Ted Schwerzler

With five of the six affiliates in action, and promotions coming for some key top prospects, the Twins were active on the free agent market this month. Multiple minor league free agent moves were made, and a couple of them have gotten off to hot starts. Quick production from Kyle Hess and Payton Eeeles has been good to see. They have been teammates with some of the best bats the system has to offer as well, and here’s how that looks for the month of May.
Honorable Mention #3 - Yasser Mercedes 18 G, 22-64, .344/.432/.547, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 12 SB
While Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins have been the big-name Twins prospects to play for the FCL squad on rehab assignments, Mercedes has been in 16 games to start the season, and he’s drawing massive attention. A solid prospect in his own right, Mercedes has gotten off to a quick start in 2024.
With an OPS north of 1.000 and a team-leading two homers to his credit, he also has three doubles and a pair of triples. To say the Puerto Rican has been impressive would be putting it lightly. After a strong professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, Mercedes struggled stateside last year. He has made that look like a mirage, and the 12 stolen bases having him more than blazing his own trail as well.
Honorable Mention #2 - DaShawn Keirsey Jr. 22 G, 28-88, .318/.408/.568, 5 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 8 SB
With the way Manuel Margot has played for Rocco Badelli’s lineup since being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s hard not to think about replacements. Keirsey Jr. isn’t a top prospect, but he’s looked the part of an MLB-ready talent this season in St. Paul. Solid defensive ability with an aptitude for center field, combined with his offensive production, is hard to ignore.
Keirsey flirted with a 1.000 OPS in May, and could have gotten there had he not finished the final couple of games on the injured list. Not only did he put up five doubles and a triple, but an otherwise gap hitter blasted five home runs as well. His 23 RBI were easily the best on the team for St. Paul this month, and he swiped eight bases in ten attempts.
Honorable Mention #1 - Emmanuel Rodriguez 20 G, 20-71, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI
To suggest there is little left for Emmanuel Rodriguez to prove at Double-A may be putting it lightly, and that’s certainly saying something given that he has played just 36 games. However, after a solid season with High-A Cedar Rapids last year, one of Minnesota’s best prospects has made the Texas League look easy.
In May he owned a .995 OPS with five doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Rodriguez drove in 10 runs while drawing 20 walks against just 25 strikeouts. His plate approach is well beyond his years, and he has honed in what pitches to swing at while attempting to do damage. It truly is something special, and he could close in on a big-league debut this season if this keeps up.
Hitter of the Month - Luke Keaschall 27 G, 39-104, 8 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 6 SB
One of the early-season promotions, Keaschall played just 44 games for Cedar Rapids in 2024. After finishing his final eight games there last year, a May that included a 1.097 OPS was never going to keep him in the Midwest League long. The second round pick during the 2023 draft has blossomed early in his professional career, and it’s worth wondering if he isn’t a top-5 Twins prospect at this point.
With seven doubles and five home runs for Cedar Rapids, Keaschall also struck out two less times than the amount of walks he drew. The former Arizona State Sun Devil plated 14 runs and stole five bases at Cedar Rapids, and he has gotten off to a strong start in limited action with Double-A Wichita as well.
Who would have been your choice for Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month? Get involved in the comments below.

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

TRANSACTIONS
None to report
SAINTS SENTINEL
Rochester 8, St. Paul 2
Box Score
It was Louie Varland making the start on Friday night for St. Paul, and he is still looking to find sustained and renewed success at Triple-A since his demotion. Working five innings, Varland gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits. The Saints pitcher walked a pair and struck out six.
Royce Lewis remained in the lineup for the Saints, and will reportedly return for the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday as he makes the short trek from upstate New York into the big city. On the evening he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Down 4-0 through four innings, complete with a bases-loaded walk by former Minnesota prospect Travis Blankenhorn, St. Paul finally answered. Diego A. Castillo doubled home both Tony Kemp and Will Holland to halve the deficit. Rochester continued to add, though, and they pushed it back to an 8-2 tally by the bottom of the seventh inning.
Despite pushing a pair of runners into scoring position during the ninth inning, St. Paul couldn’t cash in on either, and the potential rally never got going. Kemp had three of the team’s seven total hits while also stealing a base.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 3, Wichita 1
Box Score
Prospect Marco Raya got the start for Wichita, but it was a tough one. Allowing three runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning, that was the only frame he’d be given. Needing 28 pitches to record three outs, Raya was sent to the showers.
Luke Keaschall scored on a Tanner Schobel first-inning groundout to get one back, but the sides then went scoreless. Down to their final three outs, needing a pair of runs, Wichita sent the top of their lineup to the dish. Unfortunately, they went down in order, and that's how this one ended. With just five hits, only Aaron Sabato recorded a pair.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 4
Box Score
Cedar Rapids turned to Darren Bowen for the start on Friday night. He allowed four hits on seven runs across 4 2/3 innings of work. Bowen didn’t walk anyone and struck out three.
Dalton Shuffield opened the scoring in the second inning with a single that scored Misael Urbina. Ricardo Olivar then homered for the seventh time this season to make it 2-0 in the third inning. Urbina scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to give the Kernels a 3-0 lead before a four-run fifth inning put Lake County on top for the first time.
Urbina continued his productive night with a sixth-inning home run to retake the lead. His two-run shot, the third of his season, scored Rayne Doncon and made it a 5-4 ballgame. Blasting his second shot of the game, Olivar hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, scoring Keoni Cavaco and giving the Kernels a 7-4 cushion. Urbina joined him as the only other Cedar Rapids batter with a pair of hits.
MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 2
Box Score
Cesar Lares made the start and worked five innings of two-run baseball. Scattering six hits and a pair of walks, the Mighty Mussels starter also picked up six strikeouts on the evening.
Scoreless into the fourth inning, Fort Myers plated the first run of the game. Byron Chourio doubled to score Poncho Ruiz before a Maddux Houghton sacrifice fly scored Rixon Wingrove to make it a 2-0 lead. A fielder error allowed Yohander Martinez to reach and the errant throw scored both Chourio and Ryan McCarthy.
The fifth inning saw Brandeton plate a pair two draw within two, but Chourio scored Brandon Winokur on a single to mitigate the damage. Up 5-2 in the sixth inning, Payton Eeles brought home Houghton on a sacrifice fly before Brooks Lee drove in McCarthy and Martinez with a single of his own. Up 8-2, needing just nine more outs, they found themselves in a good spot.
Tanner Hall and Xander Hamilton both worked a pair of innings to close out the game. Lee, who is continuing his rehab assignment, went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Chourio had two hits as well.

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 1, FCL Red Sox 0
Box Score
Rehabbing Twins prospect Cory Lewis drew the start today for the FCL squad. He was great, allowing just a single hit across three innings of work. Lewis walked one but struck out four. Walker Jenkins also continued his rehab assignment, leading off as the designated hitter. He went 1-for-1 with three walks.
The only run of the game came on a Dameury Pena solo shot in the fourth inning. The big fly was his second of the season. Pena also had two hits on the day to lead the team. Tomas Cleo got the win, his first of the season, working three scoreless innings of relief.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)
PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – FCL Rehab - 1-1, 3 BB
#2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – Fort Myers Rehab - 2-4, 2 RBI
#6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K
#8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-2, 2 BB
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-5, R
#10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 0-2, R, 2 BB, K
#12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 0-2, 2 BB
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-4, RBI, K
#15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – FCL Rehab - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 4 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-4, 2 K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)
SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Rochester (5:45 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (1-1, 2.77 ERA)
Wichita vs Springfield (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Pierson Ohl (3-2, 3.51 ERA)
Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Fort Myers vs Bradenton (3:00 PM CST) – RHP Charlee Soto (0-2, 6.35 ERA)
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

