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Two of the Three Stooges that BLEW the game on 4/18 ACTUALLY came through in this game and Banda, who seemingly was exiled to the very back of the bullpen pecking order actually did his job. Embarrassing Twins Batting Stats: FIFTEEN STRIKEOUTS = Lee = 4, Buxton = 3, Jeffers = 2, Lewis = 2, That's 11 K's out of 15 for just 4 batters. Top of the Ninth, Bases Loaded, No Outs, Two runs in. Lewis, Lee and Buxton all Strikeout Swinging. Keep in mind, the 2 runs that scored in the top of the 9th were on base due to walks. While Keaschall came through with an actual hit, the second run "driven in" was due to a walk. The win was not due to the Twins offense, it was due to the failure of the Mets bullpen. Refreshing to see that a Twins player actually knows how to bunt and that (probably) Shelton knows enough about the game to actually call for a bunt (with a tie score and runners on first and second with Zero outs). Outman showed some value as a pinch runner for the lumbering Josh Bell (260 lbs in his dreams) and stole a base which, thanks to a walk to Jeffers was meaningless. Top of the 7th, runner on second thanks to a stolen base, 1 out, 1 run (to tie it) in and what can the Twins offense muster? The left handed batting Wallner grounds out to SS on a changeup followed by Lewis flying out to LF. This woeful, ineffectual offense will translate into a large collection of losses, a disappointed starting rotation and a fired Hitting Coach as well as the loss of 2 assistant hitting coaches. Three coaches with their focus on hitting and yet the players have to go to the Twins Gift Shop to try to buy a hit.

9 up 9 down with 7 strike outs , twins are space cadets ... Can you believe the twins are going to play this year at the field of dreams , maybe some of the ghosts in the corn can help this twins team hit ...

I never in my wildest dreams imagined this offense was capable of what they have done the last week. This defies all expectations. Baseball has crazy streaks so I guess enjoy the ride. Getting this team to score runs the last few years seemed like pulling teeth. These blowouts are just so much fun as everyone seems to be doing well and the wins are piling up. Keep it going guys. You have us watching.

Never in my wildest dreams did i see this coming ... I thought we'd be 0 and 13 , 1 game over 500 is just unbelievable ... Nice sweep I have to admit , Detroit will be pissed and want revenge the next time they meet ...

I wish Bailey Ober well. I'm sure no one is more concerned about Ober's performance than Bailey Ober. These players are human beings, like you and me, with hopes and dreams, fears and doubts, success and failures, families and friends. They are not race cars that need engine tweaks to increase speed. I say we cut them some slack and cheer their amazing talents and constant efforts.

