Sam Caulder

The surface numbers this spring look promising for Brooks Lee, but the underlying data tells a much different story. With 2026 shaping up as a make-or-break year, can he turn weak contact into real production before the Twins start looking elsewhere? View full video

Kody Clemens is putting together a really impressive spring, and it’s starting to raise some real questions for the Twins. If he keeps swinging it like this, it might be impossible to keep his bat out of the lineup. View full video

Image courtesy of Mike Watters-Imagn Images The Twins entered the week looking to bounce back from a winless weekend, and they did just that with a 5-1 win over the Pirates on Monday. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to build much momentum from there, dropping a 2-0 game to the Phillies on Tuesday and a 4-2 contest to the Red Sox on Thursday. They did, however, cap things off with an impressive 9-3 win over the Phillies in Thursday’s Spring Breakout game, bringing them back to .500 on the week. While the results themselves don’t carry much weight in spring training, the way players are performing within those games can still be telling. At this point in camp, roles are starting to come into focus, and these outings can offer a clearer sense of who’s finding their stride at the right time and who may still be trying to put things together. With that in mind, here’s a quick temperature check from the past few days. Who’s Hot? Emmanuel Rodriguez: Rodriguez put together, arguably, the most impressive individual performance of the Spring Breakout game. He opened things up with a 115.6 MPH single in the third inning — which was not only the hardest-hit ball of the game, but the third hardest-hit ball by any Twins hitter since the start of the 2024 season. He followed that up in his next at-bat with a 113 MPH triple to left-center field, continuing to show off the kind of raw power that’s always made him such an intriguing prospect. The tools have never been in question. If he can stay healthy and continue to string together results like this, there’s a lot to be excited about. Joe Ryan: After a solid first spring outing, Ryan turned things up a notch on Monday. Over four strong innings, he allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out six. He generated nine whiffs on 68 pitches (48 strikes), and his fastball sat just below 93 MPH. It’s also a good sign that he’s already getting his pitch count that high in just his second outing of the spring. Ryan is lined up to start Saturday to get one last tune-up outing before (presumably) taking the hill on Opening Day. Gabriel Gonzalez: It was an impressive showing in big league camp for Gonzalez, and he carried that momentum into the Spring Breakout game. He went 2-for-3 with a walk, including a 105 MPH RBI single that highlighted his ability to drive the ball with authority. It’s been a strong overall spring for Gonzalez, and if that continues into the regular season, he may not be far off from putting himself in the conversation for a call-up. Matt Wallner: Wallner has quickly turned a slow start into a very productive spring. Over his limited opportunities this week, he’s gone 3-for-5 with a double and two walks, continuing to show a much more disciplined approach at the plate. He’s now up to eight walks this spring and owns a 1.022 OPS, a strong indicator of how well-rounded his offensive performance has been. With consistent at-bats near the top of the order, Wallner looks like someone the Twins will be counting on to carry this momentum into the regular season. Who’s Not? Royce Lewis: Spring numbers don’t mean everything, but it’s getting harder to ignore the slow start from Lewis. After a hitless start to the week, he’s now just 3-for-33 this spring with 11 strikeouts, dropping his average below the .100 mark. The underlying contact quality hasn’t been particularly encouraging either, with an average exit velocity of 88.4 MPH and a hard-hit rate below 40 percent. For a player with Lewis’s talent, it’s still not quite time to full-on panic. But it would certainly be reassuring to see him square some balls up over the next few days. Josh Bell: After trending in the right direction just last week, Bell has cooled off considerably. He’s 0-for-6 with three strikeouts over the past few days, and the contact he’s made hasn’t been especially loud. Given his track record, this isn’t something that should raise major concern. But with the season right around the corner, you’d still like to see him finish camp on a stronger note. James Outman: This has been a tough stretch at a time when Outman could least afford it. He’s 1-for-8 this week with four strikeouts, and his lone hit came on a soft blooper. After putting himself firmly in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot earlier in camp, he now sits at 8-for-37 with 15 strikeouts this spring. With time running out, he’ll need a very quick turnaround if he has any chance of getting back into the conversation. Spring training always comes with the usual caveats, but there’s still value in looking at how players are trending. A few Twins are clearly building momentum as camp winds down, while others haven’t quite clicked yet. With only a handful of games left, these final performances could play a big role in shaping both the roster and early-season expectations. View full article

The Twins’ Spring Breakout Game gave us an early look at some of the organization’s most intriguing young talent. From standout performances to a few subtle storylines that could matter later, there was a lot to take in. Here are the biggest takeaways you need to know. View full video

