Sam Caulder

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images It’s been a good few days of baseball to start the week for the Twins. After a tough 9-8 loss on Monday against the Braves, they followed it up with a 6-5 win over the Rays on Tuesday and a 2-1 walk-off victory over the Tigers on Wednesday. Wins and losses don’t carry a ton of weight this time of year, but the individual performances behind them can still be telling. With the calendar moving deeper into March, outings are getting longer, and players are starting to build real rhythm as roster battles continue to take shape. With that in mind, here’s a quick temperature check from the past few days of Twins action. Who’s Hot? 🔥 Luke Keaschall The Twins’ second baseman has had a great start to the week, going 3-for-5 with a double and a triple, along with a stolen base. Keaschall has made consistent hard contact throughout the spring, and that trend has continued over the past few days. If he can keep it up, he has the potential to be one of the most impactful bats in the Twins’ lineup this season. Matt Wallner Wallner had a very slow start to the spring, but he might just be starting to find things at the plate. He has two hits over his last four at-bats, including a home run on Tuesday and a hard-hit single on Wednesday. Both came off the bat at 108 mph, showing the kind of impact contact he’s capable of when he squares one up. There’s still some swing-and-miss present, but it’s encouraging to see him starting to drive the ball again. Taj Bradley The battle for a starting rotation spot has been fierce this spring, and Bradley showed Wednesday exactly why he deserves one. He needed just 69 pitches to get through five innings, allowing only one run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven. His fastball topped out at 98.8 mph and showed some sharp horizontal movement throughout the outing. Most notably, he limited hard contact as well as he has all spring against a lineup that featured several Tigers regulars. It was a strong performance for Bradley and another reminder that he has the kind of stuff to make a real impact in the Twins’ rotation. Josh Bell It’s been a good start to the week at the plate for Josh Bell. In six plate appearances, he’s gone 2-for-4 with a home run and a pair of walks. Three of the four balls he’s put in play have come off the bat at 95 mph or harder, classifying them as hard contact. There’s no need to read too much into Bell’s spring performance either way, given his long MLB track record. But it’s always nice to see a key piece of the lineup hitting the ball hard. Who’s Not? 🧊 Eric Wagaman It hasn’t been a great stretch for Eric Wagaman this week, and the timing isn’t ideal. He’s 0-for-6 with a pair of strikeouts, and none of the balls he’s put in play have left the infield. Wagaman’s defensive versatility is something that could really help the Twins, but a disappointing spring at the plate might make it harder for him to stick around. Zebby Matthews I considered leaving Zebby Matthews out, but his outing in Monday’s loss ended up being a costly one. He was pulled midway through the first inning after allowing three earned runs, leaving with the bases loaded and two outs. The reliever who came in allowed all three inherited runners to score, inflating Matthews’ final line. Because of spring training rules, Matthews was able to re-enter the game in the bottom of the second inning and eventually finished the fourth before being taken out for the second and final time. Over 3 ⅔ total innings, he allowed six earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five. While he looked better after re-entering the game, it wasn’t the outing Matthews needed at this point in camp, especially with the Twins likely facing some tough decisions about the final rotation spots in the coming weeks. Spring training is ultimately about progress, and the Twins are starting to see clearer signals from both sides of the roster. Some players are building momentum at the right time, while others are still trying to find their footing before decisions start getting finalized. With Opening Day getting closer, the next couple of weeks will likely go a long way in shaping how the roster comes together. View full article

Bailey Ober’s 2025 season looked rough on the surface. But the underlying reasons for the struggles might actually make him one of the Twins’ best bounce-back candidates this year. View full video

Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Gabriel Gonzalez are all in Triple-A, ready for the majors. Who will get called up first, and does one name have a slight edge? View full video

