Nick Nelson

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to stick with what's working and leave Arraez near the bottom of the lineup while the heavy hitters stay stacked at the top.

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to move Luis Arraez, who leads the league in AVG and ranks third in OBP, into the leadoff spot.

As the All-Star break approaches, our Minnesota Twins have pulled into first place with another strong run of results. Catch up on the latest in our simulated 2020 season, and weigh in on the next audience-guided key decision.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 7/5 Team Record: 52-38 Leading OPS: Luis Arraez (.935 in 266 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Kenta Maeda (3.33 in 105.1 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Tyler Duffey (1.54 in 41 IP) LATEST RESULTS (7-3) Gm 81 @ HOU: L 7-3 (Odorizzi 4 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 82 @ HOU: W 5-0 (Maeda 6 IP, 0 ER, 8 K, W) Gm 83 vs COL: W 9-5 (Donaldson 2-5, HR, 4 RBI) Gm 84 vs COL: L 8-6 (Rogers 1 IP, 4 ER, L) Gm 85 vs COL: W (Berrios 8 IP, 1 ER, 8 K, W) Gm 86 @ DET: W 15-11 (Kepler 4-5, 3 runs) Gm 87 @ DET: W 11-0 (Maeda CG SO) Gm 88 @ DET: W 4-1 (Bailey 6 IP, 1 ER) Gm 89 @ CLE: W 7-5 (Gonzalez grand slam) Gm 90 @ CLE: L 5-4 (Arraez 3-5) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings75.jpeg THE RUNDOWN Before we dive into the team's recent positive developments, here's an update on roster moves that commenters helped guide last time around. The decision up for vote was whether we should: A) Send struggling rookie Brent Rooker down to the minors and recall a different outfielder for the bench, or B ) Send struggling rookie Jordan Balazovic down to the minors and recall a different fifth starter. Although the rotation change won out, there were quite a few votes for each, and multiple commenters basically said, "Well why can't we just do both?" Which, yeah, good point! Both moves made sense, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on both. Except... We can't send Balazovic down. I guess I kinda knew this before, but had forgotten. Since he was (for some reason) available as a free agent before we added him on an MLB deal at the start of the season, he has no options. I figured y'all wouldn't be cool with exposing our best pitching prospect to waivers, so I moved him to the bullpen, optioned Randy Dobnak, and called up Michael Pineda. In adding Pineda to the 40-man roster, we waived our lowest-rated player, Sean Poppen, who was claimed by Baltimore. Pineda was solid in his first MLB start of the season, allowing four runs in six innings against Colorado. I skipped his second start, because we had an off day ahead of a crucial series in Cleveland and I had a chance to bring our top three starters at them. Cave, meanwhile, is off to a great start. He went 3-for-4 with a homer in his season debut against Houston and is slashing .381/.519/.524 through 27 plate appearances. Cave is contributing to an offense that has taken off. Disappointing efforts were routine in recent updates, but here as the calendar flips to July, the bats are heating up. In the past 10 games we scored 67 runs. The highlight (for the hitters anyway) was a 15-11 victory in the series opener at Detroit, in which the Twins collected 21 hits and four homers. They opened the game by jumping all over some bum starting pitcher for seven runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Going by his name, I assumed the guy was a joke and his performance followed suit. Download attachment: odorizzivsnelson.jpeg Fueled by this strong offensive output, our Twins went 7-3 for a second consecutive session, moving past the Indians (who went 4-6) for sole possession of first place. At this moment in the sim, we're through 90 games, and we have split the first two games of a series in Cleveland, with Marwin Gonzalez's eighth-inning grand slam turning the tides in a 7-5 Game 1 victory. We'll send 10-4 Kenta Maeda to the hill against 10-5 Shane Bieber for the rubber match, with a chance to go ahead by three games in the Central. Our season is now eight games away from the All-Star break. I'll update next after those eight, rather than the usual 10, so we can have a nice clean ASG checkpoint. Let's hit the season's unofficial halfway mark on a high note. I'll be calling on your help for a lineup decision that could tilt the odds in our favor in this final pre-break sample. First, here's a look at some trending players. WHO'S HOT Luis Arraez isn't rated all that highly in MLB The Show 20 – his 79 overall rating ranks 14th on our roster – but the game seems to recognize his scrappy overachieving nature. This past 10-game stretch was probably his best of the season, as he delivered two three-hit games and two four-hit games on the way to going 17-for-34 (.500) overall. He now finds himself leading the AL in batting average at .338. Marcell Ozuna is the MLB leader at .360. It's a good thing we've got Maeda taking the hill for our critical next game against Cleveland, because the man is HOT. His first start of the last batch saw him hold Houston scoreless over six innings of one-hit ball, striking out eight with one walk. In his second he coasted to a complete-game shutout against Detroit, allowing five hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks while the offense scored 11 runs. That's 15 innings with zero runs and an 18-to-4 K/BB ratio, bringing his ERA down to 3.33. With the All-Star Game nine days away, Maeda has an outside shot at getting in, although Verlander, Kluber, Sale, and Ryu are among the starters with clearly superior cases. The Twins do have a few guys in line to be selected: Mitch Garver is leading all catchers in votes, with his .906 OPS and 14 homers putting him ahead of Salvador Perez and Gary Sanchez.Max Kepler (.841 OPS, 12 HR, 50 RBI) is holding down the lead in right field as his performance plateaus, although Jorge Soler and Aaron Judge are closing in.Eddie Rosario, third among left fielders, is the only other position player with a real shot to get in.Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey could be in the All-Star bullpen mix. WHO'S NOT Rogers has been mostly fantastic in the closer role, but he hurt his All-Star case a bit with an uncharacteristic disaster outing in the second game of the Colorado series. The Twins had rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 6-4 lead, and so we turned to our usually reliable closer. But the Rockies jumped on Rogers for four runs on six hits in one inning, winning 8-6. To his credit, the resilient lefty bounced back with a scoreless ninth and save the following day, and he added two more saves with clean frames against Detroit and Houston. Meanwhile, Odorizzi is riding the rotation seesaw. While Maeda has quickly switched gears from ice-cold to red-hot (he was in this section last time), Odo did the opposite. He entered the latest 10-game stretch with a team-leading 2.86 ERA, and made three starts, on account of the decision to skip Pineda's second turn. Here are the numbers in those three starts for Odorizzi: 9 IP, 13 ER. Covered up by Minnesota's explosive offense in a 15-11 win over Detroit was Odorizzi's hideous start (1 IP, 6 ER), and he lasted only four innings apiece in his other two. Odorizzi's ERA has jumped to 3.62, which – in fairness – was probably a fair expectation for him coming in. His pattern in the game of going on a crazy run and then offsetting it with a few normalizing clunkers seems true enough to real life. Hopefully he can get into another groove for the second half. DECISION TIME: MOVE ARRAEZ TO LEADOFF? My attitude with the lineup has generally been hands-off up to this point. But Arraez's continuing success is causing me to question his spot near the bottom of the order, I've been pretty steadfast in running out this 1-through-5 order regularly: Versus RHP: Kepler, Donaldson, Sano, Rosario, Cruz Versus LHP: Garver, Donaldson, Sano, Kepler, Cruz And these guys have all been quite good. None are necessarily deserving of a demotion, but at the same time, Arraez is sorta forcing the issue. Not only does he lead the American League in batting average, but he's third in OBP at .431, trailing only Trout (.442) and Xander Bogaerts (.433). Download attachment: obpleaders.jpeg So my question for today, as we march toward the All-Star break: Should we make Arraez our full-time leadoff hitter? Or should we stick with the lineup philosophies that have gotten us to this point? You can voice your opinion in the comments section. COMING UP 7/5: @ CLE 7/6: vs KC 7/7: vs KC 7/8: vs KC 7/9: vs TOR 7/10: vs TOR 7/11: vs TOR 7/12: vs TOR 7/12: Home Run Derby 7/13: MLB All-Star Game PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) Part 9: Cruz Control (45-35) 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

Hill got removed because we DFA'ed him when we removed him from the rotation earlier this season. Pineda was not on the 40-man in the game (presumably as a way to reflect him being suspended?) and is also direly underrated in it.