Through the first quarter of their season Rocco Baldelli’s club has been consistently inconsistent. That has been evident for multiple players, but veteran free agent addition Carlos Santana is chief among them. While he has been a solid defender at first base, the bat has left plenty to be desired. The addition of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the lineup could help provide some thump, but the hurdles to grab him are plenty.
First, the Toronto Blue Jays would need to be willing to part with a player that has become synonymous with their organization. Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are staples for the Blue Jays, and Ross Atkins may not want to part with either of the franchise favorites even as they struggled to contend entering the summer.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has heard they may be open to the idea though, and that could help jumpstart something of a retooling for their roster. Recently Bleacher Report put together a list of teams that could have interest in Guerrero Jr.’s services, and with where the Twins first base situation currently stands, it makes sense that they would be on it.
Therein lies the second problem. Signed to a $19.9 million contract this season through arbitration, Minnesota would be adding a sizable chunk of the money they pocketed when cutting payroll. Despite grabbing the most lucrative television deal possible, they didn’t reinvest those funds this offseason, and doing so over the summer while underachieving to a certain extent seems curious.
Guerrero Jr. isn’t a free agent until 2026, which means his final year of arbitration still is on the table, but that isn’t going to come with a significantly depressed price tag no matter what sort of production he puts up this year. Minnesota could use him next year as well, but with contracts kicking in for Carlos Correa, Pablo Lopez, and a handful of new arbitration eligible players, the payroll is going to be in an interesting spot regardless.
Then there’s the suggestion of what it would cost. Despite Feinsand quoting an American League executive saying “the asks were ridiculous” the suggested trade has Minnesota parting with only Gabriel Gonzalez and cash. Falvey just acquired Gonzalez as the only usable piece in exchange for Jorge Polanco, and despite being a fringe Top 100 prospect, that doesn’t seem nearly enough to get it done. Minnesota also kicking in the dollars for the deal makes things less logical.
It’s certainly possible that Minnesota finds themselves as buyers this summer if they can show a better and more consistent path towards contention. How they go about accomplishing that relies on creativity or more buy-in from ownership though, and it’s something we have been given no inclination that they are willing to do. The Twins can’t trot out the same problems months from now if they want to be taken seriously, but what commitment there is to a shuffle is definitely a wait and see game.
What would you be willing to give up if Guerrero Jr. was on the table, and do you think the Twins would actually commit to adding that payroll?

TRANSACTIONS
None to report
SAINTS SENTINEL
Rochester 8, St. Paul 2
Box Score
It was Louie Varland making the start on Friday night for St. Paul, and he is still looking to find sustained and renewed success at Triple-A since his demotion. Working five innings, Varland gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits. The Saints pitcher walked a pair and struck out six.
Royce Lewis remained in the lineup for the Saints, and will reportedly return for the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday as he makes the short trek from upstate New York into the big city. On the evening he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Down 4-0 through four innings, complete with a bases-loaded walk by former Minnesota prospect Travis Blankenhorn, St. Paul finally answered. Diego A. Castillo doubled home both Tony Kemp and Will Holland to halve the deficit. Rochester continued to add, though, and they pushed it back to an 8-2 tally by the bottom of the seventh inning.
Despite pushing a pair of runners into scoring position during the ninth inning, St. Paul couldn’t cash in on either, and the potential rally never got going. Kemp had three of the team’s seven total hits while also stealing a base.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 3, Wichita 1
Box Score
Prospect Marco Raya got the start for Wichita, but it was a tough one. Allowing three runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning, that was the only frame he’d be given. Needing 28 pitches to record three outs, Raya was sent to the showers.
Luke Keaschall scored on a Tanner Schobel first-inning groundout to get one back, but the sides then went scoreless. Down to their final three outs, needing a pair of runs, Wichita sent the top of their lineup to the dish. Unfortunately, they went down in order, and that's how this one ended. With just five hits, only Aaron Sabato recorded a pair.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 4
Box Score
Cedar Rapids turned to Darren Bowen for the start on Friday night. He allowed four hits on seven runs across 4 2/3 innings of work. Bowen didn’t walk anyone and struck out three.
Dalton Shuffield opened the scoring in the second inning with a single that scored Misael Urbina. Ricardo Olivar then homered for the seventh time this season to make it 2-0 in the third inning. Urbina scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to give the Kernels a 3-0 lead before a four-run fifth inning put Lake County on top for the first time.
Urbina continued his productive night with a sixth-inning home run to retake the lead. His two-run shot, the third of his season, scored Rayne Doncon and made it a 5-4 ballgame. Blasting his second shot of the game, Olivar hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, scoring Keoni Cavaco and giving the Kernels a 7-4 cushion. Urbina joined him as the only other Cedar Rapids batter with a pair of hits.
MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 2
Box Score
Cesar Lares made the start and worked five innings of two-run baseball. Scattering six hits and a pair of walks, the Mighty Mussels starter also picked up six strikeouts on the evening.
Scoreless into the fourth inning, Fort Myers plated the first run of the game. Byron Chourio doubled to score Poncho Ruiz before a Maddux Houghton sacrifice fly scored Rixon Wingrove to make it a 2-0 lead. A fielder error allowed Yohander Martinez to reach and the errant throw scored both Chourio and Ryan McCarthy.
The fifth inning saw Brandeton plate a pair two draw within two, but Chourio scored Brandon Winokur on a single to mitigate the damage. Up 5-2 in the sixth inning, Payton Eeles brought home Houghton on a sacrifice fly before Brooks Lee drove in McCarthy and Martinez with a single of his own. Up 8-2, needing just nine more outs, they found themselves in a good spot.
Tanner Hall and Xander Hamilton both worked a pair of innings to close out the game. Lee, who is continuing his rehab assignment, went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Chourio had two hits as well.

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 1, FCL Red Sox 0
Box Score
Rehabbing Twins prospect Cory Lewis drew the start today for the FCL squad. He was great, allowing just a single hit across three innings of work. Lewis walked one but struck out four. Walker Jenkins also continued his rehab assignment, leading off as the designated hitter. He went 1-for-1 with three walks.
The only run of the game came on a Dameury Pena solo shot in the fourth inning. The big fly was his second of the season. Pena also had two hits on the day to lead the team. Tomas Cleo got the win, his first of the season, working three scoreless innings of relief.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)
PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – FCL Rehab - 1-1, 3 BB
#2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – Fort Myers Rehab - 2-4, 2 RBI
#6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K
#8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-2, 2 BB
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-5, R
#10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 0-2, R, 2 BB, K
#12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 0-2, 2 BB
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-4, RBI, K
#15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – FCL Rehab - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 4 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-4, 2 K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)
SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Rochester (5:45 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (1-1, 2.77 ERA)
Wichita vs Springfield (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Pierson Ohl (3-2, 3.51 ERA)
Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Fort Myers vs Bradenton (3:00 PM CST) – RHP Charlee Soto (0-2, 6.35 ERA)
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