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images After a delayed start to spring training due to back tightness, Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan finally took the mound in game action for the first time on Tuesday. He faced the Tampa Bay Rays, the organization that originally drafted him back in 2018. Despite some apparent rust, Ryan delivered three scoreless innings, showcasing both his full arsenal and his ability to attack hitters with confidence. Ryan’s outing was efficient and controlled, though not necessarily flashy. He threw a total of 48 pitches over his three frames, allowing just two hits and two walks, but he also recorded no strikeouts. Of those pitches, 31 found the strike zone, indicating that while Ryan wasn’t missing bats in this first spring appearance, he was effectively challenging hitters. Notably, only four of Ryan’s 48 pitches were thrown to right-handed hitters, so the bulk of his work came against lefties. Given that he struggled more against left-handed hitters last season, it was valuable for him to get early reps against a predominantly left-handed lineup. The Twins’ ace set the tone early. After needing just four pitches to record his first two outs, he navigated a two-out double and a walk before finishing the inning unscathed. His second inning was his most efficient, a 10-pitch 1-2-3 frame, before he closed out the third inning by working around another two-out base hit and a walk. While the surface stats may not jump off the page, Ryan’s ability to manage base runners and escape trouble is emblematic of the pitching intelligence that has made him a cornerstone of Minnesota’s rotation. Ryan’s pitch mix was on full display during the outing, but he's far from midseason form. His four-seam fastball had an average velocity of 92 MPH and reached a peak of 93.5, only slightly below his 2025 average of 93.7. It had decent movement, generating over 12 inches of run and 14 inches of rise on average, keeping hitters off balance and setting up his secondary pitches. By consistently locating his fastball up in the zone, Ryan was able to manipulate the lower portion of the strike zone with his breaking and off-speed pitches. His splitter generated all three of the whiffs he got on the day. Meanwhile, both the sweeper and curveball consistently landed near the bottom of the zone with sharp glove-side movement, keeping hitters guessing and preventing them from sitting on one pitch. It's normal to see a pitcher work slightly below their in-season averages during their first game or two of spring training. but it's impossible to ignore the fact that Ryan's stuff was down on Tuesday. Across the board, he was missing about 2 MPH on each of his offerings, relative to last season. To compare apples to apples, let's line up his averages Tuesday with his spring training numbers from the last two years. 2024 2025 2026 Pitch Type Velocity Hor. Mvmt. Ind. Vert. Break Velocity Hor. Mvmt. Ind. Vert. Break Velocity Hor. Mvmt. Ind. Vert. Break Four-Seamer 93.2 12 13.9 92 12.3 13.3 92 12 14 Sinker 92.2 16.4 9 90.6 15 7.7 90.1 17 8 Splitter 87.8 14.5 0.9 86.6 14.2 -1.1 85.7 15 6 Slider 86.2 -2.4 3.8 85.6 4.1 3 84.3 -3 6 Sweeper 80.7 -14.8 2.1 79.1 -18.4 -0.5 78.2 -15 -2 Curveball 77.4 -14 -10 His fastball was right where it was last year, but note how down the velocities on his splitter, slider and sweeper are. For the balance of the spring, those numbers will be worth watching. Looking ahead, the expectation is that Ryan’s velocity will return to normal as he continues his spring ramp-up. If that happens, his secondary pitches should play better, generating more swings and misses and making him an even tougher assignment for opposing hitters. For the Twins, having their ace healthy and executing his repertoire effectively early in spring is a critical step toward maintaining a strong rotation in 2026. All things considered, Joe Ryan’s first outing of 2026 spring training can be viewed as a success. He demonstrated poise, command, and the ability to attack hitters while showcasing his full arsenal. There are several boxes he didn't check, but it was his first taste of competition. If his stuff ticks up as he gets into the routine of the Grapefruit League, he should be the same frontline starter he was throughout 2025. View full article

Things haven’t gone according to plan this spring for Justin Topa. With loud contact piling up and the bullpen competition getting crowded, his path to the Minnesota Twins Opening Day roster is suddenly looking very uncertain. Twins Daily's Cody Schoenmann wrote about this topic; click here to read more. View full video