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to send down Jordan Balazovic to find his groove in Triple-A, while promoting one of the several worthy performers in Triple-A – Rich Hill, Devin Smeltzer, Michael Pineda or Reid McMahon – to take over the fifth spot in the rotation. (Feel free to specify your preference, otherwise I'll likely to go with Smeltzer since he's on the 40-man.)

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to send down Brent Rooker and let him regain his confidence, while promoting Jake Cave or Alex Kirilloff to take his place on the bench. (Feel free to specify your preference, otherwise I'll likely to go with Cave.)

As we reach the halfway point in our interactive simulated 2020 season, the Minnesota Twins are neck-and-neck with the Cleveland Indians atop the AL Central. The latest stretch saw the resurgence and redemption of an embattled vet, along with some thrilling down-to-the-wire finishes. Oh, and the Southern League All-Star Game has arrived! The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are sending five representatives.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 6/23 Team Record: 45-35 Leading OPS: Luis Arraez (.906 in 232 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Jake Odorizzi (2.86 in 103.2 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Tyler Duffey (1.69 in 37.1 IP) LATEST RESULTS (7-3) Gm 71 @ KC: W 10-3 (Arraez 2-3, 3 RBI) Gm 72 @ KC: L 5-1 (Maeda 3 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, L) Gm 73 @ KC: W 11-1 (Rosario 3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI) Gm 74 vs MIL: W 5-3 (Cruz 3-4, 3 HR, 5 RBI) Gm 75 vs MIL: L 4-3 (Cruz 0-5, 4 K) Gm 76 vs NYY: W 8-7 (Sano 1-3, HR, 3 RBI) Gm 77 vs NYY: W 6-4 (Cruz 3-4, HR, 3 RBI) Gm 78 vs NYY: W 9-8 (Garver PH walk-off single) Gm 79 vs NYY: L 13-1 (Balazovic 4 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 80 @ HOU: W 7-0 (Berrios 7 IP, 0 R, W) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcsstandings623.jpeg THE RUNDOWN If I were running an actual MLB team, I would adhere to the type of patient, big-picture approach I tend to advocate as a writer and fan. Baseball's season is a long haul, and overreacting to small-sample struggles (or successes) within it is a recipe for mismanagement and self-sabotage. But when running a fictional team, as in our current ongoing exercise, I like to abandon any pretense of rationality or restraint. I'm all about shaking things up constantly. Bench people. Make trades. Stir the pot. Why not?! So I'll admit, when I presented a decision here in our last installment – To bench or not to bench the scuffling Nelson Cruz? – I was kinda hoping the voters would feed into my chaotic appetite. You didn't. Commenters showed a clear preference to stick with the veteran slugging DH. And here's what happened: Cruz went 12-for-31 (.375) over the next 10 games with five home runs and 10 RBIs. In a 5-3 win over Milwaukee, he hit three home runs and drove in ALL FIVE RUNS. Days later, his three-run homer against the Yankees proved decisive in a 6-4 win. Cruz did have one ugly clunker mixed in – an 0-for-5 golden sombrero following the three-homer binge – but he has quickly re-emerged as an offensive force, raising his OPS by 60 points in the process. So uh, yeah, good call on that one. With Cruz leading the charge, our Twins went 7-3 over the past 10 to pull back within two games of Cleveland for first. With almost exactly one-half of the season (80 games) in the books, the Twins are on pace for 91 wins, but that likely won't be enough to edge a very good Cleveland squad, led by MVP contender Jose Ramirez. The big highlight of our latest stretch, outside of Cruz's takeover, was of course winning three out of four against the Yankees. New York is actually kind of lying in the weeds, four games back in the AL East with a .500 record, and we took advantage with a trio of tight victories. The wildest of these came in the third game, in which Minnesota was down 8-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, and 8-4 entering the bottom of the ninth. Here's what went down at that point: RHP Tommy Kahnle enters to pitch for NYY.Jorge Polanco hits a leadoff HR. 8-5.Josh Donaldson reaches on an infield single.Miguel Sano walks, Donaldson to second.LHP Aroldis Chapman replaces Kahnle for NYY. (Aaron Boone sweating.)Max Kepler grounds to third, Gio Urshela throws to second to get Sano but Kepler beats the relay at first. Donaldson to third. Runners on the corners, one out.Nelson Cruz walks. Kepler to second. Bases loaded.Marwin Gonzalez strikes out swinging. Two outs.Eddie Rosario singles to right. Donaldson scores and so does Kepler, beating Aaron Judge's throw to the plate. Cruz to third.Byron Buxton reaches on an error by first baseman Luis Voit. Cruz scores, Rosario to second. Tie ballgame.Mitch Garver pinch-hits for Willians Astudillo.Garver singles to center. With no chance to get Rosario at home, Aaron Hicks tries nailing Buxton at third, but to no avail. Eddie scores and the Twins complete their stunning comeback, walking off against Chapman.I know, it's just a fake simulation through a video game. But watching these events play out in rapid fashion, as I oversaw the action in Quick Manage mode, generated a genuine buzz of energy for me with its vibes of authenticity – Chapman battling with command, Rosario coming up clutch, Buxton beating the defense with his speed – and there's a certain joy in beating the damn Yankees no matter what the context or medium. Baseball, I miss you so much. One final note before we move on: As of today (in the game's calendar), the Southern League (AA) All-Star Game is upon us. I am pleased to share that five Twins prospects, playing for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, made the roster: Ben Rortvedt is the starter at catcher, standing out with his solid offense (.243/.330/.373, 6 HR, 19 RBI) and excellent defense.Shortstop Wander Javier (.311/.379/.429 in 49 games) and third baseman Jose Miranda (.286/.355/.411 in 53 games) both made it as bench players.Right-hander Edwar Colina gets in as a starting pitcher. He's 8-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 72-to-25 K/BB ratio through 14 starts.Lefty reliever Sam Clay rounds out the bullpen, somewhat oddly as he has only thrown 15 1/3 innings, although he does own a 2.93 ERA and 0.91 WHIP.WHO'S HOT Cruz, obviously. Outside of the slugger, Luis Arraez continues to rake, and now leads the team in OPS, with his .315/.415/.491 slash line reflecting a real-life best case scenario for the scrappy second baseman. Arraez is seventh among AL hitters in average and fourth in the All-Star voting at second, behind Gleyber Torres, Jose Altuve and Cesar Hernandez. Meanwhile, Rosario keeps coming through with big knocks and has his RBI total up to 53, leading the team and tying him for seventh in the AL. On the pitching side, Jose Berrios stayed hot with two more quality starts. In the most recent game we simmed, a series opener in Houston, Berrios had one of his finest efforts yet with seven innings of shutout ball, allowing three hits and two walks with six strikeouts as the Twins rolled 7-0. The trashcan-less Astros are 37-40 in our sim season. WHO'S NOT Kenta Maeda was once 7-0, and the last starting pitcher in MLB to be tagged with a loss. He has since gone 1-4. The performance across his last two starts (8 IP, 5 ER, 11 H, 7 K, 5 BB) is reflective of Maeda's new norm, as his ERA has risen to 3.89. Homer Bailey's latest sample epitomizes the up-and-down nature of his season. First, he spins 8 1/3 innings of one-run ball against Kansas City, allowing four hits. Then he lasts only three innings against the Yankees, allowing five earned runs and walking four. With an 8-3 record, 4.96 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, Bailey is what he is: an adequate back-of-rotation piece that we should probably be looking to upgrade as the deadline gets closer. On offense, Josh Donaldson and Miguel Sano are still in the dumps, but after the lessons learned from Cruz's ordeal, I'm not going to dwell on it one bit. With that said, there are two rookies whose performances (and possibly miscast roles) compel action. Which brings us to this week's decision. DECISION TIME: CALL UP AN OUTFIELDER OR A STARTING PITCHER? Several weeks back, we called up Brent Rooker, with hopes he could help boost the offense coming off a strong opening run at Triple-A. While he's had his moments since joining the team, Rooker has generally looked overmatched, slashing .241/.305/.315 with 17 strikeouts and four walks in 59 PA. We could swap him out for Jake Cave, who leads the Rochester Red Wings in OPS (.808) and offers the ability to play center. Or... we could call up Alex Kirilloff, trailing Cave by just four points in OPS (.280/.359/.445) and riding a hot streak. But can we get him the playing time to justify it? Alternatively, we could turn our attention to the rotation. Jordan Balazovic, who you may recall was a free agent for some reason at the start of the season, has shown some nice signs since being acquired and thrust into a big-league role, averaging a strikeout per inning, but he hasn't fared much better as a starter than he did as a reliever. Through 15 appearances (six starts) he has a 6.12 ERA and 1.73 WHIP. We've tried bringing along our top young pitching talent through aggressive means. Maybe it's time to take a step back and send him to Triple-A for recalibration. Several pitchers in Rochester have intriguing cases to take his job: Rich Hill, who accepted a demotion after we DFA'ed him and he went unclaimed, is 6-1 with a 2.68 ERA in nine starts.Devin Smeltzer has a 2.52 ERA and 1.17 WHIP through 11 starts, although he did struggle during a brief long-relief stint with the Twins earlier this year.Michael Pineda has a 70-to-15 K/BB ratio, 3.45 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 13 starts.And a fictional 19-year-old left-hander named Reid McMahon, who opened the season in Single-A but has risen on the strength of his performance, now has a 1.70 ERA in his nine starts since joining the Red Wings. He also has a 5.9 K/9 rate, but the pitch-to-contact technique is working for him.We're either going to make a move in the fifth starter spot or at the end of our bench. I will leave the decision up to you. Make your preference known in the comments section below. PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to reduce Cruz to 1 or 2 starts per week at DH, in turn helping keep other regulars fresher and giving Brent Rooker more opportunity to establish himself.