I know you are having Fitzgerald wish dreams. 😂

Image courtesy of © Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK The Minnesota Twins will be featured in Major League Baseball’s Field of Dreams Game next August, a celebration of nostalgia, cornfields, and players who ideally still exist on the roster by first pitch. Unfortunately for MLB’s marketing department, the Twins appear determined to test that last requirement. The league has already rolled out promotional materials splashed with Minnesota stars Byron Buxton, Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Ryan Jeffers, and Royce Lewis. These posters look great on billboards, buses, and social media feeds. They would also make tremendous historical artifacts documenting a team that might be entirely gone by the time the game actually happens. One MLB official admitted privately that the league is preparing for the worst. “Let me put it this way,” the source said. “We may or may not have a folder titled: Things To Do If The Twins Trade Everyone With A Pulse. And that folder may or may not be very full.” The Twins front office also seems aware of the situation. A team source provided clarity on the matter. “Look, we like our guys,” the source said. “But we also really like future payroll flexibility. And prospect capital. And maybe just the general chaos of it all.” With the trade deadline falling before August’s Field of Dreams Game, the league is constructing backup promotional plans. The first option is simply swapping out the current stars for top prospect Walker Jenkins, who has yet to debut but has already been used as a placeholder so often that he might appear on more posters than Buxton by February. “Walker looks great in a cornfield,” an MLB designer said anonymously. “He also looks great in any graphic where we desperately need a Minnesota Twin who still plays for the Minnesota Twins. At this point, he might be our entire September promo package.” If Jenkins is not available or is inconveniently also traded for pitching depth or a rental reliever with an expiring elbow, MLB’s contingency depth chart shifts to Austin Martin. His second-half surge has made him credible enough to be featured, though the bar for credibility is now best described as “Can this person plausibly wear a Twins hat without us getting sued?” MLB’s most ambitious contingency plan involves fully leaning into misdirection. With Kody Clemens arriving in the organization, the league is reportedly considering a marketing strategy based on the assumption that casual fans will assume he is his father, Roger Clemens. “I'm not saying we would imply he is Roger,” an MLB source clarified. “Just that we would not go out of our way to clarify that he is not Roger. If people want to believe the Twins are sending that Clemens to Iowa, who are we to interrupt their joy?” The Twins, for their part, have not ruled out the possibility of using Clemens on the mound if public confusion reaches a high enough level. “We will do whatever the situation calls for,” a team source shared. “Is Kody a pitcher? Not currently. Could he be? Theoretically. Is this entire winter theoretical? Absolutely.” The league remains hopeful that at least one recognizable Twin survives the summer. But the risk is real, and it must be faced. One document labeled Emergency Minnesota Adventure outlines scenarios ranging from signing random former Twins to reintroducing TC Bear as a two-way player. Another plan apparently suggests asking Joe Mauer if he is busy that weekend. As the marketing department frantically prepares for all potential futures, MLB leadership remains officially calm. “This is all hypothetical,” one league executive insisted. “There is no reason to believe the Twins will trade away their entire roster. Unless they do. Which they might. But maybe they will not. But probably they will.” Fans now wait for more details, as August approaches and the cornfield beckons. Whether the Twins arrive with actual MLB players or some last-second collection of fallback options, we won't know for some time. View full article

I found the Twins advertising for the game at Field of Dreams to be interesting. With the game being played in August, I am guessing this will not age well. It seems possible that none of the 5 players may be on the team for that game. Some/most may be traded during the offseason or certainly at the trade deadline. The most likely to still be around would be Buxton and Lewis, but will they be healthy by August? They probably should have used a photo of Shelton and some of the prospects at Triple A.

To state the obvious, I've always believed in the deepest, most well balanced team you can field. OBVIOUSLY, you don't always have that based on roster talent, plus adding in bench players here and there. Though matchups also do have an affect. Back when pitchers still hit in the NL, I believe it was Larussa who hit his pitchers 8th so the 9th hitter might have a better chance of being on base for the top of the order to potentially have a runner on base. In my dreams for 2026, Keaschall would be the #1 hitter, followed by a quasi platoon of Roden/Martin in LF getting on base, having the ability to run and not block Buxton, and giving Buxton more chances to drive in runs. NOT the old fashioned speedy leadoff guy and a contract guy who could bunt someone over. I understand and embrace your best hitters getting the most AB in a game. It just makes sense. But IDEALLY, I'd still have TWO really nice hitters setting the table for my #3 and #4 hitters. I'm not sure that approach has changed in an IDEAL lineup. The simple reason being your LEADOFF hitter is ONLY guaranteed to actually LEADOFF ONCE. Now, you'd like to have a bottom of the order that doesn't STINK because your top of the order hitters have the potential to knock in runs also! But how many PA/AB over the course of the ENTIRE SEASON does your BEST hitter actually lose if he hits 2 or 3? It can't be more than a dozen. But how many RBI opportunities does he GAIN from that dozen with runners on base? The way the lineup figures to be constructed currently...grrr from roster construction....Buxton is best at #2 with Keaschall at #1, even though I'd like to go a little "old school" with Buck at the 3 spot with ducks on the pond. Keaschall sets the table, and Buck is OK at #2. Makes sense. DESPITE a poor ST...working on his new balance/approach...Lewis is STILL part of the OD lineup and should be. It's really up to HIM at this point. Bell or Wallner hits 3. I'm going with Bell only because he's a switch hitter and for his career he's been generally neutral. Wallner is next at #4. He's always going to be a bit streaky, but his power is crazy, he has a history of crunch hits and HIGH OPS before 2025, and he's looking like his previous 2023-24 self this spring. Lewis bats #5 despite a poor spring. But the talent is still there. He's still working on a new approach. I'm still a believer he's going to get the new stoke with his talent to work even if it takes a couple weeks. Beyond that, it's who steps forward. Jeffers is a good bat, and a powerful one. Does his power return? Does Lee's bat improve to what we all thought it might be? Early returns are at least hopeful. If Larnach is the DH, where does he fit in? Despite where Rocco placed him, does hit fit in at 6th, 7th? Maybe 6th behind Jeffers? So Lee might be 8th ahead of Outman in LF at 9th? MAYBE that roster works. But I like it a lot better if we were talking about Roden, or Rodriguez or many other possibilities that included prospects, but maybe even Wagaman as a role player other than just a collection of BS LF options in the OF that shouldn't be here. But Keaschall should be the #1 and Buxton #2 even though a better lineup might place him at #3 for even more RBI opportunities.

