Theodore Tollefson

The rubber match between the Twins and Phillies lined up as a rare bullpen game from the Twins rotation, against the stalwart Aaron Nola of the Phillies. Despite the lopsided pitching match-up on paper, this game had it all, with one last back-and-forth battle between the Twins and the best team in baseball to finish off the homestand. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika - USA Today Sports Box Score Starting Pitcher: Steven Okert 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (14 pitches, 7 strikes (50% strikes)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (4) Top 3 WPA: Carlos Santana .372, David Festa .180, Max Kepler .136 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Another Rookie Put to the Test Following the Twins' loss Tuesday night, the team announced Okert would be on the mound to start Wednesday's game as the opener. The plan was simple enough, on paper: have him face off against Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper in the first, then hand things off to Festa for the next 3-5 innings. While it sounded easy, the results from Okert were less than ideal. He walked Schwarber to start the game, then gave up a single to Turner. Fortunately, he got Harper to fly out before further damage could occur. But that would be all from Okert, as Festa entered the game with runners on second and third and only one out. Festa got the Twins out of a crisis by striking out Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh looking. The second inning was the biggest challenge of Festa’s career so far. Nick Castellanos laced a lead-off double to Byron Buxton to start the inning. The slender righty got the next hitter, Bryson Stott, out on a flyout, but walked the next two batters to set up a bases-loaded situation for the Phillies' leadoff man, Schwarber. Schwarber is one of the three guys in the Phillies lineup Festa did not want to face with the bases loaded, as he’s hitting .300 on the season in these situations. In a second straight show of unflappability, though, he struck out both Schwarber and Turner. Following the shaky second inning, Festa remained solid through the third and fourth innings, allowing only one runner, on an Alec Bohm double. However, the fun wouldn’t last forever for Festa. With one out in the fifth, Turner avenged himself for the earlier punchout, crushing an 0-1 fastball into the left-field bleachers to tie the game at 1-1. Festa struck out Harper to get the second out, but Bohm was pesky once more, getting another double off him and ending his day. Despite the situation Festa entered the game with, he pitched a fairly solid 4 1/3 innings against the Phillies, allowing four hits, one run, and two walks. He struck out seven. Considering he entered the game in a jam, the Twins couldn’t ask for much more from Festa, who fared much better than his previous outing in the Majors on Jul. 3. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. Wallner’s Reawakening Sparks Lineup The Twins lineup was ice-cold on Tuesday, night and looked the same way the first time through the order on Wednesday. They were 1-for-5 with their first five batters, with only Buxton reaching base on a double in the first. Matt Wallner was the Twins' sixth man up in the order. He had never faced Aaron Nola before in his career, but he only needed one pitch to find what he liked. Wallner got great extension on a swing and crushed the first pitch he saw from Nola, sending it 441 feet into the right-center field bleachers to give the Twins the first run of the game. However, Wallner’s homer would be the Twins' only significant offensive output until the bottom of the fifth. The Twins mounted a one-out threat with back-to-back singles from Edouard Julien and Willi Castro, but any hopes of breaking the tie were cut short, as Trevor Larnach grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Bullpen After Festa Caleb Thielbar was the first man out of the bullpen following Festa, taking the bulk of the outing from the Twins bullpen. He struck out the first batter he faced to get the Twins out of the bottom of the fifth, but the Phillies took their opportunities for the lead in the sixth off him. Thielbar gave up two singles and a sacrifice bunt to Johan Rojas, to set up runners on second and third for Schwarber. This time, the burly DH delivered, with a two-run single to center field that put the Phillies up 3-1. The day was over for Thielbar after the sixth, and it was time for Brock Stewart’s first outing for the Twins since May 1. Stewart got his first batter via the strikeout, but walked the second batter and got a force out at second to set things up against Castellanos. No global event of the day was notable enough to power him up for a homer, but Castellanos hit an RBI single that scored Brandon Marsh from second to extend the Phillies' lead to 4-1. Fortunately, Stewart would have the final say against Castellanos, picking him off to end the inning. Mounting a Comeback With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Twins were able to wear down Nola and mount a comeback. Carlos Santana got things started with a double, after which Wallner and Jeffers both drew walks to load the bases for Brooks Lee. The rookie battled against Nola, but struck out on a sinker up and away from him to keep the Phillies up 3-1. This was the fourth time in the series the Twins had the bases loaded against the Phillies and left their runners stranded, but it wasn’t the last time they’d have a chance to make up for the lost opportunities. With Orion Kerkering on the mound for the Phillies in the seventh, the Twins took the patience approach, drawing two one-out walks to get runners on for Byron Buxton. Buxton got hit by a pitch and loaded the bases for Max Kepler. The right fielder broke the Twins' bad streak of 0-for-4 with the bases loaded and hit into a fielder's choice that scored Castro. The next at-bat, Santana drilled a bases-clearing double to left field to tie the game 4-4. Lefty Matt Strahm was on the mound to face Santana, and with Wallner due up next, he was pinch-hit for by bench bat extraordinaire Manuel Margot, who entered the game 0-for-23 as a pinch hitter. He extended this hitless drought to 0-for-24, flying out to right field to end the seventh. Tense Ending As the game entered the bottom of the eighth all tied up, the Twins had only four relievers left to use in their bullpen. Cole Sands retired the minimum on just 15 pitches, leaving himself available for another inning of work if the game remained square. Lee reached on a one-out single, and following a called strike three on Julien for the second out, he advanced to second on the first pitch in Castro’s at-bat. Castro, who’s struggled with runners in scoring position all year, continued those struggles, striking out on a bad pitch low and outside to end the eighth. For the fourth time in five games, the Twins would have to walk things off if they wanted to win the game. Despite throwing 15 pitches, Sands did not remain in the game for the 9th. Those duties were handed off to Durán once again, to redeem himself from his outing on Tuesday night. Fortunately, Durán made up for his mistakes the night before, retiring Schwarber, Turner, and Harper on just 10 pitches. He not only gave himself a new boost of confidence, but (perhaps) juiced up his teammates a bit in the process. Fortunately for the Twins, luck would be on their side to finish things off in the ninth. Larnach reached to lead things off, when a pitch just brushed his jersey, Austin Martin, who entered the game for Buxton, bunted Larnach over from second to third, and Kepler walked it all off with an RBI infield single to give the Twins a 5-4 win. The Twins are now 4-20 against teams with better records than them, as they finish off a massive series win against the Phillies. What’s Next? The Twins are off on Thursday, but will begin a three-game series with the Tigers in Detroit at 5:40 p.m. Pablo Lopez will make the start for the Twins, while the Tigers have yet to announce their starter. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet [Editor's Note: A previous version of this piece, published in error, included a reference to the visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress today. Some of my changes appear not to have been immediately reflected in the document. I suspect user error and apologize for the inadvertent controversy. At Twins Daily, we embrace and support the expression of free speech, but this lateral reference should not have appeared in the text of this piece for public consumption. Thank you. -MT] View full article

