Sam Caulder

The month of May was not kind to the Twins, but there were some strong performances from certain hitters. Here's a look at the Twins' current hitter power rankings. View full video

Image courtesy of William Parmeter Joe Ryan has been everything the Minnesota Twins could have hoped for this season. Through his first 64 1/3 innings, the right-hander has posted a sub-3.00 ERA while striking out 70 hitters and establishing himself as one of the most reliable starters in the American League. He's coming off a stretch of five consecutive quality starts (excluding the outing where he threw just nine pitches) and has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of them. The advanced metrics suggest his success is no fluke, either. Ryan's expected ERA sits below his actual ERA, while his FIP is even lower. The underlying numbers paint the picture of a pitcher who has legitimately taken another step forward in 2026. Put simply, Joe Ryan has pitched like an ace. And that's exactly why the Twins should consider trading him. That might sound counterintuitive. But Ryan's combination of performance, affordability, and remaining control is precisely what would make him one of the most coveted players on the trade market. If the Twins decide they aren't positioned to seriously contend in the near future, there may never be a better opportunity to maximize the value of one of their most important assets. One of the biggest reasons why is Ryan's contract situation. If he were approaching free agency, the decision would be relatively straightforward. The Twins would either keep him for a playoff push or move him for whatever return they could get before losing him. But that's not the situation here. Ryan isn’t an unrestricted free agent until 2028, meaning whatever team (hypothetically) acquired him would be getting him beyond this year. Acquiring a frontline starter for one postseason run is valuable. Acquiring one for multiple seasons is something entirely different. That's why teams are often willing to pay a premium for pitchers in Ryan's position. They're buying a pitcher who can slot near the top of the rotation immediately. They're buying cost-controlled production, and a player they don't have to compete for on the open market for multiple years. Those players rarely become available. And when they do, bidding wars tend to follow. A recent example (to an extent) is the Garrett Crochet trade. When the White Sox moved Crochet to Boston, they landed four prospects in return, including a pair who ranked highly on Top-100 lists. While Ryan wouldn't command quite that level of return, the comparison illustrates the type of value that frontline pitching can generate. The Twins could realistically target a package built around a Top-100 prospect and additional high-upside talent. More importantly, they would likely have multiple teams competing to make those offers. The market for starting pitching is almost always aggressive, and there are plenty of contenders that could use help. Teams like the Braves, Padres, Yankees, Diamondbacks and Brewers are all teams firmly in the postseason hunt that could really use a top-of-the-rotation starter like Ryan. There are probably several other clubs that would get involved as well. The point is that the Twins wouldn't be negotiating from a position of weakness. They would be negotiating from a position of strength. If Ryan were made available, Minnesota could afford to be selective. The front office could compare offers, identify the prospects they like the most, and ultimately choose the package that best fits the organization's long-term vision. That's a luxury many sellers don't have. Of course, none of this means trading Ryan would be easy. In fact, it would probably be one of the most difficult decisions the front office could make. Ryan is a popular name. He's developed into exactly the type of pitcher every team wants leading its rotation. Trading players like that is never fun. But front offices have to separate emotion from evaluation. The question isn't whether Joe Ryan is good; the answer to that is obvious. The question is whether keeping Joe Ryan gives the Twins a better chance to build a championship-caliber roster than trading him for a significant haul of young talent. That's where things become more complicated. If the Twins were clearly positioned to compete for a World Series over the next couple years, holding onto Ryan would be an easy decision. You keep great players when you're trying to win championships. But if the organization believes it's still several pieces away, then Ryan becomes something different. He becomes an opportunity to add multiple young players and improve the organization's long-term outlook. An opportunity to accelerate a retooling process without committing to a full rebuild. And while Ryan is still relatively young, there's also the reality that pitcher value can change quickly. Pitchers get hurt, performance fluctuates, and circumstances change. There's no guarantee Ryan's trade value will ever be higher than it is right now. That's what makes this summer so intriguing. The Twins have one of the most valuable trade assets in baseball. They have a pitcher performing at an ace level, multiple years of team control remaining, and a market that would almost certainly be filled with interested buyers. Whether the front office ultimately agrees is another question entirely. They may view Ryan as a foundational piece worth building around, and that's a reasonable position to take. But at the very least, the Twins should strongly consider the possibility. Because as difficult as it would be to trade a pitcher as good as Joe Ryan, the return might ultimately do more for the future of the franchise than keeping him ever could. View full article

