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About this blog

Catch up on all things Minnesota Twins from an insider's perspective without the added slant.

Entries in this blog

Bregman Hits Home For Twins

On Monday June 8, 2015 the Houston Astros franchise changed. Really, every franchise across Major League Baseball changed as they added an influx of new talent through the First-Year player draft. Houston though, selected a shortstop from LSU with the second overall pick, and Alex Bregman set forth on a path that would greatly enhance the Astros future.   In this same draft, the Twins would select 6th overall. Following the selections of three collegiate players and two high-schoolers, they chos
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Breakout Or Break Off With Max Kepler

Over the weekend, the Minnesota Twins missed out on Yu Darvish as he joined Chris Gimenez and the Chicago Cubs. While I feel a bit disappointed Derek Falvey and Thad Levine didn't position themselves better with a six year offer, it's now a moot point. At this juncture a pivot to available free agents and the trade market has become a new reality. On the latter point, Minnesota's most available asset seems to be Max Kepler. It's worth wondering though, is that a good thing?   A season ago, Keple
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

14

Breaking Down Where The Twins And Dodgers Broke Down

It wasn't the 11th hour, but times were getting desperate in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had spent the entire winter talking with the Minnesota Twins about the possibility of acquiring All Star second basemen Brian Dozier. Needing a second basemen to fix a glaring hole occupied by the aging Chase Utley a season ago, the Dodgers needed to act. In the end, they did, but it wasn't with the Twins.   Trading pitching prospect Jose De Leon to the Tampa Bay Rays for Logan Forysthe, the Dodgers found their
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Breaking Down The Twins 40 Man

As the 2016 Major League Baseball season comes to an end, the final month of the season sees big league rosters expand. This season is different than last for Paul Molitor's club though. Instead of adding pieces for a stretch run, the Twins are looking for the losing to end and simply calling up a few guys who've already been with the big club. Outside of James Beresford's Major League debut, the September names weren't anything new.   Over the past few weeks, Minnesota has been forced to shuffl
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

6

Breaking Down The April That Was

The Minnesota Twins are now into May, and they have completed the first month of their 2015 Major League Baseball season. After starting off on an ugly note against the Detroit Tigers, the team has settled in a played competitive baseball on a nightly basis (as should have been the assumption). Just two games below .500, there's no doubt this team has left some wins on the table. There's plenty of encouraging notes as we head into the summer months however. At 10-12, the Twins head into May in s
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

8

Bottom Line Brings Twins Changes

The Minnesota Twins have just over a week's worth of baseball games left in 2016. As the season draws to a close, Paul Molitor's troops are certain to lose 100 games, and they may end up posting the worst record in team history. Although we've seen Jim Pohlad move on from long time General Manager Terry Ryan this season, the reality is that it's the bank account that reigns supreme.   Here's what we know right now. In the middle of the summer, the Twins gave Terry Ryan his walking papers. They w
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Boomstick Became More than a Nickname for Cruz

Listen, Nelson Cruz earned the moniker “Boomstick” because he’s become one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball. While most nicknames are rooted in some level of fact, Mr. Boomstick may never have expected the output he’s seeing as a 39-year-old with the Minnesota Twins. The home runs continue to pile up, but he’s pulverizing the leather more than he has ever done before.   Plenty has been made about the baseball in play during the 2019 Major League Baseball season. It’s obvious that c
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Bold Predictions For The 2016 Twins

Going into the 2016 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins have plenty on their plate when it comes to expectations. After having a winning season for the first time since 2010, and making a push for the playoffs, second year manager Paul Molitor will have his hands full when trying to fight off taking a step backwards.   In 2015, the Twins did some things really well, but maybe more importantly than anything, they were handed a good deal of luck. Playing well above average in high le
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

