Ted Schwerzler

Nearing the end of May, over a quarter of the 2015 Major League Baseball season is in the books. As it stands, the Minnesota Twins are in sole possession of second place in the American League Central Division, and they have one of the best records in the American League. With the Twins continuing to trend in an upwards direction, managing their depth and walking the tightrope through some difficult decisions will shape their summer. At the major league level right now, the Twins have players such as Chris Herrmann, Tim Stauffer, and Eduardo Nunez contributing to games. The former two have been nothing short of disaster, while the latter has provided some surprising value in short bursts. Looking at the group however, none of those names represent irreplaceable players. With an organization chocked full of young talent, roster shuffling over the next few weeks will become an interesting point of observation. Considering the depth throughout the Twins organization, it may be the lowest rungs that begin to dictate what happens at the top. However, the Twins closest pool of talent generally comes from Triple-A Rochester. Tommy Milone has pitched four games at Triple-A yielding just one run over 31.2 innings and has struck out batters at an 11.7 K/9 clip while walking just 0.6 batters per nine innings. Kennys Vargas was sent down just over a week ago, and is batting over .400 with three home runs. Josmil Pinto has looked like an upgrade as the second catcher for a while, even despite his recent cold stretch at the plate. What's even more impressive, those three players only represent a small sample size. Rochester could be pushing arms such as A.J. Achter, Lester Oliveros, and Alex Meyer (who recently threw his first inning of relief) all to the big leagues as well. With Stauffer offering little to the Twins, and Brian Duensing struggling often as well, Minnesota could chose to upgrade from within. Although Rochester may be the immediate talent pool for the big leagues, it's in Double-A Chattanooga, High-A Fort Myers, and Low-A Cedar Rapids that the Twins tightrope gets more interesting. The Lookouts no doubt have one of the best teams in all of minor league baseball. There's little reason to believe we don't see Miguel Sano and/or Byron Buxton in Minnesota before August. On top of those two however, Max Kepler (.345/.385/.555 2 HR 15 RBI) and Jorge Polanco (.311/.348/.431 4 HR 20 RBI) could likely both use a new challenge in short order as well. On the mound, Chattanooga will be ushering Jose Berrios (2.89 ERA 63 K) and Zack Jones (1.72 ERA 22 K) out in short order. D.J. Baxendale has put together a great start, and the Twins could still decide to move both Jake Redd and Nick Burdi on the fast track. Fort Myers may not have the hitters that the higher levels of the organization tout, but pitchers like Chih-Wei Hu (1.03 ERA 36 K), Aaron Slegers (2.59 ERA 31 K), Brett Lee (2.14 ERA 19 K), Kohl Stewart (2.60 ERA 18 K), and J.T. Chargois (2.40 ERA 19 K) could all be looking at the next level at some point. Cedar Rapids is watching Trey Vavra (.342/.399/.529 6 HR 27 RBI) destroy baseballs, while Stephen Gonsalves (1.50 ERA 54 K), Felix Jorge (2.13 ERA 39 K), and Cameron Booser (0.84 34 K) all confuse opposing hitters. With plenty of candidates in the mix now, the Twins have decisions to make. The 40 man roster no doubt has some fat that could be trimmed off of it. Even with adding players however, there's still only 25 roster spots at each level. With plenty of deserving candidates looking for promotions, the Twins will need to get creative. Terry Ryan recently noted that guys like Hu and Gonsalves may stick at their current levels longer than anticipated, and part of the reasoning has to be the log jams ahead of them. With the big league club set to play 12 games in June (4 series) against teams with sub-.500 records, it's conceivable the high level of winning could continue. If that happens, the Twins will have to navigate their current tightrope with precision. The question will become, what assets do you deal, for whom, and when? Minnesota could be in a position to package a couple of minor league prospects to land a single player that could vault them into the postseason. Heading into the season, it was not 2015 that was slated to mark the turnaround for Minnesota. There's no doubt this team was capable of turning heads, and a sneaky playoff run could have been argued, but being a major player at the trade deadline didn't seem reasonable. Minnesota won't mortgage the future that they have built, but there's no doubt that the opportunity to turn depth into an immediate asset could present itself. How Terry Ryan navigates it could be the defining moment in how the Twins finish 2015. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

