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The Twins' magic number lowered to three, the Twins' arms pitched a shut-out, and no Twins fan went home happy after Royce Lewis left the game mid-at-bat. Here's how the ecstacy and agony transpired. Image courtesy of Kareem Elgazzar - USA Today Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Kenta Maeda 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (83 Pitches, 51 Strikes, 61%) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (11), Willi Castro (8) Top 3 WPA: Maeda (.305), Matt Wallner (.185), Jeffers (.097) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): Tuesday night's matchup between the Twins and the Reds saw two clubs at very different ends of the playoff push spectrum. The Twins came into the game with a magic number at 5, and the opportunity to rest some players and to experiment with their approach, with a fill-in manager Jayce Tingler to boot (thanks to Rocco Baldelli's twins arriving this week!). The Reds came into the game tied with the Cubs for the last wild card spot in the NL, with little to no room for error. The Twins sent a veteran starting pitcher to the mound in Kenta Maeda. The Reds sent an opener to the mound in Fernando Cruz, with plans for a bullpen game. In order to figure out which of those narratives lent itself towards victory, they played a baseball game. It turns out the Twins' approach was the way to go. No one could foresee, however, the cost that would come with this victory. Kenta Maeda Made His Case Known Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray will be the Game 1 & 2 starters for the Twins in the playoffs. Game 3 is up for grabs, and on Tuesday night Maeda made an excellent case for the role. On the heels of a dominating seven-inning, two run performance against the White Sox, Maeda kept the Reds young hitters off of the basepaths in the opening innings, and escaped cluttered bases in the top of the fourth. Twins Open the Scoring The Twins faced an opening pitcher, and ended up seeing five different pitchers in the first five innings. They had planned on seeing Ben Lively as a longer relief option earlier in the game, but insetad the Reds went to Buck Farmer as the second man out of the pen to get the Reds out of a dicey situation in the top of the second inning. Max Kepler reached on a walk and stole second thanks to an Elly De La Cruz botched catch and tag. Farmer promptly accelerated the anxiety of the situation by walking Ryan Jeffers. Matt Wallner looked overmatched by Farmer's fastball, but luckily he ended up getting a slider which he deposited past the infield to plate Kepler to make it 1-0 Twins. Jeffers got into the scoring mix again in the top of the fourth, when he lined a solo shot into the left field bleachers off of the next reliever up, Daniel Duarte. 111.5 mph of pure Twins magic number reduction power. The Middler Finally Arrives, and the Twins Were Ready for It By the time Lively finally arrived in the game the Twins bats were warmed up and took what he gave him. Four straight singles in the top of the sixth led to two more runs. The top of the seventh inning brought more runs as well, this time provided by the daddy power of one Willi Castro. Let's Talk About Twins Pitching Some More Maeda ended up completing five innings of one-hit baseball. Full counts early in the game ended well, but Maeda's pitch count rose to 83 by the end of the fifth and the keys to the mound were handed to Kody Funderburk, Emilio Pagan, Caleb Thielbar, and Dylan Floro kept the shutout intact. Castro and his home run robbing skills also kept the shutout intact, which cannot go overlooked in the analysis of "how well the pitchers did tonight." The Only Thing That Could Ruin Tonight Is... Royce. Lewis. Injured. Lewis attempted to stay in the game after tweaking something while running out a double-play grounder in the sixth inning. He was forced to leave the game mid-at-bat in the top of the eighth. The words "oblique" and "despair" circulated on social media. The Twins added on to their lead in this game, but their lead on the division and hope for the playoffs will rest with the post-game news on just what level of injury is facing the heart of this team. Initial reports focus on a tight hamstring, but until more details emerge its our heartstrings that will be clenched. What's Next: Twins RHP Bailey Ober (7-6, 3.67 ERA) against Reds RHP Hunter Greene (4-6, 4.45 ERA) in the series finale Wednesday, with the Twins looking to continue their push for the second seed in the AL. First pitch is scheduled at the Great American Ball Park for 11:35am CDT. Yes, you read that right, its time for some morning baseball in Twins Territory. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage: FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Keuchel 0 0 0 58 0 58 Funderburk 16 0 0 0 20 36 Pagán 0 0 22 0 8 30 Jax 16 0 13 0 0 29 Varland 29 0 0 0 0 29 Winder 0 25 0 0 0 25 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 16 16 Floro 0 0 0 0 16 16 Durán 0 9 0 0 0 9 View full article

The Minnesota Twins shutout the Reds 7-0 Tuesday night behind an insane game from William Castro. He made a pair of great catches in the field to save runs and hit a homer. Kenta Maeda was sharp, striking out eight over five innings. Unfortunately, the big talking point resulting from this game is Royce Lewis’ health. He had to exit the game in the eighth inning after taking an awkward swing. Down in the minors, the Twins actually have a number of players returning to health. Nick Gordon, Joey Gallo, Chris Paddack, Brock Stewart and Jorge Alcala are all rehabbing with the Saints. Paddack looked incredible at hit 98.2 mph. Andrew Morris delivered a great start for Cedar Rapids but their quest for the Midwest League title will have to continue tomorrow. Their game was suspended in the bottom of the fifth inning due to rain. They’ll pick back up tomorrow and play Game 3, if necessary. View full video

Twins pitching couldn't lock down a dangerous Reds lineup. Adding to the pain, Correa leaves game early as the Twins lose the series opener in Cincinnati. Image courtesy of Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK Box Score SP: Joe Ryan: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (84 pitches, 54 strikes (64.3%) Home Runs: Royce Lewis (15), Alex Kirilloff (9) Bottom 3 WPA: Joe Ryan (-0.178), Matt Wallner (-0.096), Dallas Keuchel (-0.077) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) With the Guardians losing to the Royals earlier in the day, the Twins magic number hit five. The Twins hoped to lower that number even further as they prepared to take on the Reds, with Joe Ryan leading the way from the mound. Correa Exits in the Second The Twins had an early blow dealt to them as Carlos Correa was pinch-hit for in the second inning. Correa exited due to a flare-up of his ongoing struggles with Plantar Fasciitis. Kyle Farmer replaced Correa in the lineup and at shortstop in the field. Royce Lewis remained at third base to continue his development there. Top of Two Bad, Bottom of Two Worse While the Twins saw their shortstop leave in the top half of the inning, the Reds put runs on the