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Age: 20 (DOB: 8/7/02) 2022 Stats (Low-A): 65 IP, 3.05 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 76 K, 23 BB ETA: 2025 2021 Ranking: Honorable Mention National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BP: 53 What’s To Like The Twins have been high on Marco Raya since they drafted the teenager in the fourth round of the 2020 draft out of high school. Raya was one of the club’s biggest risers in 2022 after not being among Twins Daily’s top-20 prospects entering last season. It was easy to see why he was left off the list since he didn’t pitch at all in 2021 and was looking to make his professional debut in 2022. Since joining the organization, his projection has improved from a mid-rotation starter to a potential ace. Minnesota had Raya spend the 2022 season in Fort Myers where he was three years younger than the average age of the competition. He only faced younger batters in 46 plate appearances, and he held older batters to a .571 OPS. Raya posted a 10.5 K/9 and a 3.2 BB/9 while batters hit less than .200 against him. His fastball has increased by multiple miles per hour since being drafted. He compliments his fastball with three offspeed offerings that MLB.com already grades as being 50s on the 20-80 scouting scale. What’s Left to Work On Shoulder soreness caused Raya to miss the 2021 campaign and his innings were limited in 2022. His frame is built similarly to former Twin Jose Berrios, so there can be questions about long-term durability with pitchers that size. Raya is listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds so there is room to add more muscle to his frame as he enters his 20s. Marcus Stroman is another similar sized pitcher that has found success at the big-league level, but Raya has a better fastball that is paired with very projectable secondary pitches. He is already considered extremely athletic so it will be interesting to see how his off-season regime added to his frame. Raya has been limited to 19 appearances in his professional career, so the 2023 season is critical for building innings. He pitched fewer than five innings in all but four starts last season and he never threw more than 80 pitches. Minnesota will continue to monitor his innings during his young career, and it seems like 100 innings would be a good goal in 2023. His appearances will continue to come against younger hitters and he can continue to refine his secondary pitch offerings. What’s Next During the season’s early weeks, Raya should stay in Fort Myers where the weather will be warmer. His previous shoulder injury is no longer a concern, but there’s no reason to rush him into pitching in colder weather if the team can avoid it. As temperatures improve, Raya can move to Cedar Rapids to accumulate the bulk of his innings. He is already on the national prospect radar after a tremendous debut. By this time next season, he has a chance to be Minnesota’s top prospect and a global top-100 prospect. What are your expectations for Raya in 2023? Can he be the team’s top prospect for 2024? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Terry Ryan hired Mike Radcliff from the Major League Scouting Bureau in 1987 as an area scout around his home in Kansas City. A year later, he became the team’s Midwest Supervisor. In 1994, he became the Scouting Director and remained in charge of the draft through the 2007 season. Since then, he has been involved in all Player Personnel decisions. In short, over his 36 years with the Twins, Mike Radcliff has worked with a lot of people, a lot of area scouts, supervisors, cross-checkers and front office personnel. I asked Twins scouts what they have learned over the years from Mike Radcliff, and while they each have their own stories and memories, the themes are often the same. To summarize: Mike Radcliff was one of the most respected people inside the Twins organization but also around all baseball circles. John Manuel certainly has a unique perspective as it relates to Radcliff. Manuel was a long time writer and editor at Baseball America. He has been in the Twins pro scouting department for about the past five years. He recalls a survey that they sent out around 2006. “I ranked the Twins prospects for the first time after the 2006 season, and that was just after Jim Callis conducted a survey of scouting directors, and 17 of the 28 voted for Mike as the best scouting director in the game.” Manuel continued, “So I knew that when I got to do the Twins’ list, first I needed to call Mike and I knew that he would be helpful. But I didn’t know just how helpful he would be and how much I would learn from him. He talked about scouting terms not as jargon but as a way to understand baseball and players. A specific example was when he