Cody Christie

The Minnesota Twins have spent much of the early portion of the 2026 season trying to survive wave after wave of pitching injuries. From key starters to important bullpen contributors, the organization has rarely had its preferred staff intact for more than a few days at a time. Tuesday finally brought some encouraging news. Both Taj Bradley and Cole Sands made progress in their recoveries, offering some hope that reinforcements may not be too far away for a pitching staff that desperately needs stability. Bradley, who landed on the injured list Saturday with right pectoralis muscle inflammation, resumed throwing and played catch out to 90 feet. The 25-year-old also sought a second opinion from noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister after an MRI came back clean. That clean MRI result was already an encouraging development. Seeing Bradley begin throwing again only adds to the optimism surrounding his recovery timeline. “He played catch up to 90 feet today,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “So I think from there we’ll make sure we appropriately put the program together.” The Twins can hardly afford to lose him for an extended period. Bradley has been nothing short of electric in his first season with Minnesota, posting a 2.87 ERA and 52 strikeouts across 47 innings through his first eight starts. More importantly, he has brought a level of swing-and-miss dominance that the Twins' rotation has largely lacked in recent years. His raw stuff has consistently jumped off the screen. Earlier this season against the Kansas City Royals, Bradley became the first Twins starting pitcher to hit 100 mph since pitch tracking began in 2008. That type of velocity is rare anywhere in baseball, but especially within Minnesota’s pitching history. While any pectoral injury raises concern for a pitcher, there is at least some precedent for optimism. Bradley dealt with a similar injury while pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2024. That strain sidelined him for roughly a month before he returned to make 25 starts and throw 138 innings by season’s end. The Twins will likely proceed cautiously this time as well, especially considering how valuable Bradley has become to the rotation almost immediately after arriving in Minnesota. The encouraging updates did not stop there. Sands also took an important step forward Tuesday by throwing a bullpen session as he works his way back from a right forearm strain. Sands has been sidelined since late April and could soon progress to facing live hitters if everything continues moving in the right direction. Even though Sands’ traditional numbers do not immediately stand out, the Twins' bullpen has clearly missed him. The right-hander owns a 4.63 ERA in 11 2/3 innings this season, but some of the underlying metrics paint a more favorable picture. Sands has posted a solid strikeout rate while carrying a 3.65 SIERA, suggesting he has pitched better than his ERA indicates. His final appearance before going on the injured list may have offered a clue that something was physically wrong. Sands allowed two runs against Seattle on April 28 in an outing where his stuff appeared noticeably diminished. Perhaps most concerning was the drop in velocity. After averaging roughly 95 mph on his fastball in 2025, Sands sat closer to 93.1 mph this season before landing on the injured list. Any time a pitcher experiences declining velocity alongside forearm discomfort, alarms naturally go off. That is why simply getting back on a mound for a bullpen session qualifies as meaningful progress. The Twins currently have eight pitchers on the injured list, including starters Bradley, Mick Abel, David Festa, and Pablo López. That level of attrition would challenge any organization’s depth, even one that had eight or more starting pitchers on their depth chart to start the year. For now, there is still no official timetable for either Bradley or Sands to return. The Twins will almost certainly remain cautious, particularly with Bradley, given both his importance to the rotation and the nature of his injury. Still, after weeks of increasingly discouraging injury news, Tuesday finally gave the organization something it has not had much of lately: optimism. If Bradley can continue to progress without setbacks and Sands can build toward live batting practice soon, the Twins may finally begin to see light at the end of what has been a brutally difficult stretch for their pitching staff. View full rumor

There are dominant pitching performances, and then there are outings that feel almost impossible in the modern game. Bailey Ober’s complete game shutout against the Marlins somehow managed to be both. At a time when pitchers are judged by velocity, strikeout rates, and wipeout stuff, Ober carved through Miami with precision and efficiency instead. He needed only 89 pitches to complete nine scoreless innings. The performance also came at the perfect time with questions swirling about other parts of the Twins’ starting staff. Instead, he responded with one of the most memorable starts by a Twins pitcher in years. Here are the most amazing facts from Ober’s historic night. It was the first shutout of Ober’s career Ober had thrown complete games before, but Tuesday marked the first time he finished all nine innings without allowing a run. It instantly became the signature outing of his major league career. He threw the first Twins Maddux since 2017 Ober’s outing qualified as a Maddux, the baseball term for a complete game shutout thrown on fewer than 100 pitches. The Twins had not seen one since Ervin Santana shut out the Giants on June 9, 2017. The term is named after Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and was coined by baseball writer Jason Lukehart. Ober only needed 89 pitches Not 99. Not 95. Just 89 pitches to complete nine shutout innings. That level of efficiency feels almost impossible in today’s game, especially with teams working deep counts and prioritizing patience at the plate. “We were talking if under 100 is a Maddux, we’re going to have to name under 90 an Ober,” Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers said. “He was just under control. He was executing pitches.” His fastball averaged just 88.8 mph That might be the most shocking part of the outing. Velocity has become one of the defining conversations around modern pitching, and Ober dominated an entire lineup while sitting below 89 mph with his fastball. He threw only three fastballs above 90 mph all night and totaled only nine pitches faster than 89 mph. He snapped a recent strikeout slump Coming into Tuesday, Ober had gone three straight starts with three strikeouts or fewer, leading to questions about whether his low velocity was starting to catch up to him. Instead, he struck out seven Marlins hitters. That total tied for his second highest strikeout game of the season behind only his 10 strikeouts against Cincinnati on April 19. It also matched his seven strikeouts against Boston on April 13. The 89 pitch total was somehow familiar Oddly enough, the