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to stick with Nelson Cruz as a regular, hoping he can break out of his prolonged offensive slump and help rejuvenate the sagging lineup.

As our interactive simulated marches into mid-June, we've acquired an exciting new talent in the draft but the big-league team is falling as its offense slumps. Persisting struggles from a veteran lineup fixture prompt a difficult decision, and I need your help making it.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 6/12 Team Record: 38-32 Leading OPS: Mitch Garver (.918 in 187 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Jake Odorizzi (2.60 in 93.1 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Tyler Duffey (1.69 in 32.0 IP) LATEST RESULTS (4-6) Gm 61 vs TB: L 5-1 (Cruz/Sano/Garver 0-for-10) Gm 62 vs TB: L 5-0 (Maeda 5 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 63 vs TB: L 7-5 (Bailey 3 ER, 5 R, 1 ER, L) Gm 64 vs LAA: L 3-0 (MIN offense: 5 singles) Gm 65 vs LAA: W 6-4 (Kepler 2-4, HR, 3B, 3 RBI) Gm 66 vs LAA: W 5-4 (Buxton 3-4, 2 2B, SB) Gm 67 vs LAA: L 5-4 (Maeda, 5.2 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 68 @ BAL: W 4-3 (Bailey 8 IP, 2 ER, W) Gm 69 @ BAL: L 6-5 (Kepler 5-7, HR) Gm 70 @ BAL: W 6-2 (Berrios 8.2 IP, 2 ER, W) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings6_12.jpeg THE RUNDOWN We have drafted! When the 27th pick came up in the first round and it was our turn to select, several appealing names were available. We could've gone with Elvis Bernstein, the well rounded 22-year-old right fielder out of Kansas. Or with John Ludwick, the 21-year-old strong-armed catcher out of Wisconsin. But with the directive to aim for young upside (per last edition's vote), we instead selected Jose Lopez, a 19-year-old center fielder born in the Dominican Republic (but presumably now living in the U.S., unless MLB The Show has unilaterally decided to allow international players into the Rule 4 draft, which I wouldn't hate). At 6'1" and 197 lbs, Lopez has elite speed and strong baserunning skills. Our scouts seem to believe he's going to grow offensively from his current limited profile. Download attachment: lopezprofile.jpeg We'll keep tabs on Lopez as he acclimates to the pros. Exciting stuff. Less exciting was our team's latest 10-game stretch, which saw the Twins drop from a first-place tie in the Central to 3 1/2 out, as we went 4-6 while Cleveland bounced back from its slump with a 7-3 run. We opened by getting swept at home by the Rays, in a series where the bats went totally silent. The first two contests saw Minnesota outscored 10-1 while grounding into five double plays. A pair of errors by Miguel Sano in the third game proved costly, with four unearned runs crossing against starter Homer Bailey. The Rays were followed into town by the Angels, who themselves bulldozed Twins hitters in the series opener, winning 3-0 behind Jaime Barria. We did finally manage to get on track a little at this point, taking four of the next six against Los Angeles and Baltimore. With the All-Star break about a month away, and the Indians finding their groove again, our Twins need to start getting on a roll. That might mean shaking things up in the suddenly sluggish lineup. We'll discuss shortly. WHO'S HOT It's been nice to see Jose Berrios finally shake off the early-season struggles and look like the guy we expected. He came up big in his latest two starts, both victories, allowing two earned runs over 16 1/3 innings. In the first he played stopper, helping the team end a four-game losing streak while pitching into the eighth. In his second start Berrios nearly completed a shutout in Baltimore, but I had to pull him after he gave up two solo shots in the ninth. Download attachment: berrioscloseup.jpeg As manager, it's been tough not to turn to the bullpen whenever signs of trouble surface for the starters, because the relievers are so damn good. These five are consistently getting the job done: Taylor Rogers - 1.89 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8.6 K/9Tyler Duffey - 1.69 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 9.8 K/9Tyler Clippard - 2.63 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 6.6 K/9Trevor May - 2.73 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 12.1 K/9Sergio Romo - 3.07 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.6 K/9Meanwhile, Zack Littell (4.13 ERA) and Randy Dobnak (4.60 ERA) have been serviceable. Fernando Romero (5.25 ERA) hasn't been too effective since his call-up, but he's only thrown 12 innings. Offensively, Mitch Garver continues to bring the sauce, batting .323 in the latest slate. With a .918 OPS and 11 homers through 50 games, Garver's second in the All-Star voting at catcher behind Kansas City's Salvador Perez. Max Kepler, now slashing .313/.389/.512 after a 13-for-37 stretch, leads all AL right fielders. WHO'S NOT Pretty much everyone on the offense other than Garver and Kepler. Our once-mighty lineup now finds itself sputtering more often than not. Josh Donaldson, Miguel Sano and Nelson Cruz, who were driving forces early on, went a combined 15-for-92 (.163) with one home run (by Donaldson) over the past 10 games. Cruz in particular is worrisome. He's been cited in this section three straight weeks now, as his cold spell lingers indefinitely. He's now slashing just .260/.344/.439 on the season, with a .783 OPS that ranks eighth among Twins hitters. So... DECISION TIME: SHOULD WE BENCH NELSON CRUZ? He saw a reduction in playing time over the past 10 games, starting only six, but still looked meager at the plate with four singles in 22 at-bats. Something is clearly amiss with the aging slugger and it's taking a toll on our team's production. A benching would entail the relegation of Cruz to a role of pinch-hitter and occasional starter. To replace his reps we could rotate various other starters through the DH spot – with Marwin Gonzalez filling in defensively – while also giving more playing time to young Brent Rooker, slashing just .217/.280/.283 over 50 plate appearances in sporadic action. Vote your choice in the comments section below. COMING UP 6/12: @ KC 6/13: @ KC 6/14: @ KC 6/16: vs MIL 6/17: vs MIL 6/18: vs NYY 6/19: vs NYY 6/20: vs NYY 6/21: vs NYY PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (36-24) 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