explained an “uphill” swing to me with specific examples to watch, such as Mark Teixeira, and also the downside (and upside) of such swings. It was eye-opening, and I was jealous of Jim Callis because Jim insisted on keeping Mike as a draft source, meaning that I had to keep him just as a Twins source. I would sneak draft talk into my Twins calls with him, sandwiched around Roy Williams talk after he left Cliffy’s Kansas Jayhawks for my North Carolina Tar Heels.” Manuel had a ton of respect for Mike Radcliff and his opinion that he reached out to him before applying for the Twins scouting job. “When I stumbled into discussing a pro scouting job with the Twins, I literally gave Mike veto power over whether or not I would apply for the job. I called him the day after I had my first contact with Derek Falvey about the job and told him I would not actually apply unless he thought I would be a good fit for the organization, but he encouraged me to apply. I’m forever grateful that he thought I was worthy of being part of the organization. Now it's up to those of us who are still here to live up to the standard that he set, to get to the park early, to be last to leave, to know as much about the players involved as possible and to help the Twins acquire championship-caliber players.” In the days following the announcement of Radcliff’s death, I reached out to scouts. One of the first I heard back from was Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting, Tim O’Neil. He joined the organization in 1994. Of course, I heard from him late in the evening because he had what he referred to as a “Cliffy-type day.” He scouting a 9am game that morning, then went to an alumni game at a Division I college, and then a national workout featuring “all the best high school players in the West.” Of Radcliff, he noted, “Mike was the smartest guy in the room, the most talented scout in the room, the hardest worker in the room, and the humblest guy in the room. He was incredible Seth. Died with zero enemies - zero.“ O’Neil continued, “No one could accurately describe Mike's work ethic and passion for the Twins. He was in a hotel 320+ nights a year, sometimes 2-3 months straight, 2-3-4 games a day, if possible. Every decision, every acquisition, every hire, promotion, release, divorce, birth, death, etc went through Mike. He genuinely cared about everyone and treated everyone with incredible respect. One interesting fact - he didn't like to shake hands, I never saw him hug anyone. But he offered more love and kindness than anyone I've ever met.” Freddie Thon joined the organization 10 years ago as an area scout in Puerto Rico and South Florida. He is now an amateur cross-checker. “I knew Cliffy for a long time, but not as long as many others. I was fortunate enough to work with him on the draft side as well as on the International side. I am pretty sure that everyone will repeat this sentiment, but it’s just undeniable that his work ethic and his commitment to the Twins was A+.It simply can’t be topped.” Emphatically, Thon added, “Aside from that, I have wanted to share with people how great of a guy he was, how genuine he was with all of us younger scouts, how well he treated every single person he came across, and the fact that he was truly one of the funniest people I knew. He will be missed, but I know this group will continue to honor him for many many years.” Mike Ruth joined Radcliff and the Twins in 1989. After years as an area scout, he has been the Midwest Supervisor for many years. He described what Radcliff meant to so many in the organization. “I’ve been thinking a lot about all I learned from Mike these past few days. He hired me as a young area scout 35 years ago, and I can’t begin to tell you what a privilege it has been to work with him and see up close his unfailing dedication to the Twins and more importantly the scouts, players, coaches, and staff who make up the Twins. He drafted and signed so many Twins icons (Hunter, Cuddyer, Mauer, Morneau, Perkins, etc) but his real legacy is the way he poured into so many people’s lives and the bonds he built to connect and elevate everyone in the organization and in the entire baseball world. To the scouts and the staff he was our Puckett; a guy who gave everyone around him such energy and optimism no matter what the circumstance and would carry the day in the toughest of times. If you remember as a fan what a blow it was the day Puck retired that’s how all of us are feeling today times a thousand.” Ruth continued, “The two lessons that really stand out to me really don’t involve baseball, just how to author a life that honors the people around you and lets them feel appreciated and heard while making sure every success was shared and that his role in those successes was seen as secondary to