TRANSACTIONS
None to report
SAINTS SENTINEL
Rochester 8, St. Paul 2
Box Score
It was Louie Varland making the start on Friday night for St. Paul, and he is still looking to find sustained and renewed success at Triple-A since his demotion. Working five innings, Varland gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits. The Saints pitcher walked a pair and struck out six.
Royce Lewis remained in the lineup for the Saints, and will reportedly return for the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday as he makes the short trek from upstate New York into the big city. On the evening he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Down 4-0 through four innings, complete with a bases-loaded walk by former Minnesota prospect Travis Blankenhorn, St. Paul finally answered. Diego A. Castillo doubled home both Tony Kemp and Will Holland to halve the deficit. Rochester continued to add, though, and they pushed it back to an 8-2 tally by the bottom of the seventh inning.
Despite pushing a pair of runners into scoring position during the ninth inning, St. Paul couldn’t cash in on either, and the potential rally never got going. Kemp had three of the team’s seven total hits while also stealing a base.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 3, Wichita 1
Box Score
Prospect Marco Raya got the start for Wichita, but it was a tough one. Allowing three runs on three hits and a walk in the first inning, that was the only frame he’d be given. Needing 28 pitches to record three outs, Raya was sent to the showers.
Luke Keaschall scored on a Tanner Schobel first-inning groundout to get one back, but the sides then went scoreless. Down to their final three outs, needing a pair of runs, Wichita sent the top of their lineup to the dish. Unfortunately, they went down in order, and that's how this one ended. With just five hits, only Aaron Sabato recorded a pair.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 4
Box Score
Cedar Rapids turned to Darren Bowen for the start on Friday night. He allowed four hits on seven runs across 4 2/3 innings of work. Bowen didn’t walk anyone and struck out three.
Dalton Shuffield opened the scoring in the second inning with a single that scored Misael Urbina. Ricardo Olivar then homered for the seventh time this season to make it 2-0 in the third inning. Urbina scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to give the Kernels a 3-0 lead before a four-run fifth inning put Lake County on top for the first time.
Urbina continued his productive night with a sixth-inning home run to retake the lead. His two-run shot, the third of his season, scored Rayne Doncon and made it a 5-4 ballgame. Blasting his second shot of the game, Olivar hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, scoring Keoni Cavaco and giving the Kernels a 7-4 cushion. Urbina joined him as the only other Cedar Rapids batter with a pair of hits.
MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 2
Box Score
Cesar Lares made the start and worked five innings of two-run baseball. Scattering six hits and a pair of walks, the Mighty Mussels starter also picked up six strikeouts on the evening.
Scoreless into the fourth inning, Fort Myers plated the first run of the game. Byron Chourio doubled to score Poncho Ruiz before a Maddux Houghton sacrifice fly scored Rixon Wingrove to make it a 2-0 lead. A fielder error allowed Yohander Martinez to reach and the errant throw scored both Chourio and Ryan McCarthy.
The fifth inning saw Brandeton plate a pair two draw within two, but Chourio scored Brandon Winokur on a single to mitigate the damage. Up 5-2 in the sixth inning, Payton Eeles brought home Houghton on a sacrifice fly before Brooks Lee drove in McCarthy and Martinez with a single of his own. Up 8-2, needing just nine more outs, they found themselves in a good spot.
Tanner Hall and Xander Hamilton both worked a pair of innings to close out the game. Lee, who is continuing his rehab assignment, went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Chourio had two hits as well.

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 1, FCL Red Sox 0
Box Score
Rehabbing Twins prospect Cory Lewis drew the start today for the FCL squad. He was great, allowing just a single hit across three innings of work. Lewis walked one but struck out four. Walker Jenkins also continued his rehab assignment, leading off as the designated hitter. He went 1-for-1 with three walks.
The only run of the game came on a Dameury Pena solo shot in the fourth inning. The big fly was his second of the season. Pena also had two hits on the day to lead the team. Tomas Cleo got the win, his first of the season, working three scoreless innings of relief.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)
PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – FCL Rehab - 1-1, 3 BB
#2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – Fort Myers Rehab - 2-4, 2 RBI
#6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, K
#8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-2, 2 BB
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-5, R
#10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 0-2, R, 2 BB, K
#12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 0-2, 2 BB
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-4, RBI, K
#15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – FCL Rehab - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 4 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-4, 2 K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(8)
SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Rochester (5:45 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (1-1, 2.77 ERA)
Wichita vs Springfield (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Pierson Ohl (3-2, 3.51 ERA)
Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Fort Myers vs Bradenton (3:00 PM CST) – RHP Charlee Soto (0-2, 6.35 ERA)
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

TRANSACTIONS
RHP Cody Laweryson activated from IL by Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL
Rochester 6, St. Paul 3
Box Score
Royce Lewis continued his rehab assignment with the Saints, as he batted second and played third base this morning. The game started at 10 AM Central, and maybe that contributed to something of a sluggish start.
Jordan Balazovic worked as the opener, throwing two innings and allowing a pair of runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three. Down 5-0 through five innings, Matt Wallner got the good guys on the board with a home run. His two-run shot scored Diego A. Castillo and became his fourth straight game with an extra-base hit.
Down 6-2 in the eighth inning, Lewis was lifted for Yoyner Fajardo, after going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. Yunior Severino crushed a solo shot in the ninth inning to give St. Paul another run, but with two outs already recorded, there wasn’t enough runway to complete the comeback.
Alex Isola was the lone Saints hitter to record a pair of hits, as they struck out 12 times while drawing only three walks. Kody Funderburk was the only pitcher to avoid a run, but did give up a walk.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 7, Wichita 5
Box Score
Travis Adams started for the Wind Surge on Thursday, and the Cardinals saw him a bit too well. They got him for 11 hits, leading to seven runs. He didn’t walk anyone, but struck out just two.
Down 5-0 before they took at-bats in the bottom of the second inning, Wichita had plenty of work to do. Tanner Schobel provided a spark, launching his second home run of the season, and the solo shot got them on the board. Unfortunately, Springfield answered with two more runs of their own.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Kala’i Rosario singled home Jake Rucker, and while it wasn’t the damage he did on Wednesday night, it notched the second Wind Surge run of the evening. Luke Keaschall singled home Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko in the fifth inning to make it a 7-4 game. He has picked up right where he left off prior to his promotion. Carson McCusker lofted a sacrifice fly, scoring Keaschall and bringing Wichita within two.
Sabato singled to open the ninth inning and give Wichita a chance, and Jorel Ortega replaced him on the base paths. Down to the team's final out, Keaschall stepped in and singled, bringing the winning run to the plate. Rucker, the only other player with two hits on the night, was set to be the batter. He singled to load the bases for Rosario with a chance to do it again. On a 1-2 pitch, he swung through a foul tip and the threat was over.
After a tough start, the bullpen of Mike Paredes, Cody Laweryson, and Miguel Rodriguez pitched wonderfully to cover four scoreless innings.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 4, Lake County 2
Box Score
Christian MacLeod worked four innings of one-run baseball. He worked around three hits and a walk, while striking out one.
The sides traded runs in the second inning, and the Kernels got theirs on a José Salas double that scored Misael Urbina. Lake County took the lead again with a run in the seventh inning, but Cedar Rapids wasn’t going to settle. Ricardo Olivar singled to score the recently promoted Kyle Hess and tie the ballgame.
Looking for a victory before extras, Rayne Doncon stepped up in a big way. With one out in the ninth inning, following an Urbina walk, the prospect acquired alongside Manuel Margot blasted his first High-A home run to walk it off with a victory. With just five hits on the day, it was the big fly that did the most damage. Reliever Ricardo Velez got the win, moving his record to 5-0 on the year.
MUSSEL MATTERS
With inclement weather appearing at Hammond Stadium on Thursday, the game with Bradenton was postponed and will be made up as a doubleheader on Saturday.
COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Orioles 10, FCL Twins 2
Box Score
After they had a day off Wednesday, Walker Jenkins and the FCL Twins were back in action. Joel Garcia made the start and worked two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. The Orioles put up a three-spot against Eduardo Soriano in the third inning, and got him for four more in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead.
Dameury Pena scored Amilcar Vasquez on a fifth inning groundout to score the Twins first run. Down 10-1 before their final at bats, Jenkins crushed a double to score Yilber Herrera. Jenkins scored on a Hendry Chivili single, but the third run was the last for the Twins. Javier Roman was the only player to grab a pair of hits.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Christian MacLeod (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Hitter of the Day – Jake Rucker (Wichita) - 3-5, R, K
PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 1-4, 2B, R
#8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-4, 2 K
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K
#12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 1-4, RBI, K
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-4, R, RBI, HR(2), 3 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-3, HR(9), BB, K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI, 2 K
FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05 PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (2-3, 4.41 ERA)
Wichita vs Springfield (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Marco Raya (0-0, 4.21 ERA)
Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Darren Bowen (2-2, 4.32 ERA)
Fort Myers vs Bradenton (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Ross Dunn (0-0, 3.42 ERA)
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

