Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account
  • entries
    176
  • comments
    329
  • views
    266,073

About this blog

On-site Twins coverage from Brandon Warne, Zone Coverage Twins beat reporter

Read more  

Entries in this blog

WARNE: What Awaits the Twins in the Final 13 Games?

Monday marks the Twins last off day before the end of the season, and provides a good chance to take a step back and survey what lies ahead. Minnesota opens a three-game series with Cleveland coming to town, with Tuesday marking the first of seven remaining games between the Twins and the Tribe. So essentially, more than half the Twins’ remaining 13 games come against Cleveland, a team which has underachieved virtually the entire season, but finds itself a mere 1.5 games behind the local nine.  
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

WARNE: Could the Twins be Replacing Mike Pelfrey?

Prodded by a caller on his weekly radio show, Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor admitted the club was exploring their options with regards to the rotation spot of right-hander Mike Pelfrey. A number of factors make the situation difficult, including the shutdown of Jose Berrios, the presence of Tyler Duffey, and the current situations surrounding Phil Hughes and Trevor May.   To be clear, the presence of Duffey is simply just that he’s already promoted, and thus not a candidate to take Pelfre
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

WARNE: Twins Bullpen Showing Signs of Life

The two most recent additions to this Minnesota Twins team were to help prop up a sagging bullpen. True enough, the unit was adequate in the first half as the Twins raced out to as high as 11 games over .500. But early-season darlings Blaine Boyer and the since-demoted Aaron Thompson hit proverbial walls, leaving the Twins’ fans wondering if the club would take steps to address the bullpen before it ultimately sapped their playoff chances.   And the answer as of right now is … sort of?   That’s
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

PODCAST: The Breakdown-Eps 2 w/Cole Devries & Brandon Warne

It's the second edition of The Breakdown. Brandon and Cole are breaking down trade deadline and getting insights from a former major league player on spring training, trades, and preparation for big league pitchers. Check us out.   http://www.spreaker.com/user/sbarnard4/the-breakdown
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE: Pitchers Hesitant to Challenge Patient Sano

t’s hard to envision Miguel Sano rewarding the Twins any more than he has through 18 big league games. The 22 year old has hit .283/.405/.517 in 74 plate appearances, and eight of his 17 hits have gone for extra bases. Strikeouts were always going to be an issue in the short term, and that’s been no exception as he’s fanned in 35.1 percent of his plate appearances so far.   For some context, his 162-game paces according to BaseballReference.com are 27 home runs, 99 RBIs and 234 strikeouts. And c
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

1

PODCAST: Brandon Warne and Cole DeVries - Breakdown, Episode 1.o

Hey friends. Just writing to let you know that I've started a podcast with former Twins righty Cole DeVries called "The Breakdown" and we recorded our first episode on Thursday. Check it out!   http://www.spreaker.com/user/sbarnard4/breakdown-w-brandon-and-cole-de-vries-ep   Heads up: The first minute is a bit goofy, but it gets better after that.
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

1

WARNE: The Most Improved Twins From the First Half

When a team plays drastically better from one year to the next, it usually means one of a couple things. With some teams, it means a number of key offseason acquisitions have paid off. For others, especially if the roster is largely intact from a season ago, it suggests that some guys — usually younger players — have taken a step forward and elevated their game to a new level.   Considering the complexion of this current Twins roster, the latter seems far more likely. Sure, players from the outs
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE: Are the Twins Buyers or Sellers?

The hottest talk on Twins fans’ lips after the promotions of Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano has been whether or not this is a team that should buy or sell at the trade deadline that looms in a mere three and a half weeks. It’s a legitimate question with no easy answer, as the Twins have hung around in a heavily competitive division. And if you buy into the idea that the Tigers could fall back a bit with the loss of Miguel Cabrera, and that the White Sox and Indians have yet to play their best ball
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

6

WARNE: Joe Mauer’s Going Oppo … Again

There isn’t a more polarizing figure on the Minneapolis sports landscape than Joe Mauer. It’s not hard to see, either. For instance, have a look at social media when Mauer gets a day off — any day off — and how the average fan reacts to it. Never mind the fact that Mauer came into Wednesday tied with Brian Dozier for the most games played on the team.   One certainly can’t fault the average fan for suggesting Mauer hasn’t played particularly well this season, however. Mauer’s hitting just .263/.
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

1

WARNE: What are the Twins Doing With Two Strikes Offensively?

Watching Byron Buxton hit with two strikes on Sunday led me to wonder what the rest of the team is doing with their two-strike opportunities. Not just what kind of batting line they’re putting together — generally bad — but how often are they striking out when the count reaches two strikes?   For a little bit of context, the average American League batter is hitting .179/.247/.274 with two strikes, and has struck out 39.5 percent of the time coming into Monday’s action. It’s not terribly surpris
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE: Where Do The Twins Go From Here?

