Nick Nelson

UPDATE: Donaldson has now officially been placed on IL, and the Twins are terming his injury a "calf strain" rather than tightness.

Their depth is strong at a lot of positions, but not so much this one. I broke down what it would look like if Donaldson went down in my preseason 3B position analysis ... here's the rub: There's pretty much zero not to like about Donaldson, but when you look past him on the depth chart, and in the pipeline, things get bleak in a hurry. Sizing up the long-term picture at third base, it suddenly becomes much easier to see why the Twins were willing to go four years with the 34-year-old, and why they'll need to hope he can hang at the hot corner for some time. ... It would actually be interesting to see what would happen if Donaldson were to go down for a while. Would the Twins move Sano back across the diamond? Would they slide over Arraez, who started 15 games at third as a rookie, and tap into their superior depth at second base? Or would they leave the right side of their infield alone and just let the utilitymen hold it down? Hopefully we won't need to find out. Donaldson played in all but seven games for Atlanta last year, and has generally been an iron man with the exception of 2017 and 2018, when he missed a full season's worth of games due to recurring calf issues. His 2019 was very reassuring, but at 34, nothing can be taken for granted.

Donaldson is not in the lineup for tonight's game in KC.

Josh Donaldson struggled through his first six games as a Twin before exiting midway through last Friday's contest due to right calf tightness. We haven't seen him since, and it is not entirely clear when we'll see him again. Maybe this weekend in Kansas City. Maybe not. Either way, his early bout with a longtime tormenter serves as a stark reminder of the risk attached to Donaldson's lucrative four-year contract, the largest in franchise history.There is always an inherent amount of risk involved with guaranteeing a large sum of money to a player in his mid-30s. It is the fickle free agent quandary that has generally dissuaded Minnesota from entering into this arena at the high end in years past. Mid-market teams can ill afford to be tethered to albatross contracts that consume a huge chunk of their available payroll each year. (The Joe Mauer contract, while criticized too much and for all the wrong reasons, was certainly an impediment to Terry Ryan's team-building efforts in the 2010s.) Donaldson carries his own unique level of risk on top of the age factor. While the term "injury-prone" gets tossed around too often, it is valid in the case of someone who has a specific recurring issue. The third baseman's lengthy history of calf problems represents just that. Here's something you may or may not know about Josh Donaldson (it's not all that obvious when he's in uniform): He has enormous calves. Seriously. This photo of "Calfzilla" from The Athletic's David O'Brien, taken at Target Field last year, is illustrative: (Side note: I also have very big calves. It's been a running joke among friends since high school. One time a guy wrote the following line while targeting me in a battle rap: "Nick Nelson, your calves are gigantic, like the Titanic, or even the Atlantic." It was a scorching burn. My point being: I can relate in some small way.) For his part, Donaldson has called his large calves a blessing and a curse, which sounds about right. His incredibly muscular lower half is no doubt a major contributor to his almost unparalleled ability to crush baseballs, but those calves in particular have been very problematic in recent years. His troubles began in 2017 with the Blue Jays. Donaldson suffered a right calf strain on April 13th that knocked him out until late May. He came back and performed well the rest of the way, but played only 113 games total. In 2018, he suffered a left calf injury 36 games in. After three weeks on the DL, he was seemingly ready to return in late June, but suffered a setback while fielding ground balls ahead of a rehab game, with an acute strain delaying his return indefinitely. "He was moving along, and then something happens. What are you going to do?" said his manager John Gibbons. The slugger never played again for Toronto. They traded a rehabbing Donaldson to Cleveland just ahead of the post-waiver deadline on August 31st. He had a solid final month for the Indians, then went 1-for-11 with a single in an ALDS loss to Houston. As we all know, Donaldson bounced back in a big way last year in Atlanta, making a statement by playing in 155 games. He was named Comeback Player of the Year. But that accolade only comes with a preceding tribulation, and the one Donaldson faced is hardly out of mind just because of one great rebound season. Let's keep in mind that other contenders in JD's free agent derby (Washington and Atlanta, most notably) were shying away from four-year commitments. Even for the Twins, he was hardly their No. 1 target coming into the offseason, and talks looked to be dead before reviving in late January. As smoothly as things have gone for Minnesota in the early portion of this 2020 campaign, Donaldson's calf issues resurfacing within the first 10 days qualifies as a significant buzzkill, mostly from the big-picture view. They can get by without him for now, but the former MVP is a key component of their grand scheme, and they invested in him accordingly. I'd like to have genuine confidence in the team's position that this is a minor injury and not something they expect to be a long-term concern. But in a way, that just feels like wishful thinking. 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

This is basically where I stand. As much as I see people ripping Manfred and the league for their shortcomings in planning, there really is no feasible scenario for handling a proliferation of outbreaks, given the schedule constraints and realities of this virus. All you can do is put together the best protocols you can, hope the players follow them, and cross your fingers. From my view things are actually going reasonably well so far -- I think the Marlins players just completely screwed up and that's on them. If there's a silver lining to these grim early developments, it's that they might serve as a wake-up call to everyone else.