Another starting pitcher has entered the trade market--this time, from a contender hoping to clear space for a big splash of their own and a pair of returning stars. James Paxton is available for any team that wants him. Does he fit what the Twins need for a stable rotation down the stretch? Image courtesy of © Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports The Los Angeles Dodgers made surprising news Monday afternoon, designating left-handed starter James Paxton for assignment following their move to activate Clayton Kershaw from the 60-day injured list. Paxton had just made the start for the Dodgers Sunday night against the Boston Red Sox. He threw five innings, and allowed three runs on four walks and four hits, including a homer, but he struck out seven batters on 95 pitches to keep the Dodgers in the game. The Dodgers have been rumored by many national baseball writers to be in the market for additional starting pitching depth this trade deadline. While Paxton provides some depth, they’re going all-in on their confidence to land a more dependable arm than the 35-year-old Canadian has been for them this season, while creating space for both Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow in their rotation. None of that is to say that Paxton has been terrible for the Dodgers all year. He’s made 18 starts, pitched a total of 89 ⅓ innings, posted a 4.43 ERA, and lowered his home run to fly ball ratio by nearly half from what it was in 2023, going from 17.8% to 9.5%. But the greatest weakness for Paxton this season has been his control. At the time of his DFA, he leads all National League starters with 48 walks. A lot of the walks are coming off his four-seamer, which has lacked command in the strike zone this season. Per Baseball Savant, he’s only favored throwing it in the upper half of the strike zone, and it frequently lands either right in hitters' wheelhouses or outside the zone. He’s struck out batters 30 times with the pitch, but it’s only coming with a 14.6% whiff rate. Partially balancing out the poor location and diminished effectiveness of his fastball is his knuckle-curve, which he’s thrown the second-most this year. Opposing hitters only have a .205 batting average (17-for-83) and .251 wOBA in plate appearances that end on that curve, and have struck out 24 times on the pitch, thanks to a much more efficient 35.4% whiff rate. Of his 18 starts this season, Paxton has only gone six or more innings six times and hasn’t thrown more than 97 pitches, which was in his first start of the season on Apr. 1. He’s still averaging 93.5 MPH on his fastball, though, which shows there’s middle- to back-of-the-rotation stuff left in him. The case for Paxton as the best fit to buttress the Minnesota starting rotation before the trade deadline centers on what should be a low cost of acquisition, both financially and in terms of young talent. Paxton signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers this offseason, with $4 million on the base salary. However, it included a plethora of incentives: a $3 million signing bonus, a $2 million bonus for making the Opening Day roster (which he did), and various other bonuses ranging from $600,000 to $1 million, bringing the total amount he could earn to $13 million this year. After making his 18th start Sunday, he's assured himself of all that money. With the incentives and bonuses already paid out by the Dodgers, the Twins would only have to pay Paxton around $1.5 million for the remainder of the season. The cost is much cheaper compared to other rental starters the Twins could pursue--such as Yusei Kikuchi, who is earning $12 million this year but will be eligible for a qualifying offer this fall. It’s also cheaper than the contract of Nathan Eovaldi, who is earning $17 million this season and has a $20 million player option in his contract for 2025. The Twins have been on a budget this entire season, following the fallout from their TV deal with Diamond Sports, Bally’s parent company. It’s safe to say a player such as Paxton would be on their radar if they can get him for that fourth starter depth. It’s likely that many teams (such as the Blue Jays and Rangers) are asking about Luke Keaschall if the Twins are inquiring about hurlers like Kikuchi or Eovaldi. Jumping the waiver wire to trade for Paxton would mean giving up a prospect, but it would surely be one with a much less bright future than Keaschall's. Paxton may not be the ideal playoff dependable starter Twins fans are hoping the front office pursues this trade deadline, but he can provide stability in the rotation--more needed than ever, with Chris Paddack landing on the injured list again. His presence would also allow the team to be more cautious with minor-league arms such as David Festa, Louie Varland, and the recent Triple-A debutante, Zebby Matthews. Simeon Woods Richardson, too, could benefit from Paxton’s addition. While he is the Twins' leading Rookie of the Year candidate and has exceeded expectations, the front office may still lighten his workload down the stretch to ensure that their suddenly rising star isn’t blowing his arm out before they need it most. He may not be the man he used to be during his prime days in Seattle, but Paxton could patch the hole left by Paddack, give the organization the freedom to protect Woods Richardson, and slot in nicely for a potential playoff Game 4, behind Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober. Things will move quickly over the next week, with many trades and transactions. But the Twins could get out in front of one of their greatest needs this trade deadline without having to burn their wallets or salt the fields of their farm, by adding Paxton into their fourth rotation spot. View full article

Starting pitchers will not be easy to come by this trade deadline, whether they are rentals or long-term purchases. But the Oakland A's may have one starter who can come without a heavy price and remain a rotation option well after 2024 for the Twins. Image courtesy of © Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports The Oakland A’s are going through another rough season. They own an ugly 37-61 record at the All-Star break, dead last in the American League West and second-to-last in the American League. Their offense has been one of the more underrated in all of baseball, fourth in MLB with 122 home runs on the year, but the pitching staff has been unable to make that matter. They have a 4.46 ERA, good for 25th out of 30; a 1.36 WHIP, tied for 27th; and the third-lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio, at 2.23. Among all the ups and downs, though, two pitchers from their rotation and bullpen have at least been consistently competent: Mason Miller and JP Sears. Many fans across baseball have become familiar with Miller’s name, thanks to his ferocious fastball, electric slider, and (this week) All-Star showcase moment. For the Twins, though, it might not be Miller who makes sense as a trade target. Sears was a stable force in the Athletics rotation until he faced off against the Twins twice in June. Before his start against the Twins on Jun. 16, he held a 4.02 ERA, .232/.298/.394 opponent slash line, and .254 BABIP, in 78 ⅓ innings. Then he made back-to-back starts against Minnesota, and the league's best lineup exploited his weakness, tallying 18 hits (including four home runs) and 12 runs in 5 ⅔ innings. The two starts ballooned his ERA on the season up a full run, to 5.04. Fortunately, Sears has turned things around in his three starts since facing the Twins, posting a 2.16 ERA in 16 ⅔ innings. Things have been up and down, to say the least, for Sears this last month, but what does he have to offer the Twins as a rotational upgrade at the trade deadline? Firstly, it's a solid five-pitch arsenal, with a fastball, sweeper, changeup, sinker, and slider. His sweeper is the most effective pitch. He’s thrown it 504 times this year, and hitters have a .191 batting average and a .296 slugging percentage in plate appearances that end on it. His 20.8% whiff rate on the sweeper is the second-lowest in his arsenal, but he continues to get hitters out with the pitch--despite his being a lefty starter, and therefore rarely having the platoon advantage, and despite the sweeper being a pretty platoon-vulnerable pitch. His changeup is the opposite. Throwing it 306 times, hitters have hit .316 off the pitch. He has a slightly higher whiff percentage with his change, at 21.9%, but it’s still proving to be a weakness as he throws it in the outside corner, right in right-handed hitters' wheelhouse. Where can Sears use the most help to develop from a decent to a solid starting pitcher? Painting the corners. He's not missing bats at the edges of the zones, which has contributed to a reluctance to live there. Although hitting the outside corner has proven to be ineffective against righties, he can use the inside corner to his advantage if he can find the command to land his pitches there. The Twins have taken advantage of pitching reclamation projects in recent seasons, and have seen success from Pablo López (last season) and Kenta Maeda (in 2020). Sears presents the