Sam Caulder

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Taj Bradley's 2026 campaign has been anything but consistent. There have been plenty of highs, and there have been plenty of lows. At times, Bradley looks like the ace Minnesota envisioned when they acquired him last summer. His fastball explodes through the zone, his secondary pitches are extremely tough to square up, and hitters look completely overmatched. Then there are starts where everything seems to unravel. The command disappears; pitch counts climb too quickly; and he spends the game trying to escape self-created jams. Just this past Wednesday, Bradley reminded everyone why the ceiling is so high. He tied a career high with 11 strikeouts over just five innings, overpowering hitters from start to finish. On the season as a whole, he's now punched out 102 batters in just 88 2/3 innings. That's the profile of a pitcher capable of being dominant. But those dominant outings have often been followed by frustrating ones, and there's usually one common theme. Bradley's walk rate sits at an even 10% this season, and more often than not, when he has a rough outing, it's because the command isn't there. He falls behind in counts, gives out free passes, and is forced into hitter-friendly situations that eventually come back to bite him. It's easy to say, "Well, just throw more strikes"—as if every pitcher ever hasn't already thought of that. Unfortunately, it isn't that easy to execute. Nor is it easy to make massive strides in a short period. Bradley has always had a higher-than-average walk rate over the course of his career, and while his velocity has gone up over the years, that coincides with worsening command. But what if he could become the type of pitcher who doesn't have to live in the strike zone to consistently succeed? I think there's a path to that, and it starts with throwing his four-seam fastball a little less often. Before anyone interprets that as saying Bradley has a bad fastball, that's absolutely not what I'm saying. The pitch is still electric. Through his first 16 starts, Bradley has thrown his four-seamer 48% of the time. Clearly, it's the foundation of everything he does. He trusts it, he uses it early in counts, and it sets up the rest of his arsenal. None of that necessarily needs to change. But right now, I don't think it's playing as well as it could, and I think it could become even more effective if hitters saw it just a little bit less. The biggest concern is the quality of contact it's allowing. Opposing hitters own a 93.3 MPH average exit velocity against Bradley's four-seam fastball on balls in play. To be fair, higher-velocity pitches are naturally going to produce louder batted balls; that's just part of throwing upper-90s heat. But 93.3 MPH is still an alarming number. When hitters are making contact against Bradley's fastball, they're squaring it up far more often than you'd like to see. That's especially concerning, because they're making contact with it pretty frequently. Bradley's four-seamer currently owns just a 14.6% whiff rate, while hitters are making contact on 87.4% of their swings at pitches in the strike zone. When Bradley misses with the fastball, he usually misses by enough that hitters aren't offering. But when he is pounding the zone, hitters are making him pay for it. That's not exactly the profile you want from a pitch that's making up nearly half of your arsenal. Now, compare that to everything else he throws. His secondary pitches have been outstanding. His hard cutter and his splitter generate swings and misses; both look like legitimate weapons. His curveball has kept hitters uncomfortable. Across the board, those secondary offerings are generating significantly more whiffs, while also limiting hard contact far better than the fastball has this season. Why not lean into what's working? Pitchers have to adjust throughout the course of a 162-game season. Maybe one pitch isn't playing quite as well for a month or two. Maybe hitters have made adjustments; maybe his sequencing needs to change. Whatever the reason, the best pitchers are constantly adapting. Right now, Bradley's secondary pitches are simply performing better than his four-seamer. That doesn't mean abandoning the fastball—far from it. I'm not suggesting Bradley suddenly cuts his fastball usage in half or becomes a pitcher who only throws breaking balls and splitters. That's not realistic. Nor would it probably be effective. He throws all his secondary pitches in or near the zone often enough to be effective, but if he had to throw them much more often, he'd run into even worse walk issues. But what if his four-seam usage dropped from 48% to closer to 40%? What if those extra pitches instead became cutters and splitters? Hitters would have to account for those secondary offerings more, and Bradley's fastball velocity might play up even more because hitters wouldn't be gearing up for it as often. Sometimes less really is more. Interestingly enough, we may have already seen a glimpse of what that looks like. In Wednesday's dominant outing, Bradley threw his four-seam fastball just 37% of the time. As I mentioned earlier, he was gross. Everything played off one another beautifully. The secondary pitches kept hitters off balance, and when the fastball did show up, it seemed to have a little more life, because it wasn't nearly as predictable. He didn't rack up whiffs, but by mixing things up, he got 19 called strikes and produced a lot of foul balls that helped him get ahead in the count. One start certainly doesn't prove anything, and that may be just a coincidence. Maybe the next time he tries it, hitters adjust, and the results aren't nearly as impressive. But given how dominant Bradley's secondary pitches have been—and how inconsistent the four-seam has looked—it feels like an adjustment that's at least worth exploring. His raw talent has never been in question. It's just about finding the mix that allows Bradley to access that version of himself more consistently. Right now, Taj Bradley throwing his four-seam fastball just a little less feels like an adjustment that could pay off in a big way. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Matt Wallner has always been one of the more fascinating players in the Twins organization. The Forest Lake, Minnesota native has shown flashes of being exactly the type of hitter every team covets. He's got legitimate plus power, he can hit baseballs as hard as anybody on the roster, and when he's on, he looks like someone capable of hitting 30-plus home runs in a full season. The problem is that we've been saying the same thing for years now, and here in 2026, it feels like we're having the exact same conversation all over again. Before being demoted to Triple-A St. Paul earlier this season, Wallner was hitting just .167 with a .259 on-base percentage and a .556 OPS. He was striking out in roughly one-third of his plate appearances, he wasn't drawing walks at his usual rate, and maybe most concerning of all, he simply wasn't hitting the ball with much authority. For a power hitter, that's kind of an important part of the job description. Wallner has simply been a very poor major league hitter this season. Now, to be fair, things have looked better since returning to Triple-A. In 36 games with the St. Paul Saints, Wallner has collected 19 extra-base hits, driven in 35 runs and posted a .909 OPS. On the surface, those are exactly the kinds of numbers you'd want to see from someone trying to force his way back onto the major league roster. But even then, the underlying issues haven't really gone away. His strikeout rate at Triple-A still sits at 28%. Just for some perspective, Royce Lewis—who has also battled some strikeout issues of his own—is at a 27% clip in the major leagues. That should tell you everything you need to know. The same problems that have followed Wallner for the better part of a decade are still very much present. He struggles to consistently make contact, he doesn't put enough balls in play, he isn't getting on base enough to offset the strikeouts, and defensively, he simply doesn't provide enough value to make up for those offensive shortcomings. At some point, I think it's fair to ask how long the Twins are going to keep doing the same song and dance. Because, at least in my opinion, the Matt Wallner experiment should probably be over. Not because Wallner lacks talent–quite the opposite, actually. He's one of those players who will probably always make you believe there's another breakout just around the corner. Every time he gets hot for a couple of weeks, you're reminded why the Twins have remained patient with him for so long. Unfortunately, those stretches have always been followed by long periods where the swing-and-miss becomes overwhelming, and the production disappears. At some point, potential has to turn into consistency, and I just don't know if that's ever going to happen. The other factor working against Wallner is the current state of the Twins organization. Between Triple-A and the major league roster, the Twins have seven legitimate left-handed-hitting corner outfield options. Along with Wallner, you’ve got Trevor Larnach, Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Alan Roden, Hendry Mendez, and Kody Clemens can slide into that role when needed. Unless there's a new rule that I'm unaware of, you can't use seven corner outfielders at once. Eventually, moves are going to have to be made. The problem for Wallner is that nearly everyone else on that list feels like a better long-term investment. Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Mendez are three of the organization's highest-upside prospects, and all three should realistically be major league-ready sometime within the next year or so. Roden already looks like someone who could help a big league roster today, and all of this is without even mentioning Gabriel Gonzalez. The point is pretty straightforward: I have a hard time believing Wallner is part of the Twins' long-term outfield plans. And if that's true, why continue giving him opportunities that could instead be going to younger players who actually project to be part of the next competitive core? Even if the Twins decide to move Larnach and/or Clemens before the trade deadline, Wallner still hasn't done nearly enough to show he deserves another extended opportunity in the majors. It might sound harsh, but it's the reality of the situation. Right now, Wallner feels like someone occupying a 40-man roster spot that could eventually go to a player with a much brighter future in the organization. Nobody questions Wallner's effort, and it's always fun seeing a Minnesota kid get an opportunity with his hometown team. You want stories like that to work, and you want players like Wallner to figure it out. Like I said earlier–we've all seen what he looks like when everything clicks. The power is real, the raw talent is real. If he could make more consistent contact, we'd probably be having a completely different conversation. But after years of waiting for that adjustment to happen, it just hasn't. The highs have never lasted long enough, and the lows have remained far too frequent. At this point, I'm not even sure what kind of trade value he would have around the league. Teams know exactly what Wallner is. They see the power, but they also see everything else: the strikeouts, not getting on base, and the defensive limitations. Maybe another organization believes it can unlock something the Twins couldn't, but if that opportunity isn't there, a DFA honestly feels like the most likely outcome. I don't take any pride in saying that; I was hoping years ago that Wallner would become a fixture in the Twins' lineup. But it feels like we've reached the point where it's time for both sides to move on. Sometimes a change of scenery is exactly what a player needs, and sometimes an organization has to accept that it's time to turn the page. As unfortunate as it is, it really feels like we've reached the end of the road for Matt Wallner. What do you think? Is it time to turn the page? Or will Wallner become the next David Ortiz? Share your thoughts in the comments below. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images June was an interesting month for the Twins' pitching staff. While the bullpen may have been better than it had been at any point this season, the starting rotation was a different story. Joe Ryan came back down to earth a bit, consistency was hard to come by, and the Twins found themselves playing in plenty of high-scoring games. Injuries certainly haven't helped. Bailey Ober, Mick Abel, and Cole Sands all remained on the injured list throughout the month, forcing the Twins to continue testing the depth of both their rotation and bullpen. Still, there were plenty of encouraging performances from some of the club's relievers, along with another strong month from Zebby Matthews in the rotation. Here's a look at the Twins' top-performing pitchers from June. 4. Anthony Banda June Stats: 11 G, 9 1/3 IP, 1.93 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 12 K, 4 BB, 3.86 FIP Before his month came to an unfortunate end, Anthony Banda quietly put together a very strong stretch. Across 9 1/3 innings, he surrendered just two earned runs while striking out 12 hitters and issuing only four walks. While he did allow six extra-base hits during the month, Banda consistently found ways to work around traffic and keep opponents from putting together big innings. Unfortunately, the positive momentum came to a halt when he landed on the injured list on June 29 with what appears to be a fairly significant lat strain. It sounds like the injury could keep him sidelined for a while, which is a tough break for both Banda and a bullpen that has relied on him heavily throughout the season. 3. Zebby Matthews June Stats: 5 G, 33 IP, 3.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 22 K, 8 BB, 4.86 FIP The overall numbers paint the picture of a solid month for Zebby Matthews, but they still don't tell the full story. Four of his five starts in June qualified as quality starts, and he continued to show why the Twins believe he can be a long-term fixture in the middle of their rotation. Matthews turned in six strong innings against the Dodgers, along with seven-inning quality starts against the Astros, Rangers, and Royals. The biggest issue continues to be the home run ball, as he surrendered six homers during the month. That's been the biggest blemish on his profile dating back to his major league debut in 2024. Even so, it still feels like Matthews is incredibly close to taking another step. Outside of a couple of mistake pitches each outing, he's consistently attacking the strike zone, generating weak contact, and giving the Twins length. Clean up a few of those mistakes, and it isn't hard to envision Matthews developing into a legitimate frontline starter. 2. Andrew Morris June Stats: 13 G, 14 1/3 IP, 3.77 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 20 K, 4 BB, 2.27 FIP June was a tale of two halves for Andrew Morris. Over his first four appearances of the month, he allowed six earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings, marking the roughest stretch of his brief major league career. From there, though, Morris completely flipped the script. Over his final nine innings of June, he didn't allow a single run to score. He gave up just five total baserunners while striking out ten hitters and walking only two. That dominant finish lowered his underlying numbers considerably and continued a trend that's become increasingly obvious over the past couple of months. Morris is becoming a staple of the Twins' bullpen. Whether he's entering in the middle innings, handling leverage situations, or bridging the gap to the ninth, Twins manager Derek Shelton has continued to trust him. Morris has rewarded that confidence, and both he and the pitcher at the top of this list look like arms the Twins could be counting on for years to come. Twins Pitcher of the Month: Yoendrys Gómez June Stats: 13 G, 11 2/3 IP, 2.31 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 9 K, 4 BB, 3.71 FIP After making an immediate impact following his arrival in May, Yoendrys Gómez took another step forward in June. He allowed just three earned runs across 11 2/3 innings while recording six saves and a hold, firmly establishing himself as the Twins' go-to option in the ninth inning. His month wasn't necessarily flashy, nor was it fueled by overwhelming strikeout numbers. Instead, Gómez consistently limited hard contact, avoided free passes, and simply got the job done whenever his number was called. That's exactly what teams want from a closer, and Gómez has embraced that role in a relatively short amount of time. Less than two months after being acquired, Gómez already appears to have taken full control of the closer's role. As long as he continues throwing strikes and limiting damage, there isn't much reason to believe Shelton will look anywhere else when it's time to finish off a victory. June wasn't the cleanest month for the Twins' pitching staff, but there were still plenty of positives to take away. Matthews put together four very strong starts, while Morris and Gómez strengthened their cases as long-term pieces in the bullpen. Banda's injury is unfortunate, but his performance before landing on the injured list deserves recognition as well. The Twins are still waiting to get healthier, and getting pitchers like Ober, Abel, and Sands back would provide a significant boost. Until then, they'll need the younger arms to continue stepping up. If Morris and Gómez can keep anchoring the bullpen while Matthews continues his development, there are still reasons to believe this pitching staff can finish the second half of the season on a much stronger note. View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints The Minnesota Twins' top prospect, Walker Jenkins, has largely dominated the minor leagues. Ever since the Twins selected him fifth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the