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images It’s been an eventful few days of spring baseball for the Twins. They opened the stretch with a dominant 15-0 win over the Yankees on Thursday before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Braves on Friday and a tight 3-2 game to the Orioles on Saturday. Sunday’s matchup with the Phillies provided some late drama, as the Twins walked it off in a 7-6 victory. The results themselves aren’t the main focus this time of year. Early March is more about individual progress, building innings, and seeing which players are starting to separate themselves as camp moves along. With that in mind, here’s the latest temperature check from the past few days of Twins spring action. Who’s Hot? 🔥 Bailey Ober Ober finally made his spring debut on Friday, and it couldn’t have gone much smoother. The right-hander tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner, giving the Twins exactly what they were hoping for in his first outing of camp. His fastball averaged around 90 mph, which is right in line with expectations. Ober has never been a power arm, typically working in the low 90s while relying on command and deception to keep hitters off balance. The biggest takeaway here is simply that he’s healthy and back on the mound, and his first appearance of the spring was a clean one. Brooks Lee The Twins’ starting shortstop put together a strong weekend at the plate. He went 3-for-6, including a triple and a double, and four of the five balls he put in play were classified as hard contact. For a player who hasn’t quite lived up to the early hype surrounding his prospect status yet, this is an encouraging sign. When Lee is driving the ball with authority like this, it’s a glimpse of the offensive impact the Twins believed he could provide when they drafted him. Mick Abel Through three spring starts, Abel continues to look like one of the most dominant pitchers in camp. In his latest outing, he threw four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and no walks. That now gives him 10 innings this spring without issuing a free pass, to go along with 13 strikeouts. He didn’t rack up quite as many whiffs as he did in his first couple of appearances, but that was largely because Baltimore’s hitters were aggressively swinging early in counts as Abel attacked the zone with fastballs. He still consistently ran his heater up to 98 mph and needed just 41 pitches to get through four innings, 30 of which were strikes. Considering he was facing several Orioles regulars, it was another impressive showing and further evidence that Abel is making a strong case for a spot in the Twins’ rotation. James Outman Outman has quietly put together a strong stretch over the past few days. Since Thursday, he’s gone 3-for-7 with a home run and three stolen bases, showing off both his power and athleticism. A couple of his batted balls have come off the bat at 100 mph or harder, highlighting the kind of impact contact he’s capable of when he’s locked in. With several outfielders competing for limited spots on the Opening Day roster, performances like this keep Outman firmly in the mix. Who’s Not? 🧊 Justin Topa It’s been a rough spring for Topa, and that continued Sunday when he squandered a Twins lead against Philadelphia. He allowed four runs on three hits and a hit-by-pitch, and the damage came against a Phillies lineup made up mostly of backups rather than regulars. Through his appearances this spring, Topa’s ERA now sits north of 30, which obviously isn’t the kind of line you want to see this late into camp. There’s still time for him to turn things around, but each tough outing makes the battle for a bullpen spot a little more difficult. Kendry Rojas After looking electric in his first outing of the spring, things haven’t gone nearly as smoothly since for Rojas. On Friday against Atlanta, he was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs across 2 ⅔ innings. He gave up five hits while striking out three, and while his changeup generated plenty of whiffs, his fastball and cutter caught too much of the plate, and hitters made him pay. The positive takeaway is that his command was solid; he threw 35 of his 50 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk a batter. The issue right now isn’t finding the zone, but rather leaving too many pitches over the heart of it. Royce Lewis It wasn’t the strongest weekend at the plate for Lewis, who went 0-for-6 with a pair of strikeouts. Most importantly, he’s healthy and on the field, which remains the top priority at this stage of the spring. Still, the quality of contact wasn’t there in this small sample. None of the balls he put in play left the infield, and only one was hit particularly hard. Both strikeouts also came on three pitches. It’s far too early to read much into a couple of quiet games, but it wasn’t Lewis’ most productive stretch offensively. It’s still early in camp, and none of these performances lock anyone into or out of a role. Spring training is about adjustments, building rhythm, and getting ready for the long season ahead. But as the innings start to pile up, the early trends are beginning to come into focus. View full article

Connor Prielipp entered the spring as one of the most intriguing arms in the Twins’ system, but the early results haven’t followed. So what’s actually behind Connor Prielipp’s slow start this spring? View full video

The designated hitter role could be more fluid for the Twins than it first appears. With Josh Bell and Trevor Larnach both likely to rotate through the spot, the numbers suggest the decision might come down to which alignment gets the most out of their bats. A closer look at their splits reveals why the DH spot could be one of the more interesting lineup decisions this season. View full video

Mick Abel is turning heads this spring, and the numbers are backing it up. The Twins' right-hander has been racking up whiffs and lighting up the radar gun through his first two outings. Are we watching Mick Abel’s breakout happen in real time? View full video