The Twins are taking care of business and looking like a force to be reckoned with. But each day there are new developments threatening this precarious 2020 MLB season, casting a constant cloud of uncertainty. Minnesota narrowly missed being impacted in the past week, but were able to play all their games and went 5-1 to claim sole possession of first place in the AL Central. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/27 through Sun, 8/2 *** Record Last Week: 5-1 (Overall: 7-2) Run Differential Last Week: +12 (Overall: +22) Standing: 1st Place in AL Central Bomba Counter: 16 (Pace: 107) The Twins got a scare when news of multiple positive COVID tests for St. Louis players surfaced, shortly after the Cardinals were swept out of Minnesota. Thursday's series opener against Cleveland was in doubt as personnel went through rapid testing all afternoon, but ultimately the Twins were able to avoid postponement all week. And they made hay. A 5-1 week against quality teams at home puts the Twins in excellent position moving forward. They won both games against the reigning NL Central champs, and then took three of four from their top challengers in the AL Central. We'll dive into the highlights and lowlights shortly, but first, a quick look at some roster moves made over the weekend: Before Saturday's game, Zack Littell was placed on the Injured List with a left hamstring strain, and replaced on the active roster by right-hander Jorge Alcala. The injury might help explain why Littell looked so rough in early action (3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 HR, 3 BB, 1 K) following his stellar 2019 campaign.After Saturday's game, we learned that Homer Bailey's scheduled start for Sunday was being pushed back, and on Sunday, Bailey went on IL due to right biceps tendinitis. Righty Sean Poppen took his place and the Twins ran a bullpen game on Sunday, with Tyler Clippard stepping in as the opener. Unlike Littell, there was no evidence of anything being physically wrong with Bailey.HIGHLIGHTS Last year, as a largely unknown rookie named Randy Dobnak tore through his first tour of the big leagues, finishing with a 1.59 ERA in 28 innings and earning himself a Game 2 ALDS start, we all wondered: Is this for real? Early on in this 2020 season, he's backing up the initial success, and then some. In a relatively big spot on Friday night, with Minnesota looking to bounce back from a series-opening loss against Cleveland, Dobnak spun five scoreless frames against the team's top division rival. He allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out four. This comes on the heels of a strong season debut, where Dobnak held the White Sox to one run over four innings in Chicago. Through 37 1/3 total MLB innings, the undrafted 25-year-old owns a 1.45 ERA with just one home run allowed. His sinker continues to be a tremendous asset, and he's mixing it with his curve and change in the lower regions of the zone to lethal effect. Dobnak has induced a 68% grounder rate this year – only Milwaukee's Brandon Woodruff (72%) is higher. Dobnak is an out-of-nowhere sensation who's beginning to really make his name on the major-league scene. On the other end of the spectrum we have Rich Hill, the 40-year-old ageless wonder who is well known in the game, but taking us by surprise nonetheless. Maybe we shouldn't have been caught off guard by Hill's brilliance against St. Louis on Wednesday night, when he stymied the Cards over five shutout innings, allowing just two singles and a walk. Business as usual I suppose for a guy who's gone 41-20 with a 2.91 ERA in 86 starts since 2016, but still it's pretty remarkable to see from someone his age coming off experimental elbow surgery. Hill said after the game that his repaired elbow "feels like it's 18 again." Wes Johnson has been working some wizardry with this group and so far every offseason move made by the front office – trading for Maeda, gambling on Hill and Bailey, signing Clippard, re-signing Sergio Romo, claiming Matt Wisler off waivers – is paying off handsomely. Those six collectively have a 1.31 ERA through 34 1/3 innings. LOWLIGHTS Not every offseason acquisition has been an immediate hit. There were troubling signs from the get-go for Josh Donaldson. He's been struggling at the plate, slashing just .182/.296/.318 through his first 27 plate appearances while missing on some very crushable pitches. During the opening series in Chicago, he conspicuously failed to leg out a grounder to short, when it turned out he easily could've reached on an error. In other words, it's been an inauspicious start for the biggest free-agent signing in franchise history. The former MVP has come out totally flat and on Friday we might've gotten a hint why. Donaldson exited midway through the win over Cleveland due to "right calf tightness." This is concerning given his lengthy history with calf issues, which more or less wiped out his 2018 season, but the team insists it's a minor setback and has not (as of yet) placed him on IL. Hopefully a bit of time off will help him find a groove. As you can see from his Statcast metrics compared to last year, Donaldson's still been hitting the ball fairly hard, but not at the elite level we've come to expect. Other measures are sagging badly. Download attachment: donaldsonstatcast.png The good news is the Twins have proven they can win without getting much from Donaldson. And in fact, they proved over the past week they can win without getting much from their vaunted offense at all. Minnesota averaged just 3.2 runs per game and still went 5-1. That would seem to bode well. They've gotten through one of the three scariest stretches on their 2020 schedule with a 7-2 record, even though their offense hasn't clicked since the opening weekend. TRENDING STORYLINE It's encouraging to see the Twins exercise a great deal of caution with their starting pitchers, given the proliferation of arm injuries around the league. They gave Hill a few extra days before making his first start of the season, seemingly for no other reason than to play it extra safe. They've been taking things very slowly with Jake Odorizzi and his minor back injury. They opted to put Bailey on IL rather than simply push his start back with what also appears to be a fairly minor injury. I think this is the right approach. Given the expanded playoff format, regular-season games are lessened in importance, and the Twins have given themselves a solid early buffer anyway. The top priority is ensuring their best arms are available to them down the stretch and into the postseason. But, it does give Rocco Baldelli some extra spinning plates to juggle here in the early going. At this moment he's down two starters, with Bailey and Odorizzi both on the shelf. Who will fill the extra slots? On Monday it'll be Lewis Thorpe. Who else might be called upon? Devin Smeltzer? More bullpen games? One thing to keep in mind is that MLB rosters must be trimmed down from 30 to 28 this coming Thursday, so Baldelli figures to lose a bit of his abundant pitching depth. LOOKING AHEAD The Twins now coast into a soft patch in the schedule, with all seven games in the week ahead coming against low-grade opponents. First, they wrap up the homestand with two games against the Pirates, who finished last in the NL Central last year with 93 losses, and are in all-out rebuilding mode. Then, it's off to Pittsburgh for the second half of an interleague home-and-home, which reunites Baldelli and his former bench coach Derek Shelton, now leading the Bucs. From there, the Twins head to Kauffman Stadium for three games against Kansas City. The Royals are of course another rebuilding team and one the Twins should theoretically be able to further fatten up on. MONDAY, 8/3: PIRATES @ TWINS TUESDAY, 8/4: PIRATES @ TWINS WEDNESDAY, 8/5: TWINS @ PIRATES THURSDAY, 8/6: TWINS @ PIRATES FRIDAY, 8/7: TWINS @ ROYALS SATURDAY, 8/8: TWINS @ ROYALS SUNDAY, 8/9: TWINS @ ROYALS Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 4 | MIN 6, STL 3: Donaldson Breaks Out, Early Offense Leads to Another Twins WinGame 5 | MIN 3, STL 0: Hill Pitches 5 Shutout Innings in Twins DebutGame 6 | CLE 2, MIN 0: Shane Bieber is a Cheat CodeGame 7 | MIN 4, CLE 1: Dobnak Delivers 5 Shutout InningsGame 8 | MIN 3, CLE 0: Miguel Sanó Hits Pair of Bombas, Kenta Maeda Pitches 6 Shutout InningsGame 9 | MIN 3, CLE 1: Bullpen Dominates as Twins Take SeriesMORE 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 topped the Cardinals 6-3 in their home opener at Target Field on Tuesday night to move to 3-1 on the season. I watched the game and jotted down a specific note or thought based on the events of each inning. Let's run it back.1st Inning: Making Martínez Sweat The bottom of the first was not a great showing for the Twins offense. They missed some big opportunities. Nelson Cruz popped out to foul territory on a 2-0 count with two in scoring position, and later Mitch Garver grounded out to third on 3-1 with the bases juiced. No one hit anything particularly hard. And yet ... this lineup still made life extremely difficult for Cardinals starter Carlos Martínez, who needed 21 pitches to get through the frame. While the Twins may have failed to cash in, it's the kind of high-stress experience for a pitcher that can set up an inning like the second, where Minnesota took off and pushed across five runs. Martínez, a very good pitcher with a 3.36 career ERA, was soon chased from the game after just 4 2/3 innings. 2nd Inning: Hip Hip, Jorge Punctuating the five-run outburst in the bottom of the second was No. 3 hitter Jorge Polanco, who launched a two-run homer into the right field plaza. He very nearly followed with another bomb from the other side in his following at-bat, two innings later, though Cards left fielder Tyler O'Neill was able to track it down at the warning track. It was a bit strange to see from Buxton, for whom the spectacular has become almost routine. But among all the negative outcomes of him chasing a ball to the wall, a solo homer with a fairly comfortable lead is one we'll take. It was a tough break for May, but he recovered nicely by striking out the next three batters. His stuff looks absolutely filthy, as he induced seven swinging strikes on 21 pitches. 9th Inning: Where is Rogers? With the exception of Rich Hill (who starts tomorrow) only two players on the active roster had yet to see game action by this point: Sergio Romo and Taylor Rogers. Even in a save situation – albeit on the less-intense side – the Twins' top-tier closer remained unused. Romo tossed a clean ninth to close out the 6-3 victory. That leaves Rogers, one of the team's best and long-tenured players, as the only reliever we've yet to see. It doesn't necessarily point to any error in judgment from Baldelli, as there's been no real need to turn to the team's highest-leverage arm, but still it seems strange that Rogers hasn't even gotten in an inning of work while several others have made multiple appearances. Hopefully there's nothing bothering the southpaw physically, and this is all situational and strategic. Through the team's first four games in 2019, Rogers had already thrown four innings across three appearances. 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

