Twins

Every. Single. Game. The same refrain thunders from fans all over Twins Territory. Why aren’t the Minnesota Twins allowing their starting pitchers to go deeper in games? Unfortunately, this isn’t something tied to the organization alone, and there’s a pretty straightforward answer.

It’s fair to suggest all of the excitement resonated from the St. Paul Saints today. Not only was Louie Varland making his Major League debut following a quick stop at Triple-A, but the Saints scored a bunch and Mark Contreras was the biggest bat.

In a four-hour marathon, the Yankees walked off the Twins in 12 innings at the Bronx. Louie Varland had a lovely big-league debut, but the bullpen relinquished the lead twice.

Coming off a 2021 Major League Baseball season that the Minnesota Twins would like to forget, there’s no denying that this version of the club has been much better. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone that didn’t expect more of this club, and while injuries have caused problems, there’s been performances leaving much to be desired.

Louie Varland is scheduled to make his big-league debut on Wednesday in Yankee Stadium. Here are four things to keep an eye on during his much-anticipated debut. 

When 24-year-old St. Paul native Louie Varland takes the mound in New York on Wednesday (whether pending), he'll already be an awesome success story in his own right — a D2 college player and 15th-round draft pick turned major-leaguer for his hometown team.

But the front office needs more than a sentimental story with local ties. They need Varland to become the first of several drafted-and-developed prospects to establish himself as a legitimate asset in the major-league rotation. 

We’re now into the final month of the 2022 Major League Baseball and the Minnesota Twins are trying to do everything they can to make the Postseason. While that result hangs in the balance, there’s been plenty to like after an uninspiring 2021 season.

With the news that St. Paul native Louie Varland has been called up to the Minnesota Twins and will make his major-league debut on Wednesday in The Bronx, let’s take a look at the meteoric rise of the right-hander from Concordia University in St. Paul. 

The Twins traveled to The Bronx to start a big four-game series. There are a ton of ties between the two organizations, and several former teammates contributed, especially early in the game. Some good things happened, but ultimately, they let the guy you can't let beat you... beat you. 

Yankee Stadium has never been a friendly atmosphere for the Twins. In fact, it's been pretty awful for the team. With the Yankees playing poor baseball in the second half of the 2022 season, can the Twins finally get a shining light of hope in a city that has beaten them down for so long?

As the season winds down, it's easier to focus on some players who may be the team's secret weapons. So, who have been Minnesota's most underappreciated players in 2022?

Jorge Lopez was a bullpen ace, even an All Star, for Baltimore before his trade to the Twins. His numbers have been fine since coming over, but the common feeling is that Lopez has been a huge disappointment. Why could that be?