On a daily basis, you can hear the bickering caused by the announcement of Rocco Baldelli’s lineup card. Regardless of how a guy may be going, the handedness of the opposing pitcher will dictate what players start, and where they fall in the batting order. With the rise of pinch-hitting in the era of a universal designated hitter, Minnesota is doing the most to pad the stats. The problem is: their blueprint isn’t working.
Over the course of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, about the only thing that has remained constant for the Minnesota Twins is their inability to be consistent. Throwing up gaudy winning and losing streaks, they find themselves looking up at both the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals in the standings. As they continue to get healthier, returning Royce Lewis to the lineup in short order even, playing their best players could benefit them--and if those players can be clearly identified, they should be prioritized even in ostensibly suboptimal lineups.
As Twins Daily’s Gregg Masterson pointed out recently, there are few teams doing more to actively hurt themselves at the dish than Minnesota. Through 65 games, no team has more at-bats coming from pinch hitters than Baldelli’s group. Of the 55 at-bats taken, only five have gone for extra-bases (four doubles and a Ryan Jeffers home run), while the .182 batting average ranks 20th. The OPS for these spots from Minnesota checks in 17th across baseball and they have produced a near-neutral fWAR.
What’s most problematic, or maybe most telling as to why the numbers aren’t better, is the fact that the Twins are using inferior hitters off the bench. Both Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot have been poor hitters to this point in the season, and while they should have an ideal opportunity when facing southpaws, it doesn’t bear fruit while they are going as they have been.
Beyond just inserting a pinch-hitter into the lineup, Minnesota is actively tying itself down to inferior talent later in the game by allowing those types of players to grab multiple at-bats. As mentioned previously, this is a strategy that has been going on for two years, and it worked last season for Baldelli. However, none of those options were carrying an OPS+ below 50 with more than 100 plate appearances of a sample size.
It could benefit Baldelli and the Twins to be a bit more selective in the spots where they work with a platoon. Should a left-handed starter be on the mound, someone like a Margot or Farmer opening the game in the lineup (only to be removed following their first plate appearance without success) may bear fruit. Getting more at-bats for better hitters, regardless of their handedness, could help to spark a needed offensive explosion.
The idea of a platoon, and of pinch-hitting for optimal hitting conditions, is to play on a batter’s tendency for enhanced sightlines. With pitches not able to work the same while being on the opposite side of the box, it’s a relatively straightforward thought process. However, the less we see Farmer or Margot, and the more routinely Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Jeffers remain in the lineup, the better.
We are just one-third of the way through the season, and maybe some of the Twins' struggling veterans find a way to get back to their career norms. If that happens, then they’ll rise through the ranks even if still employing this strategy. If it doesn't, though, it will continue to sink them, and the platoon disadvantage will have been something the team played into all season long.

It was a surprise when he landed in Minnesota in 2022. That he came back in 2023, with nine more years of team control beyond that, seemed almost too good to be true. Then, when a foot injury slowed him virtually all season, the frustrations toward a guy twice passed over for health reasons mounted. Maybe "too good to be true" was right. Coming into spring training this year, Carlos Correa noted feeling entirely different. He was healthy and good to go.
Turns out, he was right.
Thirty-two games into his second season (he missed about three weeks with an intercostal strain in April), Correa owns an .817 OPS, good enough for a 134 OPS+. His on-base skills are back to an elite level, and he’s once again crushing the ball. All of this is taking place while he is back to playing incredible defense and leading a Minnesota team desperate for his presence. He isn’t quite tracking toward the 6.3 fWAR he posted during his last season with Houston, but at this rate, he should be well above his career averages.
Looking under the hood, it’s hard to find a place where Correa hasn’t made strikes. His walk rate is a career best, and his strikeout rate is just off a career low. His barrel rate is above 10% for just the third time in his career, and the quality of contact has generated an xBA of .298, 30 points higher than his actual batting average. The expected slugging and wOBA are also heavily to his favor, and as a savant of the numbers, you best bet he knows it.
When at his best, Correa is a line-drive hitter capable of over-the-fence power, but without depending on that to create positive value. His 32% ground ball rate is the lowest of his career, and the 32.6% line drive rate is the highest. That reverses a trend from last year, when part of the damage done by his injury seemed to be compromised drive off his back leg, leading to a lot of ground balls. Although the hard-hit rate has room to grow, he’s never generated less soft contact. He's locked in, making excellent swing decisions, chasing outside the zone at the lowest rate of his career and whiffing as rarely as ever. Pitchers have to come into the zone on him, and when they do, he's ready to punish them.
Even with his feet healthy again, he's no speed demon. Conservatism and a certain picking of spots to turn on the jets have characterized his game for years. His sprint speed is up this year, though, and he's rangier on defense than he was throughout 2023. Although the metrics don’t speak of him as glowingly in the field, his arm talent remains elite, and it’s clear to see that he’s a different player in 2024.
Outside of a brief stint on the injured list, his body has cooperated in the exact ways he’d hoped it would. For a guy tightly attuned to his own health and visibly frustrated each time his body betrayed him last year, it has to be a great mental relief to feel better and be able to do what he knows he's capable of doing.
Correa will be an indispensable driver of the Twins' efforts to chase down the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals and regain their standing atop the AL Central. The pair of teams at the top of the division have been much hotter and luckier out of the gate, and they're not going to ease off the accelerator from here. Minnesota will need to do more to substantiate themselves as a competitor, but with a healthy Correa, they're capable of it.
The Twins already have one fragile would-be superstar, in Byron Buxton. That’s going to be a constant and nagging issue for the duration of his career. It wasn’t expected to be a similar situation for Correa, and now, it seems that 2023 was more of an outlier than an indication of the future. That couldn’t be a better development, for all involved.

Box Score
SP: Chris Paddack 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 88 pitches, 54 strikes, 8 whiffs
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers 2 (12)
Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa 0.30, Ryan Jeffers 0.22, Max Kepler 0.15
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Paddack Welcomed by Pasquantino
Starting Thursday for the Twins, Chris Paddack was looking for smoother sailing than Kansas City afforded their son, Bailey Ober. Walking leadoff batter Maikel García wasn’t ideal, but he did get Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out. Vinnie Pasquantino then stepped in, healthy and back in the lineup following his collision on Tuesday with Byron Buxton. Paddack flipped a curveball that hung, and the Royals first baseman sent it 417 feet into the right field bleachers. 
Manuel Margot singled to respond in the bottom half for the Twins, and Carlos Correa nearly had one of his own, but Witt Jr. ranged and made a tremendous throw to get him. Outs from Ryan Jeffers and José Miranda stranded the leadoff hitter-cum-baserunner at second base.
Not to be outdone defensively, Carlos Santana flashed his athleticism in the top of the second inning. While his bat has yet to produce consistent results, he’s been every bit as billed in the field.
Witt Wallops One, Jeffers Answers
As he has done all series against the Twins, Witt Jr. made his mark on this game, crushing a double deep into the left-center field gap. García came around to score for the second time and gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead. An MJ Melendez fourth-inning solo shot made it a 4-0 game, and this one seemed to be slipping away.
Finally awakening from a slumber that they had slogged through for three innings, though, the offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the fourth. Correa reached on an error by García, before Jeffers broke out of his slump with a two-run shot into the bullpen. Keeping the party going, José Miranda and Willi Castro sandwiched a Byron Buxton out with a pair of singles, to put runners on first and second with just the one out. Kyle Farmer got plunked on a slider and the bases were loaded. Santana got gassed up on a 92-mph fastball to go down with a 3-2 count. That left things up to Christian Vázquez, and he lofted a lazy fly out to left, leaving the bases chucked.
They'd cut into Kansas City's advantage, though, and it continued the next inning. Trying out a new strategy, Jeffers decided he was going to send baseballs into the Royals bullpen and take them out before they could enter the game. Launching his second dinger of the game, recording his third multi-homer game, Minnesota’s designated hitter made it a one-run game in the fifth.
Kepler Comes Up Clutch
As Rocco Baldelli has done for some time now, he worked a platoon lineup again on Thursday. Castro flipped sides at the dish with Chris Stratton coming on in relief, and after beating out an infield single, he advanced to second on Witt Jr.’s throwing error. Max Kepler came off the bench to pinch hit for Kyle Farmer, and dumped a single to left field to drive in the tying run. 
Walks for Santana and Margot brought Correa to the plate with the bases loaded. Getting into the #WolvesBack flavor before Thursday’s Game 5 at Target Center, the Minnesota shortstop banged a triple into the corner, clearing the bases and making it a 7-4 game. Minnesota knocked Stratton out of the game and John Schreiber was tasked with getting Jeffers and stopping the damage. Walking the designated hitter, he did get Miranda to ground out, stopping the bleeding.
Jorge Says Nope to St. Paul
Coming on to protect the three-run lead, Jorge Alcala was set to remind the Twins why he has no business in St. Paul. Striking out a pair, he hit 100 mph for the first time since 2021, while getting three whiffs on just 13 pitches. Griffin Jax then DMX’d his way onto the field for the eighth inning.
With Jhoan Duran coming on to his day game experience, the Twins were in position to lock it down. He made things entirely too interesting with a walk and a throwing error for what should have been the second out, allowed a Witt Jr. single to make it a 7-6 game. Pasquantino gave Duran another opportunity to make a play, and he executed this one to end the game.
Notes
Royce Lewis started at third base and batted second today for the St. Paul Saints. Walker Jenkins led off for the FCL team and played center field. Lewis went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while Jenkins doubled and scored going 1-for-4. Minnesota heading to play the Yankees on Monday means Lewis would have a quick trip from upstate down to the city.
What’s Next? 
Minnesota heads to Houston for a three-game series with the Astros. It kicks off a 10 day, nine game, road trip that includes stops in New York and Pittsburgh. Pitch matchups for the series against Houston are as follows:
5/31 Pablo Lopez vs Ronel Blanco
6/1 Joe Ryan vs Framber Valdez
6/2 Simeon Woods Richardson vs Hunter Brown
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