A new season is finally underway, and that means it's time for the return of our weekly recap series. Read on for a full review of the Minnesota Twins' successful opening weekend in Chicago, featuring a series win, several Twins debuts, and of course plenty of bombas. Weekly Snapshot: Fri, 7/24 through Sun, 7/26 *** Record Last Week: 2-1 (Overall: 2-1) Run Differential Last Week: +10 (Overall: +10) Standing: Tied for 1st Place in AL Central Bomba Counter: 7 (On Pace for 140) Not everything went to plan for Minnesota in the opening series. Jake Odorizzi was originally expected to start for the Twins in Chicago, and then Rich Hill was, but both pitchers ended up getting pushed back. Byron Buxton missed all three games as his sprained foot heals, though it sounds like there's optimism he'll be out there for the first homestand. Even though they weren't quite at full strength, the Twins still looked plenty strong at Guaranteed Rate Field, taking two of three from the White Sox to kick off their quest for a second straight division title. HIGHLIGHTS The Bomba Squad wasted no time getting back to business, with Max Kepler launching a home run on the first pitch of the season from Lucas Giolito. It sparked a 10-run, 11-hit barrage in Minnesota's 10-5 Opening Day victory over the Sox. Kepler homered again in his next at-bat, and has gone 0-for-12 since. Baseball. Leading the charge in a tremendous series for the Twins was Nelson Cruz, who had himself a hell of a weekend at Guaranteed Rate Field: 7-for-13, three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBIs. If the ageless wonder can stay healthy for the full 60-game sprint, this offense's upside feels almost limitless. The team has never signaled much concern regarding Odorizzi's status. If things go well in the BP session, he could conceivably start the first game against Cleveland on Thursday, though it's more likely he'd go sometime during the weekend. Then again, as Cody Pirkl wrote here recently, we are wise not to downplay this reportedly "minor" issue because back injuries can be very tricky for pitchers and Odorizzi has a history with them. The 2019 All-Star is a critical piece for this rotation. We'll be keeping a close eye on his health updates. LOOKING AHEAD Two more Twins debuts are on tap in the home-opening series against St. Louis, with Homer Bailey and Hill slated to start for Minnesota. It'll be interesting to see how they fare against Paul Goldschmidt and a pretty good Cards team. Then, the top presumptive challengers in the division come to town, with Cleveland coming for four games. It's tough to overstate the magnitude of this home series for the Twins. A sweep either way would be a seismic development in the division race. This series will feature pennant-race-intensity baseball, played a week into the season before an empty stadium. Gonna be weird. TUESDAY, 7/28: CARDINALS @ TWINS – RHP Homer Bailey v. RHP Carlos Martinez WEDNESDAY, 7/29: CARDINALS @ TWINS – LHP Rich Hill v. RHP Miles Mikolas THURSDAY, 7/30: INDIANS @ TWINS FRIDAY, 7/31: INDIANS @ TWINS SATURDAY, 8/1: INDIANS @ TWINS SUNDAY, 8/2: INDIANS @ TWINS Catch Up On Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 1 | MIN 10, CHW 5: Kepler Blasts 2 Bombas, Twins Outlast White SoxGame 2 | CHW 10, MIN 3: White Sox Hit 5 Homers Off Twins BullpenGame 3 | MIN 14, CHW 2: Lineup Flexes Early to Aid Maeda in Victorious Twins DebutMORE 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