The Twins snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 in over the Rangers on Sunday. The club is now 4-9 in June and has sunk to 34-28, 1.5 games behind the Royals who were incidentally rained out in St. Louis on Sunday — the exact place the Twins open a series Monday.   But “sunk” and six games over .500 doesn’t really make sense in the grand scheme of things.   After all, wasn’t this a team that was supposed to lose 90 again, or thereabouts? And while even the latest updated projections have
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE: Why I’m Not Buying the Minnesota Twins — For Now

It’s early June, and the Minnesota Twins are not only keeping their proverbial heads above water, but in fact have the second-most wins and the best winning percentage in the entire American League. Yes this Twins team, who was picked by national types to be among the five or so worst teams in baseball, is leading the charge in one of the better divisions in baseball.   Baseball is truly a weird game.   The Twins are 32-17 since a 1-6 start. They’re 31-16 against teams that aren’t from Detroit.
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

4

WARNE: Thompson Shedding Yes Man Attitude, Flourishing

Aaron Thompson marches to the beat of his own drum. That probably isn’t a shock to many, as he falls under a number of subsets that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing oddities from. Bert Blyleven will frequently suggest pitchers are a different sort on Twins telecasts, but beyond that Thompson is also a reliever as well as left handed — two things that push him further down the oddball spectrum in baseball circles.   Twins general manager Terry Ryan — a fellow former left-handed pitcher in his own
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE: Aaron Hicks’ New Swing Paying Dividends

This content originally appeared at Cold Omaha here, please consider clicking through as a measure of support.   After making the team out of spring training two years straight, Aaron Hicks was sent back to Triple-A Rochester as lesser options made the team ahead of him. The message to Hicks was clear: Force your way back up here.   Well, message received. Hicks obliterated the International League to the tune of a .336/.415/.561 batting line over 27 games, essentially forcing the hands of the T
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE: Pelfrey Showing Glimpses After Long Road Back From Tommy John

Frustration is a word that has followed Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey around for a while. Whether it was how he pitched on his road back from Tommy John surgery, to the surgery itself or even just the puzzling year he had last year where he gave the team virtually nothing in terms of production, the word frustration has been on the front burner as it pertains to Pelfrey.   But don’t think for a second that the pitcher himself isn’t frustrated, too.   “That’s all I’ve ever really known is to go
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

2

WARNE: Trevor May; A Pleasant Surprise

Trevor May’s career got off to an inauspicious start. After wearing out Triple-A pretty well — 2.85 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 1.16 WHIP — May was summoned for an Aug. 9 start last season against the A’s. May only lasted two innings, struck out none and walked seven as just 28 of his 63 pitches went for strikes.   May didn’t complete five innings until his third start, and didn’t pick up a win until his fifth. As August came to an end, May’s ERA sat at 10.42. September was markedly better — if still not perf
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE NOTEBOOK: Arcia’s Replacement; Buxton Heating Up; Affiliate Reports

The Minnesota Twins promoted well-regarded prospect Eddie Rosario from Triple-A Rochester on Monday. Rosario wasn’t in uniform in time to start the game, and ultimately didn’t get in as the Twins eked out a close 8-7 win.   Rosario, a two-time top-100 prospect according to Baseball Prospectus, was hitting just .242/.280/.370 at Rochester, leaving some to question why Aaron Hicks didn’t get the call instead due to his superior statistics. Manager Paul Molitor suggested it was not necessarily a lo
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE NOTEBOOK: Updates On Injuries, Ex-Twins And Affiliates

The Twins announced a pair of roster moves following Friday night’s game. With Ricky Nolasco (right elbow inflammation) and Brian Duensing (right intercostal strain) set to be activated, the Twins needed to make a pair of moves to free up spots. Caleb Thielbar was essentially sent down in favor of Duensing. Thielbar made six appearances spanning five innings in his stint with the Twins, striking out five and walking none while allowing three earned runs (5.40 ERA).   The other, perhaps more surp
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0

WARNE: Injury Updates; Arcia’s Benching; Mauer Trivia

This post originally appeared at 105 The Ticket's Cold Omaha:   Prior to Monday night’s game — the opening of an 11-game homestand that ranks as the longest of the season — Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony provided injury updates on the pair of pitchers currently residing on the club’s disabled list, as well as an update on Trevor May:   Reliever Brian Duensing (strained right intercostal) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session, and it is expected that he’ll throw live to hitters before Thu
Brandon Warne

Brandon Warne

0
×
×
  • Create New...