Hill and Kendry Rojas all landing in the top 10. Raw athleticism and strength: Brandon Winokur and Quentin Young are huge physical specimens with really impressive tools. Riley Quick was a highly recruited four-star offensive lineman before attending Alabama and getting drafted as a pitcher by the Twins. There's a lot of volatility and bust potential with such player types, but it's fun to see the Twins taking big swings. Big-velo arms: Quick is one of several pitchers in the Twins system who can throw really hard. Charlee Soto and James Ellwanger are also guys who light up the radar. Prielipp, Hill and Rojas throw harder than almost any left-handed pitchers in Twins history. The question is whether all these velo demons can stay healthy. WEAKNESSES You might notice that, among the farm system rankings from various publications above, The Athletic is a clear outlier. Whereas ESPN, BP, BA, FanGraphs and Pipeline all have the Twins somewhere between eighth and 12th out of MLB teams, Keith Law has them all the way down at 21. His reasoning is pretty straightforward, and tough to deny: health. For all the great talent the Twins have boasted in their system over the years, so much of it has failed to actualize in the majors due to a constant onslaught of injury woes. Unfortunately, that shows no real signs of changing. Jenkins has been hurt frequently since being drafted, and is sidelined this spring by a hamstring strain. Rodriguez has also been oft-injured, totaling only 112 games over the past two seasons. Prielipp has undergone multiple elbow surgeries; he's 25 years old with only less than 115 professional innings logged. We're still in the top five! It's not like the Twins organization has some inherent curse, and much of this is just bad luck, subject to change with the winds of fortune. But there are certain developmental philosophies that might lead to higher likelihood of injury, especially on the pitching side. It's the trade-off for targeting hard throwers or drafting mid-rounders and boosting their velocity. The reality is that we've yet to see any of these guys make it to the big leagues healthy. David Festa and Zebby Matthews have dealt with shoulder issues since graduating. KEEP TRACK OF TWINS PROSPECTS ALL YEAR This series and recap only serve as a snapshot of the Twins' system heading into the season. As the action gets going and players start to move in the rankings, you can follow along through the summer with our Twins Top Prospect Tracker, which is updated frequently. View full article

True story. I just never know how it's gonna go asking a 31-year-old with 1,000 games in the majors to go to Triple-A. Sometimes they prefer to just try their luck overseas. But being the top SS contingency behind Brooks Lee, and his history of back/performance issues, is seemingly a pretty favorable spot.

The tricky thing for Arcia is the roster math since he's an NRI. If we assume fellow NRIs Hendriks and Chafin are making the bullpen, that'd mean three spots need to be opened up on the 40-man. Not impossible but not easy or painless. Another thing is that Arcia is mad slow, even slower than Lee. Personally I think he needed to come into camp and wow them to win a spot, not sure he's done that so far. If they are able to stash him at Triple-A that'd be nice, I'm unsure of his opt-out situation.

