Cody Schoenmann

next time you talk about the GOAT fred durst make sure to....

this is a half-measure free agency pool

it's okay man just say you dont get limp

remember when tracy porter picked Favre in the ‘09 nfc championship game? twins haven’t rebounded since

This team makes me sad. The AL Central was more than winnable this year—But here we are, on track for another sub-.500 season. The vibe is much different, however, with top prospects Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins, and Emmanuel Rodriguez finally with the parent club, looking to guide the club toward sustained postseason contention. Actually, yeah, let’s keep talking about the future. I don’t want to talk about the 2026 Twins anymore. Not even fluoxetine helps with my Twins-induced angst. Let’s get into projections! (Author’s note: Yes, yes, I know. Lockout, all that. Still, baseball will happen in 2027. As Fred Durst so eloquently said, "You gotta have faith!") Catchers (2): Ryan Jeffers, Victor Caratini At this point, the consensus is that Minnesota will extend the qualifying offer to Jeffers, which will be around $23 million. Many believe he will decline it and pursue a more lucrative, long-term deal in free agency—which I understand. In fact, it’s what I think Jeffers should do. The Yankees could give him soooooooooooo much money. Still, I wouldn’t be shocked if he accepted the one-year qualifying offer, particularly given the unique predicament players face this offseason. Admittedly, it would be a little anticlimactic for the Twins’ most substantial offseason investment to be a player already on the club. But there are worse things than rostering one of the best-hitting catchers in the sport on what is functionally a one-year, $23 million deal. If Jeffers returns, Caratini will again be his backup, completing the second season of a two-year, $14 million deal he signed with Minnesota last offseason—That’s fine. There’s much, much worse tandems in the sport. Also, I mean, hey, at least the Twins aren’t paying J.T. Realmuto $15 million next season, right!? Regardless, one more season of Jeffers as the club’s primary catcher would be an ideal segue to Vahn Lackey taking over as the club’s long-term answer at the position. Infielders (6): Kody Clemens, Xavier Edwards, Brooks Lee, Kaelen Culpepper, Ryan Kreidler, Gabriel Gonzalez The Twins can’t march into a 162-game season with Royce Lewis and Kody Clemens penciled in as the primary starters on the right side of the infield and expect to be serious postseason contenders—particularly Lewis. He’s been a below-average hitter for three seasons and is a defensive liability at every infield position, including first base. That being the case, I predict Minnesota will non-tender Lewis, redirecting the roughly $6 million he would have received in arbitration elsewhere. Minnesota could sign a free agent first baseman in Jake Bauers or Ty France or Luis Arraez or trade for a high-ceiling option in St. Louis’s Alec Burleson. However, I’m predicting the club will acquire switch-hitting, speedy, high-OBP second baseman Xavier Edwards from the Miami Marlins to take over the position full-time while shifting the power-hitting Clemens down the defensive spectrum to first, a position he has excelled at since joining the Twins. Lee and Culpepper are the most exciting young left side of the infield since Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco in the late-2010s. Lee will be the primary third baseman with Culpepper at short. Despite struggling at the plate, Kreidler is a plus defensive third baseman and shortstop, who will continue to mix in at second and in the outfield. He will also be out of minor league options next season, giving him the inside edge over fellow utility infielder Ben Ross. Gonzalez could mix in as a platoon partner with Clemens at first base, starting against left-handed starting pitchers, while mixing in at the corner outfield. Yet he would likely serve as the 13th-position player, seeing very little action and constantly at risk of being demoted to Triple-A St. Paul. Outfielders (5): Byron Buxton, Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Luke Keaschall, Austin Martin There has never been a better opportunity to transition Buxton into a corner outfielder/designated hitter. Both Rodriguez and Jenkins are viable major league centerfielders, with club decision-makers preferring Jenkins over Rodriguez at the position. Still, both are likely better defensive center fielders than Buxton at this point in their respective careers. Also, the club would be wise to move Buxton down the defensive spectrum to the corner outfield while spending more time at designated hitter. Until (or if) that happens, however, the primary outfield configuration entering next season will likely be Jenkins, Buxton, and Keaschall, with Rodriguez mixing in at all three positions. Also, this level of flexibility permits Twins decision-makers to move on from Trevor Larnach, not tendering him this offseason. Martin could also retain a similar platoon role as this season, starting in either corner outfield spot against left-handed pitching. Like Buxton, I’d prefer Keaschall receiving more DH opportunities, potentially taking over the club’s primary option there with Josh Bell expected to depart this offseason. Being able to keep Keaschall’s bat in the lineup without worrying about defense would be a win-win for the player and the team. He will spend significant time in right field. However, it would be wise to give him and Buxton the majority of DH opportunities, thereby allowing Jenkins and Rodriguez to patrol two-thirds of the outfield almost every game. Starting Rotation (5): Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Dean Kremer, Mick Abel Much was made of the club’s inept bullpen and sluggish second-half offense. Yet, starting rotation woes were low-key the Twins' Achilles’ heel in 2026. So many games were quickly upended by early implosions from Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, Connor Prielipp, Mike Paredes, Kendry Rojas, Dean Kremer, and even frontline starters like Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley. Again, bad starts are a part of the sport. Every starter not named Jacob Misiorowski has them. Still, starting pitching needs to improve for Minnesota to return to the postseason in 2027. On paper, López, Ryan, and Bradley are a solid top of the rotation. At the same time, however, each could be viewed as an unknown quantity, with López returning from a torn UCL, Ryan undergoing another pronounced late-season regression, and Bradley manufacturing his first above-average season as a major league starter. Still, I am confident these three can lead what could be a plus rotation. Abel impressed before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in July, and I am optimistic he could thrive over a full-season sample, potentially blossoming into a frontline starter. Also, despite netting his worst season in the majors, Kremer has been steady since joining the Twins, all but guaranteeing the arb-3 eligible righty will be a member of Minnesota’s Opening Day 2027 starting rotation, which also happens to be his final season of team control. Prielipp will likely be the organization’s sixth starting pitcher who could quickly join the parent club if performance concerns or injuries arise. Bullpen (8): Jeff Hoffman, Andrew Morris, Joe Jiménez, Yoendrys Gómez, Kody Funderburk, Tommy Nance, Anthony Banda, Zebby Matthews Beyond Jeffers returning and trading for Edwards, the bullpen is where the majority of Minnesota’s offseason activity could occur. At the same time, it could look almost identical to how it does now. I’m predicting the latter will happen with a few substantial shakeups. I think Twins decision-makers will make a splashy reliever addition this offseason, which I predict will be the club signing Joe Jiménez to a one-year deal. To preface, yes, I know Jiménez hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2024. However, his injury was leg-related, with him undergoing left knee articular cartilage surgery in November, 2024. He missed this season with the same injury. However, he is undergoing a rehab assignment with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate, meaning he could be ready to pitch this postseason. When Jiménez last pitched, however, he was one of the best relievers in baseball. He also has the platonic ideal Twins reliever arsenal, throwing his four-seam and slider a combined 96% of the time. Regardless, I think Hoffman will enter next season as the club’s closer, given Gómez’s late-season struggles. Morris should also continue operating in a high-leverage role, with the aforementioned Gómez also likely occupying a late-inning role early next season. Funderburk (out of minor league options) and Banda could serve as a viable left-handed relief tandem with Nance working in a mid-leverage role. Also, I project Matthews to earn the eighth and final bullpen spot. However, I expect Minnesota will continue to stretch him out as a starter, with him shuttling between Triple-A and the parent club as ever-important starting-pitching depth. Rojas, Paredes, David Festa, and Ryan Gallagher could occupy a similar role, with Travis Adams, Garrett Acton, Marco Raya, and potential offseason additions as priority Triple-A short-relief depth. View full article