Twins with another starter whom they could work with. It's possible they can shore up his weaknesses, to his and their own advantage. Arguably, Sears's best start of the season came in the Twins' personal Mt. Doom, Yankee Stadium, against the team that traded him to Oakland. He threw six full innings, allowing only three hits, a walk, and no extra-base hits, and struck out seven of the would-be Bombers. While the start did come early in the season (Apr. 22), it’s still an achievement that should entice the Twins to pursue him. Sears wouldn't grab headlines the way some of the other available starters could, but he’s right in the pocket of affordability and established ability that could slot him between Bailey Ober and Chris Paddack. The hard selling point for Oakland will be Sears's years of control. He’s still pre-arbitration for 2025, and will not qualify for free agency until after the 2028 season. Though he's not the kind of star who typically commands a high price in trade, all that team control would raise the stakes. Athletics owner John Fisher may be cheap, but the front office tasked with working around his fraudulent penuriousness isn't in the business of giving away good players. Regardless, Sears could be the right fit for the Twins to have their first full-time lefty in the rotation since JA Happ in 2021, and to provide a starter who will be more than just a rental. He could help them in the postseason this year, be it in the rotation or the bullpen, and then return in a key rotation role next year. View full article

After a rainout on Tuesday, the Twins played two on Wednesday. The first game featured a match-up between Bailey Ober and Erick Fedde. Which team would see the benefits from an unexpected off day as they kicked off game one of the doubleheader? Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (84 pitches, 58 strikes (69% strikes)) Home Runs: Matt Wallner (3) Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa .094, Matt Wallner .070, Cole Sands .039 Bottom 3 WPA: Carlos Santana -.162, Brooks Lee -.109, Jose Miranda -.106 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Not Cashing In Early It didn’t take long for the Twins to get Erick Fedde shaking in his cleats. Willi Castro had a patient at-bat to get the game started, drawing a walk, which was followed up with a single from Carlos Correa and another walk from Trevor Larnach. Three batters in, the Twins already had the bases loaded, but would they be able to cash a single run in? Unfortunately, they didn’t. José Miranda flew out to center field, but not deep enough to score Castro. Then Carlos Santana struck out, and Brooks Lee swung at the first pitch in his at-bat, with a weakly-hit ball that landed in White Sox shortstop Nicky Lopez’s glove for a force out to second base. The first inning was the Twins' best chance to get a run against Fedde over the next four innings. The offense combined to go 3-for-15 from the second onto the fifth inning and even with a couple of singles from Correa and Wallner, no one could advance them beyond first base. Ober Carries His Weight The Twins offense may have been lagging, but Ober certainly did his part to keep his team in the game. Ober cruised through the first four innings allowing only one base runner on a walk to Tommy Pham in the first and striking out four all on 46 pitches. Ober faced his first hiccup in the bottom of the fifth. He allowed a lead-off double to Gavin Sheets which was followed up with an Eloy Jiménez single that advanced Sheets to third. Ober then had a 10-pitch battle against Lenyn Sosa that ended in a strikeout. He faced Paul DeJong next who worked out a sacrifice fly to get the White Sox on the board 1-0. Ober would escape the inning getting Lopez for a ground out to first base. Ober had thrown 24 pitches in the fifth which brought his total to 70 on the afternoon. He would need a quick inning to remain in the game for the seventh and give the bullpen some alleviation and more options if needed for game two. The good news was Ober had a quicker inning throwing 14 pitches. The bad news is what happened with two outs. He surrendered a double to Andrew Vaughn, then one pitch later a home run to Luis Robert Jr. which put the White Sox up 3-0. Ober would only need to throw three more pitches to get out of the inning, but the damage had been done. Ober still finished the day with a quality start, but it was done after the Sox chipped away at him in the fifth and sixth innings. This was also Ober’s fifth consecutive start dating back to June 16 against the Athletics at Target Field. Wallner’s Reawaking Sparks Lineup The lineup had remained cold since the first inning but finally had a spark from Wallner in the top of the seventh as he drilled the first pitch he saw for a solo home run to make it a 3-1 game. The exit velocity from this home run was not as hard hit as his Monday night homer, only going 101.1 MPH into the right-center field bleachers. In the very small sample size of Wallner’s return to the Twins, he’s 5-for-9 with two homers and three runs batted in. Unfortunately, Wallner’s homer would be the Twins' only run of the game as they dropped their first loss to the White Sox this season. The Twins were 8-0 going into today’s game, but couldn’t cash in on their best opportunity in the top of the first. To pour more salt in the wound, the White Sox Michael Kopech finished the game not only with the save but an immaculate inning to secure the Sox first victory against their Central Divison foes. What’s Next? The Twins pick things up in the next half hour for game two of the doubleheader against the White Sox. Pablo Lopez will go up against rookie Drew Thorpe for the series finale. The Twins do have an off-day Thursday in San Francisco ahead of their final series against the Giants before the All-Star Break. Postgame Interview Coming soon. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

When a player gets a call-up to the next level of the minors, there are a lot of unknowns. John Stankiewicz is the latest Twins prospect to face those unknowns in Triple-A, and he met the moment in his debut with the Saints on Sunday. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints ST. PAUL–The call-up to Triple-A doesn’t have the same glamor and notoriety as one gets when they reach the big leagues, but it's not without challenges and rewards of its own. That was the case for the Saints' newest reliever, John Stankiewicz, who made his Triple-A debut Sunday afternoon. His debut at this level may have been like that of any other player who isn’t a top prospect in the farm system. When Stankiewicz was called out of the bullpen to mop up in the top of the seventh inning, however, he wasn’t set to face an ordinary trio of hitters. The opposing Gwinnett Stripers had three men with at least six years of service time in MLB due up: Brian Anderson, Yuli Gurriel, and former Twin Eddie Rosario. “It felt great to be out there competing against guys who have been in the game for a while,” said Stankiewicz. “We know who those names are, and you see some of those guys in Spring Training and stuff, face those guys here and there. But it was definitely good to know who those guys were, added a little bit of adrenaline and a boost there.” Stankiewicz retired all three of them, on just 13 total pitches. He struck out Anderson, got Gurriel on a ground out, and then induced Rosario to hit a short pop fly to second base. When he returned to the dugout, there was no one more ecstatic with his results than his former college pitching coach--and current Saints pitching coach--Pete Larson. “I was more proud than anything,” said Larson. “I think that was the coolest part about this, seeing him progress from 2020 and to get the opportunity here. He deserved it, he’s throwing strikes down [in Double-A Wichita], and missing bats.” Larson has known Stankiewicz as far back as his upperclassman years in high school, when college recruiters scouted him for their programs. After some brief encounters after games, Stankiewicz ended up committing to Fordham University in the Bronx, where Larson was coaching at the time. With the 2020 MLB Draft shortened to just five rounds with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic still in effect, Stankiewicz was one of many college juniors who missed out on the opportunity to get drafted that summer. Fortunately, the Twins offered him a minor-league contract just a month after the draft, and he joined the organization. Stankiewicz and Larson reunited a year later when he was assigned to Low-A Ft. Myers, where Larson was the pitching coach for that season. The next year, Larson would be moved up to coach Wichita, while Stankiewicz pitched for both the Mighty Mussels and Cedar Rapids Kernels. It wouldn’t be until Sunday morning, as Stankiewicz arrived from Wichita, that the two got to work together again for the first time in three