I'd heard rumblings of this too, but according to MLB's website it's a simple seeded bracket, with #1 seed playing #8 seed. I feel like if there was gonna be a dynamic like that in place it'd need to be established before the season started, no?

On day one of the first iteration of spring training, reigning Manager of the Year Rocco Baldelli set clear expectations and aspirations for his team: World Series. Five months later, as the Twins gear up for a season nothing like the one they expected to play, their goal hasn't changed. The path to a championship just looks different.Read on to find everything you need to know as we get this abbreviated season started, including roster breakdowns, schedule analysis, opponent intel, and predictions. 60 GAMES IN 66 DAYS: A CENTRALIZED SPRINT Rather than facing 20 teams in 162 games spread across six months, the revised schedule will see Minnesota facing nine teams over 60 games in a span of eight weeks. A regionalized format, designed to minimize travel, has them playing 40 games against AL Central opponents, with the remaining 20 coming against teams from the NL Central. Notably, the schedule includes only six total off days, and two of them come in the final week. The Twins have just one day off lined up in the entire month of August, and from July 28th through September 2nd they'll play 36 games in 37 days. Whew. READ: A Closer Look at the Twins' 2020 Schedule As Matthew Taylor wrote in the article above, "The way that the schedules shook out for the 2020 season is about the best scenario that the Minnesota Twins could have asked for." They receive an even heavier dosage of their own relatively weak division, and swap out an interleague schedule that would've had them facing the Dodgers, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Padres, Giants and Brewers for one that has them facing the Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Pirates and Brewers. No more Astros, Yankees, Rays or A's in the regular season. With that said, this thing still won't be a walk in the park. READ: The 3 Scariest Stretches on the Twins 2020 Schedule HEAVY DOSE OF DIVISION FOES Baseball's unbalanced schedule always yields a disproportionate number of intra-division matchups, but this year the dynamic is magnified. Forty of Minnesota's 60 games are against AL Central opponents, with each division rival accounting for 16.7% of the schedule. READ: Breaking Down the Twins' 9 Opponents As mentioned above, that's good news in the sense that Detroit and Kansas City were both 100-loss teams last year and carry lackluster outlooks into the new campaign. But the Twins will now face heightened pressure to perform against their two primary challengers, Cleveland and Chicago, and in such small samples the tables can tilt quickly. Over the past week I've broken down each of the four AL Central teams, examining strengths, weaknesses, and X factors: Central Intelligence 2.0 Cleveland IndiansChicago White SoxKansas City RoyalsDetroit TigersGREAT EXPECTATIONS The Twins are not alone in their belief that they have what it takes to win it all. MLB.com's Mike Petriello grouped them with just two other teams – Yankees and Dodgers – in the "Title or Bust" tier of his team rankings. Meanwhile, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe is one prominent scribe picking the Twins to win it all in his 2020 season predictions, citing their "strong sense of purpose" under Baldelli's leadership. Any credible power ranking would have to place Minnesota among at least the top five MLB teams heading in. They won 101 games last year, upgraded significantly during the offseason, and have the softest schedule in baseball. READ: The Case Stands: Twins Enter Summer Camp as AL's Top Team STRONG AND DEEP AT EVERY POSITION This. Team. Is. Good. The 2020 Twins are incredibly balanced and deep, without a single blatant weak spot in the lineup or, really, on the pitching staff. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have built a remarkably sturdy club that is prepared for the inevitable setbacks and bad breaks that will come along in an MLB season of any length. READ: Minnesota Twins Opening Day Roster During the original version of spring training, five years ago back in February and March, I ran through each positional unit in-depth. For the most part, all of the analysis still applies. You can find each entry below: Position Analysis: Catcher - Mitch Garver looks to solidify his case as an elite two-way catcher while joined by a platoon-friendly backup in veteran Alex Avila.Position Analysis: First Base - Miguel Sano must prove his defensive chops at a new position, but there's little question his bat is up to the task.Position Analysis: Second Base - After a sensational rookie season, what does Luis Arraez have in store for an encore?Position Analysis: Third Base - The biggest free agent signing in franchise history upgrades an already-dominant offense, but his stellar glove might make the biggest impact.Position Analysis: Shortstop - As ever, defense is a concern for Jorge Polanco. Can he shore up his glovework while continuing to hit?Position Analysis: Left Field - The stakes are high for Eddie Rosario, coming off an unspectacular season with prospects starting to press from behind.Twins 2020 Position Analysis: Center Field - Can Byron Buxton stay healthy? That seems to be his only barrier to stardom, but it's a wall he keeps running into.Position Analysis: Right Field - Max Kepler was arguably the team's MVP in 2019 and he's primed for another big year. Should he need to spend time in CF, ample depth is in place.Position Analysis: Designated Hitter - Nelson Cruz is simply the best DH in the game, and one of the best hitters period. At age 40 with a balky wrist, all he needs to do is hold up.Position Analysis: Starting Pitcher - Despite failing to land a bona fide ace, the Twins are sneaky good on the rotation front, boasting upside and depth.Position Analysis: Relief Pitcher - A mix of reliable vets and emerging young fireballers positions this unit to dominate the late innings.THE NEW GUYS: BRINGING EXPERIENCE AND EXCELLENCE Twins fans will be acclimating to some new faces this season, with several significant acquisitions coming aboard via free agency and trade. The commonality that