everyone else. When you have a leader that sees life that way every day you work with them is a joy. When I was a young scout I was initially impressed with all the “famous” people he knew. You couldn’t go anywhere with him that a GM, ML player or coach, national writer or broadcaster wouldn’t come up and start talking with him and he was always so generous with his willingness to introduce me and allow me into the conversation. It was very heady stuff for someone just breaking into the business and he never did it to impress, only to be inclusive. But as I got older what really impressed me and taught me the most was all the “non-famous” people he knew around the game. It would have been easy for him to isolate himself among the elite and live in that world exclusively like many do. Instead he built relationships with the first-year scouts, not only with the Twins but anyone who just wanted to talk about the game and learn. With the interns and people just breaking into the game. The college assistant coaches. The office staff at the minor league affiliates. The beat writers and bloggers. The people who cleaned the offices at Target Field. If you wanted to talk and learn, he always made time and job title or status in the game was never a barrier to building a new friendship. Mike never took from relationships, he added to everyone he touched and the stories of his generosity and kindness are legendary. The second thing was his love of eating in groups. He had his favorite places and meals but for him eating was more about fellowship than food. At the table, everyone was equal and all ideas were worth consideration. Debate was encouraged without fear of embarrassment or retribution. All opinions had weight and worthiness and laughter was plentiful. I learned more about scouting and life during the hundreds of meals I had with him than anywhere else in my life. It was a Master course not only in every facet of baseball but in building a life well lived.” Billy Milos joined the Twins organization in 1994 as an area scout. He has spent time on the amateur side of scouting, in pro scouting and has been quite involved with the Twins signing players from independent leagues. The two worked together and watched a lot of baseball together over the past several decades. “He was my boss for decades. Even when he wasn’t my boss, he was still my boss. The number of lessons and “teachings” are too numerous to count. But the one that stands out is learning how to listen from him. It was something I needed as a young scout and something he excelled at with ease. He didn’t try to teach it, it just rubbed off on you by watching him.” He referred to Radcliff as “the hardest working person I’ve ever met in my life! A Hall of Fame scout, Scouting Director, Baseball Executive, and human being. He can not be replaced.” He continued, “Highly intelligent. A photographic memory. He could think and respond swiftly but yet in such a calm manner. Such great people skills, and a great sense of humor too. He was the type of leader that let you do your job. Never hovered over you. He loved having his work plate overflowing at all times. For him, that was comforting. He was so organized you would never know how much information passed through him each and every day until you listened to him. He could cover six completely different current events in one 10 minute conversation and be completely up to date on all six. It was dizzying! How did he keep up like this every single day of his life? An amazing individual that excelled in every single aspect of the human spirit. Mike knew everything going on in baseball. Here is a man fully immersed in the draft. That was his love. But he knew all the best players for the next two drafts as well. But more amazing, he knew everything going on across the big leagues, minor leagues and the world of International prospects. It was just plain scary that he could sit there and have a discussion with you that spanned across all the different segments of baseball. Organizations have different departments for each aspect of baseball, and many people working within each department. Well, he had all that stuff in his head at any one time and could talk to you about any of it without looking at his phone or opening up his tablet. That's the truth. And if that wasn’t enough you could start talking about college basketball, or some random current event in America, or finance.You name it, and he was on top of it. He somehow crammed 36 hours into every day.” Brad Steil joined the Twins organization as an intern and is about to begin his 23rd year in the organization. He has been involved in scouting and baseball operations. He was the Twins Director of Minor league League Operations for five years and is now in his sixth year as Director of