board in the bottom half. Noelvi Marte put the first run on the board with a single to center field. As Michael A. Taylor fielded the ball, Joey Votto challenged him by going first to third on the single. A move that also allowed Marte to reach second and place two runners in scoring position. Will Benson tried to make it not matter where Votto or Marte stood on the base paths, but Taylor was involved again. Benson drilled what looked like a three-run home run. Instead, Taylor jumped and reached over the wall to turn a home run into a sac-fly, putting the Reds up 2-0. Lewis: Same Song, Different Verse While Connor Phillips hadn’t allowed any hits into the fourth inning, that was all about to change as Lewis stepped into the batter’s box. As Lewis had made a habit of doing when the Twins needed a big hit, he came through with one. He hit his 15th home run of the season to cut the Reds lead in half, making it 2-1. The "Great American Bandbox" A game in Cincinnati would only be complete with some more home runs. Benson got his revenge on Ryan and Taylor in the 4th inning. This time, he hit a two-run home run and placed it where Taylor could not bring it back in. Alex Kirilloff didn't want to be left out of the party and hit his own solo shot in the seventh inning. The home run was Kirilloff's ninth of the season and was his only hit of the game as he went 1 for 3. Keuchel Used Out of the Bullpen As the Twins shuffle their pitchers in an attempt to figure out roles for the playoffs, Dallas Keuchel had an opportunity to work out of the bullpen. His first inning went smoothly, only issuing a walk. His second inning turned ugly as he gave up three runs, and the Twins went down 7-2. Gray, Farmer Return to Cincy Over the past season, the Twins and Reds have lined up on several trades. Sonny Gray and Farmer were both part of those trades and fully enjoyed returning to the place where they once played. As mentioned on both television and radio, Farmer is very grateful for the Reds and their willingness to allow him to play shortstop. Gray used his familiarity to give an assist to his bullpen mates. He hooked them up with a great reservation and picked up the tab as well! On the Reds side, Spencer Steer wanted to show off his development has continued and went 3-for-4. Those three hits included a well hit double that bounced off the outfield wall. What’s Next? The Twins will look to even the series on Tuesday as they send Kenta Maeda to the mound. After a seven-inning outing last time out, Maeda will look for another strong appearance tomorrow. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Keuchel 0 0 0 0 58 58 Winder 14 0 25 0 0 39 Jax 0 16 0 13 0 29 Varland 0 29 0 0 0 29 Pagán 0 0 0 22 0 22 Funderburk 0 16 0 0 0 16 Durán 0 0 9 0 0 9 Thielbar 0 0 0 0 0 0 Floro 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

With the AL Central in hand, the Twins are now focused on whittling down their magic number and taking steps toward reaching full strength (or as close as they can get) in time for the playoffs. Last week they made positive progress in both pursuits. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 9/11 through Sun, 9/17 *** Record Last Week: 4-3 (Overall: 79-71) Run Differential Last Week: +16 (Overall: +90) Standing: 1st Place in AL Central (7.0 GA) Last Week's Game Results: Game 144 | TB 7, MIN 4: Bullpen Struggles After Gray's Early Exit Game 145 | MIN 3, TB 2: Julien and Castro Homers Tilt Close Game Game 146 | TB 5, MIN 4: Twins Rally Back But Fall Short, Drop Series Game 147 | MIN 10, CWS 2: Bats Lift Off, Maeda Cruises in Chicago Game 148 | MIN 10, CWS 2: Another Lewis Slam Fuels Another Blowout Game 149 | CWS 7, MIN 6: Early Pablo Struggles Too Much to Overcome Game 150 | MIN 4, CWS 0: Twins Take Series from Sox in Easy Shutout NEWS & NOTES As he battled through a series of attempted ramp-ups and setbacks, it started to look as though a return to action was not in the cards for Brock Stewart this year. With just a couple of weeks left to go, he's aiming to upend that narrative at the most crucial time possible. Stewart initiated a rehab stint at Triple-A St. Paul on Friday and looked fantastic, striking out two on 12 pitches in an inning of work. With his fastball ripping in the upper-90s, Stewart looked very much like the dominant specimen we saw in the first half. I'm guessing the Twins will get Stewart one or two more appearances in the minors before recalling him and letting him loose a few times in the majors before season's end. Those who remember how incredibly clutch the 31-year-old was in high-leverage spots back in May and June need not be reminded what a game-changing impact Stewart's arrival could have on the relief corps for October. Chris Paddack also took another positive step in his rehab, throwing four innings in a start for Wichita on Tuesday. The stuff looked good as Paddack struck out six with no walks, though he did give up a pair of runs, including one on a solo homer. The same night as Stewart kicked off his rehab stint with the Saints, Nick Gordon did the same. This development is less impactful for the playoff picture – Gordon likely won't make the roster, barring something unexpected – but it's good to see him make it back on the field at the end of a lost season. Gordon is hitless through seven plate appearances with the Saints. Will Bailey Ober play in the postseason? That's an open question, but the tea leaves seem to be signaling against it, even though Ober has had a very good year and was solid in his return to action on Friday night. He hurled five innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts and no walks. With a bullpen role in October seeming unlikely, Ober might just by playing out the string for this season. HIGHLIGHTS We've officially run out of superlatives to describe Royce Lewis. What is even going on. Manager Rocco Baldelli was rightfully astonished after watching the rookie phenom launch his fourth grand slam of the season and fifth in his young career on Friday night. Lewis' propensity for delivering big hits in key spots has already earned him legendary status at age 24. For the week, Lewis went 7-for-25 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, and six walks; the developing discipline is especially promising. Joining the fun in a week that saw Minnesota's explosive offense post two double-digit totals and rally for several comebacks: Max Kepler was 8-for-24, hitting for the cycle across six games while driving in four runs. His three-strikeout game on Saturday was, notably, his first of the season. Shaking free from a slump that was clearly frustrating him, Matt Wallner got back on track in a big way, tallying nine hits in 19 ABs. His OPS is back up over .850 thanks to the big surge. Edouard Julien, too, shook free from a mini-slump – though in his case "slumping" still tends to involve getting on base 40% of the time. He did just that last week, drawing five walks in six games, but he also chipped in three homers and a double. Despite being clearly slowed by a hamstring issue, Julien started all seven games. Having all of these hitters clicking the way they are – along with Jorge Polanco (5-for-15 