strikes me with these newcomers – aside from all being quality, strategically-savvy additions – is their experience on the big stage. Josh Donaldson, 3B – 2015 AL MVP, 150 career postseason PAs (.769 OPS)Kenta Maeda, SP – 24 postseason appearances (7 in World Series), 3.31 ERARich Hill, SP – 53 postseason innings (12 starts), 3.06 ERA (1.80 in 2 WS starts)Tyler Clippard, RP – 14 postseason appearances (4.26 ERA)Alex Avila, C – 124 postseason plate appearances (.488 OPS)Homer Bailey, SP – 9 postseason innings (1.00 ERA)Avila hasn't had much success and Bailey has only made one playoff start, all the back in 2012, but neither of those role players is likely to figure into Minnesota's postseason plans much. The other four, meanwhile, seem like they were targeted with October very much in mind. I didn't include Sergio Romo since he's technically not a newcomer, but he's a three-time World Series champion so he very much falls in the same category. If you could pick out one clear discernible flaw in last year's Twins team, which won 101 games in the regular season while basically avoiding any slumps, it was that lack of big-game experience, which showed through when they fell flat in the ALDS. That has been addressed in a pretty direct way. SEARCHING FOR AN ACE One thing that has not been actively addressed for Minnesota is the lack of a true proven ace atop the rotation. And as we talk about the club's championship prospects, it's a legitimate shortcoming for critics to point out. Without question, the Twins do not have a starter who's established himself on the level of their top two rivals in the division (Cleveland's Mike Clevinger & Chicago's Lucas Giolito), nor their top two rivals in the American League (New York's Gerrit Cole & Houston's Justin Verlander). However, what they do have is five starters who are capable of pitching like an ace in a 60-game season, which constitutes a dozen starts. In fact, each of them more or less showed they could do it over 12-start stretches last season: Jake Odorizzi: March 30 through June 2 64.1 IP, 8-2, 1.96 ERA, 70-21 K/BBJose Berrios: May 21 - July 3178 IP, 4-3, 2.31 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 73-19 K/BBRich Hill: April 28 - June 19 (10 starts)53 IP, 4-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 61-12 K/BBKenta Maeda: April 16 - July 668 IP, 4-3, 3.18 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 69-18 K/BBHomer Bailey: July 17 - September 2471.1 IP, 6-2, 3.28 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 66-12 K/BBA couple caveats: Hill's sample was only 10 starts because that's how many turns he took before landing on the shelf in June; Bailey's timespan actually covers the 13 starts after he was traded to Oakland, but I subtracted his second turn with the A's because it was an outlier (2 IP, 9 ER) pitched in Houston. I don't think I need to elaborate on why I find that result reasonable to exclude. Oh, and for good measure, let's throw in Michael Pineda's final 12 starts for the Twins last year: 70.1 IP, 7-2, 3.20 ERA, 78-14 K/BB. Granted, he won't be available for most of the 60-game sprint, but he should be back in time for the playoffs. READ: Will Jake Odorizzi Be Minnesota's Ace in 2020? The bottom line is that this rotation is deep on quality, which fuels consistency through the regular season, and they absolutely have studs capable of stepping up in the playoffs. There are multiple members of this starting corps who could very plausibly win the Cy Young simply by getting on a roll, especially in light of the relatively weak offenses Minnesota will routinely face. READ: How Jose Berrios Used Video To Regain Confidence BOLD TWINS 2020 PREDICTIONS The Twins will be the American League's No. 1 seed at the end of the regular season. I don't know if they're better than New York or Houston (they're certainly at the same level), but the Twins will face a much easier schedule, and are entering the season less burdened by injuries and baggage. Home field advantage, here we come. Nelson Cruz will hit 25 home runs. When he arrived in camp, Miguel Sano proclaimed that he intends to hit 30 home runs this season. I wouldn't put it past him. But that's a bit of a lofty target, and I actually like his teammate Cruz to most astound us with his barrage of bombas. The veteran DH has looked simply incredible throughout camp after drilling 41 bombs in 120 games last year. Twenty-five homers in 60 games would extrapolate to 68 over a full schedule. The Twins will allow the fewest runs in the AL. For all the talk about the offense (rightfully so), I believe this pitching staff will surprise – in part because they are sneaky good and in larger part because they'll so rarely face high-caliber lineups. Of Minnesota's 60 games, only three come against a team that ranked in the top half of the majors in runs scored last year. (The Cubs were 10th.) Josh Donaldson will disappoint offensively. He's traditionally a bit of a slow starter (.848 career first-half OPS, .914 second-half). This trend was on display last year, where after 60 games he had a .787 OPS and just eight home runs. Now, he's acclimating to a new team under strange circumstances, and he won't have much time to find a groove. With that said, disappointing production by Donaldson's standards is still very solid, and he'll be an asset overall thanks to his glove. A Twins starter will win 10 games. And thus, very possibly the Cy Young. This a byproduct of the effectiveness I expect to see from the Twins rotation, and the backing of an elite offense. Berrios would be my top candidate, but honestly I could basically see any of the five doing it. What are your bold predictions? How many games will the Twins win? How far can they go? Share your thoughts in the comments section as we count down the hours until first pitch. 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

Okay? The dearth of Black players in the game was directly discussed in the panel last night, and has been addressed by the commissioner as something he'd like to change. It's not some novel point from me. It's also secondary to the main focus here, which is diversifying front offices and personnel.

I know they recorded it. I haven't seen it posted online anywhere as of yet but will be sure to share here if I do.