Billy Amick has shown a strong blend of contact and power since he was drafted in 2024. The former second-round pick could be forcing his way into the Twins' long-term plans. View full video

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The month of May was not kind to the Twins’ pitching staff. They allowed six or more runs in 12 of 28 games (including multiple 15-run nights) and were hit very hard by the injury bug. Taj Bradley missed a couple weeks, Cole Sands missed the entire month, and both Kendry Rojas and Bailey Ober were placed on the injured list over the weekend. Not to mention – Mick Abel is still hurt, and oh, Simeon Woods Richardson and Justin Topa were DFA’d. It’s been an eventful month for Twins’ arms, and not in a good way. Still, there were some positives, too. There have been some younger names that have thrived with increased opportunity, and the reps they’ve been able to get could be big for the future of Minnesota’s pitching staff. Here’s a look at the top-performing pitchers from May for the Twins. 4. Andrew Morris May Stats: 11 G, 12 1/3 IP, 2.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 10 K, 6 BB, 2.91 FIP The Twins’ bullpen as a whole gets a lot of grief due to inconsistent play, but Morris was about as consistent as you could ask for in May. His month started with 3 2/3 scoreless innings after Joe Ryan’s early exit due to elbow soreness, and he finished as a reliable late-inning option. The underlying data shows he’s been elite when it comes to getting soft contact, which has been his calling card since entering the league. Morris has shown he can be used in multiple roles, and he should continue to be a staple of the Twins’ bullpen for the remainder of the year. 3. Kendry Rojas May Stats: 4 G, 12 1/3 IP, 1.46 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 14 K, 7 BB, 2.75 FIP While his May ended on a sour note (an IL stint due to triceps inflammation), Rojas looked good in his four outings. While only one of those four came as the starting pitcher, he thrived in a length reliever/spot starter role. His arsenal, led by his fastball-slider combo, has generated a ton of whiffs, and he did a much better job of pounding the strike zone. For now, it remains unclear just how long he’ll be sidelined. But the month of May left a lot to be excited about for Kendry Rojas. 2. Yoendrys Gómez May Stats: 12 G, 10.1 IP, 0.87 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 13 K, 4 BB, 2.30 FIP After being acquired from the Rays on May 6th, Gomez has quickly emerged as a reliable late-inning option out of the Twins’ bullpen. He’s limited baserunners, and his May stats benefited as a result. While the underlying numbers would suggest he’s been better than he should be, games are won and lost on the field, not in tables or spreadsheets. Derek Shelton clearly trusts him, as he’s logged a pair of saves since his arrival. Gómez should continue to be a late-inning reliever for the Twins. Twins Pitcher of the Month: Joe Ryan May Stats: 5 G, 26 IP, 1.73 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 31 K, 5 BB, 2.11 FIP Ryan’s May started with an immediate injury scare. But after being removed with just nine pitches on May 3rd, he looked every bit like an ace. All of Ryan’s starts after the early removal were quality, and he didn’t allow more than two earned runs in any of them. That length has been especially crucial over the last couple of weeks, since the Twins haven’t had an off day since May 21st and won’t for another week. Ryan’s dominance is especially interesting when you consider that he’s throwing his best pitch (his four-seam) about 10% less than he did at the start of the season. But that decline in usage has increased his whiff rate and has made that four-seam (along with the rest of his arsenal) more effective. As long as he’s healthy, Ryan will be the Twins’ #1 pitcher. But given his performance this year, how long he’ll be a Twin might be the bigger question. While the non-Ryan rotation options struggled in May, there are still some encouraging takeaways from the last month. Morris, Rojas, and Gómez are all young, promising arms that flashed and can serve multiple roles if needed. Injuries have done serious damage to the starting rotation over the last month, but we’ve already seen what that unit is capable of earlier in the season. It’s easier said than done, but a little more consistency (and health), mixed with further development from the bullpen, could lead to a promising pitching staff for the next few months and beyond. View full article

