Minor Leaguers Take Over Twins Spring Training Complex

Normally as the calendar reaches late February, we start seeing photos and fun stories from Hammond Stadium. Your favorite Twins writers are writing feel-good articles about all the players who reported to camp in the Best Shape of their Life. We should be reading about how new parents enjoyed sleepless nights caring for their infants. We would be anxiously awaiting the Twins and Gophers playing an exhibition game on Friday night.

Twins photographer Brace Hemmelgarn would be posting photos of the green grass, players smiling as they play catch and stretch. We would see pictures of players by the batting cages, and we would see video of pitchers throwing in the bullpen, many in slow-motion for good measure. In general, we should be seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of spring training. However, with the lockout, we have seen almost none of it. 

Unfortunately, we don’t know when we will have big-league spring training. 

However, the grass is quite green in Ft. Myers. The fields look immaculate, and over 100 Twins minor leaguers have already arrived and reported early to spring training. I have heard that as of Wednesday, only five players had not yet reported. 

The bullpens around Hammond Stadium and the back fields are being used daily. Infielders are taking ground balls. Outfielders are catching fly balls. Hitters are working in the indoor batting cages or out on the fields. 

RHP Yennier Cano throwing off the Hammond Stadium mound recently. Photo by William Parmeter. 

The team’s academy, built nearly a decade ago, has proven to be a great investment as it allows players to come to Ft. Myers early, get work in with some coaching, weight room time, and in a facility with a comfortable bed and three meals each day. 

In addition, it allows for the Twins to conduct mini-camps in the offseason. Twins Director of Player Development Alex Hassan said that this offseason provided some return to normalcy.  He added, “We were able to run those camps starting – we started Jan. 17 – and we were able to run those programs.”

At the mini-camp in January, there were 35 players, with some catchers to catch bullpens. Most pitchers were shut down completely and had thrown very little since the end of the instructional league. Instead of showing up in late February and trying to ramp up within a month, they start at the mid-January camp, working on things while ramping up to be ready to start their season. 

While we are now two years removed from a lost season for minor league pitchers, the reality is that it could affect pitchers beyond just 2021. It’s something that the organization is thinking about all the time. 

“I think the injury front last year was a tough thing across the league. If you look at injuries on a global level they were really elevated. It's certainly on our minds. We're trying to take as responsible an approach as we can to those guys but ultimately, we want to get them healthy and on the mound and recoup some of that work that they missed.” Hassan continued, “It is a balance there, listening to the player and trying to monitor them in every way you can, from an assessment standpoint, from a strength standpoint, from a mobility standpoint, where they're at. Build them up responsibly and try and have them get on the mound and pitch because that is ultimately what we need them to do. We're going to try to be as measured as we can and make sure we're doing everything we can to get those guys healthy.”

It will remain something to watch heading into 2022, and even beyond. Hassan did mention that Luis Rijo has reported. He had Tommy John surgery late in the season last year and will be delayed. Tyler Beck was on an episode of Twins Spotlight shortly after last season and we learned (by the video and then by his words) that he had Tommy John surgery right after the season too. 

There was once a perception that the Twins pitcher development focus was in creating cookie-cutter pitchers with a pitch-to-contact mentality. If that was true, and it certainly was at least exaggerated, the current pitcher development is completely the opposite. 

As we know, the Twins now have the most current technology and analytics and use it with each player to develop their own improvement plans. And at these pitching camps, they are working with the coaches and coordinators on specific skills. 

Hassan said, “There was certainly a huge skill focus, but as we all know, issues for pitchers can be wide-ranging, whether it's command work to get in the zone more often. Or if you don't miss enough bats, understanding why that is. Is it a velocity issue? Is it a pitch movement issue? Is it a usage issue? Certain guys, for health reasons, are working on certain things delivery-wise, trying to lessen some stress on their arms or just throughout their delivery. There were, and I think, as we've shifted over the years, it's certainly become more individualized based on what the pitcher's need is and what the greatest area for impact is.”

For me, that is the most exciting thing I am looking forward to, which pitchers will make their MLB debuts, and which unknown pitching prospects will take a leap like Josh Winder. 

BIG LEAGUE COACHING
Rocco Baldelli and his big-league coaching staff are in Ft. Myers. They are at the facilities five days a week until their spring training starts. They can be seen at times on the fields working with minor leaguers, or simply getting an opportunity to see some of these players work, make some introductions and just be seen and available. At the same time, that group is having their own meetings, allowing them to get to know some of the new coaches such as Jayce Tingler, David Popkins, Hank Conger, and Luis Ramirez. 

HAMMOND STADIUM BOARDWALK OPEN, TICKETS AVAILABLE 
If you are interested in heading to Ft. Myers for spring training once big-league games start, you will note that the Hammond Stadium Boardwalk is in the process of being reinforced and is expected to be completed before spring training games. The reinforcement is an agreed-upon, safe interim solution as the county and its partners work toward a final plan for the Boardwalk. 

For Twins ticket sales, including on the Boardwalk, go to www.twinsbaseball.com or call 800-33-TWINS. 

As of right now, the Twins have 12 scheduled Grapefruit League home games. The first game is currently scheduled for March 6, though that is, of course, subject to change. 

ROSTER SIZES
Last week, a report came out that the owners were proposing the elimination of more minor league players and roster spots. They wanted to limit the number of players on rosters between the Twins domestic affiliates and a Reserve List to 150 players. Reportedly that is now off the table, but in case you were wondering, the Twins have 180 players rostered or on reserve lists in the States. 

Hassan noted, “We’ll try and make the best of those 180 players and try to help as many of those guys get to the big leagues as possible.”

DOMINICAN ACADEMY
Hassan reported that things are business as usual at the Twins Dominican academy. “Our signing class from the past year is there. Our players that are returning are on-site at the academy (doing) education work, strength and conditioning work, and we’re ramping up baseball work for spring training like we normally would.” 

The only thing they’re missing is an official start date. That will be determined by Major League Baseball.

 ---------------------

At Twins Daily, we look to provide fans with more minor league content and information than you can find anywhere else, and that includes spring training. Be sure to check back often as there will be more stories and interviews in coming days. 

MORE FROM TWINS DAILY
— Latest Twins coverage from our writers
— Recent Twins discussion in our forums
— Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email