last time Ober threw a nine inning complete game, he also threw exactly 89 pitches. That outing came on June 22, 2024, against Oakland in a 10 to 2 Twins win over the A’s. Ober joined an exclusive group in Twins history Ober now has two of the six complete games by a Twins pitcher since 1988 thrown on 90 pitches or fewer. The other names on that list include Carlos Silva, John Smiley, Bill Krueger, and Rick Aguilera. Before Tuesday night, Krueger had been the only pitcher in that group to record a complete game shutout. Ober finished stronger than he started Ober never lost command late in the game. He struck out the final two batters in the eighth inning, then needed only eight pitches to complete the ninth inning and finish off the shutout. Complete games barely exist in modern baseball. Complete game shutouts are even rarer. A complete game shutout in fewer than 90 pitches almost feels impossible in today’s version of the sport. What makes Ober’s performance even more memorable is how rare this style of pitching has become across baseball. Modern starters are often trained to chase velocity and strikeouts above all else. Teams monitor pitch counts aggressively, complete games have nearly disappeared, and many pitchers are pulled before even reaching the seventh inning. Ober not only finished the game himself, but he did it with a level of efficiency that feels pulled from another era of baseball. There was no overpowering 98 mph fastball or unhittable wipeout pitch carrying him through the night. Instead, Ober relied on command, sequencing, confidence, and an ability to consistently stay one step ahead of hitters. Every inning seemed to move faster than the last as Miami struggled to square anything up against him. By the end of the game, the crowd at Target Field understood they were watching something special. The outing also served as an important reminder about Ober’s value to the Twins rotation. Even when the velocity readings spark concern or the strikeout totals dip for a few starts, Ober continues finding ways to succeed against major league hitters. His margin for error may look smaller than many modern pitchers, but Tuesday showed just how effective he can still be when everything is working together. For Twins fans, it was the type of performance that will be remembered for years because of how unusual it felt. A complete game shutout on 89 pitches almost sounds impossible in today’s game. Bailey Ober made it look effortless. What stood out about Ober on Tuesday night? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

Image courtesy of Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Royce Lewis was supposed to be one of the central figures of the Twins' season. Even after years of injuries and interrupted development, the organization still believed the former first overall pick was ready to take another step toward stardom. Throughout the winter, the Twins made that confidence public. Derek Shelton and multiple members of the front office openly discussed their expectations for Lewis entering 2026, presenting him as a foundational piece of the lineup and one of the players capable of carrying the offense. Instead, the season has turned into something far more uncomfortable. Lewis opened the year hitting in the middle of the lineup, but the production disappeared almost immediately. The struggles became severe enough that the Twins dropped him to the ninth spot in the order, and more concerningly, he has regularly found himself losing playing time to Tristan Gray, a waiver claim who was never supposed to be part of this conversation. Since returning from the injured list on April 21, Lewis is hitting .125/.173/.188 (.361) with 15 strikeouts in 48 at-bats. The numbers themselves are alarming, but the larger concern is how lost he has looked against velocity. “It can be really hard when you feel like your career is going in a different direction,” Lewis said. “It’s been tougher because obviously we know there’s always someone on your tail. There’s always someone ready to take your next job. Every day I’m here fighting and working as hard as I can to show that I’m giving it my all to keep my job because I love what I do. I’ve been smiling. I feel fine leaving the game. But I think what scares me most is like, ‘Oh, they might try to get me out of here.’ When I leave the field, that thought does creep into my head.” The Twins are attempting to slow things down for him. Derek Shelton recently described Lewis’ absence from the lineup similarly to the brief reset Matt Wallner received earlier this season. The organization wants Lewis to work on his swing mechanics without the pressure of immediate game results while also allowing him a chance to mentally regroup. From the outside, the biggest issue is becoming impossible to ignore. Fastballs are beating Lewis consistently, especially in the upper part of the zone. During his electric rookie season, Lewis demolished four seam fastballs to the tune of an .842 slugging percentage. Last season, that number cratered to .332, while his Whiff% against four-seamers climbed to 25.5%. The decline produced an -8 Run Value against fastballs and forced pitchers to attack him differently. The problem has continued into 2026. Lewis currently owns just a .349 slugging percentage against four seamers with a 30.5% Whiff%. Perhaps even more concerning, his pulled air percentage has dropped from 31.4% during his rookie campaign to 24.1% this season. The explosive damage on pitches he once turned around with authority has largely vanished. When Lewis first arrived, his combination of bat speed and aggressiveness allowed him to punish velocity before pitchers could exploit weaknesses. Now the timing looks inconsistent, the swing decisions appear hesitant, and pitchers know they can challenge him in ways they could not just a few years ago. The Twins still believe the talent is there. “His work every day has been really consistent,” New Twins hitting coach Keith Beauregard said. “He’s focused with everything that he does. From a swing standpoint, as an athlete, we’re always trying to focus on getting guys into athletic positions and to feel flowy as a hitter. That’s always been the work with him.” The difficult reality is that patience becomes harder to maintain when the struggles continue for this long. Lewis has battled injuries throughout nearly every stage of his professional career, which have complicated his development timeline. At some point, though, the Twins need production instead of projection. Lewis understands that pressure better than anyone. “It feels like people around here sometimes are waiting for me to struggle so that they can write me off officially or get me out of here,” Lewis said. “It’s the first time in my career where it’s become a business instead of playing the game that I love.” That quote probably says more about Lewis's current state than any statistic can. For years, he was viewed almost entirely through the lens of potential. The injuries created sympathy and patience because everyone could still picture the superstar version