With the first quarter of the 2015 Major League Baseball season in the books, we are provided a great opportunity to take a look at how the season is shaping up. Considering the projections that were made coming into the year, it's a good time to see how things stand, and take note of some adjustments that may shake out as the season draws on. Keeping the focus on the AL Central, namely the Twins, let's take a look at the division first. Going into the year I had a hard time believing that any team in the central would reach either the 90 loss or 90 win mark. As it stands currently, I still feel pretty good about no team losing 90 games, but it seems silly to believe that neither the Royals nor the Tigers would have a chance at totaling 90 wins. 2015 AL Central Season Preview I didn't expect the Royals to be nearly as good as they have been, and while the Tigers have some definite holes in their pitching staff, that offense is producing at an impressive clip. In picking the White Sox to finish second in the division, I was a big believer of the moves they made this offseason. They are starting to find their stride and could be there soon enough. Minnesota finishing fourth or better in the division is off to a good start, but is going to take some consistent baseball down the stretch to stick. Now, looking at the Twins, there's some definite adjustments that have to be made. I had the home town club clocking in at 79 wins prior to the Spring Training announcement that Ervin Santana would be out until July. Losing your number two starter is always going to take a toll, no matter how you make up for it. I believe my adjustment was to put Minnesota somewhere in the realm of 74 or 75 wins following the suspension (which by my projections, would have dropped them to last in the AL Central). Nearing the end of May, the Twins have already totaled over 1/4 of the wins they would need to reach 80 on the season. As it stands right now, the club is on pace to win 93 games (a mark they likely won't touch). No matter the regression that is sure to be coming to the Twins, it's become more than time to adjust expectations. 79 wins for this club was doable with everything going right with the roster structure staying in an optimal position. That couldn't be further from what Paul Molitor has experienced, yet he still has him team on pace to exceed those expectations. Considering the summer months are where a baseball team's season is shaped, expect the Twins to develop an even strong identity in the coming weeks. Looking at things as they stand and what is to come, suggesting 80 wins as a realistic mark seems to be something I am comfortable with. Should the combination of Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano get hot and be called upon sooner rather than later, they could provide and even stronger boost to the big league club. While there are plenty of players contributing over their heads (Mike Pelfrey for one), there's guys who have stepped up and those that should still be expected to do so (Brian Dozier/Trevor Plouffe the former, Oswaldo Arcia/Kennys Vargas the latter). Not only is this Twins team not going to come close to 90 losses, but it's time to stop wondering what if and when it may fall apart. Minnesota is back to playing competitive baseball on a nightly basis, and a .500 record is well within their grasp. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Again, while understood, this is hanging up too much on a singular situation. The point isn't RISP but rather statistical betterment as a whole. Without hitting HR's, Maur is providing value in other areas. I don't believe that a hitter has a "clutch" ability or that it's a measurable total. As long as he's driving in runners though, the HR can continue to remain null. When that changes, he will need to further pick up other areas to provide value. No one category determines success or failure.

The fact that his spray chart is almost completely balanced to all fields probably mimics that sentiment. He's always pulled grounders and opposed liners to a certain extent. Him swinging earlier in counts I think has dictated ball placement as well. It's easier to hop on a first pitch fastball and yank it rather than to have to wait on a two strike pitch.

Lester Oliveros for Stauffer...sure, even Achter. I'm not sure you could make the argument Boyer doesn't have a place right now though. One thing to remember on Oliveros. He owns an ERA over 5.00 in 29.1 MLB innings. Not a huge sample size, but also indicative that AAA success doesn't necessarily prove anything.

It probably depends on how you define need. A guy batting .284/.341/.381 who's driving in runs, especially in high leverage, is more than an asset to me.

The Minnesota Twins are set to kick off a three game series with the Southsiders over the weekend. With the White Sox welcoming the Twins into town, Minnesota is set to do battle with an AL Central opponent for the first time in just over a week. On the season, the Twins are 5-2 against Chicago, including a four game sweep. This time around however, a few key opportunities will present themselves. As things stand currently, the Twins are 23-17 holding down the third spot in the AL Central. They are looking up at the Royals (3.0 games back) and the Tigers (2.0 games back). Both Chicago (4.0 games ahead) and Cleveland (6.0 games ahead) are trailing the Twins. Herein lies what may be the biggest opportunity the Twins have in the early going. Often times over the course of the first few months of the season, the Twins record has quickly been followed by a statement questioning how long the success will last. Despite a relatively average pitching staff, and an offense getting a fair bit of luck to go their way, the Twins continue to get it done. Sustenance doesn't need to remain at the same clip all season, but taking advantage while momentum is there remains huge. This weekend in Chicago, the Twins need to do exactly that. In the month of April, the Twins played to a .500 record while facing off against nearly all AL Central division opponents. Now with the White Sox looking to right the ship (6-4 in their last 10), Minnesota has a chance to stop the run. Ahead of the division rival by just four games, another sweep, or at worst a series win, would distance Minnesota further from the doldrums of the central. Putting games in between both themselves and the White Sox or Indians early, will prove beneficial as the season draws on and continues to take shape. Despite wins remaining the ultimate goal, pitching will also take center stage over the weekend. With Phil Hughes taking the ball in game one, the Twins will be hoping he can get the roll going. After being below average in the beginning month during 2014, Hughes got hot as May rolled around. In 2015, he's struggled to get his dominance going, and doing so against Jeff Samardzija would be a great start. Aside from Hughes however, it's the middle matchup that may provide the most intrigue. Trevor May has looked better in his second year in the big leagues. Despite the improvement, his recent run has seen some regression. Owning a 6.06 ERA across his past three starts, May will be looking to get back on track. It was on April 30 that May last faced the White Sox (also going against Chris Sale that day), and he led the Twins to victory. Minnesota got to Sale for eight earned runs, but May danced around 10 hits in 5.2 IP and gave up just two earned. Sale hasn't been the same pitcher in 2015 (4.36 ERA in seven starts), but the Twins will still have their work cut out for them. Finally, the Twins can spoil one of their biggest rivals big days. Paul Konerko retired from Major League Baseball following the 2014 season, and is having his jersey retired on Saturday. If May can best Sale, and the Twins offense shows up again, Minnesota could claim the final blow against a player that so often tortured them. There's no doubt that you can't win a pennant in May, but you're kidding yourself if you don't believe you can lose one. If the Twins want to further distance themselves from the questions as to how long the hot streak can last, it will be in handling series like this one against the White Sox that will provide the answers. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

