Cody Christie

A comparison to Stroman has been made other national outlets in the prospect ranking process, so that's why I included him in the write-up.

Marco Raya might be the most exciting pitching prospect to come through the Twins organization since Jose Berrios. His stock is significantly rising after a tremendous professional debut. Image courtesy of William Parmeter, Fort Myers Miracle Age: 20 (DOB: 8/7/02) 2022 Stats (Low-A): 65 IP, 3.05 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 76 K, 23 BB ETA: 2025 2021 Ranking: Honorable Mention National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BP: 53 What’s To Like The Twins have been high on Marco Raya since they drafted the teenager in the fourth round of the 2020 draft out of high school. Raya was one of the club’s biggest risers in 2022 after not being among Twins Daily’s top-20 prospects entering last season. It was easy to see why he was left off the list since he didn’t pitch at all in 2021 and was looking to make his professional debut in 2022. Since joining the organization, his projection has improved from a mid-rotation starter to a potential ace. Minnesota had Raya spend the 2022 season in Fort Myers where he was three years younger than the average age of the competition. He only faced younger batters in 46 plate appearances, and he held older batters to a .571 OPS. Raya posted a 10.5 K/9 and a 3.2 BB/9 while batters hit less than .200 against him. His fastball has increased by multiple miles per hour since being drafted. He compliments his fastball with three offspeed offerings that MLB.com already grades as being 50s on the 20-80 scouting scale. What’s Left to Work On Shoulder soreness caused Raya to miss the 2021 campaign and his innings were limited in 2022. His frame is built similarly to former Twin Jose Berrios, so there can be questions about long-term durability with pitchers that size. Raya is listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds so there is room to add more muscle to his frame as he enters his 20s. Marcus Stroman is another similar sized pitcher that has found success at the big-league level, but Raya has a better fastball that is paired with very projectable secondary pitches. He is already considered extremely athletic so it will be interesting to see how his off-season regime added to his frame. Raya has been limited to 19 appearances in his professional career, so the 2023 season is critical for building innings. He pitched fewer than five innings in all but four starts last season and he never threw more than 80 pitches. Minnesota will continue to monitor his innings during his young career, and it seems like 100 innings would be a good goal in 2023. His appearances will continue to come against younger hitters and he can continue to refine his secondary pitch offerings. What’s Next During the season’s early weeks, Raya should stay in Fort Myers where the weather will be warmer. His previous shoulder injury is no longer a concern, but there’s no reason to rush him into pitching in colder weather if the team can avoid it. As temperatures improve, Raya can move to Cedar Rapids to accumulate the bulk of his innings. He is already on the national prospect radar after a tremendous debut. By this time next season, he has a chance to be Minnesota’s top prospect and a global top-100 prospect. What are your expectations for Raya in 2023? Can he be the team’s top prospect for 2024? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Every club has spots on the roster up for grabs entering spring training. Here are some of the battles to watch as the Twins open camp. Image courtesy of Joe Camporeale-USA Today Sports Many Twins players have already reported to Fort Myers in eager anticipation of the 2023 season. Spring training is even more important for some players this season because they are battling for a roster spot. Minnesota has added depth at multiple positions, which means other players are pushed down the depth chart. For many of the battles, health is the most significant factor, so who will win these battles in the coming weeks? Starting Rotation Battle There are many questions about the Twins' rotation. Is Tyler Mahle healthy? No one knows how his shoulder will hold up as he ramps up for the season. How will Kenta Maeda return from Tommy John surgery? Maeda had a chance to return last season, but the Twins fell out of contention and didn't rush him back. Would the team consider a six-man rotation to keep players healthy? Bailey Ober is the odd man out in the rotation if everyone is healthy at the conclusion of spring training. Ober is the next man up from Triple-A if there is an injury. Potentially, the Twins could push a starter into a bullpen role to keep the player on the Opening Day roster. There is also a stable of young pitchers waiting in the wings, including Louie Varland and Simeon Woods Richardson. There is depth there, but there are no guarantees everyone will be healthy on Opening Day. Bench Battle Many of the team's bench spots are already locked in, but the team can still go in a different direction. The Twins presumed bench is Ryan Jeffers, Kyle Farmer, Michael A. Taylor , and Nick Gordon. Staying healthy will be vital to keeping the team's bench depth. Gordon currently occupies the last-position player spot on the roster, but he is out of minor-league options, so he likely makes the team. Alex Kirilloff is returning from surgery, but there is no guarantee he will be ready for Opening Day. When spring training starts, the Twins can move Royce Lewis and Chris Paddack to the 60-day IL and open new 40-man roster spots. This could allow a veteran player to be added as a third catcher, or there will likely be a need for Kyle Garlick to be a bench bat in 2023. Gilberto Celestino has been part of the Twins roster over the last two seasons, but he's likely headed