6

Blockbuster Deal Sends Maeda to the Twins

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine just put an absolute bow on the 2020 Minnesota Twins offseason. After acquiring Josh Donaldson in January, the refrain was whether or not he could pitch. Now nabbing Kenta Maeda from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the answer is yes he can.   Across Twins Territory there should be some absolute shock with this one. Not only was the impact-pitching arm acquired, but it absolutely cost an impact prospect. Brusdar Graterol showed up on the Major League scene last summer and br
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Black Hole Behind The Plate

Coming into the 2017 Major League Baseball season, one of the Minnesota Twins most glaring weaknesses comes in the form of their big league catcher. Kurt Suzuki is a free agent, and has mentioned wanting to play for a winner. That leaves Derek Falvey and the Twins with some really serious question marks.   The only other catcher that got significant big league time with the Twins in 2016 was Juan Centeno. A 26 year old non-prospect, Centeno was a 32nd round pick by the New York Mets in 2007. He
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Big Mike Ready to Stand Up

This offseason has caused plenty of angst amongst Twins fans. While the team has gotten substantially better, there’s plenty of resources going unused. While the bullpen still seems to be chief among the remaining issues, it can be argued that the rotation leaves some to be desired. When it comes to the overall effectiveness of the starters, a massive wild card exists in the form of Michael Pineda. For the Twins, they need the big man to stand up.   Pineda was signed last offseason to a contract
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Big Mike Provides a Steadying Presence

Everyone has seen the movie, “The Blind Side,” right? While we’re not going to get into the plot, it chronicles the life of Michael Oher, a former NFL lineman. He’s nicknamed “Big Mike” and his persona is one of a steadying calmness. After watching Michael Pineda come through for the Twins yet again last night, is there any other way to attribute his own “Big Mike” moniker?   Following a nightmarish start to one of their biggest series of the year, Rocco Baldelli’s Twins were searching for answe
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Big Leap For Next Twins Starter

After making just on Triple-A start at Rochester, the Minnesota Twins will call on Bartolo Colon to take a stab at shoring up their starting rotation. With the group of five being in flux virtually all season long, the hope is that Colon can be a steadying presence. The reality however, is Minnesota will more than likely be needing a new arm in the coming weeks, and this time, it could be another impact prospect making a big jump.   Stephen Gonsalves has been lighting Double-A Chattanooga on fir
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Big Bert and the Hard Road Ahead

It’s long been a thing in baseball that struggling or failed starting pitchers could simply head out to the bullpen and find another path to success. From the short burst outings, to avoiding multiple lineup turns, and even decreasing the total pitch mitch, it’s a whole different recipe beyond the outfield wall. Adalberto Mejia was thrust into this role for 2019, but it doesn’t appear to be going as smoothly as Minnesota may have hoped.   Let me start out by saying that we’re still dealing with
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

5

Best Bets for the 2019 Twins

I’ve been waiting for this post all spring. It typically signifies that the season is just around the corner, and it’s always enjoyable to put something on the line when looking at what may lie ahead. Thanks to Bovada’s in depth odds offerings, we have a plethora of great Twins options to choose from. Looking back at the 2018 results things weren’t pretty. Thanks to a duo of underperformers and some bad luck, not much went our way. New season, new opportunity, let’s try to rectify that.   To pro
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

4

Best Bets for the 2018 Twins

The Minnesota Twins come into the 2018 Major League Baseball season with high expectations. After making an appearance in the Wild Card game a season ago, Paul Molitor's club is expected to make some waves this year. Following success, this club isn't going to sneak up on anyone, and Vegas seems to be included among that bunch.   After posting a betting primer for the 2017 season, a follow up only made sense. Last year however, offshore online bookmaker Bovada had a much lesser offering when it
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Berrios Making A Mirage Of 2016

Another Jose Berrios start, another dazzling performance. The former top pitching prospect for the Minnesota Twins has looked every bit the top tier starter he was billed to be. After an ugly start to his big league career a year ago, 2017 couldn't be more of a drastic turnaround for the Puerto Rican native. No matter where you look, the numbers jump off the board.   Surface numbers weren't kind to Berrios in his MLB debut during 2016. He made 14 starts and compiled an 8.02 ERA. He won just thre
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Berrios In Line for Some Hardware?