Emmanuel Rodriguez is turning heads in Twins camp this spring. The numbers are loud, the contact quality is real, and he’s making a serious case to be part of the Opening Day conversation. Could the Twins’ outfield prospect force his way into that fourth outfield spot? View full video

Image courtesy of © Mike Watters-Imagn Images It hasn’t been the best of starts to spring baseball for the Twins, having gone eight straight games without logging a win. The good news is that the winless streak is over. After a 2-2 tie with the Atlanta Braves and a 5-3 loss to the Rays, the Twins got back in the win column Wednesday with a 6-3 victory over Team Puerto Rico of the World Baseball Classic. The record isn’t the story in early March, but individual trends are starting to take shape. With that in mind, here’s the latest temperature check: Who’s Hot? 🔥 Mick Abel Abel was outstanding in his first start of the spring, and that continued in his second outing on Sunday against Atlanta. He spun three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six and generating 10 whiffs on 43 pitches. His fastball, which touched 98.9 mph after topping out at 97.1 in his debut, showed both velocity and shape, and his breaking ball had sharp depth that hitters couldn’t square up. Through six spring innings, Abel has looked flat‑out dominant, and he’s making it clear why he deserves a spot in the Twins rotation to start the year. Andrew Morris After a rough first outing, Morris answered on Tuesday out of the bullpen, tossing three no‑hit innings with three strikeouts and two walks while throwing 34 of 58 pitches for strikes and generating six swinging strikes. His changeup and curveball command still wavered at times, but his fastball and cutter were better located, and more importantly, his velocity returned to normal after sitting a couple of ticks down in his first spring start. Considering how hard he was hit previously, this was exactly the type of bounce‑back you want to see. Alan Roden The plan was not to include Alan Roden in every single spring check-in article, yet here we are. After a 3-for-3 day on Wednesday that included a triple, he’s now 10-for-17 this spring with a pair of extra-base hits, a stolen base, and a pair of strikeouts and walks. He’s flashing the kind of consistent contact and extra‑base pop that’s going to make it hard to keep him off the Opening Day roster. Who’s Not? 🧊 Simeon Woods Richardson It’s been a tough couple of turns for SWR. On Tuesday against Tampa Bay, he was charged with all five runs, allowing seven hits and a walk over three innings. That followed another shaky outing last week, bringing his recent totals to 13 hits and seven earned runs over his last five frames. The fastball has been the problem; he’s tried climbing the ladder early in counts, but hitters have consistently done damage against it. He adjusted later in Tuesday’s outing and leaned more on his secondaries with better results, but the early damage keeps putting him behind. With the rotation picture unsettled, these are innings he can’t afford to lose. Aaron Sabato It’s a tiny sample, but it hasn’t been an encouraging start for Sabato. He’s 1‑for‑7 with four strikeouts, and the contact quality hasn’t suggested bad luck. His average exit velocity on balls in play is down at 78 mph, so this isn’t a case of lasers finding gloves. Coming off his best minor‑league season, there was some quiet optimism that the first baseman could carry momentum into camp. So far, that hasn’t materialized. Plenty of time remains, but the early swings haven’t inspired much confidence. Connor Prielipp I don’t love putting him here, but the command just hasn’t been there. Across 3 ⅔ innings, Prielipp has walked five and surrendered a home run, and only 44 of his 81 pitches have gone for strikes. When he’s fallen behind, hitters have done damage; opponents currently own a 55 % hard‑hit rate against him this spring. The stuff still flashes, but the strike‑throwing needs to sharpen up quickly. It’s also worth noting that both of his appearances have followed Mick Abel, and the contrast between the two has been noticeable. For Prielipp, it’s less about stuff and more about execution right now. It’s still early, and none of this locks anyone into or out of a role. Spring is about adjustments, building up innings, and finding rhythm. But as the games start stacking up, the separation between “ready now” and “still refining” becomes a little more noticeable. View full article