many are saying Peter Bendix is the next Andy MacPhail

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Acquired from the Miami Marlins for right-handed pitching prospect Logan Whitaker on April 2, Garrett Acton joined the Minnesota Twins' 40-man roster, hoping to pitch more than the one inning he threw for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025. The 28-year-old accomplished that feat in his first appearance as a Twin, facing eight batters over two innings against the Detroit Tigers on April 9. Acton pitched 4 2/3 more innings that month, netting an impressive 2.70 ERA, 2.20 FIP, and a 32.1% strikeout rate—before being placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain on April 26. He was later transferred to the 60-day IL, before joining the Triple-A St. Paul Saints' roster on August 1. “The shoulder thing was a hiccup.” Acton said. “[But] I feel like it’s largely been a successful year … I’ve learned a lot from Pete [Maki] and Luis [Ramirez].” Before receiving insight from the Twins pitching coaches, however, Acton had already gotten good advice. He believes his time in Miami played a big role in his success this season. “I guess one of the things that was kind of an emphasis with Miami was expanding the arsenal, right?" he said. "In spring training, I was working on a sweeper, obviously, and a kick change. Coming over here, [Maki and Ramirez] were like, ‘You have two really good pitches in your fastball and slider. Let’s get a third pitch.’ And that ultimately ended up being my old changeup.” Before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Acton threw his four-seamer 69% of the time; his slider 23% of the time; and his changeup 9% of the time with the then-Oakland Athletics. In his one inning pitched for Tampa Bay last season, he threw only his four-seamer (81%) and change (19%). Yet, with Minnesota this season, he has almost exclusively become a fastball-slider pitcher, throwing his four-seamer 54% of the time and his slider 45%. He throws what Baseball Savant categorizes as a splitter 1% of the time; that's the “old changeup” Acton was referring to. “(We prioritized) tightening up the arsenal," the journeyman explained. "But the emphasis was still the same. Dominate the strike zone pre-[two-strike counts], be able to expand, and use my best pitch [once I get to two strikes].” After being recalled from Triple-A when major-league rosters expanded to 28 players on September 1, Acton initially pitched well. with four innings of one-run ball in his first two appearances. He fanned four and allowed just five baserunners in those outings. Things went sour on Sunday against the White Sox, but Acton felt he tapped into something real and valuable. “Ultimately, I’m trying to play the north-south game," he said. "I’m trying to get some killshots up [with my fastball]. I know that’s where I’m going to generate most of my swing-and-miss … But I also need to be able to work below with my slider and change.” The Sunday night shellacking got Acton a ticket back to St. Paul on Labor Day, as the Twins reinstated Joe Ryan from the injured list. He was optioned, but not cut loose from the organization. There's still a chance for him to have an impact next year. Some of the club’s eight-pitcher bullpen is already constructed for 2027. Given good health, Yoendrys Gómez, Jeff Hoffman, Andrew Morris, Kody Funderburk, and Tommy Nance are all but guaranteed their spots. A slew of mid-to-low-leverage candidates presently possess 40-man roster spots alongside Acton: Travis Adams, Jack Anderson, Marco Raya, and Eric Orze, with Cole Sands, Mike Paredes, and Anthony Banda set to return from the injured list before spring training. There's ample room for an affable late bloomer with plus stuff to carve out a role, though, and Acton is closer to doing so now than he was five months ago—even if much of the time between then and now was spent mired in frustrating stasis. View full article