with a homer last week) and Carlos Correa (three doubles, a homer and five walks) – bodes very well for the club's postseason outlook. Key developments are priming the pitching staff for postseason success as well. Chief among them: the emergence of Louie Varland as a bulldog out of the pen. He made two multi-inning appearances last week and was lights-out in both, holding the Rays scoreless for 2 ⅓ and then tossing two more shutout innings against the White Sox. Unleashing upper-90s heat and a newly weaponized cutter, Varland was utterly dominant, striking out seven with zero walks. Meanwhile, Kenta Maeda made a case for his readiness to assume an important postseason role, tossing seven innings of two-run ball in Thursday's blowout win over the White Sox. The outing matched Maeda's longest of the year (July 4th vs. KC) and the eight strikeouts were his most in nine starts. Maeda is probably behind Joe Ryan in line for a playoff start, but his proven postseason track record – comprising mostly relief work – makes him an X-factor for October. LOWLIGHTS The heart of the Twins relief unit is looking strong, with Varland on his way to joining Jhoan Duran and Caleb Thielbar as reliable high-leverage fixtures. But the postseason rewards deep bullpens, and a tough offense like Toronto or Seattle is likely to test Minnesota beyond its trusted back-end horses. Thus the pressure is mounting on guys like Griffin Jax and Dylan Floro, whose on-field results have lagged badly behind their expected numbers. Jax had another tough week, coughing up a game-winning home run to Randy Arozarena on Wednesday at home, where he was tagged with his 10th loss of the season. The right-hander entered the All-Star break with a 2.92 ERA but is at 5.76 since, with 27 hits and five homers allowed in 24 innings. Floro had actually put together a nice string of outings since his nightmare meltdown in Milwaukee, but lapsed against the Rays last Monday, surrendering three runs in the fifth inning of an eventual three-run loss. In both cases, there are underlying metrics that inspire some level of faith. Jax has a 2.92 xERA on the season, compared to his 4.13 actual ERA. For Floro, it's 3.36 versus 4.97. But theoretical expected numbers don't mean much when they are consistently misaligned with results, and that's only more true in the playoffs. A solid stretch to close the season from either of these two would go a long way toward instilling piece of mind for Twins fans, and lessening the urgency for Stewart and/or Paddack to come back and work miracles. TRENDING STORYLINE In an article for the Star Tribune last week, Bobby Nightengale detailed Correa's painful battle with plantar fasciitis, which the shortstop said continues to affect him on a daily basis. "It's just tough to move around," Correa said in the piece. "Defense is not all hands. It's moving your feet and getting yourself in the right spot. It makes everything tougher, even just walking in the morning. It's just harder to move around, but at the same time, I have to finish plays." This has been noticeable in watching Correa miss some plays he characteristically makes at shortstop, though his bat does seem to be coming around. And while Nightengale's article affirms what we've consistently heard – a few days or even weeks off won't solve the problem – it does appear the Twins are making efforts to get Correa off his feet more with the division all but clinched. Correa had started 23 consecutive games before getting the day off on Wednesday, and Rocco Baldelli was committed enough to making it a true day off that he bypassed subbing Correa in a key late-game pinch hitting situation, turning instead of the vastly inferior Christian Vázquez. Correa also got Thursday off. He returned to play all three games over the weekend, going 3-for-11 with a double and three walks, but it would be no surprise to see him spelled frequently in the final two weeks. In fact I'd be surprised if he's not, and I hope the small respites can help Correa bring his A-game when it counts most. LOOKING AHEAD The Twins wrap up their midwest swing with a trip to Cincinnati that is solid (five games above .500) but out of contention. The Reds haven't announced starters for Monday or Tuesday yet, but Hunter Greene is slated to start on Wednesday, setting up a matchup between the No. 1 (Lewis) and No. 2 (Greene) overall picks in the 2017 draft. Minnesota returns home against the weekend to face the Angels, which should be an easy matchup except the Halos are throwing three left-handers. I'll be curious to see how much Baldelli tests his lefty hitters in that series, given the presumably low stakes. MONDAY, 9/18: TWINS @ REDS – RHP Joe Ryan v. TBD TUESDAY, 9/19: TWINS @ REDS – RHP Kenta Maeda v. TBD WEDNESDAY, 9/20: TWINS @ REDS – RHP Bailey Ober v. RHP Hunter Greene FRIDAY, 9/22: ANGELS @ TWINS – LHP Tyler Anderson v. RHP Pablo Lopez SATURDAY, 9/23: ANGELS @ TWINS – LHP Reid Detmers v. RHP Sonny Gray SUNDAY, 9/24: ANGELS @ TWINS – LHP Patrick Sandoval v. RHP Joe Ryan View full article

The performances of Minnesota’s younger players this season should move them up in many dynasty rankings. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Stories of the demise of Minnesota’s farm system were perhaps exaggerated. The Twins did notably move a handful of good prospects in the past few years to acquire the likes of Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Jorge Lopez, with the last two deals of course not looking so great at the moment. With the exodus of some young talent, there was chatter about Minnesota’s system taking a hit, and it certainly did from a depth perspective. However, I think we’ve seen enough from a handful of Minnesota youngsters to still feel pretty good about the system, both from a real baseball and fantasy perspective. In terms of minor league prospects, Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins continue to look like studs, while David Festa has gotten off to an encouraging start at the Triple-A level, and Austin Martin has rehabbed some of his stock with the Saints this season as well. Emmanuel Rodriguez is also still an intriguing long-term prospect for dynasty players. Looking at players already in the majors, Royce Lewis is the obvious dynasty riser, and I have more on him below. Edouard Julien has also seen his stock climb dramatically in the past year. Meanwhile, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez and Jhoan Duran aren’t quite as young as Lewis and Julien and perhaps don’t have as much upside in dynasty formats, but all three have boosted their outlooks this year. The trio is still in their 20s, so plenty of good baseball should be ahead. Overall, these five players are likely the best Minnesota dynasty targets when considering both immediate impact and long-term upside. It’s a pretty solid group that fantasy managers can feel comfortable investing in. Let’s now take a look at some key injury updates, plus which Twins have their stock rising and falling from a fantasy perspective due to results from the past week as well as a prospect to keep an eye on. I’ll also take a look at the week ahead and highlight some matchups to