Image courtesy of © Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK Major League Baseball is headed back to Iowa, and this time, the Twins will get their moment in the spotlight. The Athletic is reporting that Minnesota is set to face the Philadelphia Phillies in a special regular-season game at the Field of Dreams site during August 2026. It will be a home game for the Twins, with MLB’s full schedule for next season set to be released on Tuesday. Baseball Returns to Dyersville It’s been a few years since MLB last ventured into the Iowa cornfields. The Cubs and Reds played the most recent game there in 2022, while the Yankees and White Sox opened the tradition the summer before. After those first two showcases, the temporary stadium was torn down, but a new, permanent ballpark has been built on the grounds. Seating will be limited compared to the roughly 8,000 fans that packed the original games, but the intimacy adds to the charm of the event. Twins fans looking for tickets will likely have to shell out a pretty penny. MLB has experimented with staging games in unique venues recently, bringing contests to places like Tennessee (Bristol Motor Speedway) and Alabama (Rickwood Field). Still, few locations resonate with fans quite like the movie-inspired diamond in Dyersville. With a dedicated stadium now in place, this matchup could cement the Field of Dreams event as a recurring part of the league calendar, much like the annual Little League Classic. Rare Spotlight for the Twins The Twins haven’t been frequent participants in these showcase series. Their last alternate-site game came in 2018, when they played in Puerto Rico against Cleveland. Minnesota had multiple players on that roster who were of Puerto Rican descent, so it made sense for the club to play in the game. This Iowa contest offers Minnesota a chance to step back into the national spotlight, and it’s a particularly fitting venue for a franchise rooted in the Midwest. The Phillies, on the other hand, are no strangers to these special events. In recent years, they’ve suited up in Williamsport twice and traveled overseas for the London Series in 2024. Adding Iowa to their résumé fits right into MLB’s push to make the game more accessible and visible in unique ways. Twins vs. Phillies Storylines Beyond the setting, the matchup itself carries extra juice. The two clubs were linked earlier this year in one of the biggest trades of the season, with Minnesota sending flamethrower Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia in exchange for a package that included top pitching prospect Mick Abel and talented young catcher Eduardo Tait. Duran has flourished in his new role as the Phillies’ closer, bringing his triple-digit heat and his electric entrance to the back end of their bullpen. Abel, meanwhile, made his Twins debut just days ago, though his first outing was a rough one against the White Sox. Still, his upside remains considerable, and it isn’t hard to picture a national TV audience watching Abel start against his former organization next summer. If the Twins move veteran starters like Pablo López or Joe Ryan this offseason, the door for Abel could swing wide open. And if Duran gets the chance to close out the game against Minnesota, it would make for one of the most compelling storylines of the season. (What, one might fairly ask, is the Field of Dreams version of the Duran entrance? It's a contrast of aesthetics that begs to be played with in an interesting way.) Kody Clemens has also settled into an essential role with the Twins. Minnesota acquired Clemens from the Phillies in late April for cash considerations, after he had been designated for assignment. In 83 games for the Twins, he has slashed .217/.285/.455, with a 99 OPS+, 14 home runs and 10 doubles. Clemens already has a famous last name that draws attention, so a revenge game against his former club could add to the game’s intrigue. The Field of Dreams Games is about more than just the standings, because it's a celebration of baseball’s past, present, and future. For the Twins, it’s an opportunity to showcase their young core and connect with fans on a national stage in a uniquely Midwestern setting. In August 2026, the spotlight shifts to Iowa. The corn will be tall, the crowd will be small, but the storylines will be massive. What are you most looking forward to with the Field of Dreams game? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