While Dozier did bat ahead of Mauer most of the year, Mauer's 57 RBI in 2014 wasn't a real significant number. However, considering Dozier's OBP...a healthy amount of those RBI were likely Brian

In the dead of the Pittsburgh night, late in the game (the top of the 13th inning to be exact), Joe Mauer did something that he had abandoned since August 17, 2014. With Antonio Bastardo on the mound, Mauer deposited a pitch over the right-center field wall at PNC Bank stadium. The Twins went on to win the game by a tally of 4-3. The home run was the shot that lifted Minnesota over the Pirates, but for Joe, it really doesn't matter.The home run off of Bastardo ended a 286 at-bat homerless drought for Mauer. Statistically speaking, the corner infield spots are traditionally held down by hulking home run hitters who drive the ball to all fields. Power has generally not been part of Mauer's game (just 37 HR since 2010), and still isn't, but Mauer has reinvented himself and is bringing new value to the role. Often regarded as an opposite field hitter (outside of his relative reliability at pulling ground balls) Mauer has used all fields incredibly well in 2015. He is currently pulling 31.5% of his batted balls, while going up the middle with 35.4%, and hitting to the opposite field 33.1% of the time. A career 28.8% pull hitter, he has more evenly used all fields in 2015. Although Mauer is more evenly distributing his hits, the number is falling and providing fewer total bases. That can likely be explained by his hard hit percentage. Owner of a career 33.6% hard hit percentage, Mauer is hitting just 23.6% of his batted balls hard this year. While his medium hits are at 59.1% (as opposed to a career 56.7%), his soft hits are also significantly up at 17.3% (career 9.7). The most visible place these numbers have shown up is in the number of doubles. With eight total through the first quarter of the season, reaching his career-high 43 will require a few more balls driven to the gaps. However, Mauer does have two triples already this season, matching his 2014 total. And yet, may be on pace for one of his best offensive seasons in recent memory. Home runs aside, he is driving the Twins offense right now, quite literally. Leading the club in runs batted in with 24, Mauer is blistering past his 2014 pace (which ended with 55 RBI). Mauer's previous career high in runs batted in came during his 2009 AL MVP season, in which he drove in 96 runs. As it stands now, he's on pace to even that mark. Mauer driving in runs is a by-product of his success in high leverage situations this season, and his success is astounding. A large portion of being a talented hitter is situational hitting. While Mauer's .284/.341/.381 slash line leaves room for improvement, it's tough to argue with what he's done in high leverage situations. In 2015 with runners on base, Mauer is hitting .382/.463/.485 and with runners in scoring position he's even better, .419/.500/.512. Taking it one step further, Mauer is 4-5 with a triple and eight RBI with the bases loaded in, equating to a 2.000 OPS. Driving runners around and putting the Twins on the board is no doubt among the most important offensive feats, no matter how that is accomplished. Now that we've established why Mauer's lack of home runs doesn't really matter, it's probably a good time to suggest things could continue to get even better. Hoping that Mauer's overall slash line reverts back towards his career numbers is not an unreasonable hope. Last season, Mauer didn't hit .300 in any single month until September. In 2015, Mauer's April line checked in at .318/.392/.412. He's struggled at the plate in May (outside of those high leverage situations), but it's pretty apparent that a healthy Mauer can still hit. As the summer wears on, it should be expected that Mauer will hit at a better than average clip. This Twins team is in a good place right now, and with key additions coming as the season goes on, they are in position to keep getting better. The sixth best offense in baseball is continuing to push runs across at a strong clip, and Joe Mauer is a big reason for it, despite the lack of home runs. Click here to view the article

I guess I'm suggesting so many numbers, the narrative of the core probably got lost along the way. Yes Mauer's BABIP numbers are no doubt going to regress towards the mean, and I too believe that his average will even out. At its core, the "reinventing" is in relation to a thought process. Far too often HRs are pointed at as a deterrent to Joe's succes. Based upon relative numbers and production elsewhere, the suggestion is that statistical analysis has to be viewed as a whole rather than in terms of weighted importance.

I think the narrative I was trying to convey a little bit more is that it's easy to associate a certain weight to a certain statistical category. Instead, evaluating things on a more situational basis, production can be relevant to success. Mauer is often criticized for being something that he's not (and probably something the Metrodome is at fault for allowing him to appear to be), while often failing to be noted for what he is.