of Lewis waiting on the other side. Now the conversation is changing. The Twins are trying to win games in the middle of a season that already feels fragile, and Lewis is no longer being judged on what he might become someday. He is being evaluated on whether he can help a major league lineup right now. The encouraging part is that fastball issues can sometimes be corrected quickly once timing and mechanics return. A small adjustment in posture, bat path, or swing decision-making can dramatically change how a hitter handles velocity. The discouraging part is that pitchers have clearly identified the weakness and will continue attacking it until Lewis proves he can beat it again. The Twins have invested years of belief into Lewis because the upside remains undeniable. But belief alone eventually stops mattering. This season was supposed to be about Lewis cementing himself as one of the faces of the franchise. Instead, he is fighting to hold onto everyday playing time. For both Lewis and the Twins, the clock is starting to feel much louder. Can the Twins fix Lewis’ swing? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

The picture at the top of the MLB Draft is becoming clearer, and all signs point toward the Minnesota Twins focusing heavily on Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey with the third overall pick. According to Baseball America, “Minnesota has had a lot of high-level decision makers scouting Vahn Lackey this spring.” That report lines up with how the draft board appears to be developing. UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky has looked like the favorite to land with the Chicago White Sox at first overall for much of the year. He entered the spring as a strong candidate for the top pick and has only strengthened that case with his performance this season. The second pick belongs to the Tampa Bay Rays, and they have consistently been connected to prep shortstop Grady Emerson throughout the draft cycle. There is still a chance Tampa Bay pivots to Lackey if he remains available, but many recent mock drafts have Emerson heading to the Rays at number two overall. If the board falls that way, Lackey could slide directly into Minnesota’s lap. The appeal is easy to understand. At Georgia Tech, Lackey is continuing a strong tradition of first-round catching talent, including Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart, and Kevin Parada. He has been one of the best offensive catchers in college baseball this spring while also showing the athleticism teams covet behind the plate. Through his first 47 games, Lackey is slashing .371/.491/.682 with a 1.173 OPS, 12 home runs, and nine stolen bases. That combination of impact offense and athletic ability has helped push him into the upper tier of this draft class. His rise has not been a traditional one. Lackey was a late bloomer in high school and did not receive Division I offers until his senior year. Even in college, his development trajectory has continued to trend upward as he has added polish to both sides of his game. Defensively, scouts believe there is still more room for growth. Lackey is agile behind the plate and moves well for the position, giving evaluators confidence that he can become a dependable receiver and blocker as he improves his consistency and focus. His arm strength and accuracy already stand out as major assets. For the Twins, that profile makes plenty of sense. The organization has leaned toward polished college talent in recent drafts, especially players with a blend of upside and relatively high floors, including Brooks Lee, Kaelen Culpepper, and Marek Houston. Catchers with Lackey’s offensive ceiling and athletic traits are difficult to find, and Minnesota may view him as one of the safer premium bats near the top of the board. If the Twins ultimately go in another direction, college pitcher Jackson Flora and prep shortstop Jacob Lombard appear to be among the other realistic options tied to the third pick. Still, as the draft draws closer, the momentum around Lackey continues to build. Unless something changes in the first two selections, the Twins may soon find themselves adding another cornerstone talent to the organization, and one who could eventually become the long-term answer behind the plate. View full rumor

There was a time when covering a baseball team online felt almost limitless. Traffic climbed every year. Social media rewarded links. Search engines sent readers directly to articles. Digital advertising money flowed more freely, and national outlets aggressively expanded local coverage. For a market like Minnesota, that meant more writers, more perspectives, and more opportunities for Twins fans to engage with the team on a deeper level. That version of the internet is disappearing. The latest reminder came when Aaron Gleeman announced he was leaving The Athletic after the company asked him to move away from Twins coverage and focus more broadly on Major League Baseball from a national perspective. Gleeman declined and instead relaunched his independent subscription platform, AaronGleeman.com. His decision says a lot about the current state of sports media. For years, national outlets viewed local team coverage as a major growth area. Hiring respected beat writers created loyal audiences and helped establish credibility in regional markets. But the economics have shifted. Large companies increasingly want scale, national conversations, and content that can appeal to the widest possible audience. A team like the Twins still matters deeply to Minnesota fans, but local coverage no longer fits as neatly into the business model many national companies are chasing. That does not mean interest in the Twins is disappearing. In many ways, the opposite is true. Fans still crave daily coverage, analysis, prospect discussions, podcasts, and community interaction. The challenge is that the systems that once supported independent publishing are being squeezed from multiple directions at the same time. Social media platforms increasingly suppress links that send users away from their apps. Years ago, a well timed article could spread organically across Twitter or Facebook and bring in thousands of readers. Now, algorithms prioritize native content that keeps users scrolling instead of clicking away to outside websites. Search behavior is also changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence tools increasingly answer questions directly inside search engines or chat interfaces, reducing the number of clicks users make to actual articles. Someone searching for Twins statistics, trade rumors, or prospect reports may receive a summarized answer without ever visiting the source material that produced the information in the first place. For publishers, those changes are impossible to ignore. The digital media industry has spent the last few years navigating constant instability, and sites covering teams like the Twins are feeling pressure from every direction. Social media companies increasingly bury outbound links, AI generated summaries are cutting into traditional