I also appreciate these updates since I don't watch or follow the ST games. I have a couple of questions for those who follow this more closely. 1. Does it look like Abel might break camp as the #5 starter over Matthews? The stats suggest so , do they match they eye test? 2. Topa sounds bad. Does it look like an injury, so he could open on the 15 or 60 day list? Opening there for Kent or Altavilla? 3. What do we do with Roden, Martin, and Outman all hitting in ST, with Wallner and Larnach scuffling? Any chance of opening the season with the former 3 plus Wallner and Buxton in the OF with Larnach gone or in AAA? 4. Most important question - now that regulars are playing longer, the scores make it look like the team is a little more competitive. Is that accurate or am I just dreaming spring dreams?

I've never had even "sexy dreams" reach this level of fantasy...

At the very least the bullpen is his shortest path back to playing in games. As he recovers from this they've got a choice of building a starter's stamina or getting him ready to throw 20-30 good pitches, and I think they'll likely take the more direct path back. The one good thing about this is that after more missed time he might be more on board with pitching when/where he can rather than according to the old dreams of starting.

Not worried about Wallner this early and only 5 AB. He spent the offseason developing a somewhat different approach. But it sure is nice to a healthy Rodriguez really stepping up. Same with Roden! I think he could have a nice career as a 4th OF who can also play some 1B, which is something I hope he still works on. But for now, I'm just hoping he earns the LF job in camp. While he doesn't have loud tools, he has a nice collection of them to do a little bit of everything. And I'm with @jmlease1in regard to Outman. He's simply been bad since his surprise rookie season. And his defense with the Twins to finish 2025 didn't exactly inspire. And he turns 29yo in May. What exactly does he bring to the Twins to warrant a spot? Roden and Martin are younger, have much more potential, and both can help give Buxton a day off. And when 2 of your top 4 prospects are talented CF and already at AAA, there's just no reason for Outman to be on the team. And I seriously doubt anyone grabs him if waived. But even someone did, the St Paul OF is CROWDED already. And while I like Larnach and think he's a pretty solid ballplayer, I still don't see where he fits on THIS team. By their own admission, the Twins need more speed and athleticism and better defenders. Martin and Roden give you that in LF/OF. While Bell is targeted to be the 1B, I still think Clemens, Wagaman, and a little Caratini might play as much, or more, 1B than Bell. And while it's a weirdly assembled roster, that can actually work, with Bell being the primary DH. Keeping Larnach...much less Outman as well...removes at least one of Martin and Roden, if not both. So you suddenly have a poor LF defender...who the Twins prefer to DH...yet again, and a guy who can't hit his way out of a paper bag. Someone give the FO another cup of coffee or a Red Bull to WAKE UP and realize you can have an imperfect roster, or a horrible one. That being said, I can still see Larnach having a role as the LH DH for a different team, who can still play some corner OF, on a fairly cheap deal. Agaon, he's not a bad ballplayer. He has value. And all I ask back is an interesting arm, or an interesting utility INF who can cover SS. Can he bring back the next Punto or Castro? Or maybe another teams version of Varland who needs to be converted to the pen? It's not a big ask. Buxton, Wallner, Roden, and Martin is just a lot better than Buxton, Wallner, Larnach, and Outman. Did you cringe there? I know I did. In regard to the pitching side of things, a few opening games means very little. But flashing early is a hell of a lot better than looking bad! Rojas faced an actual ML lineup and was great. Maybe the Jays weren't wrong to promote him so aggressively? The fact that he struggled at AAA because the ball is different sounds weird, but it is true that AAA uses the same ball as MLB, and AA and below use a slightly different ball. That remains weird and stupid IMO. It's a billionaire establishment for goodness sake. All levels should use the same damn ball! Abel faced a ML lineup and flashed. Bradley had a solid debut. And while Prielipp was inefficient, he more or less got the job mostly done in his ST debut. You simply can't get overly excited after 1 appearances for these young arms. But again, looking good is much better than looking bad. In all honesty, I'm 60yo, and have been a Twins fan since around 5-6yo just listening to games with my dad. A few years later, age 10 or so, I became a fanatic. I read every newspaper and magazine I could get my hands on to follow the Twins, and the MILB system. Star Trib, Baseball Digest, the Sporting News, and whatever Rag I could get my hands on. In 50 years or so as a Twins fanatic...God bless my soul, lol...there has been ONE TIME, in the 80's when the Twins had a prospect list of quality arms that were the envy of half the league. That was Baumgardner, Gasser, Nivens, Banks, Pittman, and Sontag. Forgive me for exact spellings. CRUSHING DEFEAT as a fan when that collection never turned out. I'm being long winded I know. Sorry, not sorry. POTENTIAL really isn't a dirty word. Ignoring, for a moment, that the Twins made Lopez and Ryan better, and developed Ober. And also ignoring the collection of 2026 arms at A÷ and A- that are SUPER talented, or, about to debut after the '25 draft. I honestly can't recall the Twins having this much TALENT on hand. Talent that doesn't make it is wasted hopes and dreams crushed. I get it. But SP or Bullpen, when is the last time you could see this much POTENTIAL of arms for the Twins? While the silver lining for Lopez's injury is crushing overall, it DOES open up opportunity. Ryan leads the team, Ober is healthy again, SWR and his new splitter takes him up another notch, Bradley, Matthews, Abel are all very talented. Who takes a step forward? And i haven't even mentioned Festa for the pen, or the potential of Prielipp, and Rojas. It wasn't that long ago where Morris...vastly underrated...might be among the Twins top pitching prospects. Again, cool the brakes a bit on the arms so early in camp. But it's also easy to dream on so many good arms taking a step forward.

