John Bonnes

Image courtesy of © Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images FORT MYERS - For years, when we saw Byron Buxton in the lineup as a designated hitter, it was bad news. It meant that Buxton and the team were trying to figure out some way (usually, futilely) to keep him healthy. This spring, Buxton has already been the designated hitter twice, including in Saturday’s game against the Red Sox, but now it’s good news. He’s playing designated hitter because he and the Twins are playing him in back-to-back games early this spring, so he’s ready for the World Baseball Classic. “It's something we talked about when I first got down here,” said Buxton, who leaves the team on Sunday to join Team USA. “Feel good. Ready.” He started preparing a month earlier than usual this offseason. He’s also already played in three back-to-back games this spring, even though it’s not yet March. That’s necessary because he wants to be ready for the competitive environment that is inherent in the WBC. But it’s also because he could be away from camp through March 17th if Team USA advances to the finals. View full article

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Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images FORT MYERS—Starting pitching was supposed to be abundant on this Twins team, but there have been a number of starters we have yet to see in a game. Pablo López is undergoing Tommy John surgery, Joe Ryan is dealing with a sore back, Bailey Ober has been limited to live batting practice sessions, and we haven’t seen David Festa in a game yet, either. So Wednesday’s home game versus the Red Sox had Kody Funderburk take the mound in an “opener” type move. To prepare, he tried to replicate the role of a reliever. “Just tried to keep it as close to a relief appearance as we could," explained Funderburk. “Try to time it out where warm up, in the bullpen, you know, finish up at 1:04. Take the field at 1:05.” It went well enough. Facing three batters who hit left-handed and two who bat right-handed, Funderburk threw a scoreless inning. His spot on the depth chart has become a lot more crowded, as Anthony Banda and Andrew Chafin were both late additions to camp and Taylor Rogers signed earlier as a free agent.. Funderburk doesn’t have the experience either of them has. But he finished last year strong, and unlike other lefty specialists, his five-pitch mix may allow him to keep right-handed batters off-balance, or at least off-balance enough to get by (.751 OPS against in 2025). Funderburk sounds like he’s trying not to think about it—because he messed that up before. View full article

Not yet. We've only seen him at 2B and DH. I expect he'll start tomorrow, but I think it'll be at 2B again.