search traffic, and advertising revenue has softened as businesses grow more cautious with spending during an uncertain economy. That combination creates a difficult environment even for established brands. Smaller independent outlets feel the pressure even more because they rely heavily on loyal readers, direct traffic, subscriptions, and advertising revenue to survive. Is that something Twins fans should worry about? A little. But the impact on communities like Twins Daily is somewhat muted compared to many corners of online publishing because the foundation has always been different. Twins Daily was not built around viral social media moments or disposable clickbait headlines. It was built around a community that consistently values thoughtful discussion, prospect coverage, and independent reporting. That distinction matters now more than ever. Sites that depended heavily on algorithm driven traffic are discovering how fragile those systems can be once platforms change priorities. Independent communities with loyal readers are better positioned to adapt because the audience intentionally chooses to return every day. That relationship is far more stable than chasing temporary engagement spikes through social media outrage or manufactured controversy. Twins Daily has already survived storms that wiped out other outlets. COVID disrupted advertising markets across sports media. MLB labor stoppages froze traffic during critical parts of the offseason. Economic uncertainty repeatedly forced publishers to scale back coverage or shut down entirely. Through all of it, the site continued operating because readers treated it like more than content. They treated it like a community. That does not make the current environment easy. Independent publishing remains difficult, especially as technology reshapes how information is distributed and consumed. But it does reinforce why local coverage still matters. Fans want people who understand the history of the organization, the farm system, the personalities in the clubhouse, and the emotional swings that define a baseball season in Minnesota. National coverage can provide breadth. Independent local coverage provides connection. Gleeman’s decision to bet on that connection instead of accepting a broader national role may end up being one of the defining sports media stories in Minnesota this year. It reflects a growing realization that sustainable coverage may increasingly come from direct relationships between writers and readers rather than giant media companies chasing scale. The media landscape around the Twins is changing quickly. Some outlets will shrink. Others may disappear entirely. More writers may eventually choose subscription models or independent platforms over traditional media structures. But the core audience is still here. People still care about the Twins. They still want smart analysis. They still want prospect breakdowns, game reactions, and long form stories that go deeper than surface level takes. As long as that remains true, independent coverage still has a future. The platforms may change. The business models may evolve. The internet itself may look completely different five years from now. But the demand for authentic voices and communities built around shared passion is not going anywhere. View full article

The early returns on the Minnesota Twins bullpen have been exactly what everyone expected and somehow still worse. After shipping out reliable arms at last year’s deadline and following it up with an offseason spending plan best described as aggressively nonexistent, the front office entered the season with a relief corps held together by hope, minor league options, and a few guys who threw hard in a previous life. Through the first stretch of games, that theory has been put to the test. Leads have vanished quickly. Tie games have turned into deficits before the broadcast team can finish reading the pitching change graphic. Somewhere, a whiteboard labeled “Bullpen Plan” has simply been erased and replaced with a shrug emoji. For one Minnesota family, those late-inning adventures have become a weekly concern. “He just sits there in his chair and starts whispering things like ‘just throw a strike’ over and over,” said his daughter, Shannon. “At first, we thought he was talking to us. Then we realized he was addressing someone named Eric, who definitely could not hear him.” George Williams, the grandfather and a lifelong Twins fan, has reportedly developed a routine. When the starter exits the game, he leans forward. When the first reliever allows a baserunner, he exhales sharply. When the inherited runners score, he begins what family members have described as “low volume negotiations with the universe.” “It’s not yelling,” said his grandson, Tyler. “It’s worse. It’s like he’s trying to reason with the bullpen. Like if he explains it calmly enough, they’ll stop giving up doubles.” Concern reached a new level last Tuesday when the grandchildren attempted an intervention. With their grandfather briefly stepping away, they quickly inserted a DVD of the 1991 World Series, hoping to redirect the evening toward a happier memory. “We thought if he came back and saw Kirby Puckett rounding the bases, it might reset things,” said granddaughter Emma. “Instead, he looked at the TV, looked at us, and said ‘nice try’ before switching it back just in time to watch another walk.” Family members have begun discussing long-term solutions. “We’ve talked about limiting his exposure to innings seven through nine,” Shannon said. “Maybe just telling him games end after six now. He doesn’t check the standings as much as he used to. It might work.” There have also been attempts to reframe the experience. “I told him it’s about the journey, not the result,” said his son-in-law Mark. “He asked me to leave.” Neighbors have taken notice as well. One reported hearing faint commentary drifting through an open window. “It sounded like someone calmly listing every available bullpen arm in Triple A,” the neighbor said. “Then there was a long pause and a sigh. I’ve never heard a sigh like that.” Despite everything, the grandfather remains committed. “He won’t turn it off,” Emma said. “We’ve tried. He says if he’s watched this long, he’s going to see how it ends.” For now, the family has adjusted. They keep the remote nearby. The 1991 DVD remains on standby. And when the bullpen door opens, they give him space, knowing that what follows is less a baseball game and more a test of endurance. “He’ll be back tomorrow,” Shannon said. “He always is. He says maybe this time will be different.” No one in the room has the heart to argue. View full article