The Minnesota Twins decided to forego an opportunity to upgrade their starting rotation this offseason. Michael Pineda returns from injury, and Kyle Gibson has rounded out into an above average hurler. The greatest development from the holdovers would be Jose Berrios taking another step forwards. An All Star in 2018, the Puerto Rican was recently tabbed as a dark horse for the AL Cy Young.   MLB.com’s Matt Kelly named the young Twins starter as one of six sleeper candidates for the 2019 AL Cy Yo
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

3

Berrios For His First Award?

At some point in the 2016 Major League Baseball season, preferably and likely early on, Jose Berrios will make his much anticipated debut. The Twins top pitching prospect had a significant case to be in the fold a season ago, but it's 2016 in which he should be expected to take off. What may not be expected, yet happen anyways, is Berrios taking home an award at the expense of his teammate.   Going into the 2016 season, the Twins may have more American League Rookie of the Year candidates than a
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Berrios Flashes Something Special

In his second start of the 2017 Major League Baseball season, Jose Berrios looked like some sort of well tested veteran for the Minnesota Twins. Not only was he taking on one of baseball's best teams in the Colorado Rockies, but he thoroughly and completely dominated them.   Sure, there was the 11 strikeouts. Yeah, he lasted into the 8th inning, working 7.2 IP. And economical, definitely, as he needed just 106 pitches to get that work in. More than the surface numbers though, Berrios' results we
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0

Berrios Beaming for Minnesota

Thus far in 2018, there's been lots of talk surrounding the Minnesota Twins. Paul Molitor's club has provided talking points relating to everything from their up-and-down record, Miguel Sano's slide, and the emergence of guys like Eddie Rosario and Kyle Gibson. Virtually under the radar, Jose Berrios is beginning to round out into a bonafide ace. The crazy thing is, next to no one is talking about it.   A year ago, Berrios owned a 3.89 ERA and put up a 14-8 record across 25 starts (26 games) for
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

2

Berrios and Rodney Tweaks are the Difference

For the Minnesota Twins in 2018, two of their most important pitchers in the rotation and bullpen are Jose Berrios and Fernando Rodney. With Berrios serving as the rotation's bonafide ace, and Rodney bringing up the rear in games with a lead, Paul Molitor needs both of them to be right far more often than they aren't. Unfortunately, both have gone through a dry spell in 2018, but it appears a couple of tweaks has each right back on track.   Starting in the rotation with Berrios, we've seen both
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

0
Minnesota Twins

Believing in Ober

The Minnesota Twins have slogged through a dismal 2021 in large part due to an inability to find consistent pitching. With a starting rotation now entirely flipped on its head, finding a silver lining may seem difficult, but I encourage you to dream on Bailey Ober. During his first Major League Baseball draft as the Twins President of Baseball Operations, Derek Falvey’s club selected Ober in the 12th round. Ober was a 21-year-old pitching for the College of Charleston and threw 28 innings f

Baseball's May Day is Coming

No matter how far we distance ourselves from Covid-19, 2020, and the ripple effects of a worldwide pandemic, I’ll remember a couple of specific dates as they relate to baseball. Tuesday May 26, 2020 could end up being another one of those days. In the midst of Memorial Day we wonder what lies ahead tomorrow.   Thinking back to March 11, the sports world began to stand still. That day the NBA put everything on hold, and less than 24 hours later not only was the MLB season halted, but also March M
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

1

Baseball Striking Out in the 9th

We’re now past the point of Major League Baseball earning favor with fans upon its return. The expectation remains that there will be a 2020 season, but it’s looking more likely that it will be a mandated one as opposed to an agreed upon conclusion.   With the latest proposal from ownership across Major League Baseball, the Players Association has been presented another deal that changes wording and says virtually the same thing. Despite an agreement from March regarding full prorated salaries,
Ted Schwerzler

Ted Schwerzler

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