Joe Ryan has looked every bit like an ace this season. And while pitchers like that are incredibly hard to find, the Twins may have to consider whether his value will ever be higher than it is right now. View full video

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Simeon Woods Richardson - 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K (67 pitches, 40 strikes (60% strikes)) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Simeon Woods Richardson (-0.28), Trevor Larnach (-0.06), Ryan Kreidler (-0.06) Win Probability Chart The Twins entered Thursday’s series finale against the White Sox desperately needing a bounce-back performance after getting blown out 15-2 the night before. Instead, another sloppy and frustrating afternoon pushed them further behind Chicago in the AL Central race. After Kendry Rojas was scratched roughly an hour before first pitch with elbow soreness, Simeon Woods Richardson was forced into an unexpected start. The Twins never found much rhythm offensively behind him, while Chicago capitalized on walks and mistakes throughout the afternoon to hand Minnesota a disappointing 6-2 loss and a three-out-of-four series defeat. The loss dropped the Twins to 27-30 on the season. WALKS AND MISTAKES PROVE COSTLY EARLY For a brief moment, it looked like Woods Richardson might settle in nicely despite the late change. The right-hander struck out Sam Antonacci and Munetaka Murakami to begin the bottom of the first. After getting ahead of Miguel Vargas 0-2, he appeared on the verge of a clean opening inning. Instead, Vargas worked a two-out walk, stole second base, and quickly came around to score when Colson Montgomery ripped a single back up the middle to give Chicago an early 1-0 lead. Minnesota’s defense helped Woods Richardson escape additional trouble in the inning, with Orlando Arcia making a sliding stop at second base to rob Chase Meidroth of a hit, but the warning signs were already there. After working around a leadoff double from Tristan Peters in the second inning, Woods Richardson completely unraveled in the third. Murakami drew a one-out walk, Montgomery singled for his second hit of the afternoon, and another walk to Meidroth loaded the bases with two outs. Peters then beat out a softly hit infield single to plate a run, before Randal Grichuk delivered the big blow. After getting a fastball at the bottom of the zone, Grichuk ripped a liner into right field that cleared the bases and stretched the White Sox lead to 5-0. All five runs charged to Woods Richardson scored after walks extended innings, once again highlighting the issue that has consistently haunted the Twins’ pitching staff throughout the season. He exited after just 2 2/3 innings. DAVIS MARTIN COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN THE TWINS While Minnesota’s pitching staff battled command issues, White Sox starter Davis Martin looked completely locked in from the opening inning. Martin retired the first six Twins hitters he faced and needed only 23 pitches to get through the opening two frames. Even when Minnesota finally generated a little traffic in the third inning, Martin calmly worked through it. Tristan Gray recorded the Twins’ first hit of the afternoon with a single up the middle in the third. He later stole second base, and Byron Buxton followed with a walk to put two runners aboard. Martin responded by getting Brooks Lee to ground out and end the inning. That sequence ended up being one of Minnesota’s better opportunities against him all afternoon. The Twins managed just three hits through Martin’s six innings of work, while repeatedly falling behind in counts and struggling to generate consistent hard contact. He retired the side in order four separate times and finished six dominant innings on only 84 pitches. Minnesota finally scratched across its first run in the fifth inning after Arcia worked a leadoff walk and Gray doubled off the right field wall. Ryan Kreidler followed with a groundout that brought home Arcia and cut the deficit to 6-1, but the Twins were going to need a lot more than that. Even when Josh Bell snapped an 0-for-14 skid with an automatic double in the seventh inning, the Twins could only manufacture a sacrifice fly from Victor Caratini before the inning ended. The eighth inning briefly offered another opportunity after Buxton singled and Lee reached on an error, but Trevor Larnach and Kody Clemens both struck out swinging to strand the runners and effectively end any hopes of a comeback. THE TWINS NEVER RECOVER AFTER ANOTHER SLOPPY PERFORMANCE Minnesota’s pitching staff settled down after Woods Richardson’s rough third inning, but the damage had already been done. Andrew Morris struck out the side in the fourth despite allowing an unearned run after a throwing error on a pickoff attempt helped set up another Chicago score. Travis Adams bounced back from a difficult outing the night before with a clean fifth inning, while Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda, and Yoendrys Gómez combined to keep the White Sox quiet over the final three innings. But the Twins’ offense simply never gave them much of a chance. Gray finished with two of Minnesota’s five hits, while Buxton, Bell, and Caratini accounted for the others. Outside of a few isolated moments, the lineup struggled to put together any sustained pressure against Chicago's pitching. After entering the series just a half-game behind the White Sox in the division standings, the Twins now leave Chicago having dropped three of four games to a divisional team directly ahead of them in the AL Central. And after an ugly blowout loss Wednesday night, Thursday’s frustrating finale only made an already disappointing series feel even worse. What’s Next? The Twins continue their road drop this weekend, as they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates in a three-game series starting tomorrow. Taj Bradley is lined up to start for the Twins, and right-hander Jared Jones will make his season debut for Pittsburgh. First pitch is set for 5:45 PM CT, on Apple TV+. Postgame Interviews Coming Soon! Bullpen Availability Chart SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU TOT Rojas 45 0 0 0 0 0 45 Orze 0 10 0 0 29 0 39 Gómez 0 22 0 18 0 17 40 Morris 32 0 0 8 0 29 40 Rogers 6 13 0 16 0 7 35 Woods Richardson 0 0 35 0 0 67 35 Adams 0 1 0 0 33 12 46 Banda 0 10 0 10 0 14 20 View full article