Image courtesy of Elisa Chavez (photo of Garrett Spain) Most attention to prospects' progress is focused on the familiar names at the top of prospect rankings, but every year, there are less-discussed players who start forcing their way into conversations. Whether it is a former top pick trying to revive his trajectory, an overlooked organizational player breaking through, or a new arm flashing intriguing traits early in pro ball, these are the types of performances that can quickly change internal evaluations. This week’s hot sheet focuses on three under-the-radar names who have been putting together impressive stretches across the organization. 1B/DH Aaron Sabato, St. Paul Saints How He Got Here: The shortened 2020 draft created one of the strangest scouting environments in recent memory. Clubs were forced to rely heavily on prior evaluations after college seasons abruptly ended, and the Twins used the 27th overall selection on Sabato because of the offensive upside he showed at North Carolina. Minnesota signed him for a slot value bonus north of $2.5 million and hoped his bat would carry him quickly through the system. That has not happened consistently enough. Sabato’s profile has always depended almost entirely on power production, and the overall offensive numbers never fully matched expectations. From 2022 through 2024, he failed to post an OPS above .775 while splitting time between Double- and Triple-A. Last season, he showed minor improvements with an .809 OPS. Entering his age-26 season, the Twins sent him back to St. Paul looking for more consistency at the plate. Hitting the Hot Button: Sabato may no longer carry the prospect shine he once had, but he is producing as well as anyone in the organization right now. He recorded three multi-hit games during the week, highlighted by a four-hit, three-homer performance on Tuesday against Las Vegas. Over the last seven days, Sabato has slashed .455/.500/1.227 with five home runs and two doubles for a staggering 1.727 OPS. His last 28 days have been just as impressive, with a 1.264 OPS during that stretch. The defensive limitations still cap the ceiling, but left-handed power always earns opportunities. If Sabato continues driving the baseball like this, he could finally work himself into consideration for a major league debut sometime during the 2026 season. OF Garrett Spain, Wichita Wind Surge How He Got Here: Spain has quietly become one of the more traveled players in the upper minors. Toronto originally selected him in the 15th round of the 2021 draft, and he spent several seasons climbing through the Blue Jays system without much offensive impact. By 2024, he had reached both Double A and Triple A, though the production lagged behind with a .550 OPS across 105 games. Milwaukee selected him during the minor league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, hoping a change of scenery could unlock something offensively. While the results improved slightly with an 88 wRC+ and a .644 OPS, Spain found himself changing organizations again when the Twins grabbed him in the minor league phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft. Hitting the Hot Button: Spain put together one of the loudest offensive weeks in the organization. He doubled and tripled on Tuesday before exploding on Thursday with a 3-for-6 performance that included three home runs and six RBI. Across the last seven days, the 25-year-old has gone 7-for-22 with five extra base hits and a 1.264 OPS. There are still legitimate questions about age relative to level since he is older than the average Texas League player, but production matters, and Spain is finally giving the Twins something to notice. Organizational depth pieces rarely receive much attention until they force the issue. Spain is starting to do exactly that. RHP Justin Mitrovich, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels How He Got Here: The Twins selected Mitrovich in the ninth round of the 2025 MLB Draft after an accomplished collegiate career at Elon University. The New Jersey native served as a dependable weekend starter for three seasons and held down the Friday night role during both 2024 and 2025. Mitrovich logged a career high 89 1/3 innings during his final season while striking out 81 hitters across 15 starts. He wrapped up his Elon career with 243 strikeouts, which ranks fifth in school history, and earned multiple CAA Pitcher of the Week honors along the way. Minnesota viewed him as a polished college arm capable of moving quickly if the stuff translated into professional baseball. Hitting the Hot Button: Mitrovich made his professional debut on May 3 against Daytona and fired four shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out five. He followed that outing Saturday with three more innings and only one unearned run allowed while punching out four of the 11 hitters he faced. The most impressive number may be the swing-and-miss profile. Through his first two appearances, Mitrovich has generated 17 swinging strikes for a 16.3 percent swinging strike rate. That is an eye-opening figure for a pitcher making the jump into professional baseball. It is still an extremely small sample, but the Twins have shown a strong track record of identifying college arms who outperform their draft position. Mitrovich is off to a strong start in trying to become the next name on that list. Not every prospect story begins with national rankings and top 100 hype. Sometimes development takes longer than expected. Sometimes players need multiple organizations before things click. Sometimes, a recent draft pick immediately shows traits that stand out. Sabato, Spain, and Mitrovich all arrive at this point through very different paths, but each has given the Twins something worth monitoring closely. In a system searching for the next wave of contributors, under-the-radar names have a way of becoming important faster than anyone expects. What stands out about this trio? Will Sabato make his big-league debut in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

The Twins are approaching an uncomfortable point with two veteran relievers stashed at Triple-A St. Paul. According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, Saints relievers John Brebbia and Matt Bowman both have opt-out clauses in their contracts on Sunday, May 17. If the Twins do not add them to the major league roster, either pitcher could elect free agency. That creates an interesting decision for a bullpen that has largely stabilized after a rocky start but still lacks proven depth behind its core group. Brebbia entered the season as a relatively intriguing non-roster addition because of his extensive major league track record. The 35-year-old has appeared in parts of eight MLB seasons and, not long ago, was one of the most heavily used relievers in baseball. Back in 2022, he led the National League with 76 appearances while posting a 124 ERA+. The recent results, however, have been more uneven. Last season with the Tigers and Braves, Brebbia allowed 20 earned runs across 23 1/3 innings in 22 appearances. The Twins were betting that some underlying traits still pointed toward a useful bullpen arm. There are at least a few signs supporting that idea in St. Paul. Brebbia has made 13 appearances for the Saints and struck out 24 of the 81 batters he has faced. His 29.6% strikeout rate is his highest mark in multiple seasons, and he has issued only seven walks in 18 1/3 innings. The run prevention numbers have not been particularly