Our hope was to be watching a division race between the Twins and Indians unfolding in earnest right now. We're not, so instead I have dictated this fictional contest between the Twins team from the movie Little Big League (1994) and the Indians team from Major League (1989), as called by radio play-by-play man Wally Holland (John Gordon's character in LBL). This is either my greatest or dumbest idea yet. Likely both.First a few notes. Yes, I re-watched both films and meticulously scouted all the players in preparation for writing this. If you're at all a fan of either classic baseball flick, I think you'll enjoy. There are some liberties taken with timelines, but the idea is that this game takes place in late August in the mid-90s, following the seasons depicted in each film. Without further ado... ~~~ From the Metrodome in the Twin Cities, hello again everyone! This is Wally Holland, excited to bring you tonight's game between the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. This series, much like this season, has brought us a lot of drama between two teams jockeying for playoff position. It's a medley of great stories under the teflon roof tonight, with 13-year-old manager Billy Heywood trying to lead his first-place Twins to the playoffs after they came oh-so-close a year ago. His club is working hard to fend off a determined Indians team under the far more battle-tested Lou Brown. This has been a trying year for Heywood, who's missed time due to multiple groundings from his mother. The challenges of algebra class have become challenges for the Twins, but luckily they've been able to weather the storm, with Heywood's pitching coach and right-hand man Mac MacNally filling in as needed. The Twins take the field, and heading to the mound it's Mike McGrevey, the feisty veteran rotation fixture. McGrevey re-signed with Minnesota as a free agent during the offseason, which was an unexpected turn of events given his initial friction with Heywood as the manager. Sure enough, McGrevey's been the kid's most reliable starter for much the season. He's done with his warmup and we're ready to get underway here in the Dome, as Cleveland's leadoff hitter steps into the batter's box. It is of course Willie "Mays" Hayes, the speedy center fielder for the Indians. Hayes enjoying another strong season with a .294 average to go along with 47 steals. This is a guy you do not want on base. First pitch from McGrevey in there for a called strike. The veteran right-hander brings a solid fastball to go along with a sweeping curve, and will mix in a changeup now and then. He has worked to a 12-8 record and 3.89 ERA so far in the campaign. The righty's second offering misses the outside corner to even the count at 1-1. Sizable crowd here in Minneapolis tonight – a welcome change from what were accustomed to last year around the time. It's been great to see the fans come out for this winning team, and you know that seeing the wunderkind skipper is a big part of the attraction. Reports suggest that the rousing curtain-call ovation Heywood received after the Twins fell short against Seattle in last year's Game 163 tiebreaker inspired a change of heart on Billy's initial decision to step aside. McGrevey winds up and delivers. Hayes swings and pops it up. A lazy fly to shallow right, and Kain has it measured it for the first out. Lou Brown can't be happy to see Hayes get under another one, as the raspy manager has been working tirelessly with the speedster to get the ball on the ground consistently. Here now comes the shortstop Reyna, who flicks away McGrevey's first offering right of first base. Collins jogs over a look, and watches it land five rows back. Count is 0-1. McGrevey receives it back from the catcher Hodges and he's back at it, working quickly. Gets the sign and here's the pitch. Reyna turns on it and drives the ball to left field. Charging toward the line is Lonnie Ritter and he ... MAKES the catch! A nice running grab by Lonnie to retire the shortstop, and that'll bring up Roger Dorn with two outs. Dorn a veteran staple for the Indians, better known for his bat than his glove. He's been fighting it a bit of late, but some good news for the Tribe ... [receives note] ... On Friday night games in August, played indoors when the outside temperature is higher than 73 degrees, Dorn is batting .385 for the year. McGrevey's first pitch is low, and Dorn holds off. One-and-nothing the count. Plenty of experience in this matchup, as both McGrevey and Dorn have been around for quite a while. Each formed a reputation for being brash and a bit contentious in the clubhouse last season, but tensions have simmered this summer. For that you've gotta give their managers a lot of credit – Brown and Heywood both take a no-nonsense approach with their mercurial vets. Second pitch from McGrevey misses again, and now he's behind Dorn 2-0. The Twins starter will want to be careful here with the dangerous cleanup hitter Pedro Cerrano on deck. McGrevey has the sign and here's the delivery ... JUST high, and now he's at risk of putting a runner on base for one of the league's top sluggers. Cerrano currently ranking second in the American League in home runs behind New York's Clu Haywood. That is of course no relation to Billy Heywood, who is peering peering out from the dugout here as McGrevey takes a brief stroll around the mound. Dorn staring down to third and receiving a sign, but he ... appears to be shaking it off. The windup, and here's the 3-0 pitch ... Dorn swings, and hits it straight up in the air! The catcher Hodges is underneath it and makes the easy catch for out number three. Boy, it sure looked like Dorn ignored a take call there and chased outside the zone. Lou Brown does NOT look happy in the Indians dugout. Nonetheless, Cleveland is down in order and now the Twins will come up to bat. We'll bring you the bottom of the first after a word from our sponsors! [Hey everyone. It's me, Nick. Hope you're enjoying. If you haven't recently, I highly recommend a Little Big League viewing. As mentioned, I watched it ahead of writing this and it brought back some memories. The movie didn't so much make me nostalgic for baseball as it made me nostalgic for the Metrodome. For those who spent a lot of time there in the '90s, seeing all of its quirks and crannies represented on-screen is a treat. I miss that place. Anyway, we're returning from break.] Welcome back to the Metrodome, where the Twins are getting ready to come to bat. On the mound tonight for Cleveland it's the ageless Eddie Harris, who continues to get it done as he approaches 40. The crafty right-hander can't reach the 90s with his heater anymore, but his guile has proven enough to get him by as he keeps soaking up innings for the Indians. Harris has been their steadiest starter since hard-throwing Rick Vaughn moved to the bullpen. Stepping to the plate, it's second baseman Mickey Scales, Minnesota's own lightning-quick leadoff man. He can't quite match the speed of Willie Mays Hayes, but then again, who can? Scales is nonetheless enjoying himself a nice second season in the majors after struggling to find his way at times as a rookie. Harris lobs in a breaking ball that floats over the plate for strike one as Scales watches. The second baseman has made major strides since Billy Heywood took over as manager, seeming to benefit from a more laid-back style of instruction as opposed to the red-ass technique of George O'Farrell, who was dismissed from his post in part because of Heywood's disagreement with that approach. Here comes the second pitch from Harris. Scales swings and hits a chopper to short. Reyna gloves it and fires to Metcalf at first ... GOT HIM by a hair! Scales ran hard down the line there but a nice play by the Cleveland shortstop retires him for out number one. Next up, a player who needs no introduction. Twins fans have come to cherish seeing his number 34 out in center field at the Metrodome. Yes, of course I'm talking about Spencer Hamilton. He's ready, and takes a ball inside from Harris. Previously known for his glove, Hamilton has had a bit of an offensive breakthrough working with hitting coach Jerry Johnson, who as recently as last year was playing alongside Hamilton in the Twins outfield. Swing and a miss at the slow breaking ball from Harris, and the count is even at one. Boy, that pitch really had some spin on it. Might've been one that Harris amusingly refers to as a "Vaseline Ball." The savvy righty is still finding ways to keep batters guessing after all these years, and we all remember that magnificent effort in the AL West tiebreaker game against the Yankees last year, where Harris hurled 8 2/3 innings of two-run ball, setting up Jake Taylor's walk-off bunt single. Here comes the 1-1 to Hamilton ... it bounces in front of the plate for ball two as Taylor smothers it. Maybe a little too much vaseline on that one! Circling back to Jerry Johnson, the Twins' hitting instructor is still adapting and adjusting to a new role. Johnson opened last season as Minnesota's right fielder, but the former star was showing his age, and he was running on fumes by the time Billy Heywood made the hard choice to release him. Hamilton checks his swing on an offspeed pitch away, and it's 3-1. There were some hard feelings initially when Johnson was let go, but Heywood later brought him back in as hitting coach, and Johnson has made a big impact with developing young players like Scales and Hamilton. Harris looking slightly frazzled on the mound as he tries to come back and get the Twins' center fielder, reaching to the bill of his cap repeatedly. He winds up and delivers ... Hamilton swings and smashes toward third, past a reaching Dorn! It skips down the turf and rattles around near the bullpen mounds. Tomlinson gathers it in an d throws to the infield, but he won't be in time to get Hamilton, who pulls into second with a double. Heywood is up on the top step of the dugout clapping. That'll bring up the first baseman Lou Collins with a man in scoring position. Ever the fan favorite, Collins receives a nice ovation as he steps into the left-handed batter's box. This matchup with Harris bodes well for him since ... [receives note] ... Collins is batting .355 in home games against right-handed pitchers born in even-numbered years. Here's the first pitch from Harris ... Collins jumps on it and drives a liner to straightaway center. Charging in is Hayes, and he scoops it up as Hamilton rounds third with Jerry Johnson waving him home. Throw to the plate is ... OFF LINE and Taylor can't get back in time to apply the tag. Twins take a 1-0 lead here in the first! Collins with an aggressive approach in that AB, jumping on the get-me-over fastball from Harris to drive in the game's first run. Of course, Collins isn't known for wasting time, as he famously proposed to Billy Heywood's mother last fall, following just a few shorts months of courtship. They're set to be wed this winter, and the engagement seems to be doing his numbers some good, as Collins leads the Twins in RBIs and is among the league leaders. Stepping to the plate now is Minnesota's best pure slugger, the designated hitter Leon Alexander. He and Collins have provided a powerful 1-2 lefty punch in the heart of Heywood's batting order. Harris checks the runner and comes set. First pitch to Alexander is swung on and missed for strike one. The big man Alexander has gone from getting occasional work at first base to fully-time DH duties, with Collins starting every single at first since returning from his late-season benching by Heywood last year. The position seems to suit Leon well, as he leads the Twins in homers, making a habit of sending them over the big blue baggy in right. The 0-1 coming from Harris and Alexander swings. Ground ball to second base, it's right at Larson. Throws to Reyna and the relay is IN TIME to get Alexander at first. A twin killing, and Minnesota's down here in the first, but not before staking an early lead on the bat of Lou Collins. Twins one, Indians nothing! We'll be back for the second inning shortly. [Actually, that's all for today's installment but I will be back with a follow-up soon, which fast-forwards to the ninth inning as a thrilling finish unfolds. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for that one, because things are gonna get... wild (insert wink emoji)] 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