kid has just hit. Across 998 career minor-league plate appearances, Jenkins is hitting .296, with an on-base percentage north of .400. He's consistently made high-quality contact; shown advanced patience at the plate; and developed into a strong defender capable of playing all three outfield spots. He's done just about everything the Twins could have asked of him. Last season, Jenkins climbed all the way to Triple-A as a 20-year-old. While he certainly held his own against much older competition, he looks significantly more comfortable this year. The game appears to be slowing down for him, and from a pure talent perspective, it feels like he's right on the doorstep of making his major-league debut. That naturally raises the question: When are we actually going to see Jenkins in the majors? Will the Twins decide he's ready before the end of the season? Or might they take a more patient approach? There are still almost three months left for Jenkins to earn a call-up this year. But if I had to guess today, I'd say Jenkins doesn't make his major-league debut until 2027. For starters, despite possessing immense talent, Jenkins has unfortunately started following a trend we've seen from several other top Twins prospects over the years. He just can't stay on the field. During the Twins' second spring training game back in late February, Jenkins strained his hamstring, causing him to miss the remainder of camp. About a month after returning, he sprained his left AC joint while making a catch against the outfield wall and missed another month. Neither injury is something to be overly concerned about long-term, but together, they've limited the amount of baseball he's been able to play. The same pattern (with different specifics) limited him to 368 plate appearances in 2024 and 371 in 2025. The Twins would certainly love to see him finish the year healthy and log as many plate appearances as possible before making the jump to the majors. The league and the players' union are also circling toward the bargaining table ahead of the expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and an offseason lockout that could linger into next spring, which could enter this equation as a tiebreaker if the team isn't sure whether to promote Jenkins in August or September. Jenkins is not currently on the Twins' 40-man roster, and under the current rules, he won't need to be added until after the 2027 season. If Minnesota promotes him this summer, they have to add him to that 40-man list, at which point he becomes a member of the union affected by the CBA. In the worst-case scenario where the 2027 season is delayed or shortened, he would be forced to sit around again even if he's healthy. Players not on the 40-man roster, however, can still play minor-league games if the lockout lingers. How much does the Twins' front office actually factor something like that into their decision-making? Probably not much. For one thing, the chances of games actually being lost next year isn't great enough to dominate planning that way. For another, the team could easily decide that the benefits of seeing Jenkins against big-league competition this year is worth that risk. Still, when you combine Jenkins's injury history with the fact that the Twins already have several corner outfield options on their major league roster, it becomes a little easier to envision the organization taking the slower route. Jenkins remains one of the premier prospects in baseball, and he's still very much viewed as a cornerstone of the Twins' long-term future. Waiting a few more months doesn't change that. In fact, it may ultimately benefit both sides. If Jenkins debuts sometime during the 2027 season, he'll still be just 22 years old. That gives him another year—or close to it—to continue polishing his game, staying healthy, and proving he's fully ready to become an everyday major leaguer. Sometimes, the hardest thing for fans is exercising patience when a top prospect looks ready. Jenkins certainly looks close, but between the injuries, the possibility of a lockout, and Minnesota's current roster construction, the Twins could ultimately decide that patience is the better play. He still projects as a huge part of this organization's future, but that future just might begin in 2027, instead of later this summer. View full article

Walker Jenkins is knocking on the door of the major leagues, but the smartest move for the Twins may actually be to leave that door closed for a few more months. View full video

Image courtesy of © Erik Williams-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Taj Bradley - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 11 K (97 pitches, 63 strikes (65% strikes)) Home Runs: Josh Bell, Kody Clemens, Luke Keaschall Top 3 WPA: Josh Bell (0.17), Kody Clemens (0.14), Trevor Larnach (0.10) Win Probability Chart The Twins entered Wednesday night's series finale against the Astros with a chance to secure a series victory. Behind a dominant outing from Taj Bradley and an offense that jumped on Houston's pitching from the very first inning, the Twins did exactly that, cruising to an 8-3 victory and improving to 42-46 on the season. THE TWINS JUMPED ON TATSUYA IMAI EARLY Minnesota wasted little time putting pressure on Astros starter Tatsuya Imai, just as they did the first time they faced him earlier this season. Trevor Larnach got things started by ripping a leadoff double off the wall in straightaway center field, and after Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens were retired, Josh Bell made sure the early scoring opportunity didn't go to waste. Bell got a 2-1 slider left out over the plate and absolutely demolished it, launching a 452-foot two-run homer over the batter's eye in center field to give the Twins a quick 2-0 lead. It was Bell's third home run against Imai this season, after taking him deep twice during their previous meeting. The Twins weren't finished there. Royce Lewis and Ryan Kreidler each drew walks before Victor Caratini singled to load the