Boy, if you think being categorized by race for a period of two months is getting old, you should talk to someone about the experience of being Black in America for their entire life. Might open your eyes. I'm not trying to be snarky (ok maybe a little) but in all honesty please try to step outside of your own personal worldview and understand why this topic matters, and why the Twins are placing such a major focus on it. (To answer your question about why it matters that 85% of baseball fans are white ... changing this equation is critical to the game's future. Viewership is dropping and new fan pipelines are needed. America is becoming more diverse and baseball needs to follow suit if it is to maintain popularity long-term. Here's a good read.)

Lance, I thought this was very obvious but apparently not: the panel was about bringing more Black diversity to baseball, specifically. And there's also a much larger conversation going on in our country about Black inequality, stemming from events that took place in our own city. So that's what we're talking about. Make sense? First of all it was Levine, not Falvey. Second of all, that's a lazy strawman. The Twins have never in history hired a minority for a manager or GM role. MLB front offices in general are disproportionately white. This doesn't strike you as problematic? Even if white people do tend to be the best person applying for the job, why is that happening? How can we create more diversity in the qualified candidate pool? That's the topic here. There is zero need to get defensive about it.

13% of Americans are Black, so no. Incidentally, that was the percentage of Black MLB players at the turn of the century, and today it has dropped almost to half that. It's a bad trend.

Baseball has a problem. It's not new, and it's not a secret. Lacking diversity throughout the game manifests in numerous ways, but the underrepresentation of African-Americans is a plainly evident one. In their continuing efforts to acknowledge and address this issue, the Minnesota Twins held their first Front Office Diversity Roundtable via Zoom on Tuesday night.A few years back, Jay Caspian Kang wrote about the "unbearable whiteness of baseball" for New York Times Magazine, noting among other things that just over 8% of major-league players were Black at the time. That number has since dropped even further – in 2019, Black players comprised just 7.7% of MLB rosters. This troubling disparity is reflected in the managerial ranks (there are only two African-American managers in MLB) and especially in front office leadership (there have been five African-American general managers in baseball history). It's no coincidence, then, that the disparity also reflects in the sport's audience – a 2014 study found that 9% of pro baseball's television viewership was Black, compared to 83% white. Why is baseball failing to resonate with, recruit, and elevate African-Americans? It's a complicated and largely theoretical question that I won't delve into here. What's important now is to alter this imbalance, and bring more racial equality to the game's demographics. The simplest step in that direction is to highlight Black people currently succeeding in professional baseball roles, let them share their stories, and encourage others to follow in their footsteps. On Tuesday, the Twins did just that. Noah Croom, General Counsel & Partner for Beautiful Game LLC, curated a panel that featured four members of Minnesota's front office operation: Sean Johnson - Director, Amateur ScoutingDeron Johnson - Senior Advisor, ScoutingNavery Moore - Fellow, Pro ScoutingJosh Ruffin - Analyst in Advanced ScoutingTwins general manager Thad Levine kicked off the discussion with a firm statement before going off-screen to follow as a viewer: "It is our belief that the hiring practice of Major League Baseball and the Minnesota Twins has been flawed." He cited complacency as a primary cause, hinting at a similar sentiment to the one shared recently by a fellow white male executive, Theo Epstein of the Chicago Cubs. "I've hired a Black scouting director, [and] farm director in the past, but the majority of people that I've hired, if I'm being honest, have similar backgrounds as me and look a lot like me," Epstein said on a conference call last month. "That's something I need to ask myself why. I need to question my own assumptions, my own attitudes. I need to find a way to be better." The Twins have their own ignominious history on this front. Former owner Calvin Griffith, who brought the team to Minnesota in the 1960s, made horribly racist remarks in 1978 that have echoed through the decades. The Twins are one of only three MLB teams that has never hired a minority to be a manager or general manager. During a conversation earlier this summer with The Athletic, Torii Hunter shared a story about an unnamed member of the Twins organization calling players the n-word. But history is just that. As we turn focus to the present, the organization's commitment to condemning racism and promoting equality is now on the leading edge, and I personally couldn't be prouder. The person referenced by Hunter was promptly jettisoned by Derek Falvey. The statue for Calvin Griffith that once stood outside Target Field has come down. The Pohlad family committed $25 million to racial justice causes in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. And while I can't speak to the relative prevalence of Black employees in Minnesota's front office, I can say that four very bright ones stepped up during the diversity roundtable to speak thoughtfully about this critical subject. Panelists answered questions from Croom on a variety of topics, ranging from their paths to their current positions, to the value of mentorship, to the reasons for a lack of Black athletes entering the sport, and much more. In efforts to create more interest and opportunity for underrepresented minorities, the Twins announced they have launched a Diversity Mentorship Program, through which individuals from these groups can engage Twins employees during office hours for career advice, project feedback, résumé tips and more. Signing up is easy; just click on the link and fill out a quick form. At one point in the roundtable, Croom asked whether panelists felt that the Floyd tragedy, and the resulting rise in awareness and attention directed toward systemic racism throughout our society, might serve as a tipping point as baseball seeks to turn around its age-old problem. Deron Johnson admitted that it's hard to judge at this moment, due to widespread hiring freezes stemming from the pandemic, but expressed genuine optimism. “This is a time where people can get into the game, or at least get their names out there. I do believe that.” Sean Johnson, who credited Deron (not related) as a mentor that helped pave his way, followed by voicing agreement. "Hopefully this is the moment we need to put us in a place where we put an end to all this stuff." Amen, Sean. (During the event, the Twins announced an upcoming second installment of the Front Office Diversity Roundtable series, which will feature women in the organization. Stay tuned for details, as we'll be sure to share them here.) A WORD FROM TWINS DAILY Diversity and inclusion have been weighing heavily on our minds here lately, with many ownership discussions taking place. Twins Daily is run by five white men, and it's not lost on us that an overwhelming majority of our site's writers and readers fall into the same category. While this can be partially attributed to the aforementioned overall demographics of baseball, to crutch on that as an excuse is a cop-out. We know it. We're not running away from it. Bringing more diversity to our site's community will be an emphatic focus going forward. When more voices, viewpoints, and backgrounds are represented, we all benefit. I can't say at this moment what exactly our efforts will look like, but one simple thing you can expect is a lessened tolerance for any language deemed hateful, intolerant, or non-inclusive – even if it might be presented in an ostensibly "respectful" manner. Our commitment to letting everyone speak their minds remains firm, but it is of the utmost importance to us that everyone who arrives at Twins Daily feels comfortable and welcome. We expect every single one of you to hold us accountable and help us along the way on this path forward to a better Minnesota. Thank you as always for visiting, engaging, and supporting. We can't wait to enjoy this wild and wacky 2020 season with all of you, and hopefully plenty of newcomers to the community. Click here to view the article