His BABIP in this stretch has really helped him, and obviously there's going to be some regression there. the nice thing though is Fien can come back and slide into the 8th inning role again. Boyer in the 7th sees less high leverage, and becomes an even better asset. The Twins took fliers on both Stauffer and Boyer, and while one worked out, that's all they needed. There's plenty of pen arms on the farm if regression hits too hard, and that's also a good thing.

In the dead of the Pittsburgh night, late in the game (the top of the 13th inning to be exact), Joe Mauer did something that he has abandoned since August 17, 2014. With Antonio Bastardo on the mound, Mauer deposited a pitch over the right-centerfield wall at PNC Bank stadium. The Twins went on to win the game by a tally of 4-3. The home run was the shot that lifted Minnesota over the Pirates, but for Joe, it really doesn't matter. The home run off of Bastardo ended a 286 at bat drought for Mauer. While a first basemen, power has generally not been his game (just 37 HR since 2010), but taking a deeper look at the 2015 version, that's something you should be ok with. Statistically speaking, the corner infield spots are held down by hulking home run hitters that drive the ball to all fields. Contrary to what may be popular belief, Mauer has reinvented himself in bringing value to the role. Often regarded as an opposite field hitter (outside of the relative reliability to pull ground balls) Mauer has used all fields incredibly well in 2015. He is currently pulling 31.5% of his batted balls, while going up the middle with 35.4%, and hitting to the opposite field 33.1% of the time. A career 28.8% pull hitter, he has more evenly used all fields in 2015. Although Mauer is more evenly distributing his hits, they are falling in equaling less total bases. Though this isn't ideal, it can likely be explained by his hard hit percentage. Owner of a career 33.6% hard hit percentage, Mauer is hitting just 23.6% of his batted balls hard this year. While his medium hits are at 59.1% (as opposed to a career 56.7%), his soft hits are also significantly up at 17.3% (career 9.7%). The most visible place these numbers have shown up is in regards to Mauer's doubles this season. With eight total through the first quarter of the season, reaching 30+ will require a few more balls driven to the gaps. However, Mauer does have two triples already this season, matching his 2014 total. Looking at the numbers as a whole, we can start to see where Joe Mauer has deficiencies, and where he should be expected to contribute. That being said, a glance at a few different key areas quickly points out that Mauer may in fact be on pace for one of his best offensive seasons in recent memory. Home runs aside, he is driving the Twins offense right now, quite literally. Leading the club in runs batted in with 24, Mauer is blistering past his 2014 pace (which ended with 55 RBI). Mauer's previous career high in runs batted in came during the 2009 season, in which he drove in 96 runs for the Twins. As it stands now, he's on pace to even that mark. Mauer driving in runs is a by-product of his success in high leverage situations this season, and his success is astounding. A large portion of being a talented hitter is situational hitting. While Mauer's .284/.341/.381 slash line may leave some room for improvement, it's tough to argue what he's done in high leverage situations. In 2015 with runners on base, Mauer is hitting .382/.463/.485 and with runners in scoring position he's even better, .419/.500/.512. Taking it one step further, Mauer is 4-5 with a triple and eight RBI with the bases loaded in 2015, equating to a 2.000 OPS. Driving runners around and putting the Twins on the board is no doubt the most important offensive feat, no matter how that is accomplished. Now that we've established why Mauer's lack of home runs doesn't really matter, it's probably a good time to suggest things could continue to get even better. Hoping that Mauer's overall slash line returns back towards his career numbers still seems to be in the cards. Last season, Mauer didn't hit .300 in any single month until September. In 2015, Mauer's April line checked in at .318/.392/.412. He's struggled at the plate in May (outside of those high leverage situations), but it's pretty apparent that a healthy Mauer can still hit. As the summer wears on, it should be expected that Mauer hits at a better than average clip. This Twins team is in a good place right now, and with key additions coming as the season goes on, they are in position to keep getting better. The 6th best offense in baseball is continuing to push runs across at a strong clip, and Joe Mauer is a big reason for it, even despite the home runs. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