bases, although Tristan Gray struck out to end the inning. An inning later, Minnesota delivered an even bigger blow. Luke Keaschall worked a leadoff walk before Lee drew another free pass, bringing Clemens to the plate. On a 3-1 fastball at the top of the strike zone, Clemens unloaded for a three-run homer to right-center, stretching the Twins' advantage to 5-1. Bell followed with another walk, and after recording just five outs, Houston had seen enough of Imai. TAJ BRADLEY PILES UP THE STRIKEOUTS While Bradley wasn't especially efficient, he was overpowering whenever the Astros put runners on base. Houston immediately threatened in the first inning, as Jose Altuve walked and Yordan Alvarez singled, eventually scoring a run on an Isaac Paredes double play. Bradley settled down by striking out Christian Walker to end the inning. The second inning proved even more impressive. Cam Smith doubled, Taylor Trammell walked, and suddenly, the Astros had two runners on with nobody out. Bradley responded by striking out three consecutive hitters to escape the jam untouched. The pattern continued in the third. Alvarez and Paredes both singled, but Bradley once again found another gear, striking out Walker and Smith to strand both runners. By the fourth inning, he was completely locked in, striking out the side in order to reach 11 strikeouts on the night, matching his career high. Bradley ultimately worked five innings, allowing just one run while striking out 11 Astros. It wasn't the cleanest outing from a pitch-count standpoint—he needed 97 pitches to get through five frames—but one run and 11 strikeouts is a combination the Twins will gladly take every time out. LARNACH ADDS ON AS MINNESOTA PULLS AWAY The Twins continued to tack on insurance tallies against Houston's bullpen in the fifth inning. Victor Caratini walked, Keaschall was hit by a pitch, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch to set the table for Larnach. Larnach smoked a ground ball back through the middle that clipped second base and kicked into center field, allowing both runners to score and extending Minnesota's lead to 7-1. The Twins added one more insurance run in the eighth, when Keaschall connected on a two-strike fastball from Bryan Abreu, sending it over the wall in left-center field for his third home run of the season and pushing the lead to 8-3. Larnach finished another outstanding night with three hits, while Bell reached base twice and drove in two runs. Clemens' three-run homer proved to be one of the biggest swings of the game, and Keaschall stayed hot by reaching base twice (including the homer), while also making a terrific sliding catch in right field. BULLPEN HOLDS OFF HOUSTON'S LATE PUSH The only real hiccup came after Bradley exited. Cody Laweryson struggled in the sixth inning, allowing two runs while recording just two outs before Andrew Morris was called upon to stop the bleeding. Morris immediately got Altuve to ground out and then delivered perhaps the biggest pitch of the game for the Twins an inning later. After Alvarez reached for the fourth time and Paredes was hit by a pitch, Houston had runners on first and second with one out. Morris calmly induced Cam Smith to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play, ending the threat and preserving Minnesota's four-run cushion. Taylor Rogers followed with a perfect eighth inning. Yoendrys Gómez worked around a pair of baserunners in the ninth. Although Paredes reached after a dropped pop-up, Gómez retired Brice Matthews on a fly ball to center to end the game. By the final out, the Twins had secured an impressive series victory in Houston. Minnesota pounded out timely hits, hit three home runs, received another strong performance from Taj Bradley, and got enough out of the bullpen to close the door. After winning two of three in Houston, the Twins head into the remainder of their road trip with some much-needed momentum and an improved 42-46 record. What’s Next? The Twins have tomorrow off, but will be traveling to the Bronx to begin a three-game weekend series against the Yankees on Friday. Mike Paredes will toe the rubber for the good guys. He’ll be facing off against veteran right-hander and 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole. First pitch is set for 6:05 PM. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon! Bullpen Availability Chart View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images What a wild ride the 2026 season has been so far for Austin Martin. For about the first month and a half of the season, it looked like the Twins had unlocked the type of player they envisioned when they acquired him. Martin wasn't hitting for power, but that was never really the expectation. Instead, he was doing what he's always done best: putting the ball in play, controlling the strike zone, and finding ways to get on base. Through May 14, Martin was hitting .333 with an absurd .454 on-base percentage. He was actually walking more often than he was striking out, and he owned a fantastic 155 wRC+. For a player whose game has always revolved around contact skills and plate discipline, those numbers were incredibly encouraging. He looked like one of the best hit-for-contact bats in baseball for that stretch, and it finally felt like everything was coming together. And then it wasn’t. Since May 15, Martin has gone from one of the Twins' most productive hitters to someone who has been generating, quite frankly, unplayable offensive production. During that stretch, he's hitting just .157 with a .236 on-base percentage. And when you compare those two halves of his year to date, the differences are pretty staggering. His strikeout rate has jumped from 13.8% to 22.0%. His walk rate has been cut by more than half, dropping from 16.9% down to just 7.1%. His wRC+ has cratered, falling from 155 to just 40. And perhaps the most eye-opening number of all is his OPS, which has literally been cut in half. He went from an outstanding .882 OPS through May 14 to just .454 since then. That's an enormous