years. It was a quick turnaround for Stankiewicz upon his elevation to the Saints. He only found out Saturday afternoon that he’d be making it one step closer to the big leagues. “I just hopped on a flight after an hour of being told that and got up here last night. It was a late night, but that’s alright,” Stankiewicz said of his trip to St. Paul. “I talked to him today, and it was short and quick because he got in late last night," Larson said. "I told him, ‘You know what you’re doing, execute, and you have to get to your spots in two strikes,’ and that’s what he did." With nine of his 13 pitches landing in the strike zone on Sunday, Stankiewicz showed how efficient he can be in two-strike counts, as Rosario was the only hitter on whom he didn’t get that far. Even with a great start to his Triple-A career shutting down three MLB-caliber hitters on minimal pitches, Stankiewicz is aware there’s still a long road ahead if he's to make it to the next level. “There’s still going to be learning curves coming up each level, but I’ll just continue to go after hitters and attack them," he said. "Whether they have 10 years of service time or are just another young guy coming up, they’re still good enough to be here at this level. So I just have to go after them and attack them to get my outs." Knowing the mature mindset Stankiewicz has, Larson is going to help him build off the success from his first Triple-A outing. He hopes Stankiewicz continues to be efficient, no matter whom he faces, so that he can remain a part of the Saints bullpen for the foreseeable future. However, he was optioned back down to Wichita on Tuesday, as Zack Weiss moved up from Ft. Myers to St. Paul to continue his rehab assignment, Larson still had a lot of positive feedback for the young righty. “He’s thrown strikes and earned everything he’s gotten, so I think that’s huge. It was special for me, and hopefully special for him. Whether he sticks with us until the break or he keeps getting opportunities here, I think [Sunday] definitely cemented him as an option to keep getting those opportunities at higher levels.” View full article

The past week has seen two players in their early 20s reach the majors for the Twins. Next week, the team will see the debut of a person who has been working in baseball since before either was born. Image courtesy of Theo Tollefson ST PAUL—Several people have made the physically mundane but symbolically life-changing trip across the Twin Cities Metro lately, leaving the Saints to join the Twins. David Festa made his MLB debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Jun. 26, and Brooks Lee made his against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. However, the promotions to the big leagues are not limited to players. Longtime Saints play-by-play man and jack-of-all-trades Sean Aronson is getting his first opportunity to call Major League Baseball on the radio, as Kris Atteberry is taking the final week of the Twins' first half off. “I got choked up,” said Aronson of the moment when he received the phone call about the opportunity. “I’ve been in this business for 24 years, the last 18 with the Saints, and you never think that you’re going to be given that opportunity—not given, earn it. The opportunity is earned. You never think you’re going to get that opportunity, the further along you go.” Aronson was on a road trip calling games for the Saints in Louisville when he got the call from the Twins Senior Director of Broadcasting, Andrew Halverson. The two had had conversations about Aronson possibly filling in for Atteberry whenever he’d take a vacation. But as far as Aronson knew, Atteberry was still planning to try and call all 162 games on the radio in his first season as the Twins play-by-play man. “It’s funny, I had the phone call first and then I heard other people have the conversation with him, so I have hindsight now,” said Halverson as he reflected on the phone call with Aronson. “I think hindsight of the first phone call was he was taken back, shocked a little bit, a lot of listening. And since then, I’ve heard a lot of people who’ve talked to him about it and he’s gotten pretty emotional about it.” Atteberry made the push for one of the Twins’ minor-league broadcasters to be one of the first choices to fill in for him, whether it was Aronson from St. Paul or Tim Grubbs, who does play-by-play for the Twins’ Double-A affiliate, the Wichita Wind Surge. “Drew and I have known each other for 18 years now and he knows how much I value guys who work in the minor leagues,” Atteberry said. “I did it for eight years, and I have such a deep respect for the people who do that job. I’m especially cognizant of what it means to them to get to do a big-league game.” After Aronson hung up his call with Halverson, the first person who came to mind was his father. Jeff Aronson died three months before Sean made his Triple-A debut in 2021, and knew how much it meant for his son to be returning to affiliated ball after 14 seasons, while remaining in the same broadcast booth. “He was excited; he was looking forward to it,” the younger Aronson said. “My dad was my biggest fan, tuned into pretty much every game, and is what I would hope every fan would be, because he’d call and talk to me about George [Tsamis], our manager, or the players, like he knew them. And that is the goal of any broadcaster, you want the listener to feel like you know these people, and every time I talked to my dad, that’s what I got.” This is not the first time Aronson has come in to fill in the chair Atteberry sits in. When Atteberry joined the Minnesota Twins in 2007, he was coming off seven seasons with the Saints himself. At that time, Aronson felt some reluctance to take the job, as he was in affiliated ball with the Twins’ Ft. Myers Miracle, as their play-by-play man. He believed remaining in affiliated ball was the wiser choice. “I was turning to a guy I looked up to [who] was getting the opportunity that I wanted and you seek guidance from those people,” he said. “I actually, not directly to Derek [Sharrer, Saints General Manager], I turned it down to my president in Ft. Myers when she brought the opportunity up to me.” The Mircale’s president at the time was Linda McNabb, who spent 21 seasons in southwest Florida and has worked with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp since 2015. Aronson said McNabb was a bit taken back by his rejection of the offer from the Saints. “She said, ‘If you don’t take this job, I’m going to wonder if you really want to be a broadcaster.’ Because she knew that this was a better situation, a bigger market where I was going to get to do television, which I wasn’t going to do in Ft. Myers,” Aronson recalled. “Every game was on radio, and they drew exceptionally well, you’re in this great market where you can make a lot of connections, and talking to Kris, he echoed those sentiments.” “I remember he asked me, we were both so much younger then, he said, ‘I don’t think I should take this job,’” Atteberry said. “I go, ‘Why not?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I’ll stay in affiliated ball and it’ll be a quicker path to the big leagues.’ And I said, ‘I wasn’t in affiliated ball and it worked out for me.’ I think market size matters, and I said, ‘Look, the people you’re going to work here for are amazing. You’re going to have TV, you’re going to be in this market, I think you should do it.” Seventeen years later, the relationship between Aronson and Atteberry—and the doors one keeps holding open for the other—is written like a poem that gracefully rhymes. “As I told Kris and as I told Drew, if these are the only six games I do, these are going to be the best six games of my life, because I’m going to cherish them,” said Aronson. “I’m freaked out about Monday. I feel I’ll be prepared, but I’m scared to death. And I think that’s good, because I’m comfortable here in this booth doing 150 games here. The lights are a lot brighter at the next level.” Aronson has had many mentors in his career help him get to this moment, including Atteberry, but he owes a tremendous amount of thanks to his parents for their never-ending support to help him get to where he is now. “My parents have been extremely supportive of the industry I got into, even when it was at its bleakest, when I was making next-to nothing, when I had to ask them for money,” Aronson said. “They were always there for me, and it’s a culmination of that hard work. “I can only be who I am, and that’s what I’m going to do for six games. Atteberry is way smarter than I am, Stanford grad, brilliant. Provus is, I think, one of the best broadcasters out there. I’m a storyteller, I grew up in that mode, in Los Angeles, that’s what I’ve done.” Fortunately for Aronson, he’s had a lot of opportunities to tell the stories of the majority of players on the Twins' active roster. Twenty-one of the current 26 have played with the Saints in the four seasons they’ve been the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, providing many familiar names and faces for Aronson to share stories with to a new audience. No matter how those games play out for him, Atteberry has said no one can take away the great career Aronson has had up to this moment. He says no one can convince him Aronson isn’t a brilliant broadcaster with a great career, but the call-up to the majors provides extra validation. “When I texted him, I said, ‘Just remember, you will always now be a big-league broadcaster,’” Atteberry said. “‘If you do the first game and then get hit by a bus on the way back from the ballpark, you’re still a Big-League broadcaster. You can’t go back. Once you’ve done one, you’re in.’ And I think it’s awesome.” Aronson will have Dan Gladden alongside him for the Twins’ six-game road trip, to Chicago and San Francisco. In spirit, however, his father, the resting Atteberry, and a long line of colleagues and acquaintances scattered across a quarter-century will sit with him as he slips on the headset. Baseball can be a cruel game and a uniquely unforgiving career. Sometimes, though, for those who hang in there and never stop pushing for it, it pays you back. View full article