target and avoid. Twins Injury Updates Michael A. Taylor Expected return: This week Taylor took batting practice and ran the bases last week as he recovers from a hamstring strain. It looks like a return is imminent, which could cut into Willi Castro’s playing time in center field. Brock Stewart Expected return: Sept. 22 Stewart began a rehab assignment with the Saints on Friday and looked sharp. He’ll likely get in a few more appearances for St. Paul, and assuming everything goes well, he should return from his elbow issue when the Twins start their final homestand of the season. Chris Paddack Expected return: Late September Paddack tossed 58 pitches in a rehab game for Double-A Wichita last week after previously logging 54 pitches in his first rehab game. The righty is still hoping to help the Twins at the end of the regular season and possibly in the playoffs, with a long-relief role his likely landing spot as he returns from Tommy John surgery. Byron Buxton Expected return: Late September Buxton’s hamstring injury remains a mystery hanging over the team. He was pulled from a rehab assignment in early September and has yet to pick it back up. He could still return at the end of the month and give the squad a jolt, though fantasy players shouldn’t count on anything more from Buxton at this point. Nick Gordon Expected return: Late September or 2024 Gordon suffered a fractured tibia earlier this year but could work his way back before the regular season ends. He started a rehab assignment with the Saints on Friday and will likely need a little time there considering his long layoff. Gordon could give the Twins a dynamic bench option for the postseason but likely won’t have any more fantasy impact in 2023. Stock Rising: Royce Lewis ESPN ownership: 48% We’re running out of words to describe what Lewis has been doing. He’s now batting .311 this year with a .923 OPS, 14 home runs (including four grand slams!) and 51 RBI across 55 games. Over the course of 162 games, that comes out to around 41 long balls and 150 RBI. I still can’t believe that his ownership is under 50%, and managers who’ve enjoyed Royce’s run could very well be in line to win their leagues. Lewis should rocket up draft boards in 2024, particularly in dynasty formats considering he's still only 24. Stock Falling: Dallas Keuchel ESPN ownership: 1% Keuchel is not scheduled to start again this season as he shifts to a relief role, which makes room for Bailey Ober’s return to the rotation. The veteran southpaw had a few nice moments, though he has an 8.03 ERA across his last three starts, so he may be running out of gas. Either way, his fantasy value is essentially zero as a long reliever, so managers should look elsewhere. Prospect Spotlight: Walker Jenkins (Single-A Fort Myers) Jenkins quickly earned a promotion from the Florida Complex League, and the 18-year-old has continued to mash for his new team. Across 12 games for Fort Myers, he’s batting .392 with a 1.054 OPS and 10 RBI. The offensive talent is clear, and while Jenkins likely won’t appear with the Twins until 2025 at the earliest, he’s a definite target in dynasty formats. Upcoming Week Matchup Notes 3 Games vs Cincinnati (Connor Phillips, Ben Lively, Hunter Greene) 3 Games at Los Angeles Angels (Griffin Canning, Tyler Anderson, Reid Detmers) The Twins will face the Reds for the first time this year, which means getting a closer look at former Minnesota prospects Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. While Cincinnati has been strong on offense, the pitching matchups don’t look particularly daunting. Same goes for the Angels, so it could be a big week for Minnesota hitters. Two-Start Starting Pitchers Joe Ryan is set to start Monday and Sunday. As noted, the Reds are a tricky matchup, but if Ryan can navigate that one, he could be in line for two wins this week with the Angels struggling lately and playing without both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. Twins Fantasy Hitters to Watch Greene probably has the best pure stuff of anyone Minnesota will face this week, but no one on the slate looks too scary. Phillips has an ERA over 8.00 and is currently at Triple-A, while Lively and Anderson have ERAs above 5.00. Those are the spots I’d focus on in DFS. Phillips and Lively are both righties, so Julien, Max Kepler and Alex Kirilloff are good targets. Anderson is a lefty, so Lewis and Carlos Correa probably deserve a bump. Frankly, Lewis looks matchup-proof at this point, and with middling pitchers on the docket this week, he could be in line for a huge week. As noted above, he should probably be more widely owned, so now could be a good time to scoop Lewis up if he’s still out there in your league. Willi Castro also merits a quick shoutout, as he’s batting .304 this month with a pair of home runs and stolen bases. He’s been dynamic for Minnesota when given the opportunity, and while the return of Taylor could cut into Castro’s role, I think he’s a good bargain option in DFS whenever he’s in the lineup. Which Twins are you most excited about in dynasty leagues? Let me know in the COMMENTS, plus post your thoughts on the matchups this week. View full article

The Minnesota Twins drafted Royce Lewis with the first overall pick during the 2017 MLB draft. Taking a player in that spot would be reflective of elite talent, but what Lewis is doing in his major league career thus far is anything from normal. Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Royce Lewis was the first draft pick taken by the new Minnesota Twins front office. Contemplating between players like Hunter Greene and Kyle Wright, it was the talented California infielder that was coming to Minnesota. It was evident from the start that Lewis had plenty of tools and talent, but his minor league track record was anything but straightforward. There were massive swing changes he worked on, and then there were the interruptions. Covid canceled a season before a slip on ice in Texas took out another. Then there was the fluke play in centerfield with the Twins that wiped away even more games. By the time Lewis returned to the Twins this season, still with his rookie status in place, he had played just 60 total professional games since 2019. To put that into context, Diamondbacks star rookie Corbin Carroll played 100 games in the minors in 2021 and 2022 before making a 32 game cameo in the majors last year. Orioles rookie Gunnar Henderson got in 217 minor league games the past two seasons before making it to the big leagues. Even 20-year-old Jasson Dominguez played in 295 games on the farm over the past two years before lighting up pitching for the Yankees. Lewis has age on all of them. Recently having turned 24-years-old, maybe that’s why he has been able to stay so focused and dedicated to his craft. Maybe it’s been the influence of big league mentors like Torii Hunter. Maybe it’s been a support system that include incredible parents, Cindy and William. No matter what it is, the hurdles that were placed in the way of Lewis have done nothing to slow him down. Through 47 games with Rocco Baldelli’s Twins this season, Lewis has looked every bit a contender for Rookie of the Year. He won’t