As of May 20, the Minnesota Twins have played 39 games and have compiled a 22-17 record. After being picked by many to finish last in the AL Central, and even lose 90 games for a 5th straight year by some, Minnesota has done nothing but surpass expectations. Sitting third in the AL Central, the Twins offense has once again been one of the best in the big leagues (currently sixth in runs scored). While starting pitching has been better than in recent years, it is one man in the bullpen who may be one of the team's best weapons.Signed as a free agent after a decent year in San Diego, Blaine Boyer has come into the Twins pen and been nothing short of lights out. His story has been well documented, and his journey has taken him on the path less traveled. After being out of baseball for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, he resurfaced a year ago. Recommitted to the game, and with his family in tow, Boyer appeared poise to give the game whatever he had left. Pitching in Petco Park a season ago to the tune of a 3.57 ERA last season, it was somewhat uncertain what he would provide the Twins in the American League, despite pitcher-friendly Target Field. Terry Ryan decided to hand out low-risk deals to both Boyer and former teammate Tim Stauffer. While neither looked good from the get go, it has been Boyer who has excelled as the season has worn on. Casey Fien, the Twins setup man, hit the disabled list during April and the Twins needed someone to step up. The first-year manager put all of his chips behind Boyer, and neither has looked back. Since April 17, Boyer has pitched 17.2 scoreless innings. He's struck out just eight batters, but he's given up only nine hits and three walks. Boyer has held opposing hitters to a .161/.200/.232 slash line and he's generated a 69% strike rate. On the season, Boyer's 2.18 ERA is amongst the Twins brightest relief marks, and he's become an incredible asset in the bullpen. Earlier in the season, I kicked around the idea that Ryan brought in both Stauffer and Boyer with the idea of dealing them to a contender somewhere during the middle of the season: if he could get both players to show value, the Twins might benefit from the return of a mid-level prospect from a club looking for bullpen help. Obviously at this point, Stauffer is closer to being sent off the roster than he is to being added to another team's. Boyer however, has proven to be an solid asset and the Twins have turned themselves into a legitimate contender. Coming off four straight 90-loss seasons, there're plenty of reasons to be cautiously optimistic for the Twins' prospects going forward. After all, in 2014 Minnesota looked in good position in June, and even made a free agent signing in the person of Kendrys Morales. This team however seems to be cut from different cloth, and the trajectory appears to be stable and trending upward more than it isn't. As long as things continue on their current trends, Boyer should expect to be pitching for a contender in 2015, but it will be the team that signed him in the offseason, not the one he is dealt to. No doubt there have been some misses that Terry Ryan is responsible for when it comes to pitching, considering Blaine Boyer one of them is out of the question. Boyer has been absolutely terrific for the Twins, and the man of faith, with his family by his side, does not appear to be letting off the throttle any time soon. Click here to view the article

As of May 20, the Minnesota Twins have played 39 games and have compiled a 22-17 record. After being picked by many to finish last in the AL Central, and even lose 90 games for a 5th straight year by some, Minnesota has done nothing but surpass expectations. Sitting third in the AL Central, the Twins offense has once again been one of the best in the big leagues (currently 6th in runs scored). While starting pitching has been better than in recent years, it is one man in the bullpen that may be one of the team's best weapons. Signed as a free agent after a decent year in San Diego, Blaine Boyer has come into the Twins pen and been nothing short of lights out. His story has been well documented, and his journey has taken him on the path less traveled. After being out of baseball for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, he resurfaced a year ago. Recommitted to the game, and with his family in tow, Boyer appeared poise to give the game what he had left. Pitching in Petco Park a season ago to the tune of a 3.57 last season, it was somewhat uncertain what he would provide the Twins in the American League, despite the pitcher friendly Target Field. Terry Ryan decided to hand out low risk deals to both Boyer and former teammate Tim Stauffer. While neither looked good from the get go, it has been Boyer that has excelled as the season has worn on. Casey Fien, the Twins setup man, hit the disabled list during April and the Twins needed someone to step up. First year manager put all of his chips behind Boyer, and neither has looked back. Since April 17, Boyer has pitched 17.2 scoreless innings. He's struck out just eight batters in the timeframe, but he's given up just nine hits and only three walks as well. Boyer has held opposing hitters to a .161/.200/.232 slash line and he's generated a 69% strike rate. On the season, Boyer's 2.18 ERA is amongst the Twins brightest relief marks, and he's become an incredible asset in the bullpen. Earlier in the season, I kicked around the idea that Ryan brought in both Stauffer and Boyer with the idea of dealing them to a contender somewhere during the middle of the season. if he could get both players to reflect value, the Twins may benefit from the return of a mid-level prospect from a club looking for bullpen help. Obviously at this point, Stauffer is closer to being sent off of the roster, than he is being added to another team's. Boyer however, has proven to be an solid asset and the Twins have turned themselves into a legitimate contender. Coming off of four straight 90 loss seasons, there's plenty of reason to be cautiously optimistic for the Twins prospectus going forward. After all, in 2014 Minnesota looked in good position in June, and even made a free agent signing in the form of Kendrys Morales. This team however seems to be cut from a different thread, and the trajectory appears to be stable and trending upward more than it isn't. As long as things continue their current trends, Boyer should expect to be pitching for a contender in 2015, but it will be the team that signed him in the offseason, not the one he is dealt to. No doubt there has been some misses that Terry Ryan is responsible for when it comes to pitching, considering Blaine Boyer one of them is out of the question though. Boyer has been absolutely terrific for the Twins, and the man of faith with his family by his side, doesn't appear to be letting off the throttle any time soon. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