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Brooks Lee has been a polarizing player over the last few years. The former No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft came with plenty of expectations, and when you’re selected that high, there’s naturally going to be pressure attached to every step of your development. Lee was viewed as one of the top prospects not only in the Twins’ system, but across all of baseball. Throughout his climb through the minors, he produced like it. The switch-hitting infielder batted .289/.360/.476 in the minor leagues, while showing the type of advanced approach at the plate that hinted at the upside of a steady middle-of-the-order bat in the majors. Because of that, the expectations surrounding Lee became massive. While 2026 has been the best year of his major-league career so far, it still feels like there’s another level waiting to be unlocked. The overall numbers are solid—not jaw-dropping, but certainly not disappointing, either. Entering Wednesday’s game, Lee was hitting .259 with a .315 on-base percentage and 16 extra-base hits across 51 games. His .731 OPS is 77 points higher than where he finished last season, and overall, there’s been noticeable growth offensively. His at-bats look more competitive, his contact quality (while still not great) has improved, and he’s looked more comfortable against big-league pitching. All in all, Lee is taking legitimate steps forward at the plate. But one thing that hasn’t gotten talked about enough is just how clutch he’s been. It feels like every time the Twins find themselves in a big spot with multiple runners in scoring position, Lee finds a way to come through. Considering the fact that he spent the first three-quarters of the season to date hitting eighth or ninth in the batting order, it’s pretty remarkable that he currently leads the Twins with 30 RBIs. That’s a player consistently delivering when the opportunities matter most. Tuesday night in Chicago was just the latest example. The Twins and White Sox found themselves locked in an extra-inning battle that stretched into the 11th inning. Once again, Lee stepped to the plate in a massive situation, this time with the bases loaded. After quickly falling behind 0-2 in the count, Lee stayed composed. He ripped a bases-clearing double off the wall in right field that broke the game open and sealed the victory for Minnesota. It was another huge moment, and at this point, it’s becoming expected. That wasn’t the first time Lee has delivered in a pressure-packed situation this season. As a matter of fact, he’s been at his best in those moments. Despite only having 17 high-leverage plate appearances so far this year, Lee is 6-for-15 in those situations with 11 of his 30 RBIs coming in key spots. That’s an absurd percentage of run production coming in the biggest moments of games, and right now, there may not be anybody on this Twins roster more trustworthy when the pressure ramps up. What makes it even more impressive is that it hasn’t only shown up offensively. Lee’s defense has been far from spectacular this season; there’s really no way around that. He’s been a pretty weak defender overall, and that’s the area of his game that clearly needs the most polishing. But even with some of the defensive struggles, he’s still managed to come through in huge moments in the field, too. The play that stands out most came a few weeks ago in Cleveland. In another extra-inning game that went to the 11th inning, the Guardians hit a ball sharply up the middle that looked like it had a chance to tie the game. Lee ranged over, made a sliding stop, popped up quickly, and fired a strong, accurate throw to first base to end the game. It was a massive moment against a division rival, and once again, Lee was the player who delivered. Though it was marred by a questionable obstruction call against Royce Lewis, Lee also made a great stop and heads-up throw in a tense late-game situation against the Brewers earlier this month. That’s the thing about certain players; even when their overall performance still has room for growth, they can rise to the occasion when the game is on the line. Some guys just seem to slow the moment down better than others. Increasingly, Lee feels like one of those guys. There’s absolutely still another level he can reach offensively. His power could continue developing, and his plate discipline can improve even more. Defensively, there are still plenty of adjustments to be made, especially as he moves from shortstop to third base. But those things can all improve with time and experience. The clutch factor is different, and that’s something not every player has. For a Twins team that has struggled at times this season (and in years past) to capitalize in high-leverage situations offensively, Lee has quietly become one of the few players consistently providing exactly that. It’s easy to focus on the overall slash line or compare him to the expectations that came with being a top-10 pick. But what Lee is doing in the biggest moments deserves far more attention than it’s getting. Whether it’s a bases-loaded at-bat in extra innings or a game-saving defensive play against a rival, Lee continues to look completely comfortable when the pressure is at its highest. For the Twins, that trait may end up becoming one of the most valuable parts of his game. View full article