Wallner's having a great spring. I feel confident in him. Lewis definitely concerning. The at-bats are bringing back memories of last year, when he seemed to be hunting for homers way too aggressively. His numbers: 30 PA, 3 H (2 HR), 1 BB

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Spring training stats don't matter, but usage trends do, especially at this stage of the game. We're now only 11 days from the season opener in Baltimore. The Twins roster has been whittled down and Derek Shelton is increasingly obligated to operate with — to borrow a word he likes — intentionality. This is no longer just about getting guys their reps and experimenting. As Opening Day approaches, players needs to start acclimating to their planned roles, and final decisions need to be informed. So it's worthwhile to keep a close eye on lineup construction and pitcher deployment, which we track in this space. Last week we checked in who's been playing where in the first half of camp. Here's an update seven days later with a few quick notes on what stands out. Total starts are listed next to each player, with their number of starts in the past week (Monday through Sunday) listed in parentheses. Catcher Ryan Jeffers: 10x (3x) Victor Caratini: 7x (2x) Alex Jackson: 6x (2x) Noah Cardenas: 1x No surprises here. The top three catchers are splitting reps evenly. But the Twins aren't really breaking in anyone as a third-string catcher for the event that Jackson doesn't make it through waivers. Cardenas, who's presumed to fill that role, has seen plenty of action as a sub. First Base Josh Bell: 10x (2x) Eric Wagaman: 6x (2x) Kody Clemens: 4x (2x) Victor Caratini: 3x (1x) Aaron Sabato: 1x The balanced usage here reinforces my belief that first base will be heavily rotated. I don't expect Wagaman to make the Opening Day roster, but would guess he'll see plenty of action there over the course of the season. Second Base Luke Keaschall: 9x (3x) Kody Clemens: 7x
 Tristan Gray: 4x (2x) Orlando Arcia: 3x (2x) Kaelen Culpepper: 1x I mentioned last week that I was surprised to see Clemens getting so many spring starts at second base (and so few at first). Since then he's made two starts at first and zero at second. Third Base Royce Lewis: 9x (4x) Gio Urshela: 5x Ryan Kreidler: 3x (2x) Tristan Gray: 3x (1x) Eric Wagaman: 2x Orlando Arcia: 1x Jake Rucker: 1x The injury scare that got Lewis scratched from the lineup a couple weeks ago now appears to be completely in the rear-view, which is good news. He's been starting at his set position as consistently as anyone else of late. Still no appearances at third base for Clemens, even as a sub. Shortstop Brooks Lee: 13x (4x) Orlando Arcia: 5x (1x) Tristan Gray: 3x (1x) Ryan Kreidler: 3x (1x) Lee leads the team in starts at a single spot this spring with 13 at short, as the Twins continue to evaluate his three backup options. This position has perhaps the worst starter and the worst depth on the roster. Left Field Austin Martin: 7x (1x) Trevor Larnach: 6x (1x) Luke Keaschall: 3x (2x) Alan Roden: 2x Emmanuel Rodriguez: 2x James Outman: 2x (2x) Eric Wagaman: 1x (1x) Gabriel Gonzalez: 1x Keaschall getting two more starts in left field was the most eye-catching development in camp over the past week. It's starting to look less like a novelty and more like something the Twins could actually implement at times (although he hasn't looked the sharpest out there). If Keaschall, Martin, Larnach, and Outman or Roden are all options in left field, the Twins will have plenty of matchup flexibility. Note that Larnach was originally scheduled to play left field on Sunday against the Red Sox, but was scratched shortly before game time with left side soreness, so that will be something to keep an eye on. If he has to start on the injured list, the door is flung wide open for Roden, who continues to produce this spring. Center Field James Outman: 6x (1x) Byron Buxton: 4x Austin Martin: 5x (3x) Alan Roden: 5x (2x) Ryan Kreidler: 2x (1x) Walker Jenkins: 1x Emmanuel Rodriguez: 1x The candidates to back up Buxton have all been getting plenty of looks while he's away at the World Baseball Classic. Among that trio, Outman is the truest center fielder, but the Twins are taking every opportunity to evaluate the viability of Martin and Roden, who got five of seven starts. Right Field Matt Wallner: 10x (3x) Alan Roden: 6x (2x) Trevor Larnach: 4x (2x) James Outman: 2x Ryan Kreidler: 1x Gabriel Gonzalez: 1x I continue to believe that Wallner will be the starter in right field almost every day. Unlike left, the Twins aren't really setting up platooning possibilities at the