The Cleveland Indians reigned over the AL Central for three straight years before the Twins came and took it from them in 2019. Now Cleveland is looking to reclaim the throne. They've got plenty of firepower to challenge for the title, even if GM Mike Chernoff's offseason (unlike Minnesota's) wasn't entirely reflective of an all-in contender. CLEVELAND INDIANS AT A GLANCE 2019 Record: 93-69, 2nd Place 2019 fWAR Leader (Offense): Francisco Lindor - 4.4 2019 fWAR Leader (Pitching): Shane Bieber, RHP - 5.6 Key Offseason Additions: Cesar Hernandez (2B), Delino DeShields Jr. (OF), Domingo Santana (OF), Emmanuel Clase (RP) Key Offseason Losses: Jason Kipnis (2B), Corey Kluber (SP), Nick Goody (RP), Tyler Clippard (RP) 2020 Over/Under: 32.5 Wins TEAM OVERVIEW The Indians traded away Trevor Bauer at the 2019 deadline and then dealt Corey Kluber after the season, subtracting two premier right-handed power pitchers from their routinely outstanding rotation mix. Of course, with Kluber missing almost all of last year and Bauer unspectacular before the trade, Cleveland still allowed the third-fewest runs in the league. Clearly neither hurler was essential to the team's success – albeit a level of success that left them on the outside looking in when the postseason came around. This year, the Indians need to show they can keep churning out stellar pitching performances from their remaining group while also trying to do enough offensively to keep pace with the high-flying division favorites. STRENGTHS The combination of Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber atop the rotation is beyond formidable. No two ways about it. Bieber ranked fifth among AL starters in fWAR last year, and the only reason Clevinger wasn't right up there with him is because he missed most of the first half with a back strain. Upon returning from his injury in late June, Clevinger pitched as well as he ever has, posting a 2.71 ERA and 12.1 K/9 ratio in 126 frames. Among AL starters who threw 100 or more innings, only Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander had a better ERA. Those two along with Chris Sale and Blake Snell were the only ones with a higher K-rate. Having his name mentioned alongside these ones tells you all you need to know: Clevinger is Cy Young caliber. And while the Twins get to avoid all those other aces in the regular season, they'll see Clevinger multiple times. He's going to give their lineup fits – last year he held the historically explosive Minnesota offense to seven total runs over four starts – and he's gonna shred inferior clubs like KC and Detroit to pieces. Same goes for Bieber, though it's fair to wonder if he can back up the brilliance of his breakout campaign. Even with Bauer and Kluber gone, Cleveland has plenty of starting depth behind Clevinger and Bieber, because they're simply a pitching development powerhouse. Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale, and Adam Plutko all showed positive signs last year, and veteran Carlos Carrasco is seemingly back at full strength after a scary run-in with leukemia. The bullpen should still be an asset. Offensively, the Indians feature a pair of perennial MVP candidates in Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. First baseman Carlos Santana is tremendous, quietly coming off a career year. And as a result of last summer's Bauer trade, Cleveland has a 25-year-old slugger with monstrous power potential at DH in Franmil Reyes. WEAKNESSES Even with those quality pieces in place, Cleveland's offense is suspect. They don't have a bad lineup per se, it just doesn't stack up against the league's premier units. Last year the Indians scored 170 fewer runs than the Twins; put another way, they scored almost 20% fewer runs than the Twins. While the Cleveland infield is undeniably excellent – manned by Ramirez, Lindor, Santana, and newly acquired second baseman Cesar Hernandez – the outfield could be pretty bad. Expected starters are Oscar Mercado, Tyler Naquin, and Domingo Santana or Delino DeShields. All posted a sub-800 OPS last year. At DH, Reyes' big upside remains more theoretical than proven at this point. Even if their stars shine on offense, Cleveland will need to ride the pitching staff to a division championship. And while there's little reason to doubt their rotation, the once-overpowering bullpen could easily take a step backward. Chaska native Brad Hand remains the steady ... hand ... at closer, and he's been in three straight All-Star Games, but his 5.40 ERA after the break last year was ominous. It seemingly contributed to Chernoff targeting Emmanuel Clase – a fireballing 22-year-old prize acquired in the Kluber trade – as Hand's eventual replacement in the ninth. But Clase won't play a role for Cleveland in 2020, after being hit with an 80-game PED suspension. Tyler Clippard has joined the enemy. Nick Goody and Dan Otero are among other former fixtures now departed, and while Oliver Perez is back, he turns 39 next month. For relief innings, Cleveland will be leaning on the likes of Nick Wittgren, Adam Cimber, Hunter Wood, and James Hoyt. Not exactly your established household names. WILD CARD I'm tempted to go with James Karinchak. He's one of the better pure relief pitching prospects in the game, having racked up 82 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. You read that right. Karinchak has averaged 16.4 K/9 in three minor-league seasons. Just silly. But the Indians are likely going to be good at preventing runs with or without him. That's not really in question. So I'll venture a little further off the beaten path with my pick for Cleveland's biggest X factor: Bradley Zimmer. The former first-round draft pick has struggled to find his footing in the major leagues, to say the least. Last year represents the depth of his despair: He missed nearly the entire campaign due to injury, and went 0-for-13 in his extremely brief time with Cleveland, finishing his age-26 season with a .071 OPS. In total he's got a .230/.293/.359 slash line through 460 plate appearances in parts of three MLB seasons. But make no mistake: Zimmer is a talent. He was the 21st overall draft pick out of college in 2014, and was rated by MLB.com as the game's 19th-best prospect when first called up in 2017. It's been a tough go for the outfielder thus far, but he's still only 27, and by now Twins fans know better than to count out a heralded young player who is set back by early struggles and injuries in the big leagues. He doesn't figure to be a regular for Cleveland out of the gates, but if Zimmer catches on and turns the corner, he could provide a critical boost for the Cleveland offense. In starting to make his case, Zimmer homered twice off Clevinger in an intrasquad match last week. 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