Image courtesy of © Mike Watters-Imagn Images FORT MYERS—Barring injuries, 10 of the 13 position-player spots on the Twins' projected roster are already locked in: Josh Bell, Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, and Royce Lewis will start in the infield. Matt Wallner, Byron Buxton, and Trevor Larnach will start in the outfield. Ryan Jeffers and Victor Caratini will be the Twins' catchers. Kody Clemens will be a corner utility glove and likely start versus most right-handed pitchers, somewhere. That leaves three bench spots, so let’s look at the candidates, along with my percentage estimation that each makes the Opening Day roster. (Since there are three spots, those percentages have to add up to 300%.) The three spots are: 1. Backup Shortstop In the past, the Twins could look around their starting infield for backup shortstop options. No longer. Willi Castro is in Colorado, and Lee moved into the lead role at shortstop when Carlos Correa was traded. Thus, one of the bench spots has to be taken by a true shortstop who can step in when Lee needs to miss a game—or even needs a short IL stint. One of the following three players will be on the roster, and your guess is as good as mine about which one is in the lead. Tristan Gray (30%) is 29 years old and only has 122 MLB plate appearances with a .634 OPS, but that’s why he’s competing for a bench spot. He also has lots of flexibility in that he can play all over the infield, and his underlying metrics suggest he has the most offensive upside of the three. Ryan Kreidler (30%) has the best glove of the candidates, but he also has a career .383 OPS(!) over four years and 211 plate appearances. His Triple-A numbers (.717 OPS over 1,223 PA) suggest he’s better than that, but I mean, he has to be, right? One other advantage he has over the other two players is that he can also play center field. Orlando Arcia (40%) is the 10-year veteran who was an All-Star as recently as 2023, but has posted a .599 OPS over his last two years. Can the 31-year-old use spring training to show he’s back to his old self and prolong his career one more year? I’m not optimistic, but I’m still giving him a slight edge because he’s the veteran and could probably opt out of the organization if he doesn’t make the roster. Which is similar to the situation for…. 2. Backup Center Fielder Nobody is going to replace Byron Buxton’s impact in this lineup, but despite his last two (mostly) healthy seasons, an insurance policy for him isn’t just wise; it’s a necessity. If he’s out for an extended period of time, his replacement will probably come from Triple A. But for the occasional necessary day off, the Twins will need a Plan B. Even if Kreidler makes the team, I’m almost sure one of these two center field candidates will make the roster, too, for different reasons. James Outman (50%) was acquired at the trade deadline from the Dodgers, but didn’t hit any better with the Twins (.558 OPS) than he did with LA (.487 OPS). That means he hasn’t hit well since he was a 26-year-old rookie in 2023, and worse, he didn’t look very good defensively in center or left field, which was perceived to be his strength. But he does have one thing going for him: he’s out of minor-league options. If he doesn’t make the team, the Twins could lose him to another team without getting anything in return. That’s not something the asset-conscious Twins liked to do when the team was run by Derek Falvey and Rocco Baldelli, but we’ll see if that’s different under Jeremy Zoll and Derek Shelton. Austin Martin (90%) has several things going for him that make him a likely fit for the Twins roster. He can play center field, he’s right-handed, and he can steal bases. The Twins team needs all of those, and it probably helps that he’s a 26-year-old former top prospect. It makes too much sense for him to be on this roster for it not to happen, one way or the other. 3. Offensive Help The Twins’ offense ranked 23rd in runs scored last year, and a few spots in their lineup could benefit from platooning with a right-handed bat. Hence, the last spot on the roster will be focused on adding some offense. Eric Wagaman (25%) is a right-handed hitter who hits left-handed pitching (.783 OPS in 2025) but has never really hit righties, so his role would need to be limited. But that might work. He’s basically a right-handed version of Clemens, minus the ability to play second base. As such, the Twins could mix and match the two at several corner positions and have Wagaman available for high-leverage at-bats versus left-handed relievers late in games. Alan Roden (20%) is not a right-handed bat, but they traded for him last year at the deadline. He played left field for the Twins last year, and could be a fit there again this year if the Twins determine they would rather see Trevor Larnach mostly at designated hitter. If Roden makes the team, it probably won’t be as a bench bat, but as a starting left fielder. That would give the team another left-handed corner outfield bat to be added to Larnach, Wallner, and Clemens. Gio Urshela (15%) is a veteran right-handed bat, but with less defensive flexibility than Wagaman. That doesn’t mean he can’t win the job, but it seems like he’s on the outside looking in, unless there’s an injury or Wagaman looks overmatched. The truth is that one can mix and match these guys and end up with different strengths and different weaknesses that reflect what you value in a baseball team. So let’s hear your thoughts in the comments about your choices—and more importantly, your reasons. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Sigh of Relief Joe Ryan, who was scratched from Saturday’s start, had an MRI and it found only inflammation. He’s day-to-day, and the Twins and Ryan will re-evaluate his participation in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in a few days. “Overall, really good news,” said Twins Manager Derek Shielton. “I think we’re happy with how we’re going to move forward.” Taj Gets A Challenge Since Sunday’s game was Atlanta’s Grapefruit League season opener, Twins pitcher Taj Bradley faced the Braves' “A” lineup. He threw 42 pitches over three innings, giving up five hits, one home run, and striking out five. He is already at 42 pitches because he’s preparing to represent Mexico in the WBC. He was asked about his splitter, because it was a pitch that was not as successful last year. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images FORT MYERS - The Twins kicked off their spring training Grapefruit League season with a home opener against the crosstown rival Red Sox. Besides the disconcerting news about Joe Ryan's scratched start, here are some other things the nearly 8000 fans at Hammond saw: Royce’s Work Paying Off In the first inning, Royce Lewis made a nice play on a bouncing ball up the third base line, reminding everyone that, despite his offensive struggles last year, he at least put to rest some concerns about his defense at third base. Then, in the fifth inning, his throw to first base was wild and resulted in an error. This last week on Twins Daily’s Live show from Fort Myers, I was asked if it was possible that Royce Lewis would grade out as the second-best defender on the Twins this year, behind only Byron Buxton. I don’t think that’s unlikely at all. That’s partly damning of the Twins' overall defensive level, but I also think that the work he put in last year paid off and will continue to do so. The work he put in this latest offseason around his swing looks like it might pay off, too. He drilled a 96-mph fastball from southpaw Payton Tolle into left-center field to give the Twins a 1-0 lead in his first at-bat. Simeon’s Splitter Simeon Woods Richardson finished the year with a 4.04 ERA over 23 starts, his second year of providing solid production in the rotation. But while he clearly tired late in the season in 2024, he finished the 2025 season with a 2.33 ERA in September. This coincided with him leaning into his splitter more. It looks like he plans to do the same this season. View full article