position, with lefty hitters starting 23 of 25 games, including all seven last week. One related note: On Sunday, Martin made (I believe) his first spring appearance in right field, sliding over in the middle innings after starting in left. Designated Hitter Bell: 5x (3x) Wallner: 3x (1x) Larnach: 3x (1x) Urshela: 3x (1x) Lewis: 2x (1x) Buxton: 2x Caratini: 1x Jeffers: 1x Keaschall: 1x Rodriguez: 1x Gonzalez: 1x Mendez: 1x About what you'd expect: the three clear bat-first players on the roster getting a majority of DH time. If Larnach misses time that could shake things up here. The Pitching Carousel As we march toward Opening Day, it becomes increasingly interesting to follow the pitching usage. Who's starting, in what order, and how are they mapping toward the first series of the season? On the relief side, who is entering in the early part of games? Generally, you expect the pitchers who are going to be in more significant roles to be the first ones in — you're never guaranteed to face high-end competition in spring training, especially at home, but you're far more likely to throw against legit MLB hitters if you're coming in for the fifth or sixth versus the eighth or ninth. Here's how the starters lined up over the past seven days, along with the first and second relievers to enter (not including the stock arms who enter to finish the last inning for a starter): Monday – Zebby Matthews (Liam Hendriks, Andrew Morris) Tuesday – Joe Ryan (Cole Sands, Zak Kent) Wednesday – Taj Bradley (Taylor Rogers, Andrew Chafin) Thursday – Bailey Ober (Hendriks, Sands) Friday – Mick Abel (Kent, Cody Laweryson) Saturday – Simeon Woods Richardson (Rogers, Hendriks) Sunday – Zebby Matthews (Eric Orze, Matt Bowman) Here are a few observations based on what I'm seeing above. Take them with a grain of salt because observations and extrapolations is all they are. Joe Ryan should be in line to start on Opening Day. He made his first official spring start on Tuesday and threw 48 pitches over three innings. From there it sounded like his next appearance might come for Team USA in a potential WBC championship game this coming Tuesday, but this plan has been nixed. With Ryan staying in camp, my assumption is that he'll start Monday against the Pirates (75 pitches?), then again on Saturday against the Rays (90?), setting him up pitch in Baltimore on March 26th with a standard four days' rest. Simeon Woods Richardson could do it too, though. Woods Richardson pushed all the way to 79 pitches in his latest start on Saturday, so he's ahead of Ryan in terms of build-up. And if the Twins were following a standard five-man starting cycle from here forward (one game on, four games off), Woods Richardson's turn would be up on Opening Day. I bet he's the backup plan if Ryan can't go for any reason. Liam Hendriks and Taylor Rogers poised to split closer duties? If you look at earlier spring game usage as an indicator of expected role leverage, then Hendriks and Rogers are tracking toward claiming late-inning spots, alongside Cole Sands, who we know is going to be the de facto fireman. One might surmise that Hendriks and Rogers will be the go-to ninth-inning options depending on matchups. This is more or less what I would've expected — both offer a great deal of closing experience, if not a ton of upside at this stage of their careers. Zak Kent trending toward a bullpen role. The Twins are trying to get a look at their latest reliever acquisition against reasonably decent competition. Claimed off waivers on February 26th to fill the 40-man spot vacated by Pablo López, Kent has been getting some valuable opportunities and making the most of them. He was the second reliever in on Tuesday and the first in on Friday. In 4 ⅔ innings across four total appearances, he has allowed two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. I have to imagine Kent is either going to make the roster or be DFA'ed to make room for a Hendriks or Andrew Chafin, so it makes sense the Twins are giving him some real chances to show what he's got. Time for back-to-backs. Unless I'm mistaken, we still haven't seen a reliever pitch on back-to-back days yet. It's a key aspect of spring ramp-up, and is especially important for someone like Hendriks who needs to prove himself physically coming off an injury-ravaged stretch. Keep an eye on that in the coming week. Anything catching your eye in terms of usage trends and decision-making as we march into the latter portion of camp? Sound off in the comments and let us know where you'll be focusing in the final full week of spring training. View full article