win the award lacking time to accumulate equal stats, but the numbers compared to games played are jaw-dropping. He owns a .915 OPS while batting .320. He’s launched 11 home runs and has seven doubles to his credit. He’s producing offensively while sliding to the hot corner as an attempt to accommodate Carlos Correa and Edouard Julien on the dirt. Although the Twins have not been an offensive juggernaut all season, the production has largely funneled through Royce. Having played in half as many games, his 1.9 fWAR ranks third among hitters behind only Ryan Jeffers and Julien. Lewis was playing well before going down with an oblique injury, but he has been otherworldly since his return. In 21 games he’s slashing .313/.387/.627 with five doubles and seven home runs. If Lewis’ career to this point could be defined by anything, it’s the word “adjustments.” He’s had to adjust his expectations while dealing with stops and disappointments hurled his way. He’s had to work his way back and make tweaks to better his game. The amount of adversity he’s fought through would deter many. He’s been vocal about his faith, and that’s definitely something he has leaned on. It’s also a tireless work ethic that has propped up his ability to succeed. When the dust settles on the season, it’s more than possible that Lewis tallies an fWAR total in the top 10 for rookies across baseball. That would be nothing short of a miracle given the playing time he’s recorded. Again though, it’s all just a reminder of how abnormal what Lewis is doing is. As his career goes on, Lewis will need to make adjustments. Opposing pitchers will work to figure him out, and they certainly will hope to avoid giving up grand slams on back-to-back nights. If there’s someone that should be expected to make those adjustments though, it’s Royce. Not everyone saw this type of production coming, but you can bet Lewis knew he had it in him all along. Minnesota has a potential superstar in the making. The organization has been searching for a consistent star since the likes of Joe Mauer. Lewis gives hope that the next one is developing right before our eyes. View full article

After winning two games in which the Twins exposed the White Sox for the trainwreck that they are, the Sox reminded the Twins and Pablo López that they still have a few good hitters, rocking the Twins righty for five first inning runs. Touki Toussaint was much more in control than he usually is and the Twins never recovered, despite some scintillating rallies late. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Box Score: Starting Pitcher: Pablo López: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (85 Pitches, 62 Strikes, 73%) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: López (-.335), Willi Castro (-.270), Max Kepler (-.158) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): After consecutive 10-2 trouncings of the dysfunctional White Sox, the Twins turned to one of their aces in Pablo López as they looked to continue their September roll. With a good start, López could have strengthened his burgeoning case for the AL Cy-Young. The White Sox had other ideas. The evening started out well. Facing one of the worst right-handed pitchers in baseball, Touki Toussaint, Edouard Julien laced a double to the right-center field gap and scored on a sharp single from (who else) Royce Lewis. Toussaint limited the damage, though, and López began his night with a one run lead. That lead was short lived. Lewis made an ill-advised throw on Tim Anderson's leadoff swinging bunt, throwing wildly and allowing Anderson to reach second. After Andrew Benintendi struck out, Eloy Jimenez unloaded on a center cut fastball to make the score 2-1. Unlike his last start against the Mets, when López had pinpoint command of his breaking pitches en route to eight shutout innings, he left a few up to the White Sox. After two more singles, Gavin Sheets crushed a low curveball for a three-run homer and a 5-1 Chicago lead. After the Twins went down 1-2-3 against Toussaint in the second, the White Sox went right back to work, or so it appeared. Backup catcher Carlos Perez and Anderson led off with consecutive singles before López struck out Benintendi and Luis Robert for the second time each. He then got Jimenez on a nice sweeper to end the frame. Toussaint showed why he comes with the pedigree of a former first round draft pick despite his career-long (5.43 ERA, 14.3% walk rate) struggles. He relied on an effective changeup and curveball located on both low corners for strikes and uncomfortable swings. The Twins were likely expecting control problems from the righty, and instead saw a slew of offspeed pitches for strikes that left them behind in the count. Toussaint struck out six Twins in the first three innings. He was pitching on three days rest after being obliterated by the Royals his last time out, so perhaps that bodes well for him to continue his career as a reliever. His final line was five innings, one run and eight strikeouts. For López's part, he at least held the score where it was, firing four scoreless innings after his adventurous first. His eight strikeouts leave him one K short of league leader Kevin Gausman. Immediately following Toussaint's departure, the Twins put a threat together against struggling lefty Aaron Bummer. They loaded the bases on an infield single, a chopper over the first baseman, and a walk, bringing up the suddenly hot-hitting Kyle Farmer as the tying run. He came about an inch from clearing the bases on a foul liner, but eventually struck out looking on a dotted fastball from Bummer. Josh Winder relieved López and after a strong sixth inning, gave up some hard contact in the seventh, allowing two more runs to score. The Twins made some noise in the eighth against Gregory Santos and his 101 MPH sinker. Polanco and Lewis walked, Kepler and Correa singled, and Kyle Farmer grounded into a fielders choice to score three runs and make the Chicago faithful a little queasy. Matt Wallner then hit a chopper to first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who fumbled the ball and allowed Wallner to reach, scoring the Twins' fifth run. Curiously, Christian Vázquez was not pinch-hit for as the tying run. He popped out weakly while Ryan Jeffers (and Andrew Stevenson and Jordan Luplow) looked on. The Twins rallied again in the ninth, down two runs. Polanco singled with one out, and Lewis added one of his own. Lefty Tanner Banks was brought in to face Kepler, who struck out looking after running the count full. Correa and Farmer walked, bringing up Willi Castro who popped out to end the game. The good: -Matt Wallner's at-bats have looked a lot better. His walk against Bryan Shaw in the seventh gave the Twins some life, and came after he fell behind 0-2. -Jhoan Duran pitched a quick 1-2-3 eighth inning. He's rested a lot lately, to good effect. -Lewis had another three hits. Ho hum. The bad: -López was ambushed by Sheets, giving up his homer on a curveball down in the zone, but the homer he allowed to Jimenez came on the sort of fastball he can't throw in the playoffs, middle-middle. López was good for the final four innings, however. -Lewis made two bad throws in the first inning. Both he could have held onto, as neither batter was going to be retired. Lewis has been okay at third base, but it appears that isn't his long-term home; shorter throws seem to suit him better, and it may be Brooks Lee who profiles as the third baseman of the future. -A first half issue reared its ugly head in that the lineup did not appear able to adjust to their initial game plan against Toussaint. They wanted to work counts and get mistakes, but Toussaint refused to make them. You know what you're getting from Gausman, Jon Gray and Luis Castillo, three starters the Twins might face in game one of their upcoming playoff series, so there's that, at least. What’s Next: Sonny Gray (7-7, 2.96 ERA) tries to win the series opposing Sox ace Dylan Cease (7-7 4.87 ERA). Gray has been good and has an outside shot at the Cy Young award, while Cease has struggled all year despite retaining elite raw stuff. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Varland 31 0 0 29 0 60 Winder 0 0 14 0 25 39 Jax 0 16 0 16 0 32 Pagán 0 29 0 0 0 29 Thielbar 11 17 0 0 0 28 Durán 10 0 0 0 9 19 Funderburk 0 0 0 16 0 16 Floro 0 13 0 0 0 13 View full article

This was not the same game as Thursday, I swear. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Bailey Ober: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Home Runs: Royce Lewis (14) Top 3 WPA: Royce Lewis (.340), Matt Wallner (.139), Bailey Ober (.100) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Across MLB on Friday, players and teams honored the great Roberto Clemente with special “21” patches on the jersey; some donned the number in favor of their typical digits. Two Minnesota Puerto Rican natives—Carlos Correa and Willi Castro —were amongst them. You may vaguely know of Clemente’s charity, especially as his unfortunate death came on New Year’s Eve during a plane ride to Nicaragua to deliver supplies to the country following a devastating earthquake. That story alone does not cover Clemente’s special altruism. He diverted funds from the opening of Three Rivers Stadium to Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital, he befriend the reverend Martin Luther King Jr., using his unique place as an early black, Latino baseball star to speak out against American discrimination in his time, and he did much, much more than this puny post-game report could never fully cover. He was a great man taken from humanity far too early. -------------------------------------- Bailey Ober started for the Twins. The elongated righty was sent to St. Paul to marinate as his new career-high in innings appeared to wear down his performance; his ERA since the beginning of July was 4.58. Back in the majors, Ober looked to silence a lineup killed many days ago. The 1st inning was a typical baseball sparring, with each team simply looking to get their feet wet, but action began in the 2nd. A pair of singles and a walk set up Royce Lewis with the bases-loaded and two men out. White Sox starter Jesse Scholtens—surely aware of Lewis’ prowess with men on every base—pitched him daintily, missing in relative degrees of closeness to signal that it was far from his intention to become a statistic. It didn’t work. Needing to attack 3-1, Scholtens fired a heater directly down the heart of the plate. The ensuing jog around the bases was a mere formality. (Get ready for some stat drops.) The grand slam gave Lewis the Twins single-season record for salamis (he’s played 54 games); he’s also two more bases-loaded homers away from tying the MLB record shared by Travis Hafner and Don Mattingly. His four grand slams in 18 games is the shortest span for any player in MLB history. September aloofness set in a while ago for Chicago—but it reached inexcusable levels on Friday. In one inning, Tim Anderson booted a routine grounder, Elvis Andrus never looked to turn a possible double play despite Correa being the runner heading to second, and Anderson lackadaisically allowed a pop-up to drop, scoring a run in the process. Impressive effort from a man with a batting average, on-base-percentage, and slugging under .300. Max Kepler added another run with a single into center the following frame. Ober was cruising. He didn’t need the run support—the White Sox could only claim a scattering of singles against him—but his efficiency quickly turned. A soft single begat a two-run shot, and while that was the only damage he allowed, Ober’s now somewhat inflated pitch count made the 5th his final inning of work. That was essentially the game. Between the 5th and the 8th was the kind of mushy, sometimes-threaten-but-never-score baseball that often describes even the finest games. The action didn't end, though, as Minnesota's dormant bats woke up when the White Sox sent Michael Kopech to the mound; he labored through a frame with four earned runs, giving the Twins the same amount of runs they plated on Thursday. Kody Funderburk pitched a scoreless 9th to wrap up the win, lowering Minnesota's magic number to seven. Notes: Louie Varland has a 2.16 ERA since joining the bullpen in September; he's struck out 11 and walked just one. Royce Lewis walked three times to set a single-game high in his MLB career. Bailey Ober lowered his BB/9 to 1.83, the 9th-lowest total amongst MLB starters with at least 120 innings in 2023. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and White Sox will play the third game of their series on Saturday. Pablo López is set to start opposite Touki Toussaint with first pitch coming at 6:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Royce Lewis did it again. He set the Minnesota Twins single-season record by hitting his fourth grand slam of the season. He’s also the fastest player to five career grand slams by nearly a half season. That big blast led the Twins to a 10-2 victory over the White Sox Friday. In the minors, Brock Stewart and Nick Gordon both began their rehab assignments with St. Paul and the Kernels won their elimination game in convincing fashion. Cedar Rapids advances to the Midwest League Championship, a best-of-three series. View full video

Heading into the Chicago series, the Twins were sitting comfortably with their magic number nine and safely above the Guardians at seven and a half games. Tonight's victory over the White Sox reduces that magic number down to eight. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski usa today Box Score SP: Kenta Maeda 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (105 pitches, 66 strikes (66%) Home Runs: Edouard Julien (13), Royce Lewis (13), Kyle Farmer Top 3 WPA: Kenta Maeda (.341), Edouard Julien (.87), Royce Lewis (.71) Bottom 3 WPA: Jorge Polanco (-.052), Christian Vazquez (-.032), Max Kepler (-.026) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Rookies Rake Again Edouard Julien hit a solo home run dead center in the fourth inning. A batter later, Royce Lewis smashed a ball into the left-field bleachers for the second run. Lewis's home run traveled 426 feet, the longest shot of his young career. As he rounded the bases with his 426-foot home run, he paid homage to his character from Wednesday night's annual rookie night, Dr. Evil, by putting his pinky to his mouth as he rounded third. The Twins offense reset again. Alex Kirilloff got a fastball over the plate that went into center field after deflecting off the glove of Lenyn Sosa. Willi Castro followed with a line drive double, moving Kirilloff to third. With only one out and Wallner sitting on two strikes, Wallner hit a line drive past the infield, and Kirilloff and Castro made it home, adding two more runs to the board to make it 4-0. The fun wasn't over yet. In fear of being left out of the party, Kyle Farmer launched a two-run home run, pushing the score to 6-0. Maeda SHINES Kenta Maeda has been consistent throughout the comeback. His last five games have been up and down, and tonight, in the second inning, it took him 19 pitches to get out of the inning, nine of them going to Andrew Vaughn. His third and fourth innings were much smoother and easier to execute, keeping the White Sox off the board. After the second inning and grimacing through his pitches, Maeda made his third trip to the order almost seamlessly. Strikes were striking, and the defense chased down the grounders and fly balls. Maeda had allowed two base runners in the fifth but kept his scoreless innings alive as a fly-out ended the inning. With a nice lead, the Twins brought Maeda back out for the seventh inning, but he walked Yoan Moncada, showing some visible frustration thinking a strike did not get called, which returned to haunt: Vaughn caught a slider for a two-run home run to put the White Sox on the board 6-2. This outing was Maeda's second quality start after the win against the Mets, and he was on fire. While he looked at times unhappy with a pitch or a call, he stayed consistent and focused, had six scoreless innings, and pitched undoubtedly one of his best games of the season. Josh Winder came in to relieve Maeda in the eighth inning, only allowing one base run and working around Tim Anderson, Andrew Benintendi, and Luis Robert to close out the inning, only throwing 14 pitches. Baseball is Weird The ninth inning was the longest, but craziest of the game. Farmer made it to first base on a dropped third strikeout error from catcher Korey Lee during his at-bat. With two outs, Polanco grounded to Anderson at short but hustled down the line to make a close play. Initially, Polanco was punched out, but a timely challenge showed that the Twins' switch-hitter was safe by a step. On the play, Tommy Watkins wheeled Farmer home, a headsy play knowing that the White Sox would likely not have a return throw home. The game cracked wide open at that point. The White Sox burned through two relievers, which saw a bases-loaded walk from Lewis and a 2-run single from Kirilloff making the score 10-2. Brent Headrick came out to finish the game for the Twins, and a lead-off double got the White Sox fans thinking there was life left in the game, but Headrick and the defense shut them and the team down, bringing the magic number to eight. What’s Next? Friday 6:40 pm CDT: RHP Bailey Ober (6-6, 3.67 ERA) vs. RHP Jesse Scholtens (1-8, 4.44 ERA) Saturday 6:10 pm CDT: RHP Pablo Lopez (10-7, 3.43 ERA) vs. RHP Touki Toussaint (3-7, 5.65 ERA) Sunday 1:10 pm CDT: RHP Sonny Gray (7-7, 2.96 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Cease (7-7, 4.87 ERA) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Minnesota Twins beat the White Sox 10-2 in Chicago Thursday. You wouldn’t know it by the final score, but the lineup got off to a slow start. Solo homers from helmet-less Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis helped support an outstanding start from Kenta Maeda until the lineup caught fire late. Down in the minors, Cedar Rapids was facing elimination but responded with an impressive offensive output of their own. Longtime Kernel Jeferson Morales hit a huge three-run home run to highlight a 9-4 victory. The deciding Game 3 is tomorrow night. That and more in tonight’s Twins System Recap. View full video

The 2023 Twins may not accumulate the type of win total that really get fanbases fired up, but taken for the sum of their parts, they represent the best chance for a Twins playoff run in arguably decades. If you're a casual fan who's been waiting for the Twins bandwagon to be worth joining, here's your chance. Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Casual fans are the lifeblood of this country. They don't take things too personally, they don't experience the highs and lows obsessive fans do, and they generally have richer, fuller lives. The ultra-fans of musicians, politicians, celebrities, and sports teams are a pestilence whose maniacal need to defend their chosen cultural obsession is tired at this point. I am part of that pestilence, with my obsessive fandom revolving around the Minnesota Twins. I'm a native Minnesotan and something in my neurodivergent brain was drawn to baseball- the rest is history. I live and die on every pitch, which is at least better than living and dying on every tweet from and about some celebrity (I might be fooling myself). The casual fan is beset with fandom requests- they don't care and continue making genuine contributions to society. They should be commended for their restraint and perspective. But they'll like this Twins team. Casual fans will watch a crucial September game if it fits their schedule. And they love playoff runs. The critical games in September are hopefully over with Cleveland repeatedly tripping over themselves, but a playoff run should be the expectation for this team. The Twins are hitting well as a group right now. Edouard Julien has been a revelation as a leadoff hitter, with the league's best chase percentage. Max Kepler has reemerged, this time as the primary cleanup hitter. He's been one of baseball's top five right fielders since July, after a brutal start that left many fans and analysts calling for him to be cut loose from the team (not this one). Jorge Polanco has returned from several injuries to be a pest with power from both sides of the plate. He's been perpetually underrated as an unassuming star for several years now. Carlos Correa is starting to pick it up despite ongoing issues with plantar fasciitis, still plays a good shortstop, and has hit the seventh most home runs (18) in postseason history, tied with Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle. Ryan Jeffers has cooled off a bit but still ranks first among catchers in OPS. He hasn't played as much as the elite two-way catchers (of which there are maybe three), but factoring in his above-average defense and game-calling, Jeffers has a claim as one of the most valuable Twins (he does have the highest bWAR among Twins hitters). Matt Wallner is going through a rough patch right now, but his numbers are still decent overall, and he does possess what the old-school scouts call light tower power. When he connects, the ball is gone. Alex Kirilloff is back and has looked good thus far, with some hard balls hit to left-center. When on his game, Kirilloff offers power to all fields, excellent plate coverage, and, new this year, a keen batting eye. He gives me toned-down Mark Teixiera vibes. His health is always a question, but he can usually go a month before something breaks