swing in production over a relatively short period. The current version of Austin Martin simply isn't playable offensively. Martin has never been someone who impacts the baseball consistently enough to survive long stretches without getting on base. His offensive value has always come from elite bat-to-ball skills, drawing walks, and putting pressure on defenses. When those things disappear, there just isn't much left offensively. So what can the Twins actually do? Should Martin be optioned to Triple-A? Is he truly nothing more than a short-side platoon player? Those are fair questions to ask, especially if this slump continues. Even if Minnesota were to move him back into more of a platoon role against left-handed pitching, he'd still need to produce more than he has recently. Overall, Martin is hitting .268 against lefties this season, which is a perfectly respectable number by itself. But considering that average was sitting around .300 just a month ago, even that split has started trending in the wrong direction. The Twins also have another option if they decide they need to press the reset button. I do think the minor league route has to at least be on the table. It's probably not the likeliest outcome, nor is it the preferred one, but Martin still has a minor-league option remaining. If the organization reaches a point where they feel everyday at-bats in Triple-A would benefit him more than sporadic major-league playing time, they have the flexibility to make that move. If that were to happen, the Twins wouldn't exactly be left scrambling for another right-handed outfielder. Gabriel Gonzalez has already been shuffled around a bit this season and could be an easy right-handed replacement if Martin were optioned. Gonzalez has also been swinging the bat much better over the past month, making him a legitimate alternative should Minnesota decide to make a roster change. That's certainly something worth keeping an eye on if Martin's struggles continue. At the same time, nothing drastic needs to happen right this second. Martin isn't being forced into everyday playing time, and there's still a very real chance that this is simply a month-long cold stretch during what could end up being a solid season. Baseball seasons are long, and players go through stretches like this all the time. But eventually, there does come a point where you can't continue giving someone at-bats if they aren't hitting. That's the balancing act the Twins are going to have to navigate over the next few weeks, because Martin is an extremely talented hitter when he's right. We already saw exactly what he's capable of during the season's first month and a half, when he looked like one of the better contact hitters in the American League. Now, the Twins just have to figure out whether that version of Martin is still in there, or whether a brief stint in Triple-A is the best way to help him find it again. View full article

Luke Keaschall has spent most of his professional career at second base. That may not be where he ultimately fits best. View full video

Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images We're 86 games into the season, meaning the 2026 regular season is officially over halfway through. The Twins currently have a record of 41-45, in what has been a fairly eventful year. It hasn't necessarily all been good, but we've had a little bit of everything. There have been breakout performances, disappointing seasons, injuries, blown leads, and enough frustration to make this first half feel a lot longer than 86 games. With that in mind, here are my five biggest takeaways from the first half of the 2026 season. The first is that Byron Buxton is a legitimate superstar. I think a lot of Twins fans have known just how good Buxton is whenever he's healthy, but it finally feels like the rest of the league is catching on, too. He's currently hitting .276 with 25 home runs and seven stolen bases. Those 25 homers are tied for second-most in baseball, while his .581 slugging percentage ranks third in the league. He's also doing it with some of the highest-quality contact in the sport. His barrel rate has climbed all the way to 19% of his batted balls, which tells you he's consistently making loud, optimal contact. We've always known the talent has been there. The only thing that's ever really held him back has been staying on the field—and occasionally, the inconsistency that has to result from not being able to play every day. Health permitting, this has a chance to be the best season of Buxton's career. He's been worth every bit of the praise he's received, and without him, this Twins team would find itself in an even tougher spot than it already is. Takeaway number two is that the bullpen is exactly what we thought it was going to be. After last summer's fire sale at the trade deadline, when the Twins traded away several of their key relievers, there were a lot of questions surrounding what this bullpen would look like entering 2026. Unfortunately, those concerns have proven to be justified. The Twins currently rank dead last in bullpen ERA (5.50) and 29th in WHIP (1.57), and that unit has been responsible for several late-game collapses throughout the first half. Yoendrys Gómez has been a really nice addition since arriving in early May, but outside of him, there really haven't been many reliable options. It's hard not to be frustrated watching this group struggle because honestly, this was one of the more predictable problems the Twins were going to have entering the season. The front office chose to move a large chunk of its bullpen depth last July, and rebuilding an entire relief corps in one offseason was always going to be difficult. The greatest source of frustration, perhaps, is that they don't seem to have tried very hard. The third takeaway is that the Twins' starting rotation is still very much a work in progress. Outside of Joe Ryan, there just hasn't been much consistency. Taj Bradley has looked phenomenal at times, but then he'll turn around and give up three