TRANSACTIONS
RHP Cody Laweryson activated from IL by Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL
Rochester 6, St. Paul 3
Box Score
Royce Lewis continued his rehab assignment with the Saints, as he batted second and played third base this morning. The game started at 10 AM Central, and maybe that contributed to something of a sluggish start.
Jordan Balazovic worked as the opener, throwing two innings and allowing a pair of runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three. Down 5-0 through five innings, Matt Wallner got the good guys on the board with a home run. His two-run shot scored Diego A. Castillo and became his fourth straight game with an extra-base hit.
Down 6-2 in the eighth inning, Lewis was lifted for Yoyner Fajardo, after going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. Yunior Severino crushed a solo shot in the ninth inning to give St. Paul another run, but with two outs already recorded, there wasn’t enough runway to complete the comeback.
Alex Isola was the lone Saints hitter to record a pair of hits, as they struck out 12 times while drawing only three walks. Kody Funderburk was the only pitcher to avoid a run, but did give up a walk.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Springfield 7, Wichita 5
Box Score
Travis Adams started for the Wind Surge on Thursday, and the Cardinals saw him a bit too well. They got him for 11 hits, leading to seven runs. He didn’t walk anyone, but struck out just two.
Down 5-0 before they took at-bats in the bottom of the second inning, Wichita had plenty of work to do. Tanner Schobel provided a spark, launching his second home run of the season, and the solo shot got them on the board. Unfortunately, Springfield answered with two more runs of their own.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Kala’i Rosario singled home Jake Rucker, and while it wasn’t the damage he did on Wednesday night, it notched the second Wind Surge run of the evening. Luke Keaschall singled home Aaron Sabato and Kyler Fedko in the fifth inning to make it a 7-4 game. He has picked up right where he left off prior to his promotion. Carson McCusker lofted a sacrifice fly, scoring Keaschall and bringing Wichita within two.
Sabato singled to open the ninth inning and give Wichita a chance, and Jorel Ortega replaced him on the base paths. Down to the team's final out, Keaschall stepped in and singled, bringing the winning run to the plate. Rucker, the only other player with two hits on the night, was set to be the batter. He singled to load the bases for Rosario with a chance to do it again. On a 1-2 pitch, he swung through a foul tip and the threat was over.
After a tough start, the bullpen of Mike Paredes, Cody Laweryson, and Miguel Rodriguez pitched wonderfully to cover four scoreless innings.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 4, Lake County 2
Box Score
Christian MacLeod worked four innings of one-run baseball. He worked around three hits and a walk, while striking out one.
The sides traded runs in the second inning, and the Kernels got theirs on a José Salas double that scored Misael Urbina. Lake County took the lead again with a run in the seventh inning, but Cedar Rapids wasn’t going to settle. Ricardo Olivar singled to score the recently promoted Kyle Hess and tie the ballgame.
Looking for a victory before extras, Rayne Doncon stepped up in a big way. With one out in the ninth inning, following an Urbina walk, the prospect acquired alongside Manuel Margot blasted his first High-A home run to walk it off with a victory. With just five hits on the day, it was the big fly that did the most damage. Reliever Ricardo Velez got the win, moving his record to 5-0 on the year.
MUSSEL MATTERS
With inclement weather appearing at Hammond Stadium on Thursday, the game with Bradenton was postponed and will be made up as a doubleheader on Saturday.
COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Orioles 10, FCL Twins 2
Box Score
After they had a day off Wednesday, Walker Jenkins and the FCL Twins were back in action. Joel Garcia made the start and worked two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. The Orioles put up a three-spot against Eduardo Soriano in the third inning, and got him for four more in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead.
Dameury Pena scored Amilcar Vasquez on a fifth inning groundout to score the Twins first run. Down 10-1 before their final at bats, Jenkins crushed a double to score Yilber Herrera. Jenkins scored on a Hendry Chivili single, but the third run was the last for the Twins. Javier Roman was the only player to grab a pair of hits.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Christian MacLeod (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Hitter of the Day – Jake Rucker (Wichita) - 3-5, R, K
PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 1-4, 2B, R
#8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 0-4, 2 K
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K
#12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 1-4, RBI, K
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-4, R, RBI, HR(2), 3 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-3, HR(9), BB, K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI, 2 K
FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05 PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (2-3, 4.41 ERA)
Wichita vs Springfield (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Marco Raya (0-0, 4.21 ERA)
Cedar Rapids vs Lake County (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Darren Bowen (2-2, 4.32 ERA)
Fort Myers vs Bradenton (6:05 PM CST) – LHP Ross Dunn (0-0, 3.42 ERA)
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!

You’re plenty familiar with Walker Jenkins, the Minnesota Twins fifth overall pick from last summer’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, but Luke Keaschall followed him (and Charlee Soto) as their second round selection, and he’s climbing the charts. Not yet on the level of Brooks Lee or Emmanuel Rodriguez, it’s getting hard not to consider him the next-best hitting prospect in the system.
After a recent refresh of the Twins Daily Top Prospects list, the former Arizona State infielder finds himself sitting ninth. He trails Gabriel Gonzalez and Austin Martin among hitters, but there are valid reasons for both. The former is a toolsy outfielder with potential on both sides of the game, and the latter is a one-time top prospect, with first round pedigree, that has already made a big league debut.
Related: Keaschall Looking to Do Damage for Kernels
None of that is to discredit Keaschall, and if you’re trying to find a way to do that at this point, it would be difficult. Just 74 games into his professional career, Keaschall has made the next level look like anything but a challenge. After posting a 1.168 OPS in his final season with the Sun Devils, Keaschall immediately took to the professional ranks and ascended to High-A as a 20-year-old.
Now 44 games into his second run with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Keaschall is batting .338 with a 1.007 OPS. He has seven longballs to his credit and has doubled 12 times. Speed isn’t something you’d necessarily expect from his profile, but quickness and instincts help to elevate him in a big way. After going a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts last season, he has started out 14-for-15 in 2024.
Not only is there real power potential from a guy that is playing second base up the middle, but his ability to command the plate and strike zone is special. With more walks than strikes, he’s built of a mold somewhere in between Luis Arraez and Edouard Julien. Continuing to be that selective while doing damage, and showing such a keen eye as he ascends the ladder, will only benefit him.
Related: Get to Know Twins Draft Pick Luke Keaschall
Among the most egregious moves, in retrospect for Minnesota’s front office over recent years has been the Tyler Mahle trade. Derek Falvey dealing two bat-only prospects in Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand for a controllable starting pitcher they believed had more almost immediately backfired. Keaschall has something of a similar profile to the two aforementioned sluggers, and can give the Twins something of a redo.
Expecting Keaschall to be a 30 homer guy down on the farm certainly isn’t going to happen, but some of his limitations could have him searching for a home defensively. Stretched on arm talent, he has played predominantly designated hitter this season for Cedar Rapids. An early injury influenced that, but he has gotten just ten starts on the dirt with another five coming in center field.
A corner spot probably isn’t ideal from his overall power value, and if second base can’t be a home, then things get tough. Like Steer before him though, the bat playing to this level would be worthy of hiding him anywhere, and we’ll soon see how legitimate it is as things come against enhanced competition. Keaschall isn’t extremely young for the High-A level, and a jump to Double-A Wichita would make sense early this summer.
Beyond what the Twins have shown from their top prospects, there are more than a few worth being aware of in the next wave. Keaschall could be among the best of them, and you’d best get familiar with him before it’s too late. Going to Double-A after just 52 games at High-A will be his toughest test yet.