Player Procurement. He said, “When I started with the Twins, I worked closely with Mike on a daily basis. So I owe a lot to him for teaching me as much as he did early on. On a personal level, Mike was truly a phenomenal human being and a great friend. His kindness, empathy, and integrity really set him apart. In the baseball world, nobody was more respected for their evaluation skills and work ethic. It was a true privilege working with him for over 20 years, and I will always be grateful for his friendship.” John Wilson joined the Twins in the early ‘90s. He can be seen in ballparks from North Carolina to Maine and everywhere in between. “Mike was my scouting director for 14 years. That's just not the norm anymore, but then again, Mike wasn't about ‘norms.’ One of Mike's strengths was that he supported and trusted his scouts. In my opinion, this allowed us to thrive and gave us confidence to create our own style and give our own opinions. Mike didn't teach us what to think, he taught us how to think. To look beyond the game, the field or a particular play. As a scout, you did your homework because you knew that is what he wanted, and you didn’t want to let him down. He led by example with his work ethic, so you followed his lead. One thing about Mike that was both challenging and humorous was that it was impossible to beat him to the ballpark, no matter how hard you tried. When it came to evaluating players, Mike was like your junior high math tutor. He'd let you work through and solve a problem, even though he knew the answer all along.” Wilson shared one story that illustrates his eye for talent. “One story that I'll always remember is at our organizational meetings in October 1996, Mike came up to me and told me ‘get to know Cuddyer, he’s gonna be our guy at pick 9’ (in the 1997 draft). This shows the depth and skill he had to be able to predict which guys would be available to us, even though the draft was eight months away.” Wilson also shared a story to illustrate one of Radcliff’s best traits. “A great example of his humility and how he preferred to stay behind the scenes, was when Michael Cuddyer was put into the Twins Hall of Fame. The Twins brought me out to Minnesota. Mike Radcliff was there but wouldn't go onto the field for the ceremony. I think he just preferred to sit back in the shadows and let others be recognized, even though so much of what was accomplished was because of him. Mike could have beat his chest with all he accomplished. He could have postured for GM jobs, but I believe Mike loved the Twins. He loved the people he worked with and enjoyed helping us grow. He was famous for starting a discussion and letting us run with it.” You may know Jack Powell from his cameo on Trouble with the Curve, but when he’s not acting, he is an area scout for the Twins in Georgia, eastern Tennessee and in the Florida Panhandle. “I learned to be patient and let the process work. “Know before you go” equals ‘gather up as much info about the player you are about to see so you can have an idea about him, especially on one you have never seen. Love God, your family, your friends, and job. Treat each other with the same respect you expect them to return to you. Mike was someone I respected for 40 years working across the aisle from him. I was blessed to have worked side-by-side with him over the past 15+ years. He will be missed and thought of forever.” Ken Compton is a professional scout with the Twins and has also learned a lot with and under Mike Radcliff. He said recently, “Not enough can be said about this amazing man, leader, and scout. I’ve learned so many things from Mike; preparation, work habits, humility, the list goes on and on. But the one that probably stands out the most is how to treat people. He treated everyone the same regardless of their position or status. He “genuinely” cared about people and made everyone feel special and validated. It’s hard to call it a leadership “style” because it wasn’t an act or something he learned in a book. It’s who he truly was.” Radcliff was the Twins Scouting Director for 14 years. When he was promoted, Deron Johnson took over the position and held it until late in 2016. Sean Johnson was named the Director of Amateur Scouting in 2017, and was promoted to Vice President of Amateur Scouting in January. He joined the organization as an area scout in 2002. In 2007, he became the West Coast Supervisor and remained in that role until 2017. Royce Lewis became his first, first-round pick. Sean Johnson has had a strong relationship with Mike Radcliff over the past 22 years. “Hard to boil down all of the things I learned from Mike, as he was the greatest teacher I’ve ever had in my life.” He noted four things in particular that he learned during his time with Mike Radcliff. They are as