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Image courtesy of © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images FORT MYERS—There are spring training games that invite a little extra, lineup-driven pageantry, and the first Grapefruit League game on Saturday afternoon is one of them. It’s not uncommon to see most of the likely Opening Day roster, in front of an amped-up ballpark and a Twins.TV audience. So, it should come as no surprise that we learned Joe Ryan will take the mound that day. Ryan was one of the few steady pillars of the Twins’ 2025 season, earning an All-Star nod and finishing with a 13-10 record, a 3.42 ERA, 171 innings, and 194 strikeouts (with a 1.04 WHIP), while also being the subject of trade rumors even into the offseason. For a 2026 club that will rely on its rotation, he’s the clear remaining ace-like pitcher on the roster. Go Gophers! Go Zebby! Saturday is the first Grapefruit League game, but the Twins’ first game of the year comes Friday against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, and it’s also on Twins.TV. It’s scheduled as a seven-inning exhibition, so tune in early (5:05 p.m. CT) You’ll see Zebby Matthews on the mound. He was the talk of spring training last year at this time, thanks to some newfound velocity. But his 2025 results (5.56 ERA) didn’t live up to the excitement. When manager Rocco Baldelli was asked about Matthews’s struggles last year, he kept coming back to the same word: consistency. In camp yesterday, Matthews talked about that, too — while also acknowledging he still has only about a year of big-league experience, and that the success can come with time. View full article

Spring training has a funny way of rewarding the prepared. I’m not suggesting you pack your Type A personality on your trip to Fort Myers, but you also don’t want to miss the big stuff. Like eating. Or finding shade. Or seeing your favorite ballplayers up close. That’s why Twins Daily created our Ultimate Minnesota Twins Spring Training Guide, and that’s why we just updated it. Consider it your 2026-ready field manual—tightened, refreshed, and upgraded with the stuff you only learn by being there, because we want you to love Twins spring training as much as we do. The biggest change is that we leaned into specifics for the 2026 season. No more needing to Google when the Hammond Stadium Open House or “Minnesota Day” is: you’ve got the specifics. Also, since 2026 includes the World Baseball Classic, we’ve provided additional tips on the best time to visit. We still have other activities you can do in Fort Myers, besides attending Twins games, and we now have additional tips on baseball-related activities when the Twins are out of town, including which road games are the easiest trips. But maybe even better, we’ve added tips about the best ways to watch your favorite players when they aren’t on the road trips. Of course, that also means updating our favorite restaurants and haunts away from the ballpark, especially in downtown Fort Myers, which is experiencing a bit of a revival. Since many of our readers are craft beer lovers, we are also keeping tabs on our favorite breweries, including the release of a new Twins D-Ale-y Pale Ale and “Beers with Beat Writers” event at Palm City Brewing on February 27th. Best of all, the updates won’t stop today. Like our favorite baseball team, we’re committed to improving over the next few weeks. So check back often and leave your comments so we can get into Major League shape. See you in Fort Myers. Check out the Ultimate Spring Training Guide! View full article

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images On Finding Success “When you’re healthy, a lot of things start to come your way.” - Byron Buxton, reflecting on the steps he has taken over the last two years that have resulted in him playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. “24 was rough… I forgot that I had the power to say no…” - Mick Abel, who took big steps forward in 2025 after struggling with his control in 2024. He was candid about last year's improvement being mostly mental, and how simplifying freed him up mechanically and mentally. “I wanted to quit so many times [hitting] right-handed, even in pro ball…” - Brooks Lee about how surprising it’s been that his right-handed swing found more success than his left-handed swing last year. On The New Coaching Staff View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images We’re still a week from Grapefruit League games, but that’s not too early to start talking about what we want to watch. Any value in watching spring training games isn’t in looking at players’ stats. Partly, that’s because it’s just such a small sample size. But on top of that, players are testing out new pitches and swings, which can produce results that will never make it into an actual game. No, if there is any value, it’s in looking at what players or coaches are trying to do, and reacting to success or failure. For instance: Brooks Lee’s Lateral Movement Brooks Lee spent the offseason working on two things, and one of them was getting more explosive lateral movement as a shortstop. “It's kind of like an obvious thing,” said Lee when asked about his offseason focus. “You know, balls hit to me, I'll make the play, but it's the ones I don't get to.” Lee’s range and whether he can handle the defensive workload of a shortstop are major questions for the Twins. So watch how often he gets to balls “in the hole” to his right, or on the other side of second base to his left. Brooks Lee’s Left-handed Opposite Field Swing The second thing he worked on was his left-handed swing, specifically hitting the ball to the opposite field. Coming up through the minors, Lee’s strong side was hitting for a high average, especially left-handed. Instead, last year he hit better (.266 BA) right-handed than left-handed (.220). View full article