Twins

When it comes to Byron Buxton and aggression, the talk is usually about his need to tone it down a bit in the outfield in order to stay healthy. However, it has been Buxton’s aggression at the plate that has led to a hot start.

When it comes to baseball, there are plenty of parts of the game that are underappreciated. A nicely turned double-play, an assist from the outfield, or a play at the plate can all be exciting moments that make a difference in a game. Base running can be another very important part of the game for a team built like the Minnesota Twins.

With a young core and some savvy veterans, the Twins might have been the best base running team in 2017. Can they continue this in 2018 or perhaps they will be able to get even better?

When is the last time the Minnesota Twins had a truly gifted defensive shortstop? It's been a long time, and there's a good chance this organization has never seen a fielder as good as Andrelton Simmons at the position.

How big of an impact can all-world defense (assuming he still possesses it) make at the infield's most critical spot?

When is a loss maybe a win? Well, when you think it might be best for your favorite team to sell at the trade deadline, but a recent surge has kinda sorta put them back into the playoff discussion, in theory. The way I see it, Twins fans can’t lose right now. If the team wins, great. If not, maybe in the big picture that’s for the best anyway.

When I was down here last year, there was a lot of talk about how utterly stagnant the offense looked. You can only put so much stock into spring performances (not much), but there was reason for concern with that offensive unit coming in, and the consistent struggles to score runs in Grapefruit League games, along with the complete lack of power hitting, did nothing to alleviate such trepidations.

This year, there was much more inherent optimism surrounding the offense, and the production of the lineup -- especially the key players -- in exhibition play has only backed up those good vibes.

When I started out on this venture back in late June, my goal was to highlight some of the best women sharing their talents around the world of baseball. That took us outside of Twins Territory, and even behind the scenes. Now to put a bow on it all, it seems only logical to go with a familiar face, Marney Gellner.

When I posted my series ranking the Top 20 Minnesota Twins assets over the past couple of weeks, there were plenty of quibbles and disagreements expressed, serving to me as a good gauge of how TD's community at large is feeling about various players.

One asset that many people seem to be down on is Stephen Gonsalves, which isn't too surprising. But to me, he seems like a player worthy of a closer look.

When fans think back on the 2017 campaign, most are going to remember the breakout performances by young players like Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Other position players like Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler also enjoyed solid seasons. All of these players were under the age of 25 with plenty of areas for improvement moving forward.

Even with this young core of talent, the Twins were one of the best teams in baseball at avoiding pitches out of the zone.

When facing an opposing pitcher such as Justin Verlander, falling behind early is not an ideal strategy. For the second time this week (and ever), the Twins employed the “Opener” concept in Tuesday night’s game. This time, it was Trevor May who started and was replaced in the second inning by the “primary” pitcher, Kohl Stewart, who went to high school at St. Pius X high school, a ten mile commute from Minute Maid Park.

When evaluating things that had gone wrong in 2015, Twins general manager Terry Ryan indicated the play of Danny Santana as a disappointment for the organization.

“Santana was a huge piece, lead-off hitter, speed guy who would play adequate center field,” Ryan said during the Offseason Handbook interview. “All of a sudden we just couldn’t get him going.”

It is easy to forget looking back now that heading into the season, Danny Santana was counted on as being a significant contributor. In addition to being a table-setter atop the lineup, he was called upon to anchor the infield at short. While his time as a lead-off hitter was brief and the title of starting shortstop lasted just over two months, it likely cost the Twins some in terms of the standings. What went wrong with his year and is it too little, too late for the 24-year-old middle infielder?

When Doug Mientkiewicz emerged as an early contender for the Twins' managerial job, his lack of experience served both as a point against him and a point in his favor.

On the one hand, Mientkiewicz hadn't managed above Single-A, and had only been there for two years. That's not a lot of track record for a big-league skipper.

On the other hand, he had the advantage of being fresh, and not set in his ways. It is difficult for any long-timer to match the fire and ambition that burn within a guy who's just getting started.

When did baseball take hold in counties across Minnesota? What ballpark was located near the present day site of Target Field in 1800’s Minneapolis? If you’re a fan of baseball history, the Halsey Hall Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research invites you to join us for the 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium, held this year on Saturday, November 16 from 9 am to 4:30 pm at the Minneapolis Central Library.