I'm sure he'd take the mixup as a high compliment!

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to use our first-round draft pick on a younger high school player who may offer more upside but will also likely take more time to develop.

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to use our first-round draft pick on an older collegiate player with the potential to make a faster impact (but likely with a lower ceiling).

In our interactive simulated season, the 2020 Minnesota Twins have pulled into a tie for first place heading into June, but there appears to be a heated three-way battle developing in the Central. Meanwhile, the MLB Draft is upon us, and I need your help.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. Date In Game: 6/1 Team Record: 34-26 Leading OPS: Miguel Sano (.966 in 195 AB) Leading ERA (SP): Jake Odorizzi (2.30 in 82.0 IP) Leading ERA (RP): Taylor Rogers (1.55 in 29.0 IP) LATEST RESULTS (4-6) Gm 51 vs CWS: L 2-1 (Odorizzi 7 IP, 1 ER, 9 K, L) Gm 52 vs CWS: L 6-3 (Maeda 5 IP, 3 ER, L) Gm 53 vs CWS: L 10-2 (Bailey 4.1 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 54 vs CWS: W 4-3 (Rosario walk-off 2-R double) Gm 55 @ NYY: L 9-1 (Berrios 5 IP, 4 ER, L) Gm 56 @ NYY: L 3-2 (Rogers 0.2 IP, 1 ER, L) Gm 57 @ NYY: W 10-5 (Sano 3-5, HR, 3 RBI) Gm 58 @ CWS: W 8-1 (Garver 4-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI) Gm 59 @ CWS: L 5-3 (Balazovic 6 IP, 5 ER, L) Gm 60 @ CWS: W 7-4 (Garver 2-5, 2 RBI) AL CENTRAL STANDINGS Download attachment: alcstandings6120.jpeg THE RUNDOWN Our Twins have pulled into a tie with Cleveland for first place, but it's not because we played all that well. Instead, the Indians have run into a deep slump; they've lost 12 out of their last 13, including an 11-game losing streak (!) that completely offsets their 11-0 start to the season. For our part, we've endured some struggles, but a 4-6 run over the past 10 games was enough to pull us even with the Indians, who led the division by five games at the end of April. Meanwhile, the White Sox are starting to emerge as factors in the race, only two games behind the deadlocked leaders. Chicago certainly made a statement in the early part of our latest batch of sims, taking the first three games in a four-game set and nearly completing a sweep before Eddie Rosario salvaged victory from the jaws of defeat with a two-run walk-off single in the bottom of the 14th. That was the team's only win in a six-game span, as the Twins headed next to the Bronx, with expected results. New York won the first contest in a 9-1 laugher, then walked off the typically reliable Taylor Rogers in Game 2. Luckily the Twins were able to again avoid a sweep, taking the finale 10-5, and they carried that momentum to Chicago with a 2-1 series victory that keeps the charging White Sox at bay (for now). Jordan Balazovic, who was voted into the rotation last time around, is still looking for his first win after two starts but he has certainly given cause for intrigue. In his first MLB start against the White Sox, he tossed six innings of two-run ball, helping Minnesota avoid a four-game sweep. His next turn, against that same Chicago team on the road, didn't go as smoothly as he allowed five earned runs over six frames. However, he struck out 10 batters with only one walk, giving him a 15-to-2 K/BB ratio in 12 innings over his first two turns in the rotation. Download attachment: balazovicpitching.jpeg Now that we've reached June, the MLB Draft is approaching, just two days away in our sim. I'll solicit some advice shortly, but first, let's run through the roster's hot and cold players. WHO'S HOT In his latest two starts, Jake Odorizzi allowed three earned runs in 14 innings with 17 strikeouts. He now leads the American League in ERA, with his 2.30 mark edging Mike Minor's 2.35. Odo has been absolutely sensational, continuing to lead the rotation as Kenta Maeda comes back to Earth a bit (allowed 8 ER in 11 IP and took his first L during latest stretch) and Jose Berrios navigates an unspectacular first half (5-4 with a 4.34 ERA on the season). In the bullpen, Tyler Duffey has clearly emerged as the top option behind Taylor Rogers. After allowing zero runs in 5 1/3 innings across four appearances, Duffey now holds a 1.67 ERA on the season to go along with a 27-to-11 K/BB and 1.26 WHIP through 27 innings. Offensively, Mitch Garver continues to come on in a big way, with his .953 OPS now ranking second on the team behind Sano. Garver was an absolute force in the latest series at Chicago, going 6-for-10 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs in his two starts. WHO'S NOT The once-potent offense has cooled considerably, scoring three or fewer runs in six of the past 10 games. The biggest culprit in the unit's drop-off is pretty clearly Nelson Cruz, whose slump (mentioned last time) has snowballed. In the past 10 games he went 3-for-32 (.094) with no homers, and he's been leaving all sorts of runners on base. Thanks to his outstanding start Cruz still has a respectable overall line (.268/.352/.460) and he's tied for second on the team in RBIs with 39, but one wonders if the veteran DH – who turns 40 in exactly one month – is starting to show signs of age. We'll stick with him in prime lineup spots for now and hope the cold spell gives way in June. DECISION TIME: SETTING A DRAFT STRATEGY As mentioned, the 2020 MLB Draft is coming up this week. We have no idea who'll be available when the Twins select 27th overall; right now the 27th-ranked player on our scouting board is a 20-year-old center fielder out of Illinois named Brett Bollinger (that's Brett, not Rhett). My plan is to generally take a "best player available" approach with our first pick, but I wanted to get your input on a high-level direction: Given the choice, should we opt for a younger high school player with bigger upside but a lengthier path to the majors, or a college player who might be able to help more quickly? Vote your preference in the comments section. I'll be back with a full report on whichever player we select in the next installment. COMING UP 6/1: vs TB 6/2: vs TB 6/3: vs TB 6/4: vs LAA 6/5: vs LAA 6/6: vs LAA 6/7: vs LAA 6/9: @ BAL 6/10: @ BAL 6/11: @ BAL PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) 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