While the Twins' farm system is loaded with outfield talent, Hendry Mendez has stood alone this year statistically. Does he have a legitimate case for being the Twins' top outfield prospect? View full video

Image courtesy of William Parmeter With the current MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) set to expire on December 1, there’s already a growing sense around the baseball world that the sport could be headed toward another lockout. That doesn't mean games will be lost—an offseason stoppage is almost guaranteed, but last time, they resolved it before Opening Day—but the risk of that is real. A major reason why? The conversation surrounding a salary cap and salary floor. Right now, Major League Baseball technically has neither, though the players' union does have the right to pursue a grievance against any revenue-sharing receiving teams who don't spend more than a certain threshold, and even though the competitive-balance tax tiers act as progressively harder caps as payrolls get large. Spending across the league remains wildly uneven. Teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets are operating in an entirely different financial world than smaller-market organizations, while some clubs continue to spend at the absolute bottom of the league with little pressure to increase their payroll. That imbalance has created growing frustration on both sides—despite a relatively weak correlation between spending and actual wins. Owners are far more likely to push for a salary cap, hoping to create cost certainty that can drive their franchise values even higher. Players, on the other hand, are much more likely to push for a salary floor, forcing lower-spending teams to invest more heavily in their rosters. Obviously, there will be both, if there is either, but whether to switch to such a system (the owners want it; the players don't) and where to set the top and bottom thresholds of one are hard questions on which to agree; hence the tough talk from both sides. The last MLB lockout began at the start of December 2021 and lasted until March 10, 2022. Ultimately, the league still managed to play a full 162-game season, though Opening Day was pushed back roughly a week while the two sides finalized a new agreement. But there’s no guarantee the next one would be resolved that quickly. There's a possibility that the 2027 lockout could drag on longer, and if that happens, the major-league season would essentially be suspended until a new CBA is agreed upon. However—and this is where things get especially interesting for teams like the Twins—a major-league lockout would not impact the minors. Minor league baseball would continue as normal. That immediately raises an interesting question for Minnesota, moving forward: might the Twins choose to keep some of their top prospects in the minors, to avoid losing valuable development time during a potential lockout? Their top-end talent is getting awfully close to the majors. Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, and Emmanuel Rodriguez (the Twins’ top three prospects) are all nearing the point where they could realistically debut sometime this summer, health-permitting. Under normal circumstances, getting those players major-league reps during a season where the Twins (still) probably aren’t serious American League contenders would make a ton of sense. Let the young core learn at the highest level, and give them experience heading into a more competitive window down the road. If Rodríguez can get healthy, it still makes sense to give him a look later this year. He's already on the 40-man roster, so he'll be affected by any lockout, anyway. Only players not on a 40-man MLB roster will be able to participate in minor-league