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Jerome Miron-Imagn Images On Tuesday, Joe Ryan made his spring debut, tossing three innings against the Rays, and on paper it was a successful start: no runs allowed on just a pair of hits. A deeper look shows that his stuff in the outing was middling, as reflected by zero strikeouts and just three swings-and-misses (all with the splitter) on 48 pitches. Was it the most encouraging day for a guy who didn't pitch in the first half of camp due to an injury scare, after posting a 4.67 ERA in the second half last year? No, but it's also not that worrisome. Ryan was shaking off the rust, like any other pitcher in his first spring exposure to live competition. Given his lack of a typical build-up, it was good to see him reach nearly 50 pitches. Ryan is apparently feeling good enough to join Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and potentially pitch in the championship game next Tuesday. It would be cool to see Ryan take the mound in such a high-stakes, high-profile spring setting. I've been enjoying the hell out of watching Byron Buxton take part in the WBC. But I also must admit the Twins fan in me feels a little uneasy about Ryan's unorthodox ramp-up this spring, in which he's coming off a lackluster 2025 finish and his back has already barked at him. I'm sure he's been building up on the side, but what we've seen officially from Ryan this spring is one three-inning appearance, with his stuff playing down. Now he's going to travel and possibly take the mound in a high-intensity environment where he'll surely be going full-bore. Ryan is a vital asset for the Twins, whether as the rotation leader on a surprisingly relevant team, or a trade chip leveraged to bolster the rebuild. Having him participate in the WBC feels to me like playing with fire. That said, it's a lot less concerning than what we've seen from Bailey Ober. Last year, Ober posted a career-worst 5.10 ERA while lamenting his physical impairment and out-of-whack mechanics. He spent the offseason trying to get fully healthy and iron things out. But as soon as he got to camp, Ober expressed frustration that his progress wasn't carrying over. The Twins held him out of games for some time before he finally made his first Grapefruit League start last Friday, finally showcasing under the lights and in front of the radar guns. Like Ryan, Ober posted good results in his spring debut, holding the Braves scoreless in two frames. But here the underlying signs were more troubling: he averaged under 90 MPH with his fastball, down even from last year's reduced benchmark. Ober started again yesterday, and the velocity was down even further, with his fastball averaging 88.8 MPH and only once clocking in the 90s. Ober insists that he's feeling much better than last year, so that's a plus. Spring training velocities can sometimes be overblown, but in Ober's case the fixation is understandable, especially given that he has a history of doing the opposite: showing up in camp with extra ticks of velo, prompting us to dream on what the 6-foot-9 right-hander would be capable of with a peristent mid-90s heater. The idea of Ober trying to get by while topping out in the upper-80s is more of a nightmare befitting his nickname. That's not to say he can't stay afloat with reduced velocity — as Matthew Trueblood wrote yesterday, the key might lie in fully harnessing his changeup — but his margin is thin, and the likelihood of returning to a rotation-fronting level is low. The Twins have seen positive signs this spring from some of their younger starting pitchers like Mick Abel, Taj Bradley and Kendry Rojas. That bodes well for the future of the rotation. But Minnesota's core veteran trio, upon which any plausible notion of short-term competitiveness was propped, is off to a very rocky start. Pablo López suffered a season-ending injury on the first official day of camp. Ryan and Ober sat out the first half and haven't looked like themselves in early action. Now, Ryan is off to the WBC to continue his unconventional build-up, while Ober remains in Fort Myers to try and overcome his velo woes. There's still time for both veteran starters to instill some sense of confidence before the start of the season — a dominant outing from Ryan on the big stage and an uptick for Ober in his next couple outings would go a long way — but the clock is ticking. Less than two weeks to go until the opening series in Baltimore, where Ryan and Ober will theoretically be slated to pitch the first two games. View full article

