Twins

Back in 2019 Major League Baseball ranked Alex Kirilloff as the ninth-best prospect in baseball. He is a former first-round pick that hit for power and average, and played two defensive positions pretty well. A driven and likable kid, it seemed fair to bet on his way through the system. Now at the big league level, and playing through a nagging injury, it’s tough not to question what’s next.

Do the Twins actually have a good pitching staff? Twins fans have asked this question in various forms, attempting to grapple with a group of arms currently sitting with the fourth-lowest ERA in baseball. Usually, one does not question a good thing, but Minnesota sports fans know better than to buy into any hype. This author cannot answer for sure, but it does appear that the team has purposely constructed a stable of pitchers perfectly suited for a new Twins pitching style. Let’s dive in.

The Astros beat the Twins 5-0 on Tuesday as Justin Verlander was five outs away from a no-hitter. The loss moves the Twins to 18-12 on the season.

Joe Smith has appeared in over 840 big-league games, which gives him a tremendous body of work. However, there are three ways he is better than advertised during his Twins' tenure. 

Last week Minnesota Twins first basemen Miguel Sano underwent knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Expected to be out a handful of weeks, we’re looking at what’s likely the end of the line for the former top prospect. As he hits free agency this offseason, what is to be made of his Twins career?

Nick Gordon was once a top prospect, but his career has taken on a different path. What has he proven to the Twins as he closes in on 100 big-league games?

Like a well-used Nissan Altima, Danny Coulombe bafflingly has done his job almost every time Rocco Baldelli has handed him the ball. The 32-year-old lefty was an afterthought, an assumed sacrificial arm for the baseball gods when the Twins added him to the 40-man roster in 2020. What would you expect from a former nondescript reliever known for a handful of innings on some Athletics teams of varying greatness?

The red-hot Twins saw their fortunes change in a hurry in Baltimore, settling for a split after jumping to a 2-0 series lead. Then they bounced back with three straight one-run victories in a weekend sweep of the Athletics at home.

Much more importantly, they seem to have dodged couple more huge injury bullets with star players, as this season continues to follow a polar-opposite course from the last. And Carlos Correa's (hopefully) minor setback did set the stage for a very exciting MLB debut.

Chris Paddack had a short start, but the Twins bullpen continued to be incredible. They threw six zeroes on the board to close out the win on Sunday. Jorge Polanco had the big hit in the third inning. The Twins won their ninth straight game at Target Field. The A's lost their ninth straight game. 

With the shortened season, injuries were a foregone conclusion. All 30 teams across MLB are feeling the sting of a shortened spring training, but players are starting to bounce back and make their comebacks. For the Twins, the fans couldn’t be more excited to see Sonny Gray making a start on Saturday, alongside the Minnesota Twins (nearly) homegrown line-up.

Some say you learn more from losing than from winning. 2021 in that case should have provided the Twins with an exorbitant amount of knowledge. Will we see them learn from their 2021 meltdown?

The Twins left Baltimore with a split, Covid-19 and Carlos Correa with potentially a broken finger after being hit in the hand by a pitch (TWICE) in Thursday’s game. Even with the daunting news, the news of Royce Lewis coming up to the Twins to replace him gave fans something to look forward to. With the chips falling as they may, the new series this weekend started out hot!