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Jorge Polanco trade, Gabriel Gonzalez hasn’t generated quite the same level of buzz as some of the other young outfielders in the organization. But while most of the attention has centered on Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gonzalez quietly put together a season that not only stacks up with both of theirs, but in some ways even surpasses their performance. His combination of contact ability, plate discipline, and athleticism makes him one of the most intriguing bats in the Twins’ upper minors heading into 2026. Gabriel Gonzalez Age: 21 (DOB: 01/04/2004) Bats/Throws: R/R 2025 Stats (High-A, Double-A, Triple-A): 549 PA, .329/.395/.513, 38 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 8 SB ETA: 2026 2025 Ranking: #20 National Top 100 Rankings BP: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BA: NR | ESPN: NR Gonzalez climbed from High-A to Triple-A as a 21-year-old, and never slowed down. He began the season at High-A, quickly establishing himself as one of the most consistent hitters in the system. His performance earned a promotion to Double-A, where he continued to hit at a high level, slashing .344/.429/.509 and proving he could handle more advanced pitching without letting his approach break down. By the time he reached Triple-A St. Paul, Gonzalez showed he could maintain his performance against older, more experienced arms, posting a .316 average across 148 plate appearances. It wasn’t a one-month hot streak; he was a consistently productive hitter from April through September. What to Like Gonzalez’s offensive profile is built on elite bat-to-ball skills, which carried him to standout results across three levels in 2025. He slashed .329/.395/.513, with 15 home runs and 56 extra-base hits in 123 games, showcasing a blend of contact ability and gap power. His 148 wRC+ in the minors underscores just how impactful he was offensively last season. He consistently controlled the strike zone and attacked pitches in a way that created constant offensive pressure. Gonzalez struck out at just a 14.6% clip, while drawing enough walks to fuel his near-.400 on-base percentage. That combination of plate discipline and contact skills gives him a high floor as a hitter and makes him difficult to defend against. What separates Gonzalez from many other prospects is how he handles adjustments. His smooth progression from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A shows a hitter who can adapt quickly to better competition, without letting results dictate approach. Even at Triple-A, where pitchers have better command and more advanced secondary stuff, Gonzalez continued to make consistent contact, barrel balls when appropriate, and put himself in a position to reach base. Beyond his bat, Gonzalez adds value on the bases. While he isn’t known for his speed, he swiped eight bases in 2025 and has successfully stolen a base on 75% of his career attempts. He can put additional pressure on defenses with his baserunning and supplements his offensive skill set by creating extra opportunities to score. Defensively, Gonzalez has the athleticism and arm strength to stick in a corner outfield spot long-term. While there’s still room for refinement in routes and consistency, his range and arm give him the tools to be an above-average defender. With his right-handed bat, he provides flexibility to the Twins’ outfield, especially in a system loaded with left-handed-hitting outfield prospects like Jenkins and Rodriguez. What to Work On There are reasons Gonzalez hasn’t cracked national Top 100 lists. He isn’t built like a traditional power-hitting corner outfielder, at 5-foot-11, and his batted-ball profile reflects that. His fly ball rate sits around 31%, naturally limiting his home run ceiling. He’s likely never going to be a 30-homer threat. Triple-A data illustrates this concern. In a small sample of 109 balls in play, Gonzalez posted an average exit velocity of 87.6 MPH and a 33.9% hard-hit rate. Both figures would rank poorly when compared to major-league hitters. While he flashes raw power at times, it isn’t consistent enough yet. The next step offensively is generating more frequent hard contact, and perhaps lifting the ball slightly more to unlock additional extra-base damage. Even a modest uptick in average exit velocity would make evaluators view his overall profile more favorably. What to Look For in 2026 All signs point to Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez beginning 2026 together at Triple-A St. Paul, creating one of the most intriguing outfield storylines in the system. Jenkins and Rodriguez may carry higher upside, but Gonzalez’s 2025 production positions him as the most polished hitter of the trio. While expecting another .329 average might be ambitious, hovering around .300 is very realistic given his track record and bat-to-ball skills. If he pairs that production with even a modest increase in hard contact, it will be difficult for the Twins to keep him in Triple-A for long. He's hitting a whopping .500 (albeit in just 10 at-bats) this spring, and his average exit velocity on nine balls in play is 95.5 MPH. When call-ups inevitably begin, don’t be surprised if Gabriel Gonzalez forces the issue. View full article