Crucial Seasons at Risk for Several Twins

BetOnline recently released an over/under of 120.5 games for each team this summer. That means there’s an expectation of at least 40 games lost due to the ongoing lockout. There is no end in sight. That’s a terrible outcome, and the fear of losing half or even the *entire* season is valid. 

Plenty of Twins are hoping to leave 2021 in the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, they can’t show off their hard work until the season starts. It’s a crucial year for a handful of Major and Minor leaguers, but these five stick out in particular, with futures both with the team and in the league at stake. 

5. Bailey Ober
Ober went from a surprise addition to the 40-man roster to a rotation building block in 2021. Ober especially shined over his last ten starts, pitching to a 3.31 ERA with 51 strikeouts and just six walks in 49 innings.

The 6-foot-9, 260-pound breakout averaged only 73 pitches per outing over his last 12 starts, with the Twins highly cautious of his workload. Ober had never thrown 80 innings in a season before last year. With a lengthy injury history, does a delay benefit Ober’s health, or does the loss of games hurt his chances of building up?

4. Jhoan Duran
Speaking of innings, Duran must get a fair amount in 2022. After a solid 115 innings in 2019, Duran has all-of-a-sudden fallen behind, with only 16 game innings on his arm over the last two seasons. This summer, a hybrid Major-League role seemed perfect, but a delay could derail those plans. 

Ultimately, the Twins need to decide whether Duran is a future starter or reliever. This summer, he must catch up and log at least 60-80 innings to win a job in the Opening Day rotation in 2023. The lockout may dictate otherwise. 

3. Taylor Rogers
Contrary to some belief, Rogers had a terrific season before an untimely grand slam and injury threw a wrench in his bounce-back campaign. Rogers boasted a 2.45 ERA and 2.02 FIP with a 35% strikeout rate through July 8th. 

The Twins tendered Rogers in his final season of arbitration, expressing confidence that his middle-finger injury is in good shape. What the standout lefty needs is a complete and healthy season. The results will be there, but Rogers is likely desperate to show off his health with free agency looming next winter. 

2. Miguel Sanó
The Twins extended Sanó after a monstrous 2019 season where he hit .254/.362/.578 with 21 homers in the second half. The story is the same with Sanó: when he’s on, he’s lethal. When he’s off, he’s hardly playable. 2022 is the last guaranteed year on Sanó’s contract, with a $14 million Twins option for 2023.

Alex Kirilloff looks like the first baseman of the future, and the Twins were not scared to demote Sanó to a platoon role during his first-half struggles in 2021. Sanó was excellent as usual in the second half, but an entire, productive season might be enough for the Twins to invest in his future with the club. 

1. Royce Lewis
It’s been a ruthless three years for Lewis, who is ready to go for a critical summer. Lewis’ journey has been anything but linear, with plate struggles in 2019, a canceled 2020, and a season-ending injury in 2021. Now, a lockout that restricts him from playing. 

There’s a chance Lewis won’t appear in a real game for *three* years because of factors out of his control. It’s a terrible break for a fantastic person, and there’s no question Lewis is the most impacted by this fiasco. 

What do you think? Comment below!

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