Image courtesy of Matt Marton-Imagn Images “The first month has gone by kind of quick,” quipped Kaelen Culpepper before Sunday night’s matchup against the Chicago White Sox. The 23-year-old isn’t wrong. On August 7, he walked into the visiting team’s clubhouse in Milwaukee, hours before first pitch. That feels like forever ago, right? I’m sure most of you reading this article remember where you were when he took Brewers starting pitcher Shane Drohan deep in his second major-league plate appearance. Time (as it's known to do) has flown by, however, and 100 plate appearances into his major-league career, Culpepper has become one of Minnesota’s most productive position players. “It was nice, man,” Culpepper said of hitting second in the Twins lineup Saturday, for the first time since his contract was selected early last month. “You know what I mean? I hit leadoff and second a lot in the minors. So being back in the two-hole, it’s kind of, you know, allowed me to reminisce a little bit. But I felt pretty comfortable—felt right at home again.” And right at home he was, going 2-for-5, including an RBI double in the top of the seventh inning that served as an insurance run for the club’s 6-4 comeback win over Chicago. Culpepper’s success extends far beyond Saturday night’s late-inning heroics. Over 100 plate appearances, the rookie has hit .297/.350/.451 with five doubles, three home runs, and a 133 wRC+. His underlying metrics support his strong start at the plate; he's shown great bat speed and some good contact skills. “I just want to be quick in general.” Culpepper said. “I want the main thing that I’m known for is my hands. I feel like word is getting out pretty nice, but yeah, it’s always been a thing for me.” Word is, in fact, getting out, particularly with his past two home runs coming off fastball variants in on his hands. He pulled this homer on a 93-MPH sinker from West Sacramento Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn on August 26: 97491033-236cf8ff-6a8c6c61-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 The bat speed remains unexpectedly eye-popping, averaging out at 73.7 MPH. That's the third-quickest swing on the active roster, sitting behind only Ryan Kreidler (74) and Royce Lewis (75.2). His quick hands have translated at shortstop, too, helping him net 0 Outs Above Average (OAA) over 203 innings played at the position. “I played some really good defense in the minors, and I want that to translate," he said. "I know there have been some hiccups up here, but like, I’m young in my career. So, every day I’m working to make those routine plays: make the hard plays look easy.” On the surface, a 0 OAA isn’t remarkable, but it's a meaningful improvement over what the club was getting from Brooks Lee (-6 OAA) and Tristan Gray (-7 OAA) in the season’s first half. He’s not the defensive shortstop Kreidler is (2 OAA), but there’s reason to believe he could quickly become a plus defender at the position if he can continue expanding his range while leaning on his plus arm. “[I’m] working with Ramon [Borrego] every day, man," said the rookie. "I mean, we’re always grinding, working on something new, working on things that I’ve been working on the last year-and-a-half or so.” Top prospect Marek Houston projects to be a better defensive shortstop than Culpepper. Yet, he isn’t expected to reach the parent club until mid- to late 2027 or early 2028, depending on his ability to hit Triple-A pitching. Culpepper will probably be Minnesota’s full-time starting shortstop next season, making his development at the position vital to the club’s success early next season. Until then, the top prospect wants to finish his 2026 campaign on the field. “I wanna stay healthy. You know what I mean? I want to stay on the field. Continue playing every day—producing well," Culpepper said. "I’m feeling healthy. I haven’t had any issues (with my hip) since I came off the IL, so I’m good, I’m clean. Just trying to grind it out.” View full article

thanks chatGPT

Image courtesy of Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Turn on Twins.TV or the Treasure Island Baseball Network (TIBN) radio feed during a Connor Prielipp-started Minnesota Twins baseball game, and you will quickly hear Cory Provus, Kris Attebery or one of the many talented analysts discuss how well Twins decision-makers are managing Prielipp’s innings this season. On the surface, the assumption that the front office and coaches are carefully monitoring the 25-year-old’s workload makes sense. The University of Alabama product threw only seven innings in his 2021 college campaign before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He then underwent internal brace surgery in 2023, delaying his first extended stint as a starting pitcher in Minnesota’s minor-league system until 2025. Splitting his 2025 campaign between Double- and Triple-A, the hard-throwing southpaw netted 82 2/3 innings pitched over 23 starts, signaling he could soon join the parent club’s starting rotation. That assumption became reality on April 22 of this year, when the former top prospect was recalled from Triple-A, joining the Twins' starting rotation. Despite a brief 15-day IL stint in mid-July, Prielipp has remained a fixture of Minnesota’s rotation since his promotion, starting every fifth or sixth day. You could argue his stint on the IL was more about maintenance than serious injury, and he's twice had his starts pushed back one game, lengthening the rotation. Those are small safeguards for a pitcher with big injury trouble in his recent past, though. Over 19 starts (functionally 20; Andrew Morris opened Prielipp’s last appearance), the lefty has averaged roughly 5 1/3 innings pitched per outing—a rate typical of an unrestricted starting pitcher. In fact, since April 22, Prielipp ranks third among Twins pitchers in innings with 104, trailing only Zebby Matthews (112) and Taj Bradley (126 2/3). Prielipp has thrown more innings than Joe Ryan (98 1/3) and Bailey Ober (87 1/3) during that stretch, though of course he's spent less time on the shelf than they have. Assessing Prielipp’s workload from a league perspective, the hard-throwing lefty ranks 34th in innings pitched among AL starting pitchers, tied with New York’s Gerrit Cole and ranking just ahead of Chicago’s Erick Fedde. Inserting NL starting pitchers, Prielipp ranks 63rd in innings pitched, tied with Cole and Milwaukee’s Dustin May. Does that read as a starting pitcher on an innings limit? Again, I don’t blame Twins broadcasters for assuming that Twins decision-makers were limiting Prielipp’s workload this season. He's had just one campaign resembling a full workload in the past three minor-league seasons. I’m sure they’re monitoring his innings and are in constant communication about how his left arm feels. Yet, to suggest his innings have been limited this season would be incorrect. Going forward, I beg Twins broadcasters (and fans) to resist the urge to suggest Prielipp is pitching under an innings limit. In fact, one could argue it would be more apt to refer to him as one of Minnesota's few workhorses. View full article

Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on April 13, Dean Kremer joined the Baltimore Orioles starting rotation, with intentions of performing like the steady, above-average right-handed starting pitcher he was in 2025 before losing a rotation-spot battle to Zach Eflin in spring training. The 30 year old resembled his 2025-self, generating a 4.09 ERA, 5.45 FIP, with an astounding 37.5% strikeout rate over 11 innings pitched in two starts in mid-April. The long-time Oriole was however placed on the 15-day IL with a right quad strain on April 23. The right-handed starter was transfered to the 60-day IL before rejoining Baltimore’s rotation on July 1. Kremer struggled upon returning, netting a 7.56 ERA, 6.56 FIP, and a less inspiring 20% strikeout rate over 25 innings pitched. The struggling veteran appeared to be at threat of being designated for assignment by Baltimore, given he no longer possessed minor league options after being recalled earlier in the season. Yet, Baltimore traded him to the Minnesota Twins on July 31 for left-handed hitting outfield prospect Jhomnardo Reyes. The veteran immediately slotted into Minnesota’s five-pitcher rotation, making his Twins debut on August 5. He performed well for his new club over his first two starts, manufacturing a 1.50 ERA, 2.33 FIP, and a 22% strikeout over 12 innings pitched. Yet, he has quickly regressed to his early-season form over his past three starts, netting a 6.75 ERA, 5.47 FIP, and a 21.2% strikeout rate over 14 2/3 innings pitched. Understandably, Twins Territory immediately was immediately enamored by Kremer, given the spectacle of him being a trade deadline acquisition and performing at an elite rate over his first two starts with his new club. The organization’s pitching development staff also implemented meaningful changes to his arsenal, having him rely on four-seamer more, while using his splitter as his go-to offspeed pitch. While these adjustments were sound and worked well over a two-game sample, Kremer has largely remained ineffective in Minnesota, netting a 4.39 ERA, 4.06 FIP, and a 23-to-11 strikeout to walk ratio over 26 2/3 innings pitched. Kremer’s greatest hindrance this season is his inability to limit walks. In Baltimore, he walked 7.2% of hitters this, which is around league-average. Yet, he was getting hit hard and often, resulting in his aforementioned bloated metrics. With Minnesota, however, he has walked 10.3% of hitters—an untenable rate. The only major league starting pitchers who can sustain success in the majors while walking hitters over ten-percent of the time are ones with elite stuff. Think Dylan Cease or Taj Bradley. Kremer, however, has zero plus pitches despite sporting a six-pitch arsenal. Possessing catastrophically poor command, below-average stuff, and a knack for allowing home runs (15 over 62 2/3 innings), it is no surprise that Kremer has been one of the worst starting pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched this season. I don’t fault Twins decision-makes for making the trade. The club was in dire need of starting pitching depth and Reyes is an 18-year-old lottery ticket sporting a 79 wRC+ with Baltimore’s Single-A affiliate. Still, if Kremer’s struggles continue the last month of the season, Twins decision-makers would be wise not to non-tender Kremer this offseason, quickly cutting ties with the right-handed starter targeted one month ago. View full article