follows: 1 - Lead with Humility “Mike was a father figure to some, a mentor to many, and a friend to everyone who crossed his path. The way he handled people was remarkable. He had this unique way to make scouts feel comfortable and confident with their scouting opinions, even though you knew he probably knew more about the player being discussed than you did. You always walked away from Mike feeling like he valued your opinion and the work you had done coming up with that opinion. He treated everyone the same from first-week-on-the-job interns to hall of fame executives. He worked every single day for four decades with zero ego.” 2 - He was a Great Listener “Mike spent far more time listening than he did talking. His ability to build consensus on a baseball decision was masterful. He was the best at getting people to pull in the same direction in an attempt to make the best decision possible. He loved creating these spaces where lengthy, in-depth baseball conversations happened. He wasn’t afraid to stir the pot or side with the unpopular opinion. During player conversations in the draft room he would always say, 'Well, I hate to play devil’s advocate here…' - which we all knew was a lie. Mike believed healthy debate and discourse would help guide our group to the best version of our opinion on a player.” 3 - He Defined Consistency “When we start to mold and develop our new scouts, we preach a lot about consistency being the key to being a great area scout. Preparation, organization, communication, getting to the ballpark early, gathering more information about a player than the other 29 teams are, etc. Mike defined consistency. I never once saw him less than 100 percent prepared for any situation.” 4 - He Believed in a Player’s Makeup as a Separating Tool “Mike believed that knowing as much as we could about a player’s makeup and ability to compete was the separator in the draft room. If we knew how a player was wired and how that player was as a person away from the ballpark, we had a much better chance of making the right selection when it was our turn to pick. When Mike would ask you about a specific player on your draft list, it was a rare occasion when he wouldn’t ask you about what you knew about that player’s makeup.” A week ago, I shared my thoughts and experiences with Mike Radcliff, and we followed that up with comments from former Twins players such as Brian Dozier, Josh Rabe, and several others. Today I hope you have enjoyed the stories shared by some of the scouts that he worked with. Even more, it is fun to read what these scouts learned from Mike Radcliff on the baseball field, as a scout, and just in life. I’m sure there’s something in there that we all can learn from. John Wilson concluded by saying, “I think what I’ll miss most is the friendship. The ability to just call him up and hear him answer ‘Howdy,’ and we just talk about whatever; Players, children or just life, Mike had insight into all of it. I am extremely grateful for having Mike Radcliff in my life.” Finally, Mike Ruth shared, “His passing leaves a giant void in the lives of so many who he touched over the years. He was the greatest scout most of us ever saw but he was even better as a friend and leader.” Radcliff’s visitation and funeral will be on Wednesday, February 15th,at Lee’s Summit Christian Church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. It is a suburb on the southeast side of Kansas City. Mike was passionate about the game of baseball and the Minnesota Twins. If anyone is interested, the family suggests any donations be made to the Minnesota Twins Community Fund or the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy. These memorials will be used to promote and support youth baseball and soft-ball programs in honor of Mike’s passion for the game.

Born in Northfield, Minnesota, Caleb Thielbar calls the same state home as Thielen does. When Thielbar went to South Dakota State, the Jackrabbits were a Division II program. They transitioned to Division I during his final two seasons there. Playing in Brookings, it’s not at all surprising that the lefty went relatively overlooked, but by this point in his Major League career, the story should be equally inspiring. Both Thielen and Thielbar beat the odds when considering how small their towns are. Detroit Lakes does boast a population of nearly 10,000 people, while Thielbar's Randolph claims less than 500. Thielen didn't pick up a football scholarship offer from Mankato until the summer following his senior year, and it took Thielbar multiple stints with the independent version of the Saints before he was discovered again. The Milwaukee Brewers took Thielbar in the 18th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. The only player drafted in that round that year to make a