Twins

Absolutely nothing worked out for the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS in the Bronx and Minnesota got crushed by the Yankees, 8-2. The offense was completely dominated, while starting pitcher Randy Dobnak couldn’t pitch past the third inning. The Twins get closer to a negative postseason milestone.

We live in the age of Bullpenning, The Opener, and a never-ending quest for The Next Andrew Miller. Some 20 years ago, trying to limit the risk of injuries and loss of effectiveness, teams began closely, consciously counting the pitches thrown by their starting pitchers. Ever since, reliever usage has become more creative, more important, and sexier.

Pitching will be an especially important subject for the Twins this offseason. So we’re especially excited that Matthew Trueblood, known for his analysis surrounding pitching at Baseball Prospectus, will be joining our guest writer ranks this year. His meaty essay in the 2020 Offseason Handbook takes a look at a defensive aspect that was mostly overlooked as the season progressed: the Twins' decreasing use of the shift.

Mitch Garver had a breakout 2019 season. His college coach says that the best is yet to come for the talented backstop.

Have you had Twins fans come up to you and ask about Mitch Garver? Often, you may hear them say that he came out of nowhere. But Mitch Garver did not just come out of nowhere.

I ran into former Twins GM Terry Ryan at Target Field recently. We talked briefly about Garver, and I mentioned that so many people seem to think that Garver came out of nowhere, but Ryan quickly stopped me and said he definitely did not come out of nowhere. They always loved his bat, and he was also a Twins Minor League Player of the Year one year. Those who have followed Twins Daily for several years will remember that he was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in both 2014 (Cedar Rapids) and 2017 (Rochester).

Ask Mitch Garver where he came from, and it won’t take long for him to let you know that he is from New Mexico, and he is proud of it.

Recently, Twins Daily caught up with Garver’s college coach at the University of New Mexico for four seasons, Ray Birmingham, to talk about his rise. Find out what he saw in Garver as a high school athlete and how he developed while in college. Learn how he helped the team on the field and off the field, and how he continues to show his New Mexico pride as a big leaguer. It won’t take long for you to see how much pride and belief Ray Birmingham has in Mitch Garver.

Hello darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk to you again.

Fifteen years of futility follow the Minnesota Twins into this showdown against familiar foes. But as Rocco Baldelli insistently reminds us, the past has no bearing on today. This is a fresh slate. And this ain't your father's Twins lineup.

Free agency is clearly an avenue the Twins need to explore this offseason in their efforts to upgrade the rotation. The financial flexibility is there, with plenty of impact talent to be had. But if the American League's recent history is any indication, it is the trade market that's most instrumental to building a championship-caliber rotation.

What opportunities await Minnesota on this front?

Eddie Rosario has been the most discussed Twins player this offseason, with the discussion focusing on the potential of trading him for pitching. But is he is worth trading? Fans seem to think he’s either too good to be traded, or not good enough to get anything substantial. Let's discuss his trade value.

Miguel Sano was supposed to be the next great Twins player right alongside with Byron Buxton back when they were playing together in the minor leagues. His first three seasons in the majors were good, but not anything to get extremely excited about (.844 OPS, 124 wRC+). He was supposed to take that next big step in 2018, but that quickly became a disaster of a season and a lot of fans started to lose hope in him. The 2019 season was seen as a make-or-break campaign for the 26-year-old third baseman, and he certainly outplayed the poor expectations to solidify his spot in the middle of the Twins batting order.

If you haven’t already read Part 1 of this series, I highly recommend that you go and do so. In that installment, I broke down the strengths and weakness of three Yankee hitters (DJ LeMahieu, Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton) to help devise an effective game plan for the Twins pitchers and fielders to have going into the ALDS. In this version, I will be doing much of the same, except now we will be looking at three new hitters in heart of the Yankees lineup.

The long awaited postseason return to Target Field was met with some mixed emotions, as the Twins brought a 2-0 series deficit back from New York, and were suddenly on the brink of elimination. The Twins gave themselves plenty of chances to give this crowd a reason to erupt, but time and time again they came up short in the clutch, going a dreadful 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. In the end, the Twins dropped their 16th consecutive postseason game by a score of 5-1, ending the season for the Bomba Squad.

The New York Yankees lineup is set up in a way to strike fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers. Their relentless barrage of slugger after slugger helped them score more runs this season (943) than any team since 2007. They also hit a staggering 306 home runs, a number topped only by this year’s Minnesota Twins. As many Twins fans saw in that Yankees series at Target Field in July, the Yankee lineup can pounce on a pitching staff at any moment, and practically carry their team to victory. This is why it is imperative that the Twins pitchers have a plan in place for attacking each hitter, if they want to “slay the dragon”.

It is safe to say game one did not go the way that many Twins fans would have hoped, but we have to find a way to put that behind us and gear up for game two of the series. It Twins can come away with a win in game two, they will suddenly find themselves in the driver's seat with the series tied and heading back to Minnesota. However, if they lose to the Yankees yet again, they will have dug themselves quite the hole to get out of.