are you actually Andy MacPhail? if so, can you email me? schoenmann34@gmail.com

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images In 6,721 defensive innings over his 11-season major-league career, Byron Buxton has only ever played center field. The last time he played a position other than center in affiliated ball was in 2014, when he notched 14 innings in right field at High-A. This development shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who follows the Twins—or baseball, for that matter. Buxton has long been a world-class athlete, with elite sprint speed and a feel for making late adjustments when needed. That athleticism resulted in him winning a Platinum Glove Award in 2017, when he was arguably the rangiest center fielder of the 2010s. Nine years later, however, the 32-year-old is no longer one of the sport’s best center fielders. That's no knock against Buxton; him still being one of the fastest players in baseball 11 seasons into his career is a remarkable feat. Despite maintaining that speed on the bases, though, Buxton has regressed in multiple defensive metrics over the past two seasons. He still makes all the routine plays, but he no longer takes away should-be hits. Of course, Buxton doesn’t have to be an elite defender to remain at center field. He's still playable there, with 3 Outs Above Average (OAA) over 193 attempts this season. Cracks are still forming beneath the surface, however. He’s remained elite at tracking balls hit in front of and behind him this season. However, his ability to reach balls on which he has to range far to his left or right has steadily regressed over the past couple of seasons, with 2026 as a low point. Moving toward third base, Buxton has generated 1 OAA. At the same time, he has manufactured 0 OAA moving toward first. His combined 1 OAA while moving laterally would be the lowest mark of his career (save his 2018 campaign, when he played only 28 games). Can you guess his second-worst season getting to balls hit laterally? Great job, valued reader! You’re correct. It was 2025. Buxton has steadily regressed in his ability to reach balls hit in the gap over the past two seasons, and at this point in his career, it's extremely likely that he'll continue to fade. Again, nobody is holding Buxton to the same standard as Pete Crow-Armstrong or Ceddanne Rafaela. Twins decision-makers would be more than justified in finishing the 2026 season with Buxton as the club’s primary center fielder; his regression doesn’t require immediate attention. Still, Minnesota would be wise to have a succession plan in place for 2027. Luckily, the organization’s top solution is knocking on the door of the majors in Triple-A: first-ranked prospect Walker Jenkins. I’m not advocating that Minnesota call up Jenkins right now. He's a 21-year-old enjoying his first extended success against Triple-A pitching. He is still a platoon liability against left-handed pitching, netting a .277 xwOBA over 80 plate appearances at Triple-A. He is undeniably at the parent club’s door, preparing to rush through, with intentions of immediately becoming one of Minnesota’s best position players. That time will come, but there’s a strong chance it won’t be until 2027. Whenever Jenkins does get his contract selected from Triple-A St. Paul, the Twins should make him their primary center fielder, moving Buxton to the corner outfield. Jenkins has played center field in most of his appearances at Triple-A, with 370 innings at the position. He's been solid, with no errors and good range. Right now, Buxton is probably as good or better in center than Jenkins is. However, by this time next year, that won't be true. What separates Jenkins from Buxton now is the top prospect’s elite arm value, an area in which Buxton has declined more obviously and sharply. Buxton sports a -1 Arm Value over 168 advancement attempts in 2026, placing him in the bottom third of the league. Runners have been able to take extra bases on him, a trend that has become significantly worse since 2024, when Buxton was toward the top of the league. Jenkins, however, has one of the best arms in the minors. Whether Buxton moves to left or right field is largely inconsequential. Right field is higher on the defensive spectrum, with clubs often placing stronger-armed fielders there in order to reduce a runner’s likelihood of advancing from first to third on a single or tagging up from second to third on a flyout to right. Buxton is probably better-suited to left, particularly given that left-center is deeper than right-center at Target Field. One way or another, though, it's time to start making a succession plan—which, in this case, is also a relocation plan. View full article

Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Demoted to Triple-A St. Paul for the second time this season on June 2, a struggling Kody Funderburk rejoined the Saints, having posted a lousy 5.65 FIP and a -7.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio (meaning he was walking batters considerably more often than striking them out). The 29-year-old struggled with St. Paul, netting a 5.14 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and a lackluster 19.4% strikeout rate over seven innings pitched from June 5 to 21. Funderburk has often battled control issues, but at times this season, he's also run into barrels. After falling behind in counts, he was unable to sneak fastballs past hitters, and was hit hard, as well as giving out free passes. df6014ad-c6159a9d-3311a408-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Necessity brought Funderburk back to the bigs relatively quickly, though. The team's dearth of relief depth and Funderburk having a place on the 40-man roster positioned him for a promotion on June 24, upon which he looked to regain his post-2025 trade deadline form. Down the stretch of last season, he generated a 0.75 ERA, 2.30 FIP, and a 28% strikeout rate over 24 innings. “I know I was flying off a lot of stuff mechanically, causing some misses east-to-west.” Funderburk said, noting that Twins bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins worked extensively with him upon his latest return. “We kind of just got back to staying closed, keeping my head on the target, and I was able to keep my torso closed just a split second longer, and everything timed up better.” Since June 26, the left-handed reliever has regained his dominant form, producing a 2.18 ERA, 2.36 FIP, and a 27.7% strikeout rate over 20 2/3 innings pitched. bGJ3R0JfWGw0TUFRPT1fQUFsVkFsZFhVQWNBRFFZREJRQUhBQWNBQUFNRVZnTUFWbFlOVXdNTUJWVmNVUVVE.mp4 “So, I think mechanically, like, that was a big adjustment for me and [Hawkins] and I got the work done. And, I mean, our catchers kill it with game-planning, and once I feel like I'm involved and can execute, it’s putting all my trust in them,” he said. Funderburk regaining his dominant form couldn’t have come at a better time, given the club’s lone high-leverage left-handed throwing reliever (Anthony Banda) was transferred to the 60-day IL with a left lat strain on July 11, ending his 2026 campaign. Minnesota’s front office traded for southpaw A.J. Minter on July 31, effectively replacing Banda’s production as a high-leverage, late-inning lefty. Still, Funderburk’s ascension has provided Minnesota with two trustworthy lefties ahead of veteran Taylor Rogers. “It’s just baseball; there’s ebbs and flows. That’s part of it, too—like, you go through stretches where you’re not quite yourself," he mused. "I think the better players are able to figure out what they’re doing wrong faster, and they nip it in the bud, and they’re able to get back on track.” Funderburk has always been an east-to-west pitcher, as mentioned above. He lives or dies by his sinker-cutter combination, which he throws a combined 68% of the time. His inability to throw his fastball variants in the zone earlier in the season was the primary reason he couldn't suppress walks and limit runs. However, by tightening his mechanics, Funderburk has regained plus form, becoming a high-leverage, left-handed-throwing bullpen anchor alongside Minter. View full article

Vahn LackeyWalker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperMarek HoustonRiley QuickEmmanuel RodriguezHendry MendezRyan GallagherCarson TinneyEthan WachsmannEduardo TaitGabriel GonzalezCharlee SotoBrett RenfrowEnrique JimenezKhadim DiawBrandon WinokurJames EllwangerCJ Culpepper

Vahn LackeyWalker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperMarek HoustonRiley QuickEmmanuel RodriguezHendry MendezRyan GallagherCarson TinneyEthan WachsmannEduardo TaitGabriel GonzalezCharlee SotoBrett RenfrowEnrique JimenezKhadim DiawBrandon WinokurJames EllwangerCJ Culpepper

Image courtesy of Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins entered Sunday afternoon’s matinee matchup against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers with intentions of handing them their first home series loss since late June against the Chicago Cubs. While they fell short of that goal, Sunday’s get-away game held sentimental value for two young Twins. “Yeah, it’s going to be fun. Connor (Prielipp) and I were talking about it. It’s great,” Alan Roden told reporters Sunday morning. Roden was born in Middleton, Wisconsin, graduating from high school there before committing to play baseball at Creighton University in 2018. “(I was a fan of) Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun growing up. I was talking about the ‘08 season earlier. It was a lot of fun, you know, watching baseball as a kid. Fast forward a couple years, Eric Thames comes to mind—Chris Carter and Jesús Aguilar, too.” Sunday’s starting pitcher for Minnesota, Connor Prielipp, grew up less than two hours from Roden in Tomah, Wisconsin. “I actually faced Connor in high school. I think it was called regionals, it’s like playoffs. Tomah beat us. I did get a hit off him though. Make sure you tell him that.” remarked a smirking Roden. One season after beating Roden’s Middleton club in regionals, Prielipp won 2019 Gatorade Wisconsin Baseball Player of the Year Award, before committing to the University of Alabama. “I would guess (Connor is excited). You know, coming back and pitching close to his to hometown… I would imagine, you know, there’s gonna be some excitement for Connor,” said manager Derek Shelton. Despite surrendering a leadoff home run to Jackson Chourio, Prielipp kept pace with impending NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski, netting seven strikeouts and three earned runs over five innings pitched. Roden grounded out and struck out in two plate appearances against the best starting pitcher in baseball, an outcome one would be hard-pressed to critique much. We can’t all possess world-beating, left-handed swings like Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens. “It was awesome. Being a lifelong Brewers fan, it awesome to say I finally pitched here,” said Prielipp during his postgame interview. “But at the end of the day, I was ready to pitch.” Jake Bauers hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth inning, propelling Milwaukee to a one-run victory over Minnesota. Despite the bitter ending, however, this will be a day to remember for the two Wisconsinites. View full article