positive impact in the majors is Marcus Stroman, although he didn't sign, went to college at Duke and was drafted in the first round three years later as a pitcher rather than a shortstop. Given the rounds and depth brought in through the draft, Thielbar’s positioning did not at all help his chances for success. It wasn’t until 2011 that Thielbar made his way to the Twins organization, and he didn’t make it to the big leagues for another two years after that. As a 26-year-old reliever, the lefty appeared on May 20 against the Atlanta Braves and threw two shutout innings with a trio of strikeouts. Thielbar posted a 1.76 ERA that season, but the Twins were so bad that his performance was largely overlooked. A year later, in 2014, the strikeouts slipped and so did the overall performance. By 2015, Thielbar was out of affiliated baseball altogether. Using two strong stints with the St. Paul Saints, Thielbar provided the Twins with opportunity to scout him close to home. Boasting sub 3.00 ERA's in 2016 and 2017, he parlayed the success into minor league deals with the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves in 2018 and 2019. Resurfacing during the 2020 covid-shortened season with Minnesota, Thielbar is showcased in a wonderful piece by The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Having all but given up hope on professional baseball after Atlanta did not call him up in 2019, Thielbar decided to move on to coaching in the Division II ranks with Augustana. Conveniently for this narrative, the South Dakota school is nicknamed the Vikings, and they play in the same conference as Thielen’s Mavericks. Fortunately for the Twins, Brad Steil and the team's pro scouts saw his numbers and improved "stuff" and convinced Thielbar to give it one more try. Despite having been away from the game for a time, Thielbar posted a 2.25 ERA across 20 innings on a team that hosted a home playoff series. He was still a crafty lefty, but now he brought a new strikeout sprinkle to his game and tallied a career best 9.9 K/9. Fast forward to where we are now, and Thielbar enters 2023 with a career-high $2.4 million salary, and being able to lay claim as one of baseball’s most underrated relievers. For Rocco Baldelli, Thielbar will be one of just two assumed lefties in the pen. Alongside second-year arm Jovani Moran, Thielbar can be expected to provide plenty of high-leverage innings. His 2.42 FIP tells a better story of his 2022 than the 3.49 ERA, and it’s really the career best 12.1 K/9 that deserves excitement. Having dropped his walk rate each of the past two years, and continuing to be stingy with homers, Thielbar is as good of a weapon as Minnesota has in the pen. Although Major League Baseball rules now mandate a pitcher must face three batters, and Thielbar is better against lefties, he is relatively matchup proof. Last season he held right-handed hitters to a .226 average as opposed to .225 for lefties. Righties did get him for a .634 OPS as opposed to just .575 against lefties, but he doesn’t strike fear in a manager when needing to get big outs. For a bullpen that has a fireballer like Jhoan Duran at the back, it’s incredible that someone like Thielbar can bring such a successful different look. Thielbar will never throw triple-digits, and his 92.9 mph average last season was a career-best. Still, generating soft contact along with swings and misses is something he’s done by knowing exactly what he brings to the table. Among Minnesota’s arbitration decisions this winter, Thielbar had to be one of the easiest. He’s now a 36-year-old, and it’s been a decade since he debuted. The journey to get here was an interesting one, but he’s now a key cog for the Twins bullpen in 2023. It’s improbable we see Thielbar named to an All-Star team or given national recognition, but make no mistake, Thielbar is every bit the success story that the Vikings have experienced with Adam Thielen. Sometimes the hometown hero is Joe Mauer, Paul Molitor, or Dave Winfield. Other times, it’s the grinder that has to do everything it takes in order to make their own opportunities.