For the first time in the 2015 Major League Baseball season, and also coincidentally the first time in Paul Molitor's managerial career, the Minnesota Twins will face off against a National League opponent. With that comes the challenges of managing around not having the designated hitter at your disposal. However silly I believe that to be (and I do think it's silly), Molitor may have the deck stacked against him. Now full disclosure, we aren't talking about Dan Jennings, Jeffrey Loria, and the Miami Marlins type deck here (I mean, the deck is always stacked against you when you aren't playing with a full one am I right?), but the Twins have some interesting things to work through. Notably, this "series" with Pittsburgh is only of the two game variety. However, the Pirates are just 18-20 on the season, and rank 23 in the majors in runs scored. To put it simply, these are two games the Twins need to win. The biggest hurdles for Paul Molitor to overcome though, they reside on his own team. Take a look: Chris Herrmann Doug Bernier Eduardo Nunez Shane Robinson Eddie Rosario/Eduardo Escobar That collection of players is about as plain as it gets and four of them have a batting average at or below .252. The highest averages in the group come from Robinson (.315) and an inflated (due to just 22 at bats) .409 average from Nunez. When managing through pinch hitting opportunities and pitching changes however, those are the players that Molitor must rely upon. Considering that Kennys Vargas was recently demoted to Triple-A Rochester (after hitting .366/.395/.561 in the month of May), the Twins have no power options on their bench. A look through the Rochester lineup highlights Josmil Pinto as well, who is batting .284/.371/.431 on the season with four home runs and 17 RBI. It all adds up to a 25 man roster construction that would seem confusing in the American League, bit appears even more puzzling for a couple of games in the National League. Of course, if the Twins get early offense and dominant pitching, all of the situational offensive questions become moot. Going into a series, I would argue that is probably not something that should be assumed however. With Ricky Nolasco going in game one, and Mike Pelfrey going in game two, it would stand to reason that the Twins should have options ready. Nolasco has looked better of late, but hasn't pitched deep into games, and Pelfrey looks to be regressing towards his FIP (fielding independent pitching) mean. Knowing that pitchers such as Brian Duensing and a possibly exposed J.R. Graham loom in the bullpen, having bats ready to remove the pitcher would be an asset. The Twins aren't going to make any changes at this point, and Molitor's managing acumen will be tested. I've always argued that a manager's role is less important than head coaches in other sports, but in situations such as these, it could just be the situational savvy that snags the Twins a victory. For more from Off the Baggy click here. Follow @tlschwerz

The year was 2011, and the Minnesota Twins had two players competing for one spot at the hot corner. One was a 19th round draft pick and coming off a season that had him in the running for Rookie of the Year honors. The other was a first- round draft pick who had just experienced his first cup of coffee. At the end of the year though, and into the future, it was the first round draft pick who would take over.Trevor Plouffe grabbed the role from Danny Valencia, and he hasn't looked back. Of course knowing Plouffe's track record, there's little reason to suggest there haven't been bumps in the road. The 2012 season saw Plouffe play his first games at third for the Twins. In 95 games at third, Plouffe committed 17 errors, was worth -8 defensive runs saved, and owned an ugly -10.8 UZR (ultimate zone rating). While it's one thing to suggest that the only way to go from there was up, the heights at which Plouffe finds himself were not immediately apparent. In 2013, the Twins new third basemen made 13 errors in 120 games and owned a -7.4 UZR rating. Bringing his DRS to an even 0 was a step in the right direction however. Then the turnaround happened, and in a big way. Last season, despite making 14 errors, Plouffe owned a 6.7 UZR and was worth 6 DRS. Not only did he play the best third base of his career, but he did so across 127 games, also a career high. Even better, Plouffe hadn't made strides only in the field, but at the plate as well. Back in 2012, his first season at the hot corner, Plouffe used a scorching July to carry himself to a career high 24 home runs. While he has yet to match that output, 2013 and 2014 saw big advancements in other offensive areas. The California native carried a .254/.309/.392 slash line in 2013 with 14 HR and 52 RBIs. He backed that up a year later in 2014 by slashing .258/.328/.423 and launching 14 HR with a career high 80 RBIs. Plouffe also grew a greater patience and command at the dish by walking 53 times, nearly doubling his past career high. Following along the same trend that he has laid out the past two seasons, Plouffe has started 2015 on a similar note. Currently owning a .254/.336/.423 slash line with 5 HR and 18 RBIs, it looks like the production will continue. In 34 games at the hot corner, he's made just three errors while compiling an early 1.6 UZR. Not too long ago, Trevor Plouffe was seen as a player holding down a position until someone else came along. As uber-prospect Miguel Sano gained steam, it appeared that Plouffe was just keeping his eventual spot warm. Since, it's not the Sano has cooled, but that Plouffe has transformed himself in to one of the best third baggers in major league baseball. A guy who owned -0.4 and -0.9 fWAR in his first two seasons, Plouffe was worth a 3.6 fWAR last season, and has already jumped out to a 1.1 fWAR mark in 2015. At some point, the Twins will have to decide how to position players like Trevor Plouffe, Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano to make everyone fit. While that time isn't yet here, there's little reason to suggest that Plouffe hasn't given the Twins a great problem to have. Instead of just being a guy holding down a spot, he has become the guy on a team who looks poised to turn the corner. With a possible payday looming, Plouffe has no one but himself to thank for cashing in. The transformation has been fun to watch, and it may just be the beginning of it. Click here to view the article

You hit on something that is bigger than Buxton and Sano in and of themselves; baseball isn't built upon saviors. Mike Trout is the best player in the big leagues and his team currently stinks. While having two great prospects is a definite plus, you only go as far as the sum of your greater parts. Pitching is in a good spot, and needs to continue to improve going forward. Turning more players that were one "just a guy" into Trevor Plouffe's and Brian Dozier's is only going to further the Twins as a whole.