Box Score
SP: Chris Paddack 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 88 pitches, 54 strikes, 8 whiffs
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers 2 (12)
Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa 0.30, Ryan Jeffers 0.22, Max Kepler 0.15
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Paddack Welcomed by Pasquantino
Starting Thursday for the Twins, Chris Paddack was looking for smoother sailing than Kansas City afforded their son, Bailey Ober. Walking leadoff batter Maikel García wasn’t ideal, but he did get Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out. Vinnie Pasquantino then stepped in, healthy and back in the lineup following his collision on Tuesday with Byron Buxton. Paddack flipped a curveball that hung, and the Royals first baseman sent it 417 feet into the right field bleachers. 
Manuel Margot singled to respond in the bottom half for the Twins, and Carlos Correa nearly had one of his own, but Witt Jr. ranged and made a tremendous throw to get him. Outs from Ryan Jeffers and José Miranda stranded the leadoff hitter-cum-baserunner at second base.
Not to be outdone defensively, Carlos Santana flashed his athleticism in the top of the second inning. While his bat has yet to produce consistent results, he’s been every bit as billed in the field.
Witt Wallops One, Jeffers Answers
As he has done all series against the Twins, Witt Jr. made his mark on this game, crushing a double deep into the left-center field gap. García came around to score for the second time and gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead. An MJ Melendez fourth-inning solo shot made it a 4-0 game, and this one seemed to be slipping away.
Finally awakening from a slumber that they had slogged through for three innings, though, the offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the fourth. Correa reached on an error by García, before Jeffers broke out of his slump with a two-run shot into the bullpen. Keeping the party going, José Miranda and Willi Castro sandwiched a Byron Buxton out with a pair of singles, to put runners on first and second with just the one out. Kyle Farmer got plunked on a slider and the bases were loaded. Santana got gassed up on a 92-mph fastball to go down with a 3-2 count. That left things up to Christian Vázquez, and he lofted a lazy fly out to left, leaving the bases chucked.
They'd cut into Kansas City's advantage, though, and it continued the next inning. Trying out a new strategy, Jeffers decided he was going to send baseballs into the Royals bullpen and take them out before they could enter the game. Launching his second dinger of the game, recording his third multi-homer game, Minnesota’s designated hitter made it a one-run game in the fifth.
Kepler Comes Up Clutch
As Rocco Baldelli has done for some time now, he worked a platoon lineup again on Thursday. Castro flipped sides at the dish with Chris Stratton coming on in relief, and after beating out an infield single, he advanced to second on Witt Jr.’s throwing error. Max Kepler came off the bench to pinch hit for Kyle Farmer, and dumped a single to left field to drive in the tying run. 
Walks for Santana and Margot brought Correa to the plate with the bases loaded. Getting into the #WolvesBack flavor before Thursday’s Game 5 at Target Center, the Minnesota shortstop banged a triple into the corner, clearing the bases and making it a 7-4 game. Minnesota knocked Stratton out of the game and John Schreiber was tasked with getting Jeffers and stopping the damage. Walking the designated hitter, he did get Miranda to ground out, stopping the bleeding.
Jorge Says Nope to St. Paul
Coming on to protect the three-run lead, Jorge Alcala was set to remind the Twins why he has no business in St. Paul. Striking out a pair, he hit 100 mph for the first time since 2021, while getting three whiffs on just 13 pitches. Griffin Jax then DMX’d his way onto the field for the eighth inning.
With Jhoan Duran coming on to his day game experience, the Twins were in position to lock it down. He made things entirely too interesting with a walk and a throwing error for what should have been the second out, allowed a Witt Jr. single to make it a 7-6 game. Pasquantino gave Duran another opportunity to make a play, and he executed this one to end the game.
Notes
Royce Lewis started at third base and batted second today for the St. Paul Saints. Walker Jenkins led off for the FCL team and played center field. Lewis went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while Jenkins doubled and scored going 1-for-4. Minnesota heading to play the Yankees on Monday means Lewis would have a quick trip from upstate down to the city.
What’s Next? 
Minnesota heads to Houston for a three-game series with the Astros. It kicks off a 10 day, nine game, road trip that includes stops in New York and Pittsburgh. Pitch matchups for the series against Houston are as follows:
5/31 Pablo Lopez vs Ronel Blanco
6/1 Joe Ryan vs Framber Valdez
6/2 Simeon Woods Richardson vs Hunter Brown
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Box Score
SP: Chris Paddack 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 88 pitches, 54 strikes, 8 whiffs
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers 2 (12)
Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa 0.30, Ryan Jeffers 0.22, Max Kepler 0.15
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Paddack Welcomed by Pasquantino
Starting Thursday for the Twins, Chris Paddack was looking for smoother sailing than Kansas City afforded their son, Bailey Ober. Walking leadoff batter Maikel García wasn’t ideal, but he did get Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out. Vinnie Pasquantino then stepped in, healthy and back in the lineup following his collision on Tuesday with Byron Buxton. Paddack flipped a curveball that hung, and the Royals first baseman sent it 417 feet into the right field bleachers. 
Manuel Margot singled to respond in the bottom half for the Twins, and Carlos Correa nearly had one of his own, but Witt Jr. ranged and made a tremendous throw to get him. Outs from Ryan Jeffers and José Miranda stranded the leadoff hitter-cum-baserunner at second base.
Not to be outdone defensively, Carlos Santana flashed his athleticism in the top of the second inning. While his bat has yet to produce consistent results, he’s been every bit as billed in the field.
Witt Wallops One, Jeffers Answers
As he has done all series against the Twins, Witt Jr. made his mark on this game, crushing a double deep into the left-center field gap. García came around to score for the second time and gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead. An MJ Melendez fourth-inning solo shot made it a 4-0 game, and this one seemed to be slipping away.
Finally awakening from a slumber that they had slogged through for three innings, though, the offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the fourth. Correa reached on an error by García, before Jeffers broke out of his slump with a two-run shot into the bullpen. Keeping the party going, José Miranda and Willi Castro sandwiched a Byron Buxton out with a pair of singles, to put runners on first and second with just the one out. Kyle Farmer got plunked on a slider and the bases were loaded. Santana got gassed up on a 92-mph fastball to go down with a 3-2 count. That left things up to Christian Vázquez, and he lofted a lazy fly out to left, leaving the bases chucked.
They'd cut into Kansas City's advantage, though, and it continued the next inning. Trying out a new strategy, Jeffers decided he was going to send baseballs into the Royals bullpen and take them out before they could enter the game. Launching his second dinger of the game, recording his third multi-homer game, Minnesota’s designated hitter made it a one-run game in the fifth.
Kepler Comes Up Clutch
As Rocco Baldelli has done for some time now, he worked a platoon lineup again on Thursday. Castro flipped sides at the dish with Chris Stratton coming on in relief, and after beating out an infield single, he advanced to second on Witt Jr.’s throwing error. Max Kepler came off the bench to pinch hit for Kyle Farmer, and dumped a single to left field to drive in the tying run. 
Walks for Santana and Margot brought Correa to the plate with the bases loaded. Getting into the #WolvesBack flavor before Thursday’s Game 5 at Target Center, the Minnesota shortstop banged a triple into the corner, clearing the bases and making it a 7-4 game. Minnesota knocked Stratton out of the game and John Schreiber was tasked with getting Jeffers and stopping the damage. Walking the designated hitter, he did get Miranda to ground out, stopping the bleeding.
Jorge Says Nope to St. Paul
Coming on to protect the three-run lead, Jorge Alcala was set to remind the Twins why he has no business in St. Paul. Striking out a pair, he hit 100 mph for the first time since 2021, while getting three whiffs on just 13 pitches. Griffin Jax then DMX’d his way onto the field for the eighth inning.
With Jhoan Duran coming on to his day game experience, the Twins were in position to lock it down. He made things entirely too interesting with a walk and a throwing error for what should have been the second out, allowed a Witt Jr. single to make it a 7-6 game. Pasquantino gave Duran another opportunity to make a play, and he executed this one to end the game.
Notes
Royce Lewis started at third base and batted second today for the St. Paul Saints. Walker Jenkins led off for the FCL team and played center field. Lewis went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while Jenkins doubled and scored going 1-for-4. Minnesota heading to play the Yankees on Monday means Lewis would have a quick trip from upstate down to the city.
What’s Next? 
Minnesota heads to Houston for a three-game series with the Astros. It kicks off a 10 day, nine game, road trip that includes stops in New York and Pittsburgh. Pitch matchups for the series against Houston are as follows:
5/31 Pablo Lopez vs Ronel Blanco
6/1 Joe Ryan vs Framber Valdez
6/2 Simeon Woods Richardson vs Hunter Brown
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Box Score
SP: Chris Paddack 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 88 pitches, 54 strikes, 8 whiffs
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers 2 (12)
Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa 0.30, Ryan Jeffers 0.22, Max Kepler 0.15
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Paddack Welcomed by Pasquantino
Starting Thursday for the Twins, Chris Paddack was looking for smoother sailing than Kansas City afforded their son, Bailey Ober. Walking leadoff batter Maikel García wasn’t ideal, but he did get Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out. Vinnie Pasquantino then stepped in, healthy and back in the lineup following his collision on Tuesday with Byron Buxton. Paddack flipped a curveball that hung, and the Royals first baseman sent it 417 feet into the right field bleachers. 
Manuel Margot singled to respond in the bottom half for the Twins, and Carlos Correa nearly had one of his own, but Witt Jr. ranged and made a tremendous throw to get him. Outs from Ryan Jeffers and José Miranda stranded the leadoff hitter-cum-baserunner at second base.
Not to be outdone defensively, Carlos Santana flashed his athleticism in the top of the second inning. While his bat has yet to produce consistent results, he’s been every bit as billed in the field.
Witt Wallops One, Jeffers Answers
As he has done all series against the Twins, Witt Jr. made his mark on this game, crushing a double deep into the left-center field gap. García came around to score for the second time and gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead. An MJ Melendez fourth-inning solo shot made it a 4-0 game, and this one seemed to be slipping away.
Finally awakening from a slumber that they had slogged through for three innings, though, the offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the fourth. Correa reached on an error by García, before Jeffers broke out of his slump with a two-run shot into the bullpen. Keeping the party going, José Miranda and Willi Castro sandwiched a Byron Buxton out with a pair of singles, to put runners on first and second with just the one out. Kyle Farmer got plunked on a slider and the bases were loaded. Santana got gassed up on a 92-mph fastball to go down with a 3-2 count. That left things up to Christian Vázquez, and he lofted a lazy fly out to left, leaving the bases chucked.
They'd cut into Kansas City's advantage, though, and it continued the next inning. Trying out a new strategy, Jeffers decided he was going to send baseballs into the Royals bullpen and take them out before they could enter the game. Launching his second dinger of the game, recording his third multi-homer game, Minnesota’s designated hitter made it a one-run game in the fifth.
Kepler Comes Up Clutch
As Rocco Baldelli has done for some time now, he worked a platoon lineup again on Thursday. Castro flipped sides at the dish with Chris Stratton coming on in relief, and after beating out an infield single, he advanced to second on Witt Jr.’s throwing error. Max Kepler came off the bench to pinch hit for Kyle Farmer, and dumped a single to left field to drive in the tying run. 
Walks for Santana and Margot brought Correa to the plate with the bases loaded. Getting into the #WolvesBack flavor before Thursday’s Game 5 at Target Center, the Minnesota shortstop banged a triple into the corner, clearing the bases and making it a 7-4 game. Minnesota knocked Stratton out of the game and John Schreiber was tasked with getting Jeffers and stopping the damage. Walking the designated hitter, he did get Miranda to ground out, stopping the bleeding.
Jorge Says Nope to St. Paul
Coming on to protect the three-run lead, Jorge Alcala was set to remind the Twins why he has no business in St. Paul. Striking out a pair, he hit 100 mph for the first time since 2021, while getting three whiffs on just 13 pitches. Griffin Jax then DMX’d his way onto the field for the eighth inning.
With Jhoan Duran coming on to his day game experience, the Twins were in position to lock it down. He made things entirely too interesting with a walk and a throwing error for what should have been the second out, allowed a Witt Jr. single to make it a 7-6 game. Pasquantino gave Duran another opportunity to make a play, and he executed this one to end the game.
Notes
Royce Lewis started at third base and batted second today for the St. Paul Saints. Walker Jenkins led off for the FCL team and played center field. Lewis went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while Jenkins doubled and scored going 1-for-4. Minnesota heading to play the Yankees on Monday means Lewis would have a quick trip from upstate down to the city.
What’s Next? 
Minnesota heads to Houston for a three-game series with the Astros. It kicks off a 10 day, nine game, road trip that includes stops in New York and Pittsburgh. Pitch matchups for the series against Houston are as follows:
5/31 Pablo Lopez vs Ronel Blanco
6/1 Joe Ryan vs Framber Valdez
6/2 Simeon Woods Richardson vs Hunter Brown
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Box Score
SP: Chris Paddack 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 88 pitches, 54 strikes, 8 whiffs
Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers 2 (12)
Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa 0.30, Ryan Jeffers 0.22, Max Kepler 0.15
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Paddack Welcomed by Pasquantino
Starting Thursday for the Twins, Chris Paddack was looking for smoother sailing than Kansas City afforded their son, Bailey Ober. Walking leadoff batter Maikel García wasn’t ideal, but he did get Bobby Witt Jr. to fly out. Vinnie Pasquantino then stepped in, healthy and back in the lineup following his collision on Tuesday with Byron Buxton. Paddack flipped a curveball that hung, and the Royals first baseman sent it 417 feet into the right field bleachers. 
Manuel Margot singled to respond in the bottom half for the Twins, and Carlos Correa nearly had one of his own, but Witt Jr. ranged and made a tremendous throw to get him. Outs from Ryan Jeffers and José Miranda stranded the leadoff hitter-cum-baserunner at second base.
Not to be outdone defensively, Carlos Santana flashed his athleticism in the top of the second inning. While his bat has yet to produce consistent results, he’s been every bit as billed in the field.
Witt Wallops One, Jeffers Answers
As he has done all series against the Twins, Witt Jr. made his mark on this game, crushing a double deep into the left-center field gap. García came around to score for the second time and gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead. An MJ Melendez fourth-inning solo shot made it a 4-0 game, and this one seemed to be slipping away.
Finally awakening from a slumber that they had slogged through for three innings, though, the offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the fourth. Correa reached on an error by García, before Jeffers broke out of his slump with a two-run shot into the bullpen. Keeping the party going, José Miranda and Willi Castro sandwiched a Byron Buxton out with a pair of singles, to put runners on first and second with just the one out. Kyle Farmer got plunked on a slider and the bases were loaded. Santana got gassed up on a 92-mph fastball to go down with a 3-2 count. That left things up to Christian Vázquez, and he lofted a lazy fly out to left, leaving the bases chucked.
They'd cut into Kansas City's advantage, though, and it continued the next inning. Trying out a new strategy, Jeffers decided he was going to send baseballs into the Royals bullpen and take them out before they could enter the game. Launching his second dinger of the game, recording his third multi-homer game, Minnesota’s designated hitter made it a one-run game in the fifth.
Kepler Comes Up Clutch
As Rocco Baldelli has done for some time now, he worked a platoon lineup again on Thursday. Castro flipped sides at the dish with Chris Stratton coming on in relief, and after beating out an infield single, he advanced to second on Witt Jr.’s throwing error. Max Kepler came off the bench to pinch hit for Kyle Farmer, and dumped a single to left field to drive in the tying run. 
Walks for Santana and Margot brought Correa to the plate with the bases loaded. Getting into the #WolvesBack flavor before Thursday’s Game 5 at Target Center, the Minnesota shortstop banged a triple into the corner, clearing the bases and making it a 7-4 game. Minnesota knocked Stratton out of the game and John Schreiber was tasked with getting Jeffers and stopping the damage. Walking the designated hitter, he did get Miranda to ground out, stopping the bleeding.
Jorge Says Nope to St. Paul
Coming on to protect the three-run lead, Jorge Alcala was set to remind the Twins why he has no business in St. Paul. Striking out a pair, he hit 100 mph for the first time since 2021, while getting three whiffs on just 13 pitches. Griffin Jax then DMX’d his way onto the field for the eighth inning.
With Jhoan Duran coming on to his day game experience, the Twins were in position to lock it down. He made things entirely too interesting with a walk and a throwing error for what should have been the second out, allowed a Witt Jr. single to make it a 7-6 game. Pasquantino gave Duran another opportunity to make a play, and he executed this one to end the game.
Notes
Royce Lewis started at third base and batted second today for the St. Paul Saints. Walker Jenkins led off for the FCL team and played center field. Lewis went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts while Jenkins doubled and scored going 1-for-4. Minnesota heading to play the Yankees on Monday means Lewis would have a quick trip from upstate down to the city.
What’s Next? 
Minnesota heads to Houston for a three-game series with the Astros. It kicks off a 10 day, nine game, road trip that includes stops in New York and Pittsburgh. Pitch matchups for the series against Houston are as follows:
5/31 Pablo Lopez vs Ronel Blanco
6/1 Joe Ryan vs Framber Valdez
6/2 Simeon Woods Richardson vs Hunter Brown
Postgame Interviews
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