Derek Falvey stated last week that, despite widespread speculation, the Twins weren't in the market for adding another relief pitcher in free agency. There are still a few quality names on the market, such as Andrew Chafin and the familiar Michael Fulmer, but for the time being, the Twins seem content rolling with the crew they have now out of the bullpen. Starting at the back end, what is the outlook for potential relievers for the Twins? Closer Jhoan Duran Like last year, I expect Rocco Baldelli to use Duran in a non-traditional closer role. This turned off many fans, but the logic is sound. Stick Duran on the opposing team's best hitters late in the game. The situation could be in the 7th, 8th, or 9th inning. Duran was as nasty as they came in 2022, mixing top-end velocity (103 mph) with filthy off-speed stuff. After only one season, Duran has proven himself to be one of the best in baseball. On the year, Duran had a 1.86 ERA, 89 punch-outs in 67.2 innings, and produced 2.8 WAR. Duran should continue to hold down the back of the bullpen and be among the most reliable guys to toe the rubber in high-leverage situations. Set-Up Guys Jorge Lopez Lopez came over from Baltimore at the deadline in 2022 and had a disappointing second half of the year in Minnesota. 2022 was Lopez's first year in the bullpen, as he was a failed starter asked to embrace a new role. In this new role, Baltimore had themselves a dominant closer who gave them 19 saves in the first half of the season, striking out 54 hitters in 48.1 innings to the tune of a 1.68 ERA. At the time of the trade, Lopez was considered one of the best closers in baseball. It was a small sample size, but what he did was legit. Lopez is another high-velocity guy who will hit triple digits and overwhelm hitters with his filthy stuff. His problem in Minnesota was; he just walked too many batters. In just 22.2 innings with the Twins, Lopez walked 14 batters. The good news here is that the walks weren't a problem in the first half of the season, so if the Twins can make the proper adjustments to limit the walks, Lopez should be fine. With his talent, he has all the makings of being one of the best set-up men in baseball and form a nightmare 1-2 punch with Duran. Caleb Thielbar Old-reliable himself. Overcoming some early season jitters, Thielbar went on to provide another excellent season for the Twins. The 35-year-old lefty produced a 2.42 FIP on the year, showing his ability to limit walks and home runs. Thielbar will continue to be a staple in the Twins pen, often being asked to take the ball in a spot late in games where the opposing team has a couple of left-handed hitters due up. The years may come and go, but Thielbar's ability to be productive in his role will stay the same. Thielbar will continue to be a solid and reliable arm for Rocco to call on late in games. Griffin Jax Joining Duran and Lopez as starters finding a new role in the bullpen, Jax had an excellent 2022 campaign. Jax was one of the heavier-used pitchers out of the Twins bullpen, throwing 72.1 innings and sometimes asked to eat up multiple innings. Armed with a filthy slider that produced a 36.8% whiff rate, Jax finished the season with a 3.17 FIP and struck out more than a batter per inning. The success of Jax in his new role was one of the highlights of the 2022 season, and he will look to continue his growth there in 2023. Middle Relievers Jovani Moran Jovani Moran was an excellent left-handed bullpen arm in 2022. Moran was so good, and it's possible by the end of 2023, he could be asked to take on more high-leverage situations. In 2022, Moran had a 1.78 FIP and struck out 54 in 40.2 innings. At the moment, Moran is a solid left-handed middle-relief option with a ton of upside. Trevor Megill On the surface, Megill's numbers could have been more inspiring in 2022. However, there was a sizeable discrepancy between Megill's ERA (4.80) and his FIP (3.29), meaning he was a little unlucky in 2022 and is a good candidate for some positive regression in 2023. The massive Megill won't be the Twins' most reliable reliever, but he has a chance to be a solid option to eat innings in the middle of games. Emilio Pagan Sit down, take deep breaths, and relax. What I suggest next may trigger you. The Twins were absolutely right to give Pagan another shot. At the start of 2022, Pagan was the Twins' closer, which is crazy when you think about it. In those high-leverage situations, Pagan imploded. As the year progressed, Pagan slid further down the pecking order. Eventually, he found his footing and put on an excellent second half of the season. Most of his late-season work went unnoticed, as his reputation was already tarnished. In a middle relief role, Pagan has the potential to be a valuable asset to the Minnesota Twins. Pagan was, at one time, one of the best closers in the game. At 32 years old, if he can continue to fine-tune his splitter and limit the long ball, there's no reason he can't be worth the second chance. Jorge Alcala Alcala is a true wildcard. Thought to be the favorite to take over the closer job after the Twins dealt Taylor Rogers for Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan last spring, Alcala suffered a season-ending elbow injury after appearing in just two games. Alcala is young and very talented. If he can return to pre-injury form, he may see more high-leverage situations. There's also the chance that Alcala losses a step and struggles. When he returns, Twins fans will have to wait to see where Alcala is. This bullpen has loads of talent and plenty of reliable arms. If guys like Jorge Lopez and Emilio Pagan can sure a couple of things up, which I think they will, and Jorge Alcala returns to be the fireballer he was before his surgery, this bullpen has some real potential to be a top 10 bullpen in the MLB. What are your thoughts? Should the Twins add another arm, or is the bullpen ready to roll? Let me know!