spring training and/or games, if those get started before the big-league ones do next year. Several other could-be rookies—CJ Culpepper, Ty Langenberg, Ricardo Olivar and Aaron Sabato, to name a few—either are already eligible for the Rule 5 Draft or have to be added to the 40-man roster this fall to avoid that, so they also don't need to be held back. Even if a lockout comes, the deadline to add players to the 40-man and protect them from the Rule 5 Draft will come first, in mid-November, so the Twins have to decide on those guys before a work stoppage can enter the equation. Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper and pitching prospect Ryan Gallagher, however, belong to the class of players who won't need to be added to the 40-man roster until the fall of 2027 for Rule 5 purposes. If Jenkins could get and stay healthy, he would probably force his way to the majors, anyway, but he's likely to be sidelined several more weeks by the shoulder injury he sustained earlier this season. He, Culpepper and Gallagher are where this gets incredibly tricky for the Twins. Do you prioritize getting your top prospects exposure to the majors now? Or do you protect their ability to continue playing and developing next season in the event of a lengthy lockout? For Minnesota specifically, there may not be an easy answer. Right now, the state of the infield could force the issue, sooner rather than later. With both Luke Keaschall and Royce Lewis struggling, and with Lewis currently back in the minors, Culpepper may simply become too difficult to keep down. If the Twins believe he’s clearly one of their best infield options, they may not have much choice but to bring him to the majors and worry about any disruptions to his development right along with those to the development of Keaschall, Austin Martin or any other young players. Good stretches from Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler or a return to the bigs by a rehabilitated Lewis would make keeping Culpepper down more feasible, which emphasizes the importance of those potential developments, even beyond winning games this year. The outfield situation, though, is a bit different. With Trevor Larnach and Martin both playing well, the Twins may actually have the flexibility to slow-play some of their outfield prospects throughout the remainder of 2026. Rodríguez's thumb surgery will keep him on the shelf a while, but he could still debut this year. All things considered, it might make sense for Jenkins not to. It’s honestly an unfortunate situation, all around. You’d love for organizations to simply call players up the moment they’re ready and allow them to develop naturally at the major-league level. But given the very real possibility of a lockout following the 2026 season, along with where the Twins currently sit as a franchise, Minnesota may have to think about this differently than most fans would initially expect. For both the futures of those players and the future of the organization itself, keeping some of their top prospects in the minors for all of 2026 may ultimately be the smartest long-term move. View full article

While the Twins' bullpen has been far from consistent, Yoendrys Gómez has looked like a true high-leverage option. View full video

While the Twins have had no shortage of highly-touted prospects, the hit rate has been far below where you'd like to see. Do the Twins, as an organization, have a development problem? View full video

Ryan Kreidler may not be the biggest name on the Twins’ roster, but his defensive versatility, athleticism, and timely production are making him an increasingly important piece of the team. He’s quickly becoming the type of role player every contender needs. View full video