down, so he's lined up pretty well to at least get to October. Michael A. Taylor is a great guy to root for, given his personality and charitable work on rare diseases. He also plays excellent center field defense and hits home runs! Willi Castro plays everywhere, gets clutch hits, and steals bases! The guy we traded Luis Arraez for, Pablo López, has been really good, bordering on Cy-Young contending while nearly pacing the league in strikeouts (the most for a Twins pitching season since Johan Santana). After he got back in gear in August, Sonny Gray has been even better. He represents, along with López, the best one-two punch the Twins have thrown out for a playoff series since Jack Morris and Scott Erickson. The closer, Jhoan Duran, is brilliant. He throws the fastest fastball in all of baseball, which isn't even his best pitch. That would be his curveball, one of the best pitches in baseball (when he's commanding it). The bullpen is full of guys who throw 98 MPH and expect reinforcements while already adding Louie Varland, the St. Paul kid who has thrown 100 MPH since converting to relief work. Then there's Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, who have pitched like top-of-the-rotation starters at different points this year. I have yet to get to the most important hitter for the Twins this year, 35-year-old journeyman infielder Donovan Solano. Line drive after line drive off his bat has found outfield grass at crucial times this season, and his soft triple to center last week may have ended Cleveland's season. And yes, Byron Buxton is injured. He is trying to rehab to the point that he can play center field by the end of September, but it's anyone's guess when and if he'll be available. It would be great fun if he could contribute something, even just a base hit, this October. In short, there are a lot of hitters on this club who all do different things, supporting one of the better pitching staffs in recent memory. Key to it all will be Royce Lewis, who sports the charisma and clutch hitting that evokes memories of the one and only Kirby Puckett. He could go 0-75 down the stretch and still be seen as a threat every time he steps in with the game on the line. Home runs or fought-off sliders the other way, whatever you need, Lewis has it. There are reinforcements in the event of an ill-timed injury, too. Brooks Lee is among the top 20 prospects in baseball, a line drive machine drafted eighth overall just last year. Austin Martin had such a ranking at one point, too, and looks healthy again as a speedy on-base machine who sprays singles and doubles all over the park. Chris Paddack has been an excellent major league pitcher around his injuries and will join the team in a couple of weeks following a second Tommy John surgery. The team played poorly in the first half, and that will put a cap on their overall record when the year is done. But they have looked like a contender since the All-Star break, with the old core of players (Kepler, Polanco) blending into the new core (Lewis, Kirilloff, Julien, Duran). They proved they had enough left-handed bats to cover the loss of Arraez, and with the addition of López, the starting staff is capable of holding down a seasoned and skilled October lineup- they even lead the league in pitcher strikeouts (although it should be noted that they also lead in hitting strikeouts). This will be an 85-win team, but that's different from who they are, especially in a short series. This is the best chance the Twins have had to win a playoff game since at least 2010, maybe even 2002. Teams respond well to removing monkeys from their backs; just ask the post-2004 Boston Red Sox, or last year's Mariners. The first game of the AL Wild Card series is October 3rd. All aboard. View full article

The Minnesota Twins are still counting down their magic number, but at this point they are all but guaranteed to win the AL Central and make the postseason. Much of the success down the stretch has come through the production of young players. Can they really trust this much youth in the playoffs? Image courtesy of © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports When the season began, Rocco Baldelli had a team that veterans propped up. Carlos Correa was back as the big offseason signing, and Joey Gallo added a track record in the majors. Christian Vazquez would do most of the catching, and holdovers like Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, and Max Kepler would lead the team. As the offense struggled to get going, and the pitching did its best to win nightly, much of the lineup turnaround has been on the backs of younger players. Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, and Matt Wallner are all playing in their rookie seasons. Their production has helped bring the Minnesota offense alive after the All-Star Break. Lewis has arguably been the most impactful of the trio, and he has thrived in big moments, time and time again. What he is doing isn’t normal, and despite the significant time missed over the past three seasons, he has stepped in and immediately become one of the Twins most productive players. In just 49 games, he has an OPS near .900, and he’s driven in runs every time Minnesota has needed it most. It took a while for Wallner to get his opportunity, mainly because of how well Kepler turned it on, but he has also settled in. Although he owns just a .218 average across 59 games this season, his .812 OPS reflects a power approach that brings some walks to the profile. He has played a strong corner outfield, and opposing teams have given up running on him. This trio producing in a race for a division title is one thing, but how can they be expected to compete when the stage is at its peak? It’s win or go home during the postseason, and there won’t be much time to make adjustments. Preparation is imperative, as Baldelli will be placing significant responsibility on young players. Although Lewis hasn’t slowed down at this point, we have seen Julien and Wallner go through some valleys. The infielder still has a .800 OPS across 48 games since the All-Star Break, but he has hit just four of his 11 home runs in that span. Julien does have a significant strikeout ability to his game, and while he walks, being too selective in critical situations could cost him. After coming up from Triple-A so strong and owning a .955 OPS through his first 49 games, Wallner has struggled as the opposition adjusts. In his last 28 games, he owns just a .671 OPS and has just 14 hits in his previous 100 plate appearances. When Minnesota invites an opponent to Target Field in October, they will be facing the best pitchers that the team has on every single night. The opposition will come prepared to attack the Twins young hitters. It will be on the youth movement to ensure they are equally ready and that the moment isn’t too big for them. Rocco Baldelli has a lineup that currently finds itself in a good place. That’s a positive reality. However, he’ll need to ensure that the youth is equally prepared to handle the most important games of their life, and if he can do that, a run further into October could be one to smile about. View full article