Image courtesy of Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Last year, Josh Bell led the Washington Nationals in starts at designated hitter with 97. Trevor Larnach led the Twins with 78. Victor Caratini ranked third on the Astros with 29 starts at DH. This year, all three are poised to get a share for Minnesota, with others like Matt Wallner, Ryan Jeffers and Royce Lewis slotting in occasionally. For the 2026 Twins, designated hitter is a position of defensive tradeoffs and limited upside, albeit one with a reasonably stable veteran floor. TWINS DESIGNATED HITTERS AT A GLANCE Starter: Josh Bell Backup: Trevor Larnach Depth: Victor Caratini, Matt Wallner, Eric Wagaman Prospects: Gabriel Gonzalez, Kala'i Rosario, Ricardo Olivar Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 17th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 20th out of 30 THE GOOD Bell is the kind of player you want at DH, so long as he can harness the offensive form he showed last year following his slow start. Bell's OPS was below .600 in late May before he turned a corner and slashed .278/.358/.478 with 16 homers in his last 95 games, anchoring the No. 3 and 4 spots in Washington's lineup in the second half. As a switch-hitter, Bell gives you a matchup-proof veteran bat to write into the middle of the order, and using him at DH prevents his sub-par defense from taking a negative toll. The position is designed for guys like him. It's an open question how often the Twins will be able to use him there, given the presence of Larnach on the roster and the lack of a clear starting-caliber first baseman. But no matter how things transpire around him, Bell is going to be available as a quality bat to plug into this bat-only spot. Larnach offers another quality bat suited for the purpose. As we discussed in the left field breakdown, he's a reliably solid hitter against right-handed pitching, and like Bell, his value plays up when you don't have to use him in the field. Therein lies a bit of quandary, because playing one of Larnach or Bell at DH means accepting the defensive tradeoff with the other. Divvying up DH playing time will largely be a matter of deciding which guy gives the Twins more (or takes away less) by playing his position. I'd expect to see a fairly balanced mix of Larnach and Bell here (until one or both get traded), with Caratini — another switch-hitter — also mixing in sporadically. Against left-handed starters, we're probably looking at Caratini at DH and Bell at first base, or vice versa, to maximize righty bats in the lineup. Eric Wagaman also could enter the mix if he's on the roster. All perfectly fine hitters. There's ample functionality to this experienced group that should make it easy to keep the DH position occupied by a respectable hitter with a non-terrible matchup every night. THE BAD Like several other positions for the Twins, this is one where a sturdyish floor is offset by a pretty unexceptional ceiling. Over the past two years, Bell's OPS+ is 104, Larnach's is 106 and Caratini's is 105. These are slightly above-average hitters who haven't shown much capability to rise above that in recent seasons. They are also among the highest-paid players on the low-spending Twins, for whatever that's worth. By tendering a contract to Larnach for nearly $5 million while also signing Bell and Caratini for a combined $21 million, Minnesota's front office invested in having enough legit bats on hand to ensure the DH position is never totally wanting. That's worth something. With that said, these investments didn't bring a great deal of upside, and the byproduct of spending on bat-first players is that you're not improving the defense or athleticism of the team. To the contrary: These are very slow runners who will clog the basepaths when they get on, and in the cases of Bell and Larnach, will hurt you in the field when they're not at DH. Hopefully they can deliver enough power to make up for it. THE BOTTOM LINE Pairing the lefty-swinging Larnach with multiple switch-hitting options gives Derek Shelton flexibility with the lineup and adds a certain amount of stability at DH. These are known quantities, for better or worse. Ideally you'd like to have a little more explosive potential in some of the bats rotating through the position, but there's something to be said for experience and competence. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Center Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Right Field View full article

The Twins have 2 players who've made 200+ PAs with above average OPS in each of the past 3 years: Ryan Jeffers and Matt Wallner. I think that's a fair barometer of "reliably productive," no?