attractive. Brebbia owns a 5.40 ERA after allowing 11 earned runs, but his 4.91 FIP suggests the performance may not be quite as poor as the surface stats indicate. The swing-and-miss ability is still there, even though the overall results have remained inconsistent. Bowman’s case is different because Twins fans already saw him contribute during the 2024 season. The veteran right-hander appeared in five games for Minnesota in 2024 and posted a 2.35 ERA across 7 2/3 innings. That came during a season in which he bounced between four organizations as a classic waiver-wire journeyman. Last season with Baltimore, Bowman struggled to a 6.20 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 24 2/3 innings, but he has looked significantly sharper with St. Paul this year. In 20 1/3 innings, Bowman owns a 1.77 ERA with a 3.20 FIP while striking out 25.9% of opposing hitters. He has also limited walks with a 7.1% walk rate. Perhaps most importantly for a Twins bullpen that has leaned heavily on certain arms, Bowman has provided real flexibility. He has thrown more than one inning in nine of his 13 appearances. His recent stretch has been especially impressive. Over the last 28 days, Bowman owns a 1.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 14 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. At some point, performance has to matter, especially for a major league bullpen that can never have enough dependable depth options. The Twins may ultimately decide roster flexibility is more valuable than protecting either veteran from free agency. That is often the reality with opt-out clauses attached to veteran minor league contracts. Still, Bowman has made a compelling case to get another opportunity. He has already shown he can survive in the majors, he is throwing multiple innings consistently, and his production at Triple-A has been difficult to ignore. If the Twins are going to lose one of these relievers anyway, Bowman feels like the pitcher worth betting on before another organization does. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins spent last summer’s trade deadline walking a fine line between cutting payroll, reshaping the roster, and trying to remain competitive in the future. Now that the 2026 season is underway, it is much easier to evaluate those deals based on their actual impact rather than on deadline-day reactions. To evaluate the overall impact, it's not enough to look at what the Twins gained; we also have to look at the roster impact had no trade been made. Some have barely registered on the current roster. Others have already altered the team's trajectory in meaningful ways. Here is a look back at the most impactful deadline moves from the perspective of the impact on the 2026 roster. Trades That Seem Unlikely to Impact the 2026 Roster A few deals simply have not mattered much in the grand scheme of the current season. Enrique Jimenez for Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak has not produced any noticeable effect on the major league club. Paddack and Dobnak were moved largely to clear innings and payroll flexibility, while Jimenez remains far from contributing in Minnesota. Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong for Willi Castro also fall into that category. Castro was a free agent at the end of the year. So far, the return has not impacted the current roster in any meaningful way either, though Gallagher was recently promoted to AAA-St. Paul. Garrett Horn for Danny Coulombe was another low-level move that has not significantly changed the outlook of the 2026 club. Coulombe provided bullpen depth, but neither side of the trade has created lasting ripple effects. 6. Hendry Mendez and Geremy Villoria for Harrison Bader This move always looked like a short-term rental for Philadelphia, and that is exactly what it became. Bader was heading toward free agency, so there was never a realistic scenario where he would still be patrolling the outfield for Minnesota this season. The interesting part of the trade now revolves around Hendry Mendez. Mendez earned a spot on the 40-man roster this winter and recently reached Triple-A. There are still several left-handed hitting corner outfielders ahead of him on the organizational depth chart, but injuries have a way of opening doors quickly. A major league debut sometime this season feels possible if Minnesota needs offensive reinforcements. 2026 Impact: Mendez has a chance to debut, so this trade still feels relatively low impact for 2026. 5. Matt Mikulski and $70 Million in Salary Relief for Carlos Correa This trade still feels surreal. The Twins moved Correa and attached it to a massive amount of salary relief, only to largely pocket the financial flexibility rather than reinvest it in the roster. Before his recent season-ending ankle injury, Correa was actually playing well and could have helped stabilize Minnesota’s lineup during the first month of the season. At the same time, the injury also reinforces why some in the organization were willing to move on from the long-term commitment. Correa’s absence likely would have become a major issue for Minnesota regardless of where he played. Mikulski has been released from the organization, leaving the biggest takeaway from this deal centered on ownership’s financial decisions rather than the actual baseball return. 2026 Impact: The Twins cleared Correa’s contract but failed to meaningfully reinvest the savings into improving the current roster. 4. Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel for Jhoan Duran This one has become complicated quickly. Tait remains years away from the major leagues, making him difficult to evaluate in the context of the current roster. Abel has spent much of the year dealing with injuries after suffering a setback in his recovery from right elbow inflammation. His recent tricep impingement and cortisone shot pushed his timeline back even further. Meanwhile, Duran looked dominant before suffering a strained left oblique. Prior to the injury, he posted a 1.35 ERA with five saves in 6 2/3 innings before recently returning to action. The frustrating part for Minnesota is obvious. A healthy Duran could be helping hold together one of the worst bullpens in baseball right now. Even if Abel eventually becomes a useful arm, the Twins desperately miss the stability Duran brought to the late innings. 2026 Impact: Minnesota badly misses Duran’s late-inning dominance, while Abel’s injury issues have delayed any return value. 3. James Outman for Brock Stewart Few moves have aged worse in the short term. Outman entered the season out of options, which essentially forced Minnesota to keep him on the active roster. Unfortunately, his production has been almost nonexistent. Through his first 28 games, Outman has produced a staggering -0.4 rWAR while occupying a roster spot that could be going to a younger or more productive player. The bigger issue is roster flexibility. Keeping Outman on the bench has prevented the Twins from cycling through alternative options that may provide more offensive upside. Stewart opened the season injured, but recently returned and made his first appearance over the last week. Even limited bullpen help would have been valuable for this roster, considering how disastrous the relief corps has looked for much of the year. 2026 Impact: Outman has negatively impacted the roster, while Stewart’s return to health could have helped stabilize Minnesota’s bullpen. 