Thank you for suggesting it! I meant to give you credit in the article, but I'll do it here. Hat tip to you sir.

I initially started putting this article together in mid-February, with plans of running it in the lead-up to Opening Day. The idea was to acquaint everyone with the many new-and-old contributors who would be helping us narrate this historic 2020 season on Twins Daily.That was then. And to be honest, circling back on this piece is something I've been procrastinating about and dreading. To dive back in brings directly to mind the fierce baseball enthusiasm I felt while initially putting it together, and how that enthusiasm wisped away soon after. The first draft of this introduction discussed the long, slow grind leading up to this point – eight years of coverage at Twins Daily, mostly of bad teams with low payrolls and lower expectations. At times it was tough to find any outside folks interested in writing about the team, and that really bummed us out. This site was imagined as a platform for elevating fresh, varied voices. All of us founders loved to write, but even more so, we loved to read. Here in 2020, much had changed: Minnesota was charging into spring training with an elite roster and legitimate World Series aspirations. On top of that, our site had assembled its deepest, sharpest, and most talented group of regular front-page writers in its history. For me, the idea of supplementing this hugely exciting season with all the clever, outside the box, nerdy, hilarious, insightful content this group was bound to deliver felt too good to be true. Turns out, I guess it was. Thinking about all these factors in combination really drives home the added layer of sadness baked into the timing of this indefinite societal shutdown. But you know what? Baseball will be back. Up until then, and beyond, Twins Daily's writers will keep writing. They've already shown that, with a bevy of interesting and enlightening articles that keep us entertained amid challenging times and help scratch the baseball itch. Here is a small sampling of my favorites: Twins Hitters, the Pitchers They Crush, and Beer in the MorningI Ate Like the Minnesota Twins For a DayBuilding Dr. Taylor-stein's Twins MonsterDoes Warming Up with a Heavy Bat in the On-Deck Circle Actually Improve Swing Velocity?Will Michael Pineda Catch a Break in 2020?How Would the Twins Fare in the Grapefruit League South?Twins Greatest One Hit WondersWithout further ado, I'll open the floor for some of the names you have seen, and will see, most frequently on our front page (sans owners and head editor) to introduce themselves. Do keep in mind that these questions were asked before we knew the MLB season would not proceed as planned. But if you're like me, you will find some escape in learning why these passionate baseball fans love the game, and their favorite team. TWINS DAILY WRITERS: GET TO KNOW 'EM Cody Christie Hailing From: West Fargo, ND Twitter: @NoDakTwinsFan Must-Read Stories: Johan Santana's Cooperstown Case Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Why do you love baseball? I love the history of the game and the fact that it can be passed down through generations. What's your favorite Twins memory? Bringing my son to his first Twins game this last summer was amazing. Before that, it was going to Game 162 in 2006 with my dad. Joe Mauer won his first batting title and the Twins stormed the field after winning the division. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? Most likely, it will be prospect-related posts but I love the Hall of Fame and it might be time to start building up Mauer's case for the Hall. Ted Schwerzler Hailing From: Andover, MN Twitter: @tlschwerz Must-Read Story: Making a Mega Deal for the Twins Why do you love baseball? Baseball has long been a passion of mine because of the ability to tie so many different avenues of enjoyment into a single source. I played the game into my freshman year of college, and while my journey stopped there from competition, the desire to stay connected never left. Being able to analyze and break something down to such a granular level, while also appreciating what happens at the surface, is a consumption of time I genuinely enjoy as well. There's something romantic about baseball and how it ties together historical feats, current excellence, and the drama of what may happen next. What's your favorite Twins memory? This is tougher than I imagine in large part because I feel like I appreciate the sport and Twins as a whole. Rather than a specific event, I think the journey that writing about the organization has taken me on would be my answer. I've developed relationships with so many great people that cover the game, play it professionally, and simply enjoy following it solely through exploring something that became a hobby. I had no writing background and never intended for this to be a creative outlet, but it's a journey I wouldn't trade for anything, and one that has been sparked entirely because of a passion for Twins baseball. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? 2020 should be a blast on the diamond for the Twins. I expect to write plenty about Max Kepler (and a hopeful next step). Mitch Garver and Jose Berrios will remain two of my consistent subjects, and I'll look forward to adding in a consistent mix of the ever-expanding tools Baseball Savant is providing us. Cooper Carlson Hailing From: Northern Minnesota ("You’ve probably never heard of the city I live in, but it’s in the iron range area.") Twitter: @Carlson_MnTwins Must-Read Story: The Twins Are Going to Be Great, and They Know It Why do you love baseball? My dad is the main reason I fell in love with baseball. He got me involved and was my little league coach for the first few years. Without him it is unlikely that I ever get into sports as much as I have. He also got me interested in the Twins. Unfortunately I started watching in the 2010 playoffs and I somehow stuck with an awful decade of Twins baseball. What's your favorite Twins memory? It’s hard to choose between the Brian Dozier walk-off grand slam I saw, the Ryan Doumit walk-off triple, or 2019 Opening Day against Cleveland. Instead I’ll have to go with when I was walking up the stairs at Progressive Field as a 15-year-old and a drunk Indians fan stuck both middle fingers in my face. Good times. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? It varies a lot. I like to take the topic a lot of people are talking about that week and branch off of it in a way that no one has seen yet. It’s also my first full season of writing so I’m not sure what to expect quite yet. I’m the youngest writer currently at Twins Daily (I think) at just 18 years old. I co-host a Twins podcast with someone you’ll often see me arguing with on Twitter, Matthew Braun. I also occasionally write for Twinkie Town, the SB Nation Twins site. I look forward to interacting with everyone in 2020! Andrew Thares Hailing From: New Orleans, LA Twitter: @AndrewThares Must-Read Story: It’s Time to Start Trusting Tyler Duffey in High Leverage Situations (Presciently written last June) Why do you love baseball? I really just love all aspects of the game of baseball. I loved playing it as a kid and all the way up through college. I love the strategy that goes into seemingly every pitch of the game. I also love how it brings together my two favorite things in life, sports and numbers. It has provided me the opportunity to travel around the country going to all the different ballparks, and getting to experience so much of what this great country has to offer outside of rural South Dakota, where I grew up. But most importantly, it has been there for me through all the ups and downs in life, and it will continue to be into the future. What's your favorite Twins memory? My favorite Twins memory has got to be the Alexi Casilla walk-off hit to clinch the 2009 AL Central title in Game 163. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? As we near the MLB Draft in June, look for me to start ramping up the coverage before, during and after. Patrick Wozniak Hailing From: Amnatcharoen, Thailand ("I originally came here as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer from 2004 – 2006 and then moved back with my wife, son, and then soon-to-be-born daughter in 2012. My parents live in Minneapolis, so whenever I come back to visit that’s where I stay.") Twitter: N/A Must-Read Story: Starting Pitching Plan B: Snatching Lottery Tickets in Bulk Why do you love baseball? I’ve always loved baseball, but as I have gotten older it’s become the only sport I really follow. As someone who prefers reading books to watching TV or movies, to me, baseball in depth and pace feels more a book than movie (which would be football, I guess). I’ve also always loved the statistical nature of baseball and the expansion and new stats give me even more to love. What's your favorite Twins memory? Seeing a Beloit Snappers playoff game back in 2012 was really fun. I had really gotten into following prospects in the year prior, and it was really exciting to see guys like Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Kennys Vargas. Sano had a monster game and dreaming on what he would become and seeing it come into fruition has been great. It seems like as a whole Twins fans really got more into prospects as the MLB team struggled all those years and there’s really nothing better than seeing those prospects become the core of a really successful Twins team. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? No set plans, I enjoy everything from prospects to the MLB team. I usually enjoy following up a thought or question that I have by researching on sites like Baseball Savant, FanGraphs, Baseball Reference, and Brooks Baseball and turning that into an article. This gives me a chance to share what I’ve learned and more importantly a justification for wasting so much time! Nash Walker Hailing From: Columbia, MO Twitter: @Nashwalker9 Must-Read Story: Twins Need to Make a Splash With the Rain Man: Sign Josh Donaldson (Six weeks before they signed him) Why do you love baseball? I love baseball’s consistency and ability to sooth. There’s nothing I’d rather do than sit and watch a (Twins) baseball game. I also love the battle between a batter and pitcher. What's your favorite Twins memory? My favorite Twins memory was game 163 at the Metrodome in 2009. I was there with my dad and sister and I’ll never forget watching Joe Mauer sprint around the warning track with the AL Central pennant. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? I have a wide-range approach with Twins topics. Readers can be certain that I’ll be passionate about my work. I really enjoy focusing on individual players and their impact on the Twins. I can’t wait for the season and I’m very grateful to have an audience at Twins Daily. Go Twinks baby! Matthew Taylor Hailing From: Eden Prairie, MN Twitter: @MatthewTaylorMN Must-Read Story: Choose Your Own Path: Three Ways for the Minnesota Twins to Use Their Remaining $35MM Why do you love baseball? What I love most about baseball is that there is no clock. Baseball moves at its own pace. In football, the opposing team can take a knee to run out the clock, in basketball you have to intentionally foul the other team in order to get the basketball back, but in baseball your fate is always in your hands. Every game is always within reach. What's your favorite Twins memory? Game 163 vs. the Detroit Tigers in 2009. I was a junior in high school for this game and was allowed to leave school early to head down to the Metrodome to see the game with two of my best friends. We had nosebleed seats out in the upper deck of center field, but just wanted to be there and be a part of the atmosphere. After the Twins went down 3-0 early in the game, my shield went up and figured this would end like too many Twins games of the past had ended when my hopes got up. As the game continued on, though, the Twins continued to fight and fight and push to extra innings. After Carlos Gomez crossed the plate to win the game in the 12th inning I never cheered harder in my entire life or hugged as many strangers as I did in that moment. It was truly a great day, and getting to go back to school the next day in my Joe Mauer jersey and tell all of my friends about the game was just the best. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? The Minnesota Twins bullpen! I have already written and tweeted about the Twins bullpen countless times this offseason, and with the success that I am expecting the bullpen to have in 2020, you can expect PLENTY more bullpen talk from me over the next 8 months. Twins Daily is frequented by really smart readers who really know baseball. I always try to angle my stories in a way that invites my readers to participate in my story and share their thoughts and knowledge in a way that fosters further conversation and makes me a smarter baseball fan and a better writer. I think the "Choose Your Own Path" story is a good example of how I do that with my writing. Matt Lenz (He says can call him Lenzy to differentiate from the 500 other Matts and Matthews) Hailing From: Crystal, MN Twitter: @Lenzy2108 Must-Read Story: Q&A with Clyde "The Guide" Doepner, Twins Curator Why do you love baseball? As a kid, I loved baseball because of movies like The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year, and Little Big League. As I got older, my love for baseball grew as I started to understand the game more and the relationships it helped me form with my friends. I was never great at baseball but I always loved how every position takes a slightly different skill and understanding of the game. In most sports you are limited to one or two positions, but in baseball even professionals can be asked to play multiple positions and to understand your job at each position. Think about this: runner on 2nd, with less than two down and the hitter gets a base hit. Every position has a different job and those jobs change depending on where the ball is hit. Oh, your left fielder just booted the ball? Time to adjust on the fly and everybody's job has changed again. As I tell the kids I coach, if you think baseball is a lazy man's game then you aren't playing it right. Every player should move on every play. Is it time to play some ball yet? What's your favorite Twins memory? I was only three years, one day old on game 1 of the 1991 World Series so a little too young to remember any of that. By far and away, sitting above the baggy in right field for game 163 in 2009 is my favorite Twins memory. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? As a math teacher and baseball coach by trade, I like to think my pieces have a good balance of analytics and the "eye test." I often enjoy looking into why players are having unexpected slumps or successes and if it's something that needs to be fixed or can be sustained. Matthew Trueblood Hailing From: Blaine, MN Twitter: @MATrueblood Must-Read Story: Josh Donaldson, Bringer of Rings Why do you love baseball? I love that it’s every day. I love the history and the historicity of it. I love the numbers (old ones and new ones). I love the talk, talking the game with my dad while it played on the radio on car rides, talking through the hot stove over burgers in the dead of winter, talking about who needs to tweak their curveball grip and who just needs to find more confidence and who will simply never have a sufficient spin rate to throw a good breaking ball, talking about the strange way the third baseman positioned himself before that key single through the left side. The game gives us endless, boundless, limitless stuff about which to talk, and I, a profoundly socially anxious person, love it for that. What's your favorite Twins memory? Game 163, 2009. That might just be the best baseball game of the century. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? Pitching... probably. John brought me in because he believed I had a bunch of good deep dives on Twins pitchers in me, and so far, I’ve mostly rewarded him with yammering about hitters and defense. I see the whole field, but my favorite thing to write is a multilayered breakdown of a pitcher who’s made (or is making, or needs to make) complex adjustments, and I expect there will be several such stories to tell throughout the season. Rena Wang Hailing From: Minneapolis, MN Twitter: @renabanena Must-Read Story: Here Comes the Boom(stick): 6 New Food Recs for Target Field Why do you love baseball? Baseball is the only sport where the fastest, strongest, or the tallest man may not win. It’s a perfect mixture of numbers, strategy, and adrenaline. It’s unpredictable and spontaneous. What's your favorite Twins memory? My favorite Twins memory is Joe Mauer’s final game. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? I tend to stray from pet topics because I find that what interests me about the Twins and baseball is dynamic and ever-changing. I’m always a big fan of the unexpected and niche. This might just be a fancy way of saying that I have a short attention span. Jeremy Nygaard Hailing From: Woodville, WI Twitter: @jeremynygaard Must-Read Story: Scouting with Sean Johnson (From within the first year of the site's life! Jeremy's an OG.) Why do you love baseball? I've always been into statistics. I remember running to get the newspaper to look at box scores before I could even read. Numbers have always been appealing and baseball is full of them. If I would have known who Bill James was back then, I would have read more of his stuff and less Boxcar Children in Elementary School. What's your favorite Twins memory? Game 163 was my most enjoyable moment as a Twins fan in attendance, but living through the Kirby years, being just old enough to remember 1991 and holding the flag on the field with my dad before the All-Star Game are all up there. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? I like to focus on the little-known roster rules, payroll, the business side of baseball, the minor leagues and the draft. I miss being as involved as I used to be with the draft, but don't have time to take that back on currently. I'll never say never though. Thiéres Rabelo Hailing From: Brazil ("Born and raised by a family of Italian and Portuguese roots. I majored in Journalism nearly six years ago, but I’ve been working as an English and Italian teacher since my last year in university. During college, I spent one semester in 2013 taking an exchange program in the U.S., studying at the University of New Mexico (go Lobos!), in Albuquerque. Oh, and I’m a rugby player too.") Twitter: @TwinsBrasil Must-Read Story: Could the Twins Be the New 2015 Royals? Why do you love baseball? As a Brazilian, baseball is not a “natural” sport. I mean, the majority of Brazilians don’t even know it exists. Seriously. But I grew up playing basketball (I was 6’0’’ at age 12), so it would’ve been impossible to not start to enjoy the NBA as a teenager. I learned English, at first, by reading about my team (the Indiana Pacers) daily. So, eventually, because of my love for the NBA, I became interested in other American sports. I started out by trying to get into American football and I even started playing it here for some months in 2008. Then, I chose the Vikings to root for, because the state of Minnesota reminded me a lot of my own state here, called Minas Gerais. Later that same year, I got to watch one of the games of the World Series and it was love at first sight. Phillies fans waving their white handkerchiefs in Philadelphia gave me goosebumps. I picked up on the rules of the game during that series and I became crazy about it. I think what I love most about baseball is how traditional it is. The more I study about the history of the game, the more I love it. It’s so romantic! Since it hasn’t been around my life for long, like I mentioned before, I guess I have the love you Americans have for it as kids. After all, I’m like a ten-year old still discovering the game. What's your favorite Twins memory? Unlike many of you, I got the chance to choose what teams to root for in American sports. Because I had chosen the Vikings back in ‘08, it was natural for me to pick the Twins too, for my first actual season following baseball, the following year. Lucky for me. that was a hell of a team. Joe Mauer became, right then, my biggest sports hero, not only because he was the best in the game that year, but also because his connection with Minnesota. By that time, I had already adopted Minnesota as my emotional American home. I even emailed the University of Minnesota inquiring about how to apply for a scholarship, to play American football (I was a beast DE, would’ve made it to the NFL!). So, because I was blessed enough to watch one of the most talented Twins teams in recent years, no other game brings me better memories than game 163 that year. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? Game recaps are my thing. Ever since I started considering journalism as a career back in high school, telling stories of games have always been my absolute favorite thing to do, in every one of the five sports I’ve had the opportunity to write about. Nate Palmer Hailing From: Sparta, WI Twitter: @palmern2Twins Must-Read Story: 5 Songs That Should Be Added to the Target Field Playlist for New Twins Slugger Josh Donaldson Why do you love baseball? What I love about baseball is that it is truly a team game. Unlike so many other sports, one star player cannot alone elevate a team to playoff or World Series status. That means there is such an organizational process that goes into building a good and competitive team. That also means that lots of unknown guys get a chance to play the game each year which is always fun and exciting. There also just isn’t anything much better than sitting in a baseball stadium on a great summer day enjoying beverages and food and conversations with those next to you! What's your favorite Twins memory? This is an impossible question. I will go with the 2006 season. It was the summer after my freshman year of college and I had a gig that gave me some extra funds than I normally do so I was able to attend the most games in person I ever have in a summer. Including Matt Garza’s MLB debut, even though that is a start that isn’t much worth remembering. My wife voted for this one: What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? If Rosario does well it will be how fun he is to watch, but if he falters it will be a rooting for Jake Cave to play more. If Rosario and I had a Facebook relationship status it clearly would stand as “It’s Complicated” as of the moment. Steve Lein Hailing From: Chaska, MN Twitter: @HangingSL Must-Read Story: Color Me, and Joe Mauer, Impressed Why do you love baseball? I grew up in the perfect time period to be a Twins fan, as they won the World Series twice before I turned ten years old. All the while there was Kirby Puckett leading the team and displaying his enthusiasm and fun for the game. It was hard not to fall in love with it. It also helped that my organized teams were really good growing up. There’s only one season from when I started until finishing my final year of Legion ball that my team wasn’t hoisting the league trophy. I’ll never forgive Charlie Ruud (all-time winningest St. Paul Saints pitcher) for ending my teams best run at a Legion State Championship bid. Our pitcher one-hit his team, but he one-hit ours as well and they were able to limp across a run to knock us out of the tournament. Best pitched game I ever was a part of. What's your favorite Twins memory? I have so many, but if I’m forced to pick one, I’d have to say being in the stands for game 163 when Alexi Casilla brought home Carlos Gomez to put the Twins in the playoffs. There was a pair of Tigers fans at the end of our row above the baggy, and though they had been talking smack all game, none of us felt the need to say anything to them when that happened. Our celebration and the dejection on their faces was enough. What can readers expect to be your pet topic(s) this season? Even though the expectation with the Twins is to win a Central Division title again and hopefully get over that wild card (or Yankees) hump, I’m really looking forward to following the minors again. Minnesota has really built a strong pipeline and a lot of those guys near the top of it are now knocking on the MLB door. The Twins are locked in with veterans up and down their roster, but I want to find out who will be this year's Luis Arraez and provide a jolt to the team as the season goes along (and you’ll see an article along those lines from me soon

Unfortunately Duran is now in AA after a performance-based bump from Rochester. But there are some intriguing reinforcements at AAA. Pineda has a 3.57 ERA there. Thorpe is at 3.76. And don't look now, but Rich Hill is at 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts since accepting his demotion...