Image courtesy of Mike Watters-Imagn Images This might sound counterintuitive for one of the least demanding defensive positions with an abundance of capable players, but great right fielders are hard to find. The low bar for fielding equates to a high bar for hitting. To wit: FanGraphs has only nine right fielders projected to be worth 2.0 WAR or more this season. Matt Wallner is one of them. His rampant swing-and-miss tendencies lead to a bad rap with many fans, but Wallner is one of Minnesota's most reliably productive players, still boasting untapped upside, and that's why right field ranks as one of the team's sneaky strengths. TWINS RIGHT FIELDERS AT A GLANCE Starter: Matt Wallner Backup: James Outman Depth: Trevor Larnach, Alan Roden, Kody Clemens Prospects: Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 18th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 9th out of 30 THE GOOD Huge power, huge arm: Wallner is the classic imagining of a right field specimen. He's not only been one of the Twins' best hitters since reaching the majors, but one of the better hitters in baseball — among 299 players with 800+ PA since 2023, Wallner ranks 20th in wOBA, nestled between Rafael Devers and Christian Yelich. If we narrow that list down to primarily right fielders, Wallner is sixth, trailing only a quintet of superstars: Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuña Jr., Juan Soto, Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts. Wallner's 49 home runs and 129 OPS+ over the past three seasons should not be discounted, regardless of the strikeouts and a relative down year in 2025. His overall numbers were dampened by a poor finish, and at no point was he really mashing the way he did in 2023-24. It was also noticeable that most of his damage came with bases empty. Despite those factors, he was a solidly above average hitter (110 OPS+) and one of the team's most valuable players. I truly believe we saw Wallner at his worst. Time to see him at his best? He's entering his age-28 season with nearly 1,000 MLB plate appearances under his belt. Wallner had a winter to ruminate on the adjustments opposing pitchers made against him, and now has a clear path to everyday playing time in right. While I suspect left field will be more of a revolving door, this position belongs to Wallner — especially because he held his own against left-handed pitching last year (.790 OPS in 97 PA) and the Twins won't have the luxury of platooning both outfield corners. He's going to be treated like a core lineup fixture, and he should be. I do think there is a point where you start thinking about future succession plans in right if certain negative trends from last year persist (see below), but we're not close to it. THE BAD Wallner undeniably took a big step backward in 2025. When dissecting his play, there are a few glaring issues that stick out. One is that he was simply terrible in the clutch. I'm inclined to dismiss this as statistical noise, given the sample size and how successful he was with RISP in 2023-24. Another is the defensive regression and missed plays. He's not a great fielder, but good enough to live with, if he's hitting. Therein lies the real catch. Wallner was more of a solid hitter than standout last year, and at that rate he's a pretty mediocre player. What really plagued him in 2025 was that opposing pitchers seemed to have him figured out. It doesn't take a seasoned MLB scout to see that Wallner was getting attacked up in the zone with velocity and struggling to adapt or answer. Again: he still hit 22 home runs and posted an above-average OPS, because the plan's not foolproof and he's capable of punishing any slight lapse in execution. But to cement his place in right field, Wallner needs to get back to being more than a mistake hunter. And he needs to show he can stay healthy after uncharacteristically going down with a couple of soft-tissue injuries last year. If he does get hurt, I presume Trevor Larnach would shift to right, clearing up the left field logjam at least for some time. In terms of prospect pipeline, Gabriel Gonzalez is the name to watch here. Coming off a breakthrough season in the minors and freshly added to the 40-man roster, Gonzalez seems destined for right field (if not DH) due to his lack of speed and range. Should Gonzalez pick up where he left off last year, when he batted .329 across three levels and finished in Triple-A, he could start putting applying pressure quickly if Wallner's issues aren't resolved. But he too will face a high bar for offensive production in the majors, because he's likely to be an even worse fielder. THE BOTTOM LINE Right field projects as one of the team's biggest strengths, and one of the few positions where Minnesota is forecast to be a top-10 MLB team. A return to previous form for Wallner combined with good health could lift them into the top five at the position, while solidifying his entrenchment in right. (Or lifting his trade value as the Twins look to make room for rising prospects.) Either way, right field looks to be in good hands. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Center Field View full article

Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images For many years, the Minnesota Twins' front office felt compelled to prioritize a backup center fielder who'd be capable of stepping into the starting role, for long stretches, at a moment's notice. After being bitten by having to play guys like Gilberto Celestino and Nick Gordon in center way too much during the 2021-22 seasons, the Twins made it a point to target Michael A. Taylor, Manuel Margot and Harrison Bader in successive winters. This year, they noticeably snapped the trend. That's not because they have any great in-house options to back up center field. Buxton's health has become an afterthought rather than a constant concern, while top prospects are on the verge of big-league readiness, and that's why center field projects as the biggest strength on the Twins roster. TWINS CENTER FIELDERS AT A GLANCE Starter: Byron Buxton Backup: James Outman Depth: Ryan Kreidler, Alan Roden, Austin Martin Prospects: Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Brandon Winokur Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 5th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 4th out of 30 THE GOOD Just a few short years ago, it would have been hard to believe: Buxton in the starting lineup for Minnesota's first official spring game on February 21st, gearing up to participate in the World Baseball Classic. As his injury woes crescendoed in his late 20s, the Twins had no choice but to handle Buxton carefully, often easing him into spring action gradually. Taking part in the WBC would've been completely out of the question. But coming off two of his best and healthiest seasons, the two-time All Star is no-holds-barred and all-systems-go. Buxton narrowly missed a top-10 finish in the AL MVP voting last year, filling the stat sheet in 126 games: 35 home runs, seven triples, 97 runs scored, 24 stolen bases (on 24 attempts) and an .878 OPS. In his age-31 season, he remained one of the fastest players in baseball, with a 100th-percentile sprint speed exceeding 30 ft/sec. Buxton is an outstanding center fielder and the definition of a two-way star. Under contract for three more years, Buxton will at some point probably have to move off center field, but that day does not feel particularly close. Not if he has his way. The fact that Buxton is being used exclusively in center field for Team USA, despite the presence of Pete Crow-Armstrong, speaks to his well-earned reverence at the position. He's not going to relocate willingly if he's still tracking down balls that others can't, and for now, he is. It's possible that the emergence of top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez will create a tension if they clearly surpass the former Platinum Glover in defensive value, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Jenkins and Rodriguez are excellent assets to have on hand in the event that Buxton does get injured again. You never want to lose your best player, but it would open the door for one of those two to play every day in the majors if they prove ready — and Rodriguez arguably already is. THE BAD Buxton's chronic knee issue seems to have finally been solved, but that hardly makes him immune to getting injured in other ways, as last Friday's HBP scare in the World Baseball Classic opener reminded. In his healthiest season ever last year he still started only 118 of 162 games in center field. Jenkins and Rodriguez are intriguing potential successors, if they prove to meet the high bar for MLB-caliber defense in center. They'll never reach Buxton's level, but few can. At this time, though, the top outfield prospects are fairly inexperienced at Triple-A, and they've had their own injury issues. (Jenkins is out this spring with a hamstring strain.) The lack of a real short-term safety net behind Buxton, as the Twins have had in recent years, could rear its head if a need emerges early in the season. Ryan Kreidler is probably the best defensive backup if he's on the roster; he was the Opening Day starter in center for the Tigers last year. James Outman's chances of making the team hinge on his viability in center, which has looked questionable at best. Roden and Martin have gotten run this spring, but should be viewed more as emergency options than candidates to start regularly. Center field is a hard position. It's tough to find players who truly excel there defensively, and even harder to find ones who can do that and also hit. Buxton has spoiled us. Hopefully he keeps spoiling us. THE BOTTOM LINE Healthy at last, Buxton has claimed his rightful place as one of the game's elite center fielders. It's a distinction corroborated by his All-Star nod, Silver Slugger, and starting spot on Team USA. His presence lends instant credibility to the Twins lineup. At some point age will start to catch to him but for the moment he's mostly outsprinting it. Down the line, some of the very best prospects in the Twins system will be aiming to overtake the reins in center field. Here in 2026, moving Buxton off the position doesn't seem to be on the front office's mind. His goal this season is to keep it that way. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Left Field View full article