The year was 2011, and the Minnesota Twins had two players competing for one spot at the hot corner. One was a 19th round draft pick and coming off of a season that had him in the running for Rookie of the Year honors. The other was a first round draft pick that had just experienced his first cup of coffee. At the end of the year though, and into the future, it was the first round draft pick that would take over. Trevor Plouffe grabbed the role from Danny Valencia, and he hasn't looked back. Of course knowing Plouffe's track record, there's little reason to suggest there haven't been bumps in the road. The 2012 season saw Plouffe play his first games at third for the Twins. In 95 games at third, Plouffe committed 17 errors, was worth -8 defensive runs saved, and owned an ugly -10.8 UZR. While it's one thing to suggest that the only way to go from there was up, the heights Plouffe would find himself at didn't immediately seem apparent. In 2013, the Twins new third basemen made 13 errors in 120 games and owned a -7.4 UZR rating. Bringing his DRS to an even 0 was a step in the right direction however. Then the turnaround happened, and in a big way. Last season, despite making 14 errors, Plouffe owned a 6.7 UZR and was worth 6 DRS. Not only did he play the best third base of his career, but he did so across 127 games, also a career high. Even better, Plouffe hadn't only made stride in the field, but at the plate as well. Back in 2012, his first season at the hot corner, Plouffe used a scorching July to carry himself to a career high 24 home runs. While he has yet to match that output, 2013 and 2014 saw big advancements in other offensive areas. The California native carried a .254/.309/.392 slash line in 2013 with 14 HR and 52 RBI. He backed that up a year later in 2014 by slashing .258/.328/.423 and launching 14 HR with a career high 80 RBI. Plouffe also grew a greater patience and command at the dish by walking 53 times, nearly doubling his past career high. Following along the same trend that he has laid out the past two seasons, Plouffe has started 2015 on a similar note. Currently owning a .254/.336/.423 slash line with 5 HR and 18 RBI, it looks like the production will continue. In 34 games at the hot corner, he's made just 3 errors while compiling an early 1.6 UZR. Not too long ago, Trevor Plouffe was seen as a player holding down a position until someone else came along. As uber prospect Miguel Sano gained steam, it appeared that Plouffe was just keeping his eventual role warm. Since, it's not the Sano has cooled, but that Plouffe has transformed himself to be on of the best third baggers in Major League Baseball. A guy that owned -0.4 and -0.9 fWAR in his first two seasons, Plouffe was worth a 3.6 fWAR last season, and has already jumped out to a 1.1 fWAR mark in 2015. At some point, the Twins will have to decide how to position players like Trevor Plouffe, Joe Mauer, and Miguel Sano to make everyone fit. While that time isn't yet hear, there's little reason to suggest that Plouffe hasn't given the Twins a great problem to have. Instead of just being a guy holding down a spot, he has become the guy on a team that looks poised to turn the corner. With a possible payday looming, Plouffe has no one but himself to thank for cashing in. The transformation has been fun to watch, and it may just be the beginning of it. For more from Off The Baggy click here. Follow @tlschwerz