to Triple-A. Bullpen Battle Many of the roster decisions above aren't as complicated if everyone is healthy at the start of the season. The bullpen is another story, with eight spots to fill and multiple decisions on the table. Five bullpen spots are locked in with Jhoan Duran, Jorge Lopez, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, and Emilio Pagan. In Twins Daily's roster projections, the final three bullpen spots are currently occupied by Jorge Alcala, Jovani Moran, and Trevor Megill. All three of these players have minor league options remaining, which helps the team have some roster flexibility. Alcala was limited to just two appearances in 2022 due to an elbow issue that eventually required surgery, so there is no guarantee he is at full strength. Moran and Megil pitched at Triple-A last year and are candidates to take the train back and forth from St. Paul in 2023. Other bullpen options could emerge this spring, especially from other 40-man roster options like Ronny Henriquez, Cole Sands, and Josh Winder. The Twins used 38 different pitchers last season, so all of these players will be needed at some point in the coming season. Who will emerge from those roster battles? Which relievers will get the final spots in the bullpen? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Twins have added depth at multiple positions on the roster, but trading Luis Arraez leaves a hole to fill. One position might be the key to the Twins' line-up firing on all cylinders during the 2023 campaign. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn, USA Today Sports Not all fans approved of the Twins trading Luis Arraez for Pablo Lopez. Arraez was a fan favorite, and there are multiple reasons the club was willing to part with the reigning AL Batting Champion. He has yet to have a true defensive home and doesn't fit the profile of a slugging first baseman. Minnesota has other options at first base in 2023, which might be the most pivotal position on the roster. Presumed Starter Alex Kirilloff returns from a unique off-season surgery where doctors shortened his ulna bone. He has dealt with wrist issues over the last two seasons, and this surgery was the best way to solve these problems. This surgery has shown success with the general population, but there have been few professional athletes to undergo this procedure. There is no guarantee Kirilloff will return to his previous form, but all reports from the Twins have him on track to complete a regular spring training. Projection systems defer in what to expect from Kirilloff in 2023. During his big-league career, Kirilloff hasn't been healthy, which impacts how projections view his potential contributions. ZiPS has Kirilloff hitting .250/.310/.401 (.711) while accumulating 0.9 WAR in 82 games (332 PA). Baseball-Reference projects him to post a .708 OPS in 301 PA. The Twins are hoping to get more than half a season from Kirilloff, so their internal projections are likely higher for his output during the upcoming season. Other First Base Options Minnesota can use Joey Gallo at first base, but he provides much of his value with Gold Glove-caliber outfield defense. He can likely be a strong defender at first, but the Twins' best defensive alignment has him in a corner outfield spot. Gallo has played over 745 innings at first base in his career, but most of those innings came in 2017 or earlier. His offensive profile fits at first base, so he is a fallback option if Kirilloff misses time in 2023. Jose Miranda got time at first last season, but the Twins want him to be the club's everyday third baseman. He has never been considered a strong defender at third, so first base might be his eventual long-term position. Rocco Baldelli can undoubtedly use a line-up that includes Kyle Farmer at third base with Miranda sliding over to the other corner infield spot. Farmer and Christian Vazquez have played over 100 innings at first base so that they can be emergency options. Offensive Potential Fans may forget that Kirilloff was considered one of baseball's top prospects throughout his professional career. All three major national rankings had him among their top 100 prospects for three consecutive seasons (2019-21), with Baseball America and MLB.com ranking him in the top 15 entering the 2019 season. He was the 2018 TD Minor League Hitter of the Year after he hit .348/.392/.578 (.970) with 44 doubles, seven triples, and 20 home runs in 130 games. Kirilloff can still be that type of hitter if his latest wrist surgery proves successful. Minnesota saw flashes of the offensive wunderkind when they sent Kirilloff to St. Paul during the 2022 season. He was struggling to fight through his wrist injury with the Twins, and the club wanted him to rediscover his swing in an environment more suitable for working on mechanical adjustments. He dominated in 35 games by hitting .359/.465/.641 (1.106) with seven doubles and ten home runs. His hot hitting didn't follow him back to the Twins, and he was eventually shut down because of his wrist. The Twins' best line-up against a right-handed starter has Alex Kirilloff at first base with an outfield of Joey Gallo (LF), Byron Buxton (CF), and Max Kepler (RF). If Kirilloff isn't deemed ready, the Twins can move Gallo to first and have one of the other young outfielders (Trevor Larnach or Matt Wallner) take his place in a corner outfield spot. Minnesota focused on improving the club's outfield defense this winter, so they may avoid using players that struggle more on the defensive side. If Kirilloff is healthy, Minnesota's line-up is strong at nearly every position, with depth waiting in the wings. The Twins will need to be ready to pivot to other first-base options like Gallo or Miranda if Kirilloff has any setbacks. How important is first base to the Twins line-up this season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