home runs in his next start. The same can be said for Zebby Matthews. Connor Prielipp has really struggled over the last month and a half, but had exactly the kind of start you'd have hoped for on Sunday. Bailey Ober's enigmatic velocity loss is unlikely to be cured by the weeks he's spent on the injured list with elbow inflammation, but he might at least bring the team some stability when he returns next month. Mick Abel and Kendry Rojas have both shown flashes of why the Twins are excited about them, but both have also battled injuries and inconsistency; Abel might miss the rest of the year after arthroscopic elbow surgery. When you look at the rotation as a whole, it feels like a group full of middle-to-back-end starters, with only one true frontline arm in Ryan. To be fair, it's also a very young rotation, so growing pains were always going to happen. Still, how this group performs during the second half is going to be one of the biggest storylines to watch over the rest of the season. Takeaway number four—and this one may be hard for some fans to accept—is that the hitters the Twins were hoping would take the next step really haven't done so. Luke Keaschall has been playing much better lately, but he's still hitting just .245. Royce Lewis is sitting down at .214. Matt Wallner is back in Triple-A. Ryan Jeffers had a really nice offensive season before getting hurt, Brooks Lee has continued to swing the bat well, and obviously, Buxton has been everything you could ask for. But outside of those guys, the lineup hasn't consistently gotten enough production from some of its younger core hitters. The Twins' offense, as a whole, actually hasn't been bad. There have been plenty of games where they've put together quality at-bats and have a bunch of runs to show for it. But there's also another level this lineup could reach if players like Keaschall and Lewis began performing closer to what the organization envisioned. Especially with Jeffers currently sidelined, the offense could really use another impact bat stepping up over the second half. And finally, takeaway number five is that defense simply has not been one of the Twins' strengths. Lee is currently tied with Jakob Marsee of the Marlins for the lowest Defensive Runs Saved total in baseball at -10. Tristan Gray isn't far behind at -8, and several other regular starters also find themselves sitting in the negatives. As a team, the Twins rank inside the bottom five in Major League Baseball in Defensive Efficiency. Defense really hurt this club throughout the first half. There have been far too many extended innings, too many extra outs, and too many blown leads that can be traced back to spotty defensive play. When you combine inconsistent defense with inconsistent pitching, it's really not that surprising the Twins find themselves sitting several games below .500. There's still plenty of baseball left to play, and there's certainly enough talent on this roster to make things interesting if they put together a strong second half. But through 86 games, it's been a pretty frustrating season overall. It certainly hasn't been all bad. Buxton has looked like an MVP-caliber player, and there are still reasons to be optimistic moving forward. At the same time, though, the bullpen has struggled exactly as expected, the rotation remains a question mark outside of Joe Ryan, several key hitters haven't taken the leap many hoped they would, and the defense has consistently hurt this team. Those are my five biggest takeaways from the first half of the 2026 season for the Minnesota Twins. View full article

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Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images We had a first this weekend. Luke Keaschall, who had spent basically his entire major-league career playing second base, was penciled into the lineup as the Twins' starting right fielder. Meanwhile, Kody Clemens handled the starts at second base, as the two kind of flip-flopped. If you've been paying close attention over the last few months, it wasn't a huge surprise. Keaschall’s eight errors at second base this season are the second-most, behind only Nasim Nuñez of the Nationals, and there have been misplays and non-plays beyond those. His performance there essentially compelled a change. Additionally, it felt like Derek Shelton and the Twins had been preparing for this possibility since spring training, when Keaschall started getting a fair amount of work in the corner outfield. At the time, it looked like they were simply adding another position to his résumé. Now, it looks like they were laying the groundwork for something they always knew could become a legitimate option. Whenever an infielder moves to the outfield, though, there's almost always going to be a learning curve. It's one thing to shag fly balls during batting practice. It's another to do it under the lights in a major-league game, especially with runners on base. The encouraging part is that the Twins already know that. Shelton acknowledged it before Friday's game. "I think it's going to be a work in progress, I think we're aware of that, and there's probably going to be some growing pains with it," he said. That's exactly the right mindset to have. There are going to be some tough moments as Keaschall gets comfortable in right field, and you could argue we saw one of those on Saturday. Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy ripped a ball off the right field wall, and Keaschall didn't play it particularly well, allowing the ball to get past him. McCarthy was able to take an extra base, and the misplay ultimately led to a run crossing the plate later in the inning. M3k2MnlfWGw0TUFRPT1fQlFFRVZGTUZWMVlBRGxNQlZ3QUhBbE1DQUZoUlZnUUFWZ05SVlFFSFZBUlhCUUFE.mp4 Obviously, Target Field offers a new right fielder some unique challenges. But Keaschall got that play wrong in every way. He got too close to the wall, especially on a ball he clearly didn't read well. Had it hit off the limestone overhang, it would have caromed even farther beyond his reach. As it was, it hit about 15 feet up on the wall, above the padding, which made for a sharp bounce of its own. Keaschall had initially gone back uncertainly, then turned his shoulders toward the foul pole, forcing him to pivot again as the ball bounced past on his other side. If he's in position to collect the ball quickly, that's a double, not a triple. It certainly wasn't his finest defensive moment. In fact, McCarthy also beat Keaschall on Friday night, with a double that could have been caught—although he played this one much better, all things considered. MTZOVllfWGw0TUFRPT1fVlZkVFZRRlhVZ1lBV3dFR0F3QUhDRlFGQUFBQ0JsSUFDZ01OVlFCUkJGWldVZ1pl.mp4 On both plays, it's the same error. Misreading either the initial trajectory off the bat or the likely spin and wind influences that would act on the ball, Keaschall turned the wrong way. See this? This isn't good. This loss of visual contact with the ball (not to check on the wall or make up ground, but because he'd turned the wrong way and needed to swing around) happened on both plays, and was a problem both times. As is made clear by the closeness of the ensuing play, McCarthy hit that ball hard enough that it should have been possible to hold him to a single, even for an outfielder not quite fast or familiar enough to charge back and stab it before it short-hopped the wall. That Keaschall was still circling the wagons when he fielded the rebound slowed down his release. But we've also seen some positives. Keaschall made a really nice sliding catch in that same Saturday loss, and outside of McCarthy playing wall ball, he's actually looked pretty comfortable in right field. He's moved around well, looked athletic, and hasn't appeared completely overwhelmed by the position change. On two other plays (easier ones, admittedly), he even negotiated successfully with the wall. That shouldn't come as a huge surprise, either, especially when you hear what Twins first base coach Grady Sizemore had to say. Sizemore, who was a three-time All-Star and one of the better defensive outfielders while he was playing, offered a pretty interesting perspective. "Honestly, I think the best outfielders are former infielders. I think for an infielder, it's probably going to be an easy transition. You’re going to have more time; you’re going to have a little bit of—you’re just [farther] away. Your reaction, you don’t have to be as immediate. You can be a hair late or have an extra step to get the right read or the right direction." Those are some pretty telling words coming from someone who made a career out of playing the outfield at an elite level. But even with that, we also have to acknowledge that there will be bumps in the road. Second base doesn't exactly require a rocket launcher for an arm, but Keaschall's average arm strength of 76 MPH leaves quite a bit to be desired. In my opinion, that's going to be the biggest question mark throughout this entire transition. Most major-league right fielders have above-average throwing arms; it's one of the defining traits of the position. Keaschall simply doesn't. If runners begin taking extra bases because they know his arm isn't much of a threat, that's something the Twins will have to weigh moving forward. But despite that concern, I still find myself thinking this experiment has a legitimate chance to work. The biggest reason is Keaschall's overall athletic profile. He's described himself as a "tight athlete," and I think that's a really interesting way to look at his game. There's a difference between being twitchy and being tight. A twitchy athlete relies on explosive first-step quickness. They're able to go from zero to one hundred almost instantly without losing dexterity at their extremities, which is incredibly valuable in the middle infield, where reaction time is everything. A tight athlete is a little different. They might be equally explosive, but the control of that explosiveness is more confined to their core. They need a bit more margin for error when it comes to great feats of hand-eye coordination. That profile feels like a better fit in the outfield. There's a little more time to react. Keaschall's straight-line speed should allow him to track baseballs down in the gaps, and when he gets to balls, he should be better able to do what's needed with them. There's no need to rush an exchange or contort your body to get the ball out immediately. You're freer (and, again, have more time) to move your glove late to get it around the ball, and an outfielder's glove is itself bigger than a middle infielder's. The arm strength is still going to be worth watching, because that can’t magically improve overnight. (Most players throw harder from the outfield than on the infield, because the throws must be longer and the proper technique therefore involves taking a hair longer to load up and fire. Relatively speaking, though, Keaschall won't throw harder as a right fielder than as a second baseman.) But outside of that, Keaschall might actually be a natural fit in right field. There are almost certainly going to be rough patches along the way. There will probably be another misplay or two before everything starts feeling comfortable. That's part of learning a brand-new position at the highest level. Still, when I look at Keaschall's overall athletic traits, I honestly think they line up more with a corner outfielder than they do with a full-time second baseman. And it's not like this has to be a permanent move, either. If there's one thing we've learned about the Twins this year, it's that they value defensive versatility. Keaschall can still move around the diamond. He can still play second base when the matchup calls for it. Maybe this experiment ends up sticking for years, or maybe it doesn't. But I applaud Derek Shelton and the Twins' coaching staff for being willing to find out. Sometimes, the only way to discover what a player can become is by giving him the opportunity to try something new. View full article

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