The Twins played their second of three games against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. The game featured the Target Field debut of David Festa and the big-league debut of Brooks Lee, both of which were met with great applause. But could the Twins get another victory and secure a series win? Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: David Festa 5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (81 pitches, 59 strikes (72.8% strikes)) Home Runs: Christian Vázquez (3) Top 3 WPA: Willi Castro .046, José Miranda .029, Carlos Correa .015 Bottom 3 WPA: David Festa -.336, Trevor Larnach -.097, Carlos Santana -.094 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Festa’s Target Field Debut There’s been a lot of anticipation surrounding Festa this season, as he’s had some of the best strikeout numbers in the upper minors. Twins fans got their first live, up-close look at the organization's top pitching prospect. Festa didn’t disappoint to start the game, striking out the Tigers' leadoff man, Matt Vierling, on six pitches. But the first strikeout of the night didn’t set the tone for how Festa’s second career start would go. In fact, things got away from him after an eight-pitch second-inning. The third frame brought the most damage. He gave up a leadoff single to former Twin and walkup song fan favorite Gio Urshela, but managed to retire the next two batters on a strikeout and a fielder's choice. But the Tigers mounted a two-out rally, with back-to-back singles from Colt Keith and Riley Greene. Then came light-hitting catcher Carson Kelly--who drilled a 95-mph fastball in the high part of the strike zone into the left-field bleachers for a grand slam. The bleeding wouldn’t stop there for the 24-year-old Festa, either, Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez followed Kelly with a solo home run of his own the next at-bat, which was also his first home run in his last 206 plate appearances. Festa would give up one more hit to Justyn-Henry Malloy, but he got himself out of the inning with a flyout to right field from Zach McKinstry. Despite escaping the jam, Festa finished the inning having thrown 29 pitches, putting him at 45 pitches for the evening. He fared much better again in the top of the fourth, replicating his success from the top of the second as he faced the minimum and retired them on 10 pitches. The fifth inning, though, found the rookie failing to locate again. Keith hit a slider just below the middle of the strike zone into center field for a triple. Festa tried to pitch around Greene, but threw a slider in the exact same location where Keith hit it for a triple--except Greene hit a two-run homer to make it 7-1, Tigers. Festa completed the frame, but that would be where his second career start would end. While his command was effective, Festa threw many of his pitches right where the Tigers hitters wanted to see them. The big takeaway from this start was that he avoided walks, and the strikeout numbers looked closer to what they were in Triple-A than to his strangely whiffless debut. Brooks Lee Debuts There have been many questions over the last few weeks about when Brooks Lee would get the call up to the majors. Unfortunately, the day arrived on Wednesday as a result of another Royce Lewis injury the night before. Nonetheless, the long-awaited debut of the Twins' number-one pick from the 2022 Draft happened. He started at third base, which is appropriate, considering he was named after Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson. Lee struck out in his first at-bat, but things would turn up for him from there. He got his first hit out of the way his second time to the plate with a single to center field. Come his third time at the plate, Lee was ready to check another box. Byron Buxton led off the bottom of the 7th with a double, and Lee wasted no time in the next at-bat, hitting a first-pitch slider into center field and making it a 7-2 game. While the Twins were able to get the bases loaded for Carlos Santana on two walks and a fielder's choice later in the inning. Lee’s RBI single was the only run they got across, as Santana grounded out to end the inning. Despite the game's outcome, Lee made history on Wednesday night, as he was the first Twins left-handed or switch-hitter in two decades to have a multi-hit game in his MLB debut. The previous two Twins to do that were Joe Mauer, who went 2-for-3 against Cleveland on April 5, 2004, and Justin Morneau, who went 2-for-4 against Colorado on June 10, 2003. Bullpen Keeps Tigers Bats Quiet Until the Last Out Following Festa’s exit from the game, Twins relievers kept the Tigers' bats guessing. Josh Staumont entered the game first, and he needed to throw only 13 pitches to retire the minimum in the sixth. Caleb Thielbar came in for the seventh and retired the minimum on four fewer pitches. The eighth went to fellow lefty Kody Funderburk, who continued the roll of retiring the minimum on 12 pitches. He’d remain on the mound for the top of the ninth, and he quickly retired the first two batters, but he then allowed the Twins' third triple of the game to left fielder Akil Baddoo. Vierling didn’t mess around with Funderburk, and he hit a 2-run shot to extend the Tigers lead 9-2. Funderburk would recover and get the final out of the inning on a strikeout. Despite the triple from Baddoo and homer from Vierling, the Twins bullpen still managed to keep the Tigers to only two hits and two runs through the last four innings. Staumont, Thielbar, and Funderburk also combined for four strikeouts. What’s Next? The Twins finish up their three-game series against the Motor City Kitties tomorrow afternoon at 12:10. The game moved up an hour from its original start time due to weather. Bailey Ober will face off against old friend Kenta Maeda for the rubber match. Postgame Interview Coming soon. Bullpen Usage Sheet View full article

The Twins played their second of three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Wednesday night. After losing a close one against the D-Backs on Tuesday night, the visitors sought to bounce back with Simeon Woods Richardson on the mound. Image courtesy of © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (90 pitches, 57 strikes (63.3% strikes)) Home Runs: Willi Castro (7) Top 3 WPA: José Miranda .162. Woods Richardson .125, Carlos Santana .090 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Road Bumps Don’t Swerve Woods Richardson in Solid Start The Twins were looking for revenge after their devastating 5-4 loss against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. Woods Richardson made his 13th start of the season with the big-league club, and had things working relatively well through his first three innings. He hit a rough patch in the bottom of the first, allowing a one-out walk to Ketel Marte and a single to Joc Pederson, but some bad baserunning by Pederson and a flyout from Christian Walker dropped the momentum built up from Marte’s walk. In the next two innings, Woods Richardson allowed only one baserunner (on a Corbin Carroll single) but kept up the lead for his team. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. The fourth inning started out badly for Woods Richardson, as he hit the leadoff man, Pederson. Two batters later, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drove in Pederson on an RBI triple to get the Diamondbacks' first run of the game and make it a score of 6-1. But after that triple, Woods Richardson would retire five consecutive batters to avert further damage. Starting the sixth inning at 74 pitches, Woods Richardson would need to be efficient to make it through his fifth start of the season with at least six innings of work. But the Diamondbacks chipped away at him, with another walk from Marte and a double from Walker that moved runners into scoring position. While not his most dominant night on the mound, Woods Richardson did his part to keep the Twins' large lead intact and earned his third win of the year. Miranda Mania Builds Early Lead to Victory To quote former Twins Daily writer and current Reno Aces (Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliate) play-by-play man Nash Walker, Miranda Mania was the difference in the Twins' 8-3 win over the D-backs. The Twins had the opportunity to strike early, and they didn’t let it slither past them. With no outs in the top of the second, the Twins created a bases-loaded situation (on a couple of hits and a hit batter) for their third baseman. On a 2-1 count, Miranda smacked a bases-clearing double on a meatball pitch to give the Twins the early 3-0 lead. The Twins wouldn’t muster any more runs in the second, but in the third, Byron Buxton extended the lead by one with a sacrifice fly. Then in the fourth, Trevor Larnach and Carlos Correa both provided RBI doubles to make it a 6-0 lead. The final runs for the Twins would come off a Willi Castro two-run homer in the fifth, drilled into left field. Extra Rest Proves Worthwhile for Bullpen No one will ever complain about giving a bullpen extra rest, and the extra rest the Twins bullpen has had since Bailey Ober’s complete game on Saturday bore fruit Wednesday night. The four Twins relievers who succeeded Woods Richardson combined to throw 38 pitches through 3 ⅓ innings--including a quick outing from Jhoan Durán, who managed to get the last two outs in the bottom of the eighth on just three pitches. Durán, Josh Staumont, Steven Okert, and Ronny Henriquez were all perfect in their efforts to seal the Twins' 8-3 victory, combining for four strikeouts (three from Okert, the other from Henriquez), to seal the victory over the Snakes. What’s Next? The Twins finish up their three-game series in the desert at 2:40 P.M. Central on Thursday. The Diamondbacks send veteran lefty Jordan Montgomery to the mound against the Twins' newest pitcher, David Festa, who will be making his Major League debut. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Sheet View full article

“It’s surreal, I feel like the guy walking down there, Matt Wallner." Brooks Lee is on one of the best power-hitting surges of his career. Read up on what he had to say about his first-ever multi-home run game on Thursday night. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints ST. PAUL–On Thursday night, Brooks Lee accomplished a feat he’d never done before, at any level of his baseball life. He crushed two home runs in a decisive 8-5 Saints victory over the Toledo Mud Hens and helped extend the Saints' winning streak to nine games. Two nights before, Lee hit his first grand slam of the season and was modest about his power-hitting abilities. “I’m not usually a home run hitter,” said Lee after hitting a grand slam in the Saints 5-3 win on Tuesday night. But his performance over the last three games has begged to differ, and Lee is starting to notice the difference. “It’s surreal, I feel like the guy walking down there, Matt Wallner," Lee said Thursday night. "That’s what I said in my postgame speech. It feels surreal. Hopefully, it was going to happen at some point, and I’m glad it happened now.” The first home run came in the bottom of the fifth, as the Saints were trailing the Mud Hens 4-3. The Saints got a run back that inning from a swinging-bunt RBI single from Edouard Julien that scored left fielder Chris Williams. Julien and shortstop Will Holland sat on the corners as Lee crushed the first pitch he saw in his at-bat over the left field fence. Homer number two came an inning later, with Holland reaching base on a walk and advancing to second on a stolen base. Lee took a called strike for the first pitch of the at-bat, but the next pitch was a fastball in, placed in the middle of the strike zone. Lee drove it 448 feet to center field, to extend the Saints lead to 8-4. The final score ended up being 8-5, as Lee finished out his first game at second base for the Saints and a 2-for-5 night with five runs batted in. “My swing feels good. I just feel comfortable on that side (right side of the plate), on both sides. But I feel good, I’m seeing the ball well and it’s translating,” Lee said. While Lee and his teammates celebrated his home runs together in the dugout and clubhouse, the first person to congratulate him on this accomplishment outside the Saints’ clubhouse doors was his father, Larry. The bond Brooks Lee has with his dad is inseparable. Larry has had fewer opportunities to see him play in person since the Twins drafted Brooks in July of 2022, as his coaching duties at California Polytechnic State University take up a lot of his time. But Larry is taking any moment he can to be there in person for his son, as his career inches ever closer to the major leagues. “No matter how I play, but especially in front of him, I’m just glad he’s here. Because he’s busy, a busy guy, but he puts a lot of time and effort into me," the younger Lee said. "I’ll never be able to thank him enough for that, I’ve just been so blessed to have him constantly, and that’s why I need him around all the time.” Over his last three games, all but one of Lee’s hits have been for extra bases. On Tuesday night, his 3rd-inning grand slam won the Saints the game. Wednesday afternoon, Lee laced three doubles across CHS Field that helped the Saints to an 8-7 victory over Toledo. Finally, his first-ever multi-home run game on Thursday night propelled the Saints to nine straight wins. While Lee claimed after Tuesday night’s game he isn’t much of a home run hitter, Saints manager Toby Gardenhire said Lee isn’t kidding himself with his words and there’s a grander development with his swing. “A lot of times, guys who aren’t necessarily home run hitters, the more at-bats they get in their careers, they start to develop into home run hitters,” said Gardenhire. “He squares the ball up a lot; he always has. The stronger he gets, the more home runs he’s going to hit and that’s what we’re seeing right now.” Saints starter David Festa was also appreciative of the offense from Lee and his teammates that helped him cruise to a win. Festa threw 5 ⅔ innings on Thursday night. “The lineup and defense has been tremendous,” said Festa. “I feel like it’s been contagious right now. We have not just a couple of guys, but a lot of guys up and down the order that are hot right now and it’s just a really talented team and to be able to have them behind me on defense and up at the plate. I think they’ve done a great job all around.” The power is one thing, but Lee’s performance as a right-handed hitter has been a remarkable change from where he was a year ago. In 2023, Lee did not swing his best bat from the right side of the plate. He had a triple slash of .231/.266/.337 with a .603 OPS in 109 plate appearances as a right-handed hitter. After Thursday night’s game, Lee’s numbers in 28 plate appearances as a right-handed hitter in 2024 already outshine his 2023 season. He has a triple slash of .375/.392/.730 and a 1.112 OPS against lefties. “It’s always going to be up and down because that’s just how hitting is, but I put a lot of work in on that side. That was definitely something I put a lot of work in all off-season, and it’s always going to be a focus and it’s paid off so far." View full article

Things are heating up with the St. Paul Saints ahead of another six-game homestand. Read up on what has been happening with the Twins Triple-A lineup over the last four weeks. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Back on May 19, the Saints finished up a homestand against the Omaha Storm Chasers they wanted to forget about. They lost four of six games against the Royals' Triple-A squad, and found themselves dead last in the International League in batting average, hitting only .219 collectively in 44 games. That was 21 points worse than the next-crummiest offense on the circuit. The results for the Saints up to that point in the season had been a matter of hot and cold streaks. They were either hot or cold when games were close, and it cost them a few wins along the way. “We’re trying to figure out to not only manage what guys are doing in their at-bats but also line them up in certain parts of the order to continue to put them into positions to find success,” said Saints hitting coach Shawn Schlechter on the results of their lineup this season. “Certain matchups are better for some guys and some we’re trying to figure out how we continue to develop their skills to be better in certain matchups.” It must be working. Over the last four weeks, the team's average has jumped to .242 on the year. They no longer find themselves in the cellar in terms of collecting hits. “The one thing I’ll commend our guys is that they show up every day to work and try to figure some of this out, and we see it on days like Wednesday (Jun. 5) where we’re putting a ton of balls in play, moving runners and hitting some homers and extra-base hits," Schlecter said. "But then we have days like today (Jun. 9) where situationally, our offense didn’t capitalize as much as we would like to help us win ball games.” Five hitters in the Saints lineup have been a large part of the turnaround: Yunior Severino, Michael Helman, Tony Kemp, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., and Matt Wallner. Severino had one of the coldest starts in his career to start the 2024 season. Last year, he became a more familiar name to Twins fans, thanks to a minors-leading 35 home runs. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster last fall. Before the four-week stretch began in Buffalo last month, though, Severino had a triple slash of .148/.252/.310 in 38 games. Over his last 21 games, he's led the team with a .378/.511/.676 line, along with seven home runs and 20 RBIs. The cold slump for Severino looks to be over as the weather has launched us into summertime, and fans can be hopeful to see a rejuvenated Severino on the upcoming homestand. Helman spent two weeks on the injured list in April, with a pulled hamstring. He had been hitting .184 in his first 10 games before the injury, but since April 30, he’s slowly built himself back up as a Major threat in the Saints lineup. Over the last four weeks, Helman has been the Saints' second-best hitter (alongside Wallner) posting a .361/.426/.615 triple slash, along with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 94 plate appearances. “It always feels good when you’re hitting good,” Helman said. “Anytime I’m at the plate, I’m just trying to get the barrel on the ball and whatever happens, happens. Because everything is out of your control at that point." Helman attributed his hot stretch to reworking his leg kick with Schlechter, lowering it from where it had been at the start of the season. “It was messing with my timing and just being able to recognize pitches. We narrowed that down and it feels a lot better now. That was probably the biggest thing right there to fix.” “I think the slow start to the season was him just trying to get sped back up with getting at-bats and being comfortable in the box," Schlecter said. "He’s super-athletic, and I think we see that in the box. He can cover a good amount of the strike zone and when he is making contact, he’s hitting balls hard.” Wallner leads the team with 11 home runs and 26 RBIs, and has a 1.098 OPS in 110 plate appearances over this stretch. He’s rediscovered his swing, and is making a case to re-join the Twins before the All-Star break. “There were some things in his swing he wanted to tune up, and we’re starting to see the fruits of his labor here in the last couple of weeks. I think it’s a credit to his work ethic and showing up to hit the pavement running,” said Schlecter. Kemp has filled in as the Saints' de facto veteran leader in the clubhouse since joining the team in mid-April. He also had a slow start to the season with the Baltimore Orioles and in St. Paul, but like Helman, the last four weeks have been a phenomenal stretch for him. “I’ve never really been a fast start out the gates but I always just trust the process,” said Kemp. “When things start to click, you trust that it’s going come together and not panic. It’s my first time back in Triple-A since 2018, so a little bit of an adjustment period, but I’m not finished yet.” As Kemp said, things have begun to click for him. He’s compiled an eye-popping .365/.385/.541 triple-slash in 19 games, including an unexpected power surge in his swing. Kemp has never had a season in the majors or minors where he’s hit more than 10 home runs. He’s already hit five with the Saints in 38 games, including three in these four weeks. “I think the biggest thing about it is not trying. I know that my game has never been to try and hit the ball out of the ballpark, but if it happens, it happens," he said. "I’m just hunting for good pitches and I just feel like the more swings I get, the more I’m able to understand how my body is moving through the zone.” Keirsey Jr. has been out for the last three weeks with a calf strain he suffered during the warmups of the Saints game against Rochester on May 28. Before that, however, he’d been their best hitter, and he had a phenomenal series in Buffalo, with a .423 average, two home runs, 11 RBIs, and five stolen bases. His .302 batting average, 16 stolen bases, and .908 OPS on the season still lead the Saints in those categories, and he's third on the team with a 23.5% strikeout rate. Before his injury, Keirsey Jr. broke down what had been working for him in Triple-A. “I just think it’s the focus I’m bringing this year,” he said, on May 16. “The knowledge of myself and the things I need to work on and things to just each day, come in, focus on. I’m not trying to put so much pressure on myself for results, as opposed to my process with everything each day.” The process Keirsey Jr. had taken each day up to the point of his injury had been working for him, both offensively and defensively. As long as his calf injury has seen no setbacks during the Saints' road trip to Louisville, he may be activated this homestand and get another opportunity to improve his numbers with the team. Strangely enough, the Saints' success hasn’t been at CHS Field for most of the season. They’ve performed better on the road, with a 20-17 record, while CHS Field (a hitter-friendly ballpark) has been an adversary for them, as they have a league-worst 13-18 record in St. Paul. “It would be great to get some more wins, because all in all, what we’re trying to do is win ball games here,” said Helman. “Especially when you start winning, everyone is feeling good and you like to see that from both the offensive side and pitching.” Even with fewer games at home versus on the road, the Saints' offensive numbers are still better on paper at CHS Field. While they have a losing home record, the Saints have complied a .775 OPS at CHS, versus. a .746 OPS on the road, and that comes with setting a franchise record with a 22-hit game in an 18-4 win over Louisville last Thursday. “I just think it’s a coincidence,” said Schlechter. "No matter where we’re at, we could be hitting here or the Polo Grounds, or any of the least hitter-friendly ballparks. I just want our guys to continue to be relentless in the box and have good plans and execution in plans and approaches.” Despite the bad losses at home, things are trending in the right direction for the whole Saints clubhouse, coming off the six-game sweep. Wallner and Randy Dobnak were named International League Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. The Saints begin their homestand Tuesday against the Toledo Mud Hens, who are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have a team ERA of 5.48 on the season. The Mud Hens may be the team the Saints need to face to get over their struggles at CHS and come back to the sluggers they’ve been known as over the last four years. View full article

Once a great rival to the Twins in the old days of the American League West, the Oakland A's are now a shell of the franchise they used to be thanks to the corporate greed of owner John Fisher. They still have some solid players on their roster that would be worth the pursuit this trade deadline. With the Athletics in town this weekend, it's a fitting time to look at five players who are likely going to be moved by them this July. Image courtesy of D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports Ah yes, trade deadline speculation is well underway as we delve into the heart of the summer. There is many a team in Major League Baseball that will be out of contention by late July, ready to send out their best players for a plunder of prospects. One of the least-surprising members of this group: the Oakland Athletics. The A’s entered play on Friday riding a six-game losing streak, with a 26-45 record that plants them dead last in the AL West. They are 14 games out of first place with little hope of a turnaround. There’s nonstop chatter around the A’s shopping their flame-throwing starter turned reliever Mason Miller, who has topped out on radar guns at 103.7 MPH. Every front office running teams in contention is ready to give what it takes to get the young buck out of Pittsburgh. But the A’s have more than just Miller to offer. In the case of the Minnesota Twins, what they require most is, you guessed it, more pitching. The depth in the starting rotation is beginning to look depleted. Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober both hold ERA’s north of 5 and Louie Varland has looked uneven in Triple-A, although he returned to the Twins on Tuesday night and looked more or less like his old self. One significant injury to a starter would test the team's iffy rotation depth. The Twins may need extra arms in both the rotation and their bullpen to catch up and put some ground between the Royals and Guardians if they hope to defend the American League Central Division title. Here are five names that are suitable candidates for the Twins to page Oakland about. JP Sears Behind Miller, Sears will likely be the second-most desired player Oakland can offer up via trade. Sears has been the anchor of the Athletics rotation, leading the team in starts (14), innings pitched (78.1), WHIP (1.15), and opponents batting average (.232). His 4.02 ERA isn’t the most glamorous in the league, but it’s something the Twins can work with given their reluctance for employing left-handed starters over the last three seasons. The Twins haven’t had a full-time lefty starter in their rotation since J.A. Happ in 2021, but Happ was in his age 38 season while Sears is only in his age 28 season. Sears also has a lot to offer with his pitching arsenal: sweeper, fastball, changeup, sinker, and slider. His go-to pitch is not a fastball but his sweeper which he has thrown 347 times this season and opposing hitters are a dismal 14-for-86 (.163 batting average) against it. The Twins may not need to do much tinkering around with his sweeper with how dominant it already is, but the rest of his pitching arsenal could use some work. The biggest challenge that could come with acquiring Sears is the return package, as the lefty still has five seasons of team control until 2029. The friendly team control would drive the price up, but it may be one the Twins are willing to bite if Sears isn’t alone in a deal. Lucas Erceg If you haven’t looked into Erceg’s Baseball Savant page before, here’s a quick glimpse of it. The second-year right-hander has been a bit of a hidden gem in the A’s bullpen this season, posting a 3.57 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .188 opponents average, and a 31% K-rate. One of the more noticeable red dots from Erceg’s percentile rankings is his hard-hit rate, which sits in the 96th percentile of MLB pitchers at 28 percent. Erceg has the 14th-best rate in all of MLB and sits ahead of any Twins reliever on these rankings. The one weakness for Erceg this season has been his go-to secondary pitch, his changeup. He’s thrown it 88 times this season and hitters have tallied a .471 batting average and .882 slugging percentage against the pitch. Erceg returned to the A’s bullpen Wednesday night after a stint on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain. He’d been experiencing tightness in his throwing arm since the end of May, and the A’s did their part to be precocious to keep him healthy following the suspension of Michael Kelly for the rest of the year for violating MLB’s gambling policies. If Erceg can keep up being the pitcher he was before the IL stint and improve the movement of his changeup, he’d be a formidable asset to any team seeking him this trade deadline. Understandably, Twins fans might be a little timid about targeting a pitcher with recent arm concerns. T.J. McFarland McFarland has been the workhorse out of the A’s bullpen this season appearing in a team-leading 34 games, tied with three other relievers for the second most in baseball. The newly minted 35-year-old journeyman reliever has held a solid 3.67 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, but his fastball velocity is one of the lowest in all of baseball averaging out at 87.7 MPH. The low fastball velocity could make McFarland less of an attractive trade target, but he’s getting outs, even if it’s more of a pitch-to-contact method. The benefit of acquiring McFarland is how cheap his contract is, as he’s only earning $850,000 this season and will be a free agent this upcoming off-season. The cost of acquiring McFarland will not be high and if he doesn’t turn out as well, there isn’t as much salary for the money-conscious Twins or any team to eat if things don’t pan out well. Hogan Harris Another lefty in the A’s rotation, Harris began his season at Triple-A Las Vegas with dismal results on the mound. But since the Athletics called him back up full-time on May 30, he’s been one of their most consistent pitchers. Harris has a 2.49 ERA, 1.11 WHIP. .211 opponents batting average, in 25.1 innings across five games and three starts. The sample size is still small for Harris but he’s held up very well against opponents averaging five innings and only one earned run over his last three starts. The biggest area Harris needs improvement with is his command of off-speed pitches. His curveball, slider, and changeup have not seen nearly as great command in the strike zone as his fastball and are a major factor in his issuing 33 walks in 55 innings between the minors and majors. The Twins could tweak Harris’s command to his advantage if they pursue him in a trade deal. And while Oakland is currently using Harris as a starter, he could pan out greatly as a long-relief option if push comes to shove. Brent Rooker This one is more for fun speculation of a reunion rather than the Twins' need for him. Rooker has become the full-time designated hitter for the A’s over the last year. He has played in 14 of his 66 games in the outfield this season, but defensive limitation is what keeps Rooker from being viable for a reunion. Rooker is continuing his hot hitting that put him on the national baseball map last season and earned him his first-ever All-Star nod. He leads Oakland in home runs (13), RBI (40), slugging percentage (.522) and OPS (.868). If the Twins were to pursue a reunion with Rooker, he’d be best utilized in the lineup as a replacement for Manuel Margot. But Margot is doing the job he needs to as a platoon outfielder and hitting off left-handed pitching holding a .784 OPS on the season against lefties Rooker will likely be moved this July to a contending team, but it won’t be Minnesota as the reunion will provide more of a roster crunch than versatility with the ever-revolving door of platoon options Twins manager Rocco Baldelli loves to have. Oakland still has plenty to offer the Twins in the month to come. As long as these five players maintain the success they’ve had this season, it’s very possible at least one of them could very well be a part of the Twins' push to repeat as AL Central Champions. And Twins fans will have plenty of opportunities to get familiar with these Oakland A's, as they're currently in town for a series at Target Field and the two teams will face off at the Coliseum next weekend. Which players on their roster pique your interest as fits for the Twins? View full article

With the high school and collegiate baseball seasons in full postseason mode, it's time to reevaluate if this draft class is stronger than originally anticipated a few months back. Carlos Collazo of Baseball America provides his insights to Jamie and Jeremy on where this draft class stands compared to a few months back. View full video

The Twins returned home Monday night, for a 10-game homestand that follows a dismal 3-6 road trip. Chris Paddack dueled against the Rockies' Dakota Hudson. Could the Twins put the road trip behind them and make it a two-game winning streak? Continued Bullpen Dominance As Paddack left the game, the bullpen picked things up where he left them. Okert came in for a quick two outs throwing only 10 pitches to finish off the seventh. Griffin Jax, who had thrown 43 pitches in two of the Twins' three games in Pittsburgh, had an electric eighth inning as he struck out the side on 15 pitches. Diego Castillo had the ninth thanks to Lewis’s homer and pitched his fifth game for the Twins. Castillo had one bad outing in St. Paul earlier this season where he blew a 7-4 Saints lead in the ninth, but that version of Castillo was behind him Monday night, despite a one-out walk. Other Notes The win was the Twins third shutout as a pitching staff this season, the last coming in their 10-0 victory against the Washington Nationals on May 21. It was also the third time in franchise history, that the Twins shut out the Rockies, the last coming on June 25, 2022, behind a rare five-inning start from Chris Archer. Paddack's first strikeout of the game against McMahon was also the 400th of his career. In a post-game interview with Kris Atteberry and Dan Gladden on the radio, he marked the moment as a phenomenal benchmark in his career after overcoming his second Tommy John surgery. What’s Next? The Twins play the second game in the series against Colorado on Tuesday night with another 6:40 start time. The Twins will recall Louie Varland for his second stint in the rotation (if only for a short stay), while the Rockies will send a familiar foe Cal Quantrill to the mound. Postgame Interview Coming soon. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article