That's certainly an interesting thought. Hopefully, the veterans will work through some of the kinks during spring training.

Most projection systems have the Twins as a .500 team or below. I wouldn't call them good at this point. If they stay healthy, they should outperform their projections, but there's a lot of uncertainty entering the season.

Nick Gordon has been brought up as an underrated player. Are there any pitchers that are underrated (Jax, Thielbar, etc.)?

Both teams project to be about the same level as the Twins. The White Sox disappointed last year, and should be slightly better. The Red Sox have some question marks, but they aren’t as bad as they were in 2022.

It went with the theme of the post. For the Good, I picked the teams the Twins should be able to beat. For the Bad, I picked the teams that were about the same as the Twins. For the Ugly, I picked the teams expected to be better than the Twins.

If the Twins sweep the Yankees, the earth might fall off its axis 😆

I think there are still question marks around players like Kirilloff and Mahle. Will they be ready for April? Kirilloff's surgery is rare for professional athletes, so his workload will be something to watch this season. I'm interested to see what Mahle looks like in spring training. Is his shoulder back to full health?

Like I said in the article, I hope the Astros are dealing with a little bit of a World Series hangover and the Twins can be more competitive against them. They were dominated by Houston last season.

Not meant to be clickbait. They have a tough schedule in April and that was the point of this story. The 2021 team did terrible in April and didn't recover. Some teams get off to a great start and it carries them throughout the season. There are ebbs and flows to a 162-game season and getting off to a good start can help.

Those were my predictions, but they can certainly be swept in all the games versus the Astros and Yankees. That would put them under .500.