You’re plenty familiar with Walker Jenkins, the Minnesota Twins fifth overall pick from last summer’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, but Luke Keaschall followed him (and Charlee Soto) as their second round selection, and he’s climbing the charts. Not yet on the level of Brooks Lee or Emmanuel Rodriguez, it’s getting hard not to consider him the next-best hitting prospect in the system.
After a recent refresh of the Twins Daily Top Prospects list, the former Arizona State infielder finds himself sitting ninth. He trails Gabriel Gonzalez and Austin Martin among hitters, but there are valid reasons for both. The former is a toolsy outfielder with potential on both sides of the game, and the latter is a one-time top prospect, with first round pedigree, that has already made a big league debut.
Related: Keaschall Looking to Do Damage for Kernels
None of that is to discredit Keaschall, and if you’re trying to find a way to do that at this point, it would be difficult. Just 74 games into his professional career, Keaschall has made the next level look like anything but a challenge. After posting a 1.168 OPS in his final season with the Sun Devils, Keaschall immediately took to the professional ranks and ascended to High-A as a 20-year-old.
Now 44 games into his second run with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Keaschall is batting .338 with a 1.007 OPS. He has seven longballs to his credit and has doubled 12 times. Speed isn’t something you’d necessarily expect from his profile, but quickness and instincts help to elevate him in a big way. After going a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts last season, he has started out 14-for-15 in 2024.
Not only is there real power potential from a guy that is playing second base up the middle, but his ability to command the plate and strike zone is special. With more walks than strikes, he’s built of a mold somewhere in between Luis Arraez and Edouard Julien. Continuing to be that selective while doing damage, and showing such a keen eye as he ascends the ladder, will only benefit him.
Related: Get to Know Twins Draft Pick Luke Keaschall
Among the most egregious moves, in retrospect for Minnesota’s front office over recent years has been the Tyler Mahle trade. Derek Falvey dealing two bat-only prospects in Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand for a controllable starting pitcher they believed had more almost immediately backfired. Keaschall has something of a similar profile to the two aforementioned sluggers, and can give the Twins something of a redo.
Expecting Keaschall to be a 30 homer guy down on the farm certainly isn’t going to happen, but some of his limitations could have him searching for a home defensively. Stretched on arm talent, he has played predominantly designated hitter this season for Cedar Rapids. An early injury influenced that, but he has gotten just ten starts on the dirt with another five coming in center field.
A corner spot probably isn’t ideal from his overall power value, and if second base can’t be a home, then things get tough. Like Steer before him though, the bat playing to this level would be worthy of hiding him anywhere, and we’ll soon see how legitimate it is as things come against enhanced competition. Keaschall isn’t extremely young for the High-A level, and a jump to Double-A Wichita would make sense early this summer.
Beyond what the Twins have shown from their top prospects, there are more than a few worth being aware of in the next wave. Keaschall could be among the best of them, and you’d best get familiar with him before it’s too late. Going to Double-A after just 52 games at High-A will be his toughest test yet.