2. Kendry Rojas and Alan Roden for Louis Varland and Ty France This trade keeps looking worse by the week for Minnesota. The Twins bullpen has completely unraveled at times during the opening stretch of the season, and Varland has emerged as one of the best relievers in the American League. After stepping into Toronto’s closer role, Varland captured AL Reliever of the Month honors and has given the Blue Jays legitimacy at the back end of games. Minnesota’s roster could desperately use that exact presence right now. Roden has battled injuries at Triple-A and has not impacted the major league roster, while Rojas continues flashing electric stuff that may ultimately fit best in a bullpen role long term. The evaluation overwhelmingly centers on Varland. Right now, it is difficult to look at the Twins' bullpen struggles and not wonder how different games might feel with Varland handling the ninth inning. 2026 Impact: Varland’s breakout as Toronto’s closer has magnified how much the Twins need reliable bullpen arms right now. 1. Taj Bradley for Griffin Jax This is a clear win for Minnesota. While several other deadline moves have created frustration, the acquisition of Taj Bradley has been one of the few unquestioned bright spots on the roster. Bradley has emerged as the team’s most valuable pitcher, leading the club with a 1.7 rWAR while posting a 154 ERA+ through his first eight starts. Provided he gets past this recent pectoral injury, Bradley gives the Twins a legitimate chance to win every fifth day. Meanwhile, Jax has struggled since arriving in Tampa Bay as the Rays attempt to transition him into a starting role. The raw material remains intriguing, but the results have not been consistent. For a team searching for rotation stability after injuries and inconsistency, Bradley’s emergence has been enormous. Unlike some of the other deadline moves that created long-term questions, this trade already looks like one of the few decisions that is actively helping Minnesota compete in 2026. 2026 Impact: Bradley has emerged as Minnesota’s best starter and one of the few clear positives from the 2025 trade deadline. Trade deadlines are always judged too quickly. Some deals that looked smart in the moment now appear disastrous because of injuries, roster construction problems, or lack of reinvestment from ownership. Others that drew skepticism initially are beginning to show real value. What stands out most from the Twins’ 2025 deadline activity is how uneven the results have become. Minnesota clearly weakened parts of the bullpen and sacrificed valuable depth, and the consequences are showing up almost nightly this season. At the same time, Bradley’s emergence gives the organization at least one foundational piece to point toward as evidence that not every move was designed strictly to cut costs. Unfortunately for the Twins, one successful trade does not erase the growing list of questions surrounding the rest of the roster. Do you agree with the rankings above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images During the offseason, there was constant discussion about the Twins having too much starting pitching depth. Minnesota looked like a team with eight legitimate rotation options before even mentioning some of the team's top starters in the upper minors, who were viewed more as a long-term development projects than an immediate contributors. At the time, it felt reasonable to wonder whether the Twins should trade from that depth. Injuries happen, but few teams carry that many realistic starting options into a season. A few months later, that conversation feels almost impossible to believe. What once looked like one of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball has quickly unraveled. One starter is out for the season following Tommy John surgery. Another recently landed on the injured list after pitching like the staff ace. Multiple depth options have battled significant arm injuries, while another has struggled badly enough that a move to the bullpen may be necessary. Suddenly, the Twins are no longer talking about a pitching surplus. They are simply trying to piece together enough healthy innings to survive. Looking back at the preseason expectations compared to the current reality shows just how quickly pitching depth can disappear. Pablo Lopez Preseason Expectation: Ace of the staff. Helping the Twins stay on the fringes of contention. Current Reality: Lopez is out for the season following Tommy John surgery. Losing the team’s most dependable starter completely changed the outlook of the rotation and forced everyone else into bigger roles. Joe Ryan Preseason Expectation: Build off his first All-Star season and continue establishing himself as one of the American League’s best pitchers. Current Reality: Ryan briefly terrified the organization after leaving last Sunday’s start following just nine pitches because of elbow soreness. Fortunately, he returned for last night's outing without needing an injured list stint. At this point, simply having Ryan healthy feels critical to keeping the rotation together. Bailey Ober Preseason Expectation: There was optimism that a healthy offseason could help Ober regain some of the velocity he lost last year. Current Reality: The velocity still has not returned, with his fastball averaging just 88.6 mph. However, Ober has adapted by leaning more heavily on his changeup and sequencing effectively enough to remain productive. Taj Bradley Preseason Expectation: The Twins spent the offseason trying to determine which version of Bradley they acquired from Tampa Bay at last year’s trade deadline. His inconsistency with the Rays made it difficult to project his role. Current Reality: Bradley looked like the team’s ace before landing on the injured list with right pectoral muscle inflammation. With the state of the rotation, the Twins desperately need him back and pitching well as quickly as possible. Simeon Woods Richardson Preseason Expectation: Woods Richardson had developed a reputation as one of the organization’s steadier pitching options and looked like a reliable back-end starter. Current Reality: He has been one of baseball’s least effective starters with a 64 ERA+ while allowing an MLB-leading 30 earned runs. Since he is out of minor league options, if the Twins want to reset him, it would need to be in the bullpen. Mick Abel Preseason Expectation: One of the key pieces acquired at last year’s trade deadline, Abel entered the spring with expectations that he could eventually force his way into the major league rotation. Current Reality: Abel impressed early before right elbow inflammation landed him on the injured list. A setback later required a cortisone shot, adding even more uncertainty