Teams love to get off to a good start in the season's early weeks. However, the Twins' April schedule sets up to put the team in a hole. Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports During the 2022 season, the Twins got off to a fast start with a 12-9 record in April. This stretch included a seven-game win streak and multiple walk-off wins. The early 2023 schedule isn't as favorable for the hometown nine, and it might be challenging for the club to survive the month with a .500 record. The Good: March 30-April 2 at Kansas City Royals, April 3-5 at Miami Marlins, April 21-23 vs. Washington Nationals, April 27-30 vs. Kansas City Royals All three of these teams were significantly below .500 during the 2022 season, which can help the Twins to salvage some early season victories. None of these teams made significant additions that will help their projections in 2023. MLB is shifting to a more balanced schedule in 2023, so the Marlins and Nationals series are a result of this change. Minnesota may line up to face Sandy Alcantara, the reigning NL Cy Young, in his second start. Luis Arraez and Pablo Lopez will also get a chance to face their old teams for the first time since this offseason's trade. Another part of the more balanced schedule is the number of divisional games decreasing from 76 to 52. This could hurt the Twins because they are in one of baseball's weakest divisions. Last season, the Twins went 12-7 against the Royals, so Minnesota will have played half of their games against KC by April's end. The Twins need to win all of these series to put themselves in a position to end the month with a winning record. Record Prediction: 10-3 The Bad: April 10-12 vs. Chicago White Sox, April 18-20 at Boston Red Sox Minnesota squeaked out a winning record against Chicago and Boston last season, but it certainly wasn't easy. The Twins went 4-3 against the Red Sox but only outscored them by four runs. At the end of August, Minnesota won a three-game series against Boston but then lost nine of their next 11 games and fell out of contention. Boston has had an interesting offseason as the team lost out on re-signing Xander Bogaerts, and Trevor Story had surgery on his right elbow. The AL East is one of baseball's toughest divisions, so the Red Sox can't afford to start slowly. Chicago's off-season has been about as interesting as Boston's. The White Sox lost Jose Abreu to the Astros, but the team signed Andrew Benintendi to fill one need. Mike Clevinger was their biggest starting pitcher signing, and he is now the subject of a league investigation into domestic violence and child abuse allegations. The Athletic gave Chicago an F grade, the lowest in MLB, for their poor off-season. Minnesota was outscored by Chicago in 2022 but won the season series 10-9. Will former Twins minor-league catcher Pedro Grifol, a new manager, help the White Sox to get back on track? Record Prediction: 3-3 The Ugly: April 6-9 vs. Houston Astros, April 13-16 at New York Yankees, April 24-26 vs. New York Yankees If there were two teams the Twins didn't want to see, it would be the Astros and the Yankees. Both teams have dominated the American League recently, and the Twins have struggled against both squads. The Astros destroyed the Twins in 2022 by going 6-0 and outscoring Minnesota by 25 runs. Even with Justin Verlander gone, Houston continues to churn out young pitchers to step into the rotation. Jose Abreu will step in at first base to help one of baseball's best offenses. Minnesota's only chance might be that the Astros are coming off a long postseason run, and they might be dealing with a World Series hangover. Minnesota's struggles with the Evil Empire are well documented. Last season, the Twins went 2-5 versus the Yankees while being outscored 30-41. New York spent the off-season getting better by re-signing Aaron Judge and adding Carlos Rodon to pair with Gerrit Cole at the top of the rotation. Minnesota hasn't won more than two games against the Yankees in any regular season since 2014. After the calendar turns to May, the Twins won't see the Yankees again during the 2023 campaign. The club gets them out of the way early <insert shrug emoji>. Record Prediction: 2-8 If the above predictions hold true, the Twins will end April with a 15-14 record to sit slightly above .500. Many prognostications have the AL central winner ending with 86-88 wins, so this would put the Twins on pace to be close to that total. What are your thoughts about the Twins' early season schedule? What are your predictions for their April record? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

This is an interesting thought. I can see both sides of the argument. On one side, he plays injured and underperforms. Some fans are happy that he "fought through" the injury and stayed on the field. Others are upset that his numbers dropped at the plate. If he sits out when injuried, some fans are going to treat him like Buxton. They won't be happy even when he is on the field and performing well.

Who else do readers feel like is underrated on the Twins? I'd love to hear responses.

I had forgotten about this segment. Thanks for sharing. His Barrel% has increased in recent years. One has to wonder if these pre-game changes helped him to have more power.

Beltran did better than I though he would in his first turn on the ballot. Correa might get more support since he stood up and was the voice for the Astros in that first season following the scandal.

His 10.2 barrel% ranked in the 70th percentile last season, which was a career high.