Image courtesy of © Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Coming into spring training, there was reason to believe that Bailey Ober could rebound this year. Last season never felt right. He was not fully healthy, his velocity was down, and his results suffered. The hope was that he’d get back to full strength, push his fastball toward 91 MPH, and let the rest of his arsenal do the work that has made him a reliable starter in the past. Ober has never relied on overpowering velocity. His game is built on command, execution, and pitch sequencing. When all of those elements are working together, he can be far more dangerous than the raw numbers suggest. Back in 2024, Ober’s fastball averaged 91 to 92 MPH, and he could move and locate the ball well enough to miss plenty of bats that way. In 2025, a season marked by health issues and inconsistency, it dropped closer to 90 MPH. That decline might seem minor on paper, but for a pitcher like Ober, even a single mile per hour can make his off-speed and breaking pitches less deceptive. Over time, these small drops can translate into harder contact and fewer strikeouts, which is precisely what happened last season. So far this spring, instead of bouncing back, his fastball has continued to drift lower. In his first outing, it averaged 89.9 MPH, a modest dip that could be explained as early-season pacing. Pitchers often need a start or two to ramp up, and coaches monitor pitch counts carefully, so his first outing did not raise alarms. In the second start, it fell to 88.8 MPH, a more noticeable decline that suggested the drop might not be about ramping up. In his third start on Tuesday, Ober’s fastball velocity dropped again, averaging 88.2 MPH and topping out at just 89.9. Each start has shown regression rather than progression. It's not just about velocity, either. Ober’s effectiveness also depends on how well his pitch mix is playing. In that third outing, he generated only three whiffs on 58 pitches, which was a significant decrease from seven whiffs on fewer pitches in the second start. Combined with the decline in fastball velocity, it suggests that something fundamental is off. Ober’s fastball, despite over 7 feet of extension, is not going to blow hitters away, so even minor drops magnify mistakes and lead to harder contact and/or fewer strikeouts. His changeup and breaking balls, which usually play off each other to create deception, are less effective when the fastball loses life. Spin rates, while not drastically different, have also ticked down slightly across the board. Looking at the bigger picture, these small changes over multiple seasons add up. The year-over-year velocity decline, coupled with far fewer swing-and-miss and slightly reduced pitch quality, raises real questions about Ober’s health and readiness with Opening Day just one week away. It's possible this is simply a cautious ramp-up, but it is hard to ignore the gradual pattern stretching from 2024 to now—especially because, even as he professes not to be concerned, Ober is at a loss to explain his inability to ratchet the stuff back up. For the Twins, Ober’s struggles could have larger implications. The rotation already has questions, with Pablo López out for the year and David Festa unavailable to begin the season. Losing Ober (or having him pitch at less than 100 percent) adds another layer of uncertainty. The Twins may need to prepare contingency plans if he can't return to form quickly, which could affect everything from bullpen usage to early-season matchup strategies. Ober’s next start will be crucial. If he can climb back toward 90 to 91 MPH and generate swing-and-miss like he has in the past, it may indicate that the early-spring dip was nothing more than a cautious ramp-up. But if he remains in the high 80s or continues to trend downward, concerns heading into Opening Day will only grow. It's a storyline worth watching closely, with the Twins set to take the field in less than a week, meaning there’s very little time to determine whether Ober is ready to pitch at full strength to start the season. At this point, this situation is less about surface-level stats and more about the underlying signs. Velocity, whiffs, and spin rates all point to a pitcher who is not fully locked in yet. The hope is that with a full ramp-up, he’ll regain the form that made him a dependable starter. But the pattern across three starts and multiple seasons cannot be ignored, and for Ober and the Twins, the clock is ticking. View full article

Bailey Ober looked like a prime bounce-back candidate just a couple of weeks ago; now there are real questions about whether he’s even fully healthy. If things don’t turn around soon, the Twins could be dealing with a much bigger issue than expected. View full video

Andrew Morris might not be the flashiest pitching prospect in the Twins’ system, but his command and impressive arsenal make him one of the more intriguing arms in the organization. After a strong season at Triple-A, the 24-year-old could be closer to the majors than a lot of people realize. View full video