I understand that is the in vogue way to handle it now. They certainly will not be part of the next contending team if they are traded for hope and dreams that most won’t ever make it to the show. Their value for your method is best now at the trade deadline Funny how Jeffers is being paid less than Caratini, but Jeffers is too expensive but Caratini is not, eh? There is always a surprise team every year.

Must agree with all of you who want the Twins to wait until July, then trade Ryan. That's assuming they aren't leading the Central come July. Also agree with those of you who propose trading him yesterday. With one wrinkle. Trade him now only if the return is beyond anyone's wildest dreams of what they could expect getting, ie, the Twins must be blown away. Forget BBTV, the return has to be 1.5-to-1.0, or even 2.0-to-1.0. And the return must include a couple young players with some MLB experience. Players you can count on in 2026. As for others, I could see a Jeffers trade making much more sense at this time. Also trading Larnach should have been done over the winter.

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images While you can question the motivation, you can't question the effort the Minnesota Twins Front Office is putting into getting fans to return to Target Field in 2026. After significantly reducing the price of the Twins Pass and announcing a buy two, get one free “Triple Play Bundle”, they have released an impressive lineup of promotions for the season. The headliner (at least for those of age and like to participate in such activities) is the expansion of the pre-game happy hour to include Friday and Saturday games. Fans can enjoy $2 beers from the time the gates open to the scheduled first pitch (emphasis on “scheduled” meaning it's not when the first pitch is thrown…sorry, no getting tanked for cheap when game starts are delayed). On Friday games, fans of any age can consume hot dogs and “snacks” at $2 an item. Another recurring promotion that will surely be popular amongst the under “12 & under” crowd (as well as the pocketbooks of the adults accompanying them) is the free kids ice cream and half-price kid meals on Sunday contests. Of course, these matinees have historically been “Kids Day” at Target Field where they will also have the opportunity to run the bases following the game. The Twins, though, are just getting started - they also announced upwards of 50 additional giveaways and theme nights across the 81 game home season. The highlight giveaway for me is the Kirby Puckett jersey giveaway when the Twins host the Athletics on Saturday, July 25th. Additional fan favorites include bobble heads and another replica jersey, which are listed below: May 16 (vs. MIL): Grogu Bobblehead via a Star Wars ticket package June 6 (vs. KC): Royce Lewis Jersey giveaway June 27 (vs. COL): Buxton Bobblehead giveaway The remaining promotions are nothing to sleep on. Below is a list of the giveaways that require you to be one of the first 5-10 thousand fans through the gates: April 3 (vs. TB): Opening Day Beanie April 5 (vs. TB): Kids Opening Day Beanie April 7 (vs. DET): Magnetic Schedule May 2 (vs. TOR): Minnesota Twins Fishing Lure June 22 (vs. LAD): Native American Heritage Night Jersey June 23 (vs. LAD): Night Light July 11 (vs. LAA): Twins Hall of Fame Pin July 12 (vs. LAA): Beach Tote Bag July 26 (vs. ATH): Back to School Lunch Bag August 16 (vs. PHI): Back to School Backpack August 30 (vs. CWS): Kids T.C. Bear Shoulder Mascot September 26 (vs. TEX): Fan Appreciation Hat September 27 (vs. TEX): Kids Appreciation Widget Baseball Hat But wait, there's more! As has been the case for awhile now, the Twins have an every growing array of special ticket package promotions. Most notably (for anyone who plans to subscribe to Twins.TV anyway), is Twins.TV Night on Wednesday, April 8th against the Detroit Tigers. If you purchase the special ticket package not only do you get into the game, but also included is a subscription to Twins.TV, "a behind-the-scenes exclusive look at what brings broadcasts to life", and a broadcaster meet and greet. Other “get a ticket, get an item” special ticket package promotions include: April 28 (vs. SEA): University of St. Thomas Night May 1 (vs. TOR): First Responders Night May 2 (vs. TOR): Mental Health Awareness Day May 3 (vs. TOR): Cancer Awareness Day May 12 (vs. MIA): Bark at the Park May 13 (vs. MIA): Nurses Night May 17 (vs. MIL): Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Day May 19 (vs. HOU): Wine Women & Baseball, St. Cloud State Night June 2 (vs. CWS): CSB+SJU Night June 4 (vs. KC): Prince Night June 5 (vs. KC): Pop Star Night, University of Minnesota Night, Golf Night June 7 (vs. KC): Pixar Night June 12 (vs. STL): Pride Night June 14 (vs. STL): Barbie Game Day, Winona State Night June 23 (vs. LAD): Gustavus Night June 24 (vs. LAD): St. Olaf Night June 27 (vs. COL): Girl Scout Night June 28 (vs. COL): Wine Women & Baseball July 10 (vs. LAA): Yacht Rock Night, Bowling Day July 24 (vs. ATH): South Dakota State University Night July 26 (vs. ATH): Hello Kitty Day July 28 (vs. KC): Wine Women & Baseball August 10 (vs. BAL): University of North Dakota Night August 11 (vs. BAL): North Dakota State University Night August 15 (vs. PHI): Field of Dreams Night, University of South Dakota Night August 18 (vs. ATL): Wine Women & Baseball August 28 (vs. CWS): Minnesota State University - Mankato Night, Breck Night August 29 (vs. CWS): SpongeBob Day August 30 (vs. CWS): Peanuts Day August 31 (vs. DET): St. Paul Saints Night September 1 (vs. DET): Bark at the Park September 15 (vs. NYY): Wine Women & Baseball While the product on the field may not be entertaining, many of these promotions might be reason enough to get to Target Field this summer. For additional details, such as whether you need to be the first 5,000 or 10,000 fans, make sure to visit the promotions page on the Twins website! Which promotions are you most excited for? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Carson McCusker is a man who is defined by his height—80 inches, to be exact, but who’s counting? If someone knows the name Carson McCusker, they know it because he’s 6-foot-8. He’s tied for the tallest hitter in MLB history, and only eight pitchers have ever been taller. For an exceptionally tall person, it’s hard to have the fine motor control needed to succeed in baseball. That McCusker ever made the big leagues is an accomplishment in itself, even if it was brief, and with his intentions to play baseball in Asia after his release from Minnesota, it’s unclear that he will ever don an MLB uniform again. But even if that doesn’t happen, it did happen. He had 30 big-league plate appearances. He was no Moonlight Graham, no 2021 Drew Maggi. He got his moment in the sun, regardless of how short that moment was. And he earned it. He did it the hard way. McCusker went undrafted in 2021 and signed with the Tri-City Valleycats of the independent Frontier League. Thousands of men choose to try to keep the dream alive with a couple of years playing in front of a couple of thousand fans every couple of nights, somewhere in rural America. Really, McCusker’s story is a piece of Americana legend. He was a larger-than-life, Paul Bunyan-like character who did one thing well—hitting the ball a country mile—hoping he could hit it just far enough to get a chance. He left his arid town out west—Sparks, Nevada—to enroll at a community college in Folsom, California (yes, where the county prison of Johnny Cash fame lies), before transferring to Oklahoma State. After his draft disappointment, he found himself in Upstate New York, playing indy ball, trying to put one over the Adirondacks to get his shot. McCusker’s dream was eventually realized. Each year, several players are purchased out of independent baseball by some MLB team, and stashed away in some low-level affiliate. McCusker joined the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels in 2023 as a 25-year-old, nearly four years older than the average player at the level, both he and the Twins hoping that he could hit just enough moonshots off opponents who couldn’t legally drink to justify moving him up the ladder. And Baseball’s Paul Bunyan kept marching, hitting enough tape-measure shots to go from Folsom to Stillwater, from Troy to Fort Myers, from Cedar Rapids to Wichita before finally arriving in the Twin Cities by the end of 2024. It’s remarkable, really, that the mountain of a man was able to scale four levels of minor-league baseball in just over a calendar year, two years after every team passed on drafting him at least 20 times. But once you’re in St. Paul, you’re almost in Minneapolis. Blast after blast, the big dude dinged enough dongs to put himself on the radar for a call-up. But even the best stories need a little luck. He got his call in May 2025, because of a rash of injuries to Minnesota’s outfield, less than two years after he was first plucked out of the Frontier League. He had his shot. It was a narrow one—perhaps too narrow a shot for a man of his frame. In his first stint with Minnesota, he received six plate appearances across nine games, finally achieving his first hit. It didn’t land in the parking lot, merely a blooper into right field, minutes before being demoted back to Triple A. But the lid was off. He’d seen one fall in a big-league stadium. Maybe, next time, the towering home runs would come. Few opportunities to hit those bombs materialized for the man whose future relied so heavily on them. In mid-September, after much of the Twins’ talent had been sent off to teams with playoff dreams that Minnesota no longer had, McCusker was given the green light on a 3-0 count, and he uncorked that long swing of his. With men on first and second, the ball flew off the bat to dead center at 102 miles per hour, soaring through a windy Minnesota night sky—and fell to the earth 402 feet later, directly in front of the 403 sign on the outfield fence. Just inches from becoming one of just a few thousand players to hit an MLB home run, the Kid Who Only Hit Homers’ fly ball was knocked down and died on the track, marked F-8 like any other. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and there’s no fanfare for almost leaving the yard. But that’s as close as he ever got. The man who is nearly ubiquitously defined by his height came up inches short of doing what every little boy dreams of doing someday. It’s heartbreaking. And it’s beautiful. View full article