If you asked a handful of different credible Twins sources who they were excited to see pitch coming into the 2015 Major League Baseball season, one of the most common answers would have been Kyle Gibson. The former first round pick is now 27 years old, and there were stretches that looked very promising over the course of the 2014 season. Hoping he was close to putting it together, the upcoming season provided plenty of intrigue. Now just over a month in, the former Missouri Tiger has not disappointed. Gibson made his major league debut at the age of 25, and while that is relatively old for a top prospect coming out of college, his late start was not due to talent related issues. Undergoing Tommy John surgery while still in the Twins farm system, Gibson had to battle back and work his way back into the fold. Getting his first cup of coffee in the middle of the 2013 season, it was 2014 that Gibson finally broke into the rotation full time. His first full season at the big league level was filled with generally mixed results, and he owned a 4.47 ERA with a 3.80 FIP. At nearly every level through the system, Gibson has been the same kind of pitcher. He's more reliable than overpowering, and despite strikeout numbers near 10.0 K/9 during the 2012 season, it was always somewhat expected that he may be more of a finesse pitcher at the major league level. Having owned a 5.4 K/9 mark in 2013, the Twins were no doubt hoping that the ratio would continue to climb as he settles into big league pitching. Now with seven starts under his belt in 2015, Gibson has exploded out of the gate, and owns the 13th best ERA in the American League. At 2.70, Gibson trails only Mike Pelfrey (2.62) in the ERA department amongst starters. While generally there may be some concern for regression due to Gibson's high 4.52 FIP, the recipe currently in play could actually benefit him for the long haul. As has been noted plenty this offseason and in the early portion of the year, the Twins have some significant defensive deficiencies. That being said, the largest liabilities in the field reside in the corner outfield positions. With outfield defense improving somewhat with the call up of Aaron Hicks, there still remains little doubt that fly ball pitchers will be hurt by the guys in the grass behind them. For Gibson however, this isn't exactly an issue for him. For groundball pitchers such as Gibson, lifting a ball into the outfield because somewhat of a relative chore. In turn, the most taxed defensive players with Kyle on the mound become the infield, and they have played to his favor. Gibson has generated 50.3% ground balls this season, while giving up fly balls on just 27.3% of his batted balls. Better yet, of the fly balls he has given up, just 7.7% (a career best) have landed over the fence. A sinkerball pitcher, there's always going to be an increased ability to keep the ball on the ground. As Pelfrey has noticed too however, the infield has done an exceptional job of taking care of the guy on the mound. Despite the major league leading nine errors, Danny Santana has proved invaluable in getting to 15 balls deemed out of his zone already on the season. Trevor Plouffe greatly expanding his defensive acumen has been a welcomed sight, and Brian Dozier continues to be a strong second basemen. Statistically speaking, regression due to an out of whack FIP (fielding independent pitching) mark would make sense, but Gibson could continue to benefit from the greater whole as well. Generating ground balls on the mound, and his infield making plays behind him, Gibson is well on his way to his best season as a pro. No doubt his best start of the year, Gibson went 7 innings giving up just five hits, one run on a solo home run, and striking out six while walking none against the Tigers. If the strikeout numbers can hold, and everything else stays the course, Kyle Gibson could continue to be one of the best stories for the Twins in 2015. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Last night former first-round draft pick Aaron Hicks got the call from the Minnesota Twins. While it isn't his first rodeo in the big leagues, there's no doubt this time is what might be the most important.After playing 27 games at the Triple-A level and batting .336/.415/.561, Minnesota saw fit to improve their outfield by bringing Hicks back into the fold. With more weighing on Hicks this time around, there's also plenty of reason to believe that this time things will click. Although he was the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft, Hicks took a more accelerated route to the big leagues than would have been expected. Despite playing five seasons in the minors, his best season at the plate saw him hit .318/.409/.491 in rookie ball immediately after being drafted. A strong 2013 spring training, combined with the Twins dealing both Denard Span and Ben Revere, had Hicks being promoted directly from Double-A. After 150 games of struggle at the big league level, it was apparent a new approach was needed with Hicks. Last season, the Twins demoted Hicks from the major leagues to Double-A. Playing in 43 games for Double-A New Britain in 2014, Hicks batted .297/.404/.466 and once again looked the part of an exciting prospect. Although he didn't get a September call-up in 2014, Hicks was promoted to Triple-A Rochester, and for the first time in his career, played through Double- and Triple-A in succession. Expected to come in to the 2015 season with the starting center field job his to lose once again, the Twins opted to go a different direction. With returns in spring training not being where the club wanted, Paul Molitor brought both Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson north. A confusing decision at the time, there's no doubt that Hicks made the most of his time in Triple-A. Abusing opposing pitchers while being the offensive catalyst for the Red Wings in 2015, Hicks has earned his most recent promotion back to the big leagues. Now in line for the starting center field role for the foreseeable future, the Twins are hopeful they can begin to watch their outfield of the future unfold. Hicks will immediately bring not only an offensive boost but also defensive help to a lackluster outfield. He presents opportunity for a Twins team in a good spot to reach even new heights. The Twins hope is that Hicks will play his way into their future plans. There's little doubt that Byron Buxton is eventually going to take over the center field role for the Twins. He's the number one prospect in all of baseball, and he's looked the part at every level. Buxton and Hicks are mutually exclusive however, in that the success of each of them would be huge for the Twins, though that would necessitate one of them changing position. Casting aside Hicks' previous struggles (remember, he's in uncharted territory now, having excelled at each level of the farm system in order), a solid start for Hicks makes him an ideal corner fit for the Twins. Hicks has a plus arm, and could profile nicely in right field down the line. Minnesota is no doubt enjoying the early success that the 2015 season has brought them, but this team is being built to contend for years to come. The hope is no doubt that an outfield of Oswaldo Arcia, Byron Buxton and Aaron Hicks would be the configuration for many years to come. Adding Eddie Rosario as a fourth option would only further the talent that the Twins could employ out of the gate next season. The Minnesota Twins, Aaron Hicks, and most everyone else sees this as a last shot for the former first-round pick, but smart money may be on the player. Hicks has shown plenty of reason to believe in him, and for the sake of an improved outfield going forward, the hope would be that it all comes full circle. For more from Off the Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz Click here to view the article