You’re plenty familiar with Walker Jenkins, the Minnesota Twins fifth overall pick from last summer’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, but Luke Keaschall followed him (and Charlee Soto) as their second round selection, and he’s climbing the charts. Not yet on the level of Brooks Lee or Emmanuel Rodriguez, it’s getting hard not to consider him the next-best hitting prospect in the system.
After a recent refresh of the Twins Daily Top Prospects list, the former Arizona State infielder finds himself sitting ninth. He trails Gabriel Gonzalez and Austin Martin among hitters, but there are valid reasons for both. The former is a toolsy outfielder with potential on both sides of the game, and the latter is a one-time top prospect, with first round pedigree, that has already made a big league debut.
Related: Keaschall Looking to Do Damage for Kernels
None of that is to discredit Keaschall, and if you’re trying to find a way to do that at this point, it would be difficult. Just 74 games into his professional career, Keaschall has made the next level look like anything but a challenge. After posting a 1.168 OPS in his final season with the Sun Devils, Keaschall immediately took to the professional ranks and ascended to High-A as a 20-year-old.
Now 44 games into his second run with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Keaschall is batting .338 with a 1.007 OPS. He has seven longballs to his credit and has doubled 12 times. Speed isn’t something you’d necessarily expect from his profile, but quickness and instincts help to elevate him in a big way. After going a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts last season, he has started out 14-for-15 in 2024.
Not only is there real power potential from a guy that is playing second base up the middle, but his ability to command the plate and strike zone is special. With more walks than strikes, he’s built of a mold somewhere in between Luis Arraez and Edouard Julien. Continuing to be that selective while doing damage, and showing such a keen eye as he ascends the ladder, will only benefit him.
Related: Get to Know Twins Draft Pick Luke Keaschall
Among the most egregious moves, in retrospect for Minnesota’s front office over recent years has been the Tyler Mahle trade. Derek Falvey dealing two bat-only prospects in Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand for a controllable starting pitcher they believed had more almost immediately backfired. Keaschall has something of a similar profile to the two aforementioned sluggers, and can give the Twins something of a redo.
Expecting Keaschall to be a 30 homer guy down on the farm certainly isn’t going to happen, but some of his limitations could have him searching for a home defensively. Stretched on arm talent, he has played predominantly designated hitter this season for Cedar Rapids. An early injury influenced that, but he has gotten just ten starts on the dirt with another five coming in center field.
A corner spot probably isn’t ideal from his overall power value, and if second base can’t be a home, then things get tough. Like Steer before him though, the bat playing to this level would be worthy of hiding him anywhere, and we’ll soon see how legitimate it is as things come against enhanced competition. Keaschall isn’t extremely young for the High-A level, and a jump to Double-A Wichita would make sense early this summer.
Beyond what the Twins have shown from their top prospects, there are more than a few worth being aware of in the next wave. Keaschall could be among the best of them, and you’d best get familiar with him before it’s too late. Going to Double-A after just 52 games at High-A will be his toughest test yet.