Only Losers trade their best players for prospects. Winners always trade their prospects for other teams MLB best. I have yet to see the prospects traded for put that team in a playoff run anytime soon, but often see the MLB players that were traded become prime reasons for the new teams success immediately and very soon. This idea that trading your best players for prospects that may never even make it to the show makes a bad team better is way more often folly than success. How is that working for the Twins? It sure showed after all the trades. But it sure helped several teams that traded for the Twins best. A team isn’t bad because of their best, they are bad because of the worst and mediocre. Hell, we all could be dead before it ever happens with rinse repeat. That is a better bet than thinking it is always going to happen by getting rid of your best that every other team would like to have, Yup. After following this team since being 6 in 1961, calculating batting averages longhand after every at bat, scouring the Sunday peach section from Rapid City and Pipestone and White Bear Lake…..these last two seasons and the collapse of the current round of prospects (including Lewis and Wallner and Larnach and Kirilloff) that were the next sure thing….. I’m demoralized and yelling at the clouds. I did have an awesome 5 years of fandom 1987-1991 through my 30s, (I see you got it years 8-12 - great age to get sucked in for life, eh?) and those 60s teams, too. I leave hope and dreams to others now. I have no time for the future and embrace the now. I hope it all works out for you that are gaming for next year, and the year after that maybe, or in a five year build cycle, or whatever you want to tell yourselves.

Well that's obviously not true. If you do it well, it can build up your system during lean years. Hopes and dreams? You're not hoping and dreaming that Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez can win you a championship? What are you even cheering for? But mostly it's not true because it's 100% not a modern baseball tactic, unless by modern you mean anything after Curt Flood forced free agency on the owners.