to his timeline. David Festa Preseason Expectation: Festa was expected to fight for a rotation spot this spring. Even if he began the season at Triple-A, he remained one of the first starters called upon when the Twins needed reinforcements. Current Reality: Festa has spent the entire season on the injured list due to a shoulder injury that has resulted in multiple setbacks. At this point, if he returns this year, it may only be as a reliever. Zebby Matthews Preseason Expectation: Matthews gave the Twins another valuable layer of Triple-A depth. Current Reality: He struggled early in Triple-A but has shown recent improvement. Given Minnesota’s current situation, Matthews may soon become the next starter called upon. Connor Prielipp Preseason Expectation: Prielipp entered the year as the organization’s top pitching prospect; he wasn't supposed to be one of the eight major league-ready starters. There was speculation (both internally and externally) about whether his long-term future belonged in the bullpen. Current Reality: He arrived in the majors earlier than expected when Abel was injured and, with Bradley sidelined, will likely continue to receive every opportunity to establish himself in the rotation. The Twins entered the season believing they had enough starting pitching depth to withstand almost anything. Instead, they have learned the same lesson every organization eventually learns. There is never such a thing as too much pitching. What once looked like an organizational strength has quickly become one of the biggest reasons this season feels so fragile. Injuries, setbacks, and inconsistency have thinned out a group that once seemed overflowing with options. Now, every healthy start feels important, every injury update carries added weight, and young pitchers are being asked to contribute earlier than expected. Back in March, the conversation centered around whether the Twins could afford to trade from their pitching depth. By May, that depth is already gone. What stands out about the preseason projections and current reality? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images There were plenty of raised eyebrows when Minnesota tendered Trevor Larnach a $4.5 million arbitration deal this past offseason. He was coming off one of the least impactful seasons of his big league career. Across 142 games, he posted a 100 OPS+ and finished with just 0.1 WAR, dragged down almost entirely by his defensive limitations. The Twins limited him to just 53 starts in the outfield, a clear indication they were trying to hide the glove while keeping his bat in the lineup. That decision looked even more questionable when factoring in roster construction. The Twins already had a crowded mix of left-handed hitting outfielders, including Matt Wallner, James Outman, and Alan Roden. On top of that, high-end prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez loom as long-term fixtures. It was fair to wonder where Larnach fit, and whether his role would shrink even further. For much of his career, Minnesota treated Larnach carefully on defense, in part because of injury concerns and in part because of his performance. The organization continued to bet on the bat that once made him a first-round pick out of Oregon State, and there were flashes that justified that belief. He posted a 116 OPS+ in 2024 and delivered 1.3 rWAR, while his 2022 campaign produced a career best 1.4 rWAR in just 51 games. So what is different now is not just the bat. It is the glove. According to Cory Provus on a recent Twins radio broadcast, Larnach has made a meaningful change to his daily routine. In previous seasons, his extensive stretching program was largely reserved for the offseason. Once the grind of the regular season began, that routine faded. This year, it has become a consistent part of his pregame work, helping him stay loose, improve mobility, and better prepare his body for the demands of the outfield. That physical preparation has been paired with focused defensive instruction. Larnach has spent significant time working with new outfield coach Grady Sizemore, honing fundamentals that had previously lagged behind. The emphasis has been on first-step quickness, reading the ball off the bat, and improving routes. It is not about turning Larnach into a Gold Glove defender, but about eliminating the plays he used to miss. The results have been noticeable. Over the last three seasons, Larnach has graded out as a below-average defender, but this season, he has been a positive contributor in left field. He already has three Defensive Runs Saved, a sharp turnaround from prior seasons. The underlying metrics support the eye test. Larnach sits at 1 Outs Above Average and 2 Fielding Run Value in 2026. A year ago, those numbers were deep in the negative at -4 OAA and -7 FRV. Even marginal gains in range and efficiency are making a real difference. Part of that improvement shows up in his athleticism. His sprint speed has ticked up from 26.1 feet per second to 26.6, which moves him from the 19th percentile to the 34th percentile. It is not a dramatic leap, but it is enough to help him close gaps and finish plays he previously could not reach. While the defensive growth is the headline, Larnach has also been productive at the plate. Over the team’s last 16 games, he owns a .300/.407/.420 (.827) slash line across 59 plate appearances. On the season, he is hitting .288/.418/.425 (843) with a 135 OPS+, and he recently pushed his on-base streak to a career-best 19 games. His approach has taken a clear step forward. Larnach is walking at an 18.4% clip, a significant jump from his 10.2% career-rate, while trimming his strikeout rate down to 17.3% from where it sat at 34% during the 2023 season. The improved discipline is allowing his offensive floor to rise, even without a surge in power. The combination of steadier offense and improved defense is changing the conversation around Larnach. What once looked like a questionable arbitration decision is starting to resemble a quiet win for the Twins front office. If Larnach can continue to pair league-average or better offense with a playable defense in left field, he no longer looks redundant. He looks useful. And in a crowded outfield picture, that might be the difference between fighting for a roster spot and holding onto one. Sometimes the biggest changes are not mechanical overhauls or swing reinventions. Sometimes they start with something as simple as stretching. What has stood out about Larnach so far this season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperEmmanuel RodriguezConnor PrielippMarek HoustonEduardo TaitDasan HillRiley QuickKendry RojasGabriel GonzalezCharlee SotoHendry MendezCJ CulpepperAndrew MorrisQuentin YoungKyle DeBargeRyan GallagherKhadim DiawBrandon WinokurKyler Fedko

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperEmmanuel RodriguezConnor PrielippMarek HoustonEduardo TaitDasan HillRiley QuickKendry RojasGabriel GonzalezCharlee SotoHendry MendezCJ CulpepperAndrew MorrisQuentin YoungKyle DeBargeRyan GallagherKhadim DiawBrandon WinokurKyler Fedko