Image courtesy of © Mike Watters-Imagn Images The Twins entered the weekend riding a three-game winning streak, but the momentum didn’t last very long. After an 8-5 victory over the Red Sox on Thursday, Minnesota dropped all three games that followed. They fell 6-1 to the Blue Jays on Friday, 9-6 to the Rays on Saturday, and 7-2 to the Red Sox on Sunday. Wins and losses aren’t the most important thing during spring training, but the individual performances behind them can still tell us quite a bit. With the calendar continuing to move toward Opening Day, players are getting more consistent opportunities, and it’s becoming easier to tell who’s on track and who’s still searching for answers. With that in mind, here’s a quick temperature check from the past few days of action. Who’s Hot? Luke Keaschall: Continuing his impressive spring, Keaschall went 3-for-7 at the plate with a pair of doubles and no strikeouts since our last check-in. His quality of contact has been encouraging, as well. Across those seven balls in play, he’s posted an average exit velocity of 88.9 MPH. While that number might not jump off the page, it's actually 2.6 MPH harder than his average exit velocity during his time in the majors last season. His 90th-percentile exit velocity (often a better indicator of power upside) is 102.4 MPH, up from 100.5 last year. Even this spring's number is below-average, but it's much more viable than last season's. We already know what Keaschall provides on the bases with his speed, but if he’s able to add a little more pop to his bat this year, it could really take his offensive profile to another level. Mick Abel: Abel took the mound on Friday and turned in a solid outing, even if the final line wasn’t quite as clean as his earlier starts this spring. Over 3 1/3 innings, he allowed two earned runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out four. Both runs came early, after he issued a leadoff walk and then allowed a two-run homer in the first inning. After that, though, Abel really settled in. He generated eight whiffs on 70 pitches and once again showed off some impressive secondary stuff. His slider, in particular, continues to look like a legitimate weapon. Abel posted a 127 Stuff+ grade in the outing with that pitch, and it's become one of the best breaking balls anywhere in the Twins’ system. His fastball velocity was slightly down, sitting around 96 MPH compared to the 97-98 MPH we’ve seen earlier this spring, but I doubt that’s anything worth worrying about. The most encouraging part was seeing a young pitcher give up a couple of early runs and still settle in to finish the outing strong. Matt Wallner: Wallner is another hitter who looks like he’s starting to find his rhythm at the plate. He went 3-for-6 over the weekend, highlighted by a 420-foot home run on Saturday. With that performance, Wallner is now hitting .294, with a .415 on-base percentage across 34 at-bats. His power has always been obvious when he connects, but the key has been consistency. So far this spring, he’s doing a nice job of putting together competitive at-bats, and if that carries over into the regular season, he could end up being a staple in the Twins’ lineup. Who’s Not? Royce Lewis: It’s been a tough stretch for Lewis at the plate. Since the last check-in, he’s gone a combined 0-for-10 with three strikeouts. The contact quality hasn’t been particularly strong, either. Only two of the seven balls he’s put in play during that stretch have had an exit velocity above 80 MPH. As a result, Lewis is now hitting just .111 this spring, with a .466 OPS. Of course, it’s important not to overreact to spring numbers, especially for a player with Lewis’s talent level. No one should jump to the conclusion that he’s headed for a rough season. Still, it would definitely be encouraging to see him start squaring up a few more balls as camp continues. For a player we know to have made a major change to his swing, spring matters more than it would for most similarly seasoned players. Eric Orze: Orze has continued to run into some trouble. After allowing a pair of earned runs on Thursday, he gave up another run on Sunday, while recording just two outs. In that outing, he issued two walks and allowed a hit, continuing a trend that’s been a bit concerning this spring. Over his last two appearances, hitters have put six balls in play against him, and those balls have come off the bat with an average exit velocity of 93 MPH. That’s the kind of contact that’s tough to survive consistently, and it’s reflected in his numbers. Orze now owns a 6.35 ERA, along with six walks in just 5 2/3 innings. Coming into camp, he felt like a relatively safe bet to factor into the Twins’ bullpen mix. Amid this stretch, that feels less certain. Victor Caratini: Caratini has also had a difficult spring at the plate, and the struggles continued over the weekend, as he went hitless across seven at-bats. While it’s somewhat encouraging that he’s at least been putting the ball in play consistently, the quality of that contact hasn’t been strong. Only two of those balls were hit remotely well, and just one was classified as hard contact. It’s very unlikely that his quiet spring will affect his chances of making the Opening Day roster, but like Lewis, it would still be nice to see him start squaring a few more balls up before the regular season begins. Spring training results themselves rarely matter much, but the underlying trends can still be useful. Some Twins players are starting to heat up as the schedule winds down, while others still have a little work to do before the regular season begins. With Opening Day approaching quickly, this week should give us an even clearer picture of who’s ready to carry momentum into the season. View full article

Simeon Woods Richardson put together a respectable season for the Twins last year, but some of the underlying numbers tell a more complicated story. Once you start digging into the data, it raises an interesting question about his long-term role. What if his best fit isn’t the starting rotation at all? View full video

The Twins’ bullpen picture is mostly set heading into Opening Day, but a couple of spots are still very much up for grabs. So who has the inside track, and what could ultimately decide those final roster decisions? Names discussed include: Justin Topa, Eric Orze, Zak Kent, Liam Hendriks, Cody Laweryson, and Dan Altavilla. View full video

Eric Wagaman’s versatility could make him a useful piece for the Twins, but his bat hasn’t exactly helped his case this spring. With a ground-ball heavy profile and limited production at the plate, his path to the roster might be getting tougher. View full video

I've heard more and more people saying the same thing. I think it's important to remember how good he was in 2024 when he was healthy.

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