Derek Falvey rustled some feathers the other day when, in an article written by Phil Miller of the Star Tribune, the exec said, "[i]f we were to do anything at this point, it would likely be to add depth in the middle [innings]. We'll keep an open mind, but [relief pitching is] not a priority." It’s a shockingly straightforward answer not saturated with Falvey’s typical lawyer-ish flourishes. Falvey and Miller covered the gambit in reliever talk in that article; I recommend people read the entire piece before outraging (that will never happen). Initially, it’s tough to accept Falvey’s evaluation. I watched the same 2022 Twins team he did, and that squad specialized in blowing games in the late innings. They often failed to hold leads in games that really should have won. Cleveland proved to be a special problem, as Minnesota handed out late wins like Costco free samples as Tyler Thornburg and his ilk tried their darndest to not be a part of the problem. It didn't work, and they finished with the seventh-most meltdowns, a quick-and-dirty Fangraphs stat that uses win probability to determine poor reliever performance. But you don’t need to hear it from a number: that bullpen stunk. Perhaps we’re looking at the issue too broadly, though. Yes, the relief corps was terrible in the first half of the season—Fangraphs pegged them as the 2nd worst in MLB—but they didn’t remain static. Michael Fulmer and Jorge López joined the squad. Caleb Thielber emerged as a tremendous, reliable arm. People with eyes determined that Emilio Pagán should probably not pitch late in games. Evolution took its course. Quietly, so silent that no one cared to notice, the Twins bullpen improved drastically in the second half. Sure, they couldn’t fall further than before, but their bullpen now ranked 4th in MLB in FIP, only sitting behind the blue-blood organizations who consistently dominate the pitching charts. Part of that may be the inherent randomness in reliever performance, but tangible changes appeared to afflict the Twins for the better. Take it from Falvey: "I feel like we saw a lot of progress as last season went on, and within a group that still can make even more progress as they gain experience." Bullpens aren’t made of numbers. People pitch those innings, at least for now. Minnesota’s group includes four arms dancing around one year of MLB service time with another, Jorge Alcalá, who is about as green as the others. Is it unreasonable to believe that Jovani Moran succeeds in an expanded role, Griffin Jax finds another gear, or Trevor Megill fully realizes his strikeout potential? Jhoan Duran will continue melting faces in the near future. The teams main worry will be the complimenting pieces always at risk for the bullpen randomness bug; there's nothing that signing Corey Knebel would do to alleviate that. The issue with the Twins bullpen is perhaps one of perception: because they seemingly blew an incalculable number of games in 2022, they appear incompetent, doomed to blow games again. But that may not be fair. As this author noted in July, relievers are an odd group, one whose jobs rely on the starting pitcher's effectiveness; it could be an all-hand-on-deck night, or Rocco Baldelli may only need the services of two arms the do the job. Given Minnesota’s dreadfully short starting pitching, the bullpen felt an extreme strain. Much of those games were technically the fault of the relief corps, but part of the battle is placing those arms in a position to succeed; Minnesota lost that fight consistently in 2022. And they likely won’t have to carry that weight in 2023. With plenty of wood knocking, the 2023 Twins rotation appears a more trustworthy bunch than their previous counterparts. Swapping Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer for Kenta Maeda and Pablo López gives them a deep rotation. No arm sticks out as truly dominant, but their reliability should feed into the bullpen, removing pressure and allowing its hierarchy to remain intact. The days of Jharel Cotton saving games are over. It is risky. Fewer outcomes in baseball are less aesthetically pleasing than a late blown lead; the win should have been in hand, after all. If López doesn’t regain his Orioles form, Alcalá fails to show the improvement he flashed in 2021, or if any of the breakout 2022 arms regress, it could be a tough summer to bear.