A rising core loaded with top-end talent was augmented dramatically over the winter by general manager Rick Hahn. The White Sox are shaping up to be Minnesota's staunchest division rival in the coming years, and may well represent the most dangerous threat to overtake the Central this year. A road-heavy 10-game season series against Chicago will kick off on Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field. CHICAGO WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE 2019 Record: 72-89, 3rd Place 2019 fWAR Leader (Offense): Yoan Moncada - 5.7 2019 fWAR Leader (Pitching): Lucas Giolito - 5.1 Key Offseason Additions: Yasmani Grandal ©, Dallas Keuchel (SP), Gio Gonzalez (SP), Edwin Encanacion (DH), Nomar Mazara (OF), Steve Cishek (RP) Key Offseason Losses: Ivan Nova (SP) Yolmer Sanchez (2B), Wellington Castillo ©, Ryan Cordell (OF) 2020 Over/Under: 31.5 Wins TEAM OVERVIEW Even before Hahn's offseason shopping spree, the White Sox were in line to welcome some new impact talent in 2020, with multiple top prospects set to enter the fold. Heading up that list is center fielder Luis Robert, ranked by MLB.com as the third-best prospect in baseball after spending a big chunk of 2019 at Triple-A. He's expected to be out there on Friday for his MLB debut. Likely to join him in the White Sox lineup, although maybe not from the start, is second baseman Nick Madrigal, ranked 40th on MLB's Top 100 list. The disciplined speedster was the fourth overall draft pick two years ago, and has reached Triple-A. It's only a matter of time before he's leading off for the Sox. These two electrifying youths, along with numerous free agent additions, will help elevate a club on the verge of seeing its rebuild pay off. STRENGTHS Without accounting for all the new talent entering the fold, Chicago already had arguably the best position player and best pitcher in the division. Third baseman Yoan Moncada's 5.7 fWAR was higher than any other AL Central player in 2019 (despite playing just 132 games). Lucas Giolito was an All-Star who finished sixth in the Cy Young balloting. He might not be quite at the level of a Mike Clevinger or Shane Bieber, but Giolito showed last year he's a legitimate ace, and the Twins will have to tangle with him right out of the gate. The big problem in 2019 was that Chicago's standouts – Giolito, Moncada, batting champ Tim Anderson – were weighed down by a bunch of laggards. To illustrate, the Sox produced 23.3 total fWAR, and 14.3 of it came from those three. The stars of the squad figure to get considerably more help in 2020. Yasmani Grandal is himself a star-caliber addition at catcher. New DH Edwin Encarnacion has slugged 32-plus homers in eight straight seasons, and he joins newly-extended Jose Abreu to give Chicago two dangerous righty power bats in the middle of the order. Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez are no rotation-fronters, but they add quality veteran depth to a unit that last year had no above-average performers other than Giolito. Nomar Mazara is a sneaky good addition in the outfield. Another low-key impact signing by Chicago was Steve Cishek, the ultra-reliable righty who joins closer Alex Colome and setup man in Aaron Bummer in a bullpen that can hold its own in the late innings. Combining all of these free agency additions with the expected arrivals of top prospects like Robert and Madrigal puts the Sox in position to make a massive leap forward in 2020, helping explain why their over/under for wins in the shortened season is just one behind the Cleveland Indians, who won 21 more contests last year. WEAKNESSES As Twins fans are well aware, free agents don't always work out and top prospects don't always hit the ground running. As good as Robert may be, there's no guarantee he'll be an immediate difference-maker for Chicago, and the same goes for Madrigal. Moncada himself is a fine example of baseball's steep learning curve at the highest level – he was rated as the second-best prospect in the game when he arrived in the big leagues at age 2016, but it wasn't until three years later that he truly emerged. Another of the organization's premier prospects will not be helping them this year: hard-throwing righty Michael Kopech, pegged by MLB.com as the game's No. 20 prospect, who chose to opt out of the 2020 campaign. Like Moncada and Giolito, Kopech was acquired during the team's burn-it-down firesale in 2016. After missing 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, he appeared ready to return this year at age 24 and unleash his triple-digit heat in a White Sox rotation that could've sorely used it. The loss of his potential impact is a hit for Chicago's short-term chances, because starting pitching looks to be their sticking point. Even with some big-name veterans added to the mix, there's still a sizable drop-off after Giolito, and the back of the rotation is short on proven performers. WILD CARD As mentioned, it's very possible that Luis Robert will hit some speedbumps as he acclimates to the majors. In fact, that should be expected, particularly given the plate discipline struggles he experienced in the minors last year. But ... if he catches on right away? Robert was one of the most highly-touted international prospects to come along in some time when Chicago signed him out of Cuba for $26 million in 2017. He's a strong defender in center, and offers a rare combination of speed and power. Last season as a 21-year-old he mashed 32 homers and stole 36 bases in 122 games between three minor-league levels. This is an electrifying talent with the potential to change games nightly, kinda like the former top prospect now manning center field for the Twins. Of course, Byron Buxton is a perfect example of how it can take a while to click. But that's not the case for everyone. If Robert has a smooth transition to the majors, look out. 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