Lucas Seehafer PT

The Minnesota Twins are supposedly in the market for a shortstop, the position that former All-Star Jorge Polanco has occupied for the majority of the previous four seasons and changeIt’s logical to assume that Polanco would become the Twins new utilityman - replacing Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza - should the team decide to make a move on a shortstop rather than sign someone in the ilk of Kike Hernandez, who has developed into one of the league’s premier Swiss Army knives. But would that be a decision that ends up being fruitful for winning baseball? When healthy - something he has struggled with since the latter part of the 2019 season, which has resulted in two ankle surgeries - Polanco is an above average offensive shortstop. He’s produced 179 extra base hits across 1,891 career at bats, good for a slugging percentage of .435, which places him 16th among shortstops since he entered the lineup full-time in 2017. Offense is not Polanco’s downfall; his defense, however, is another story. Polanco has completed 1,173 fielding attempts across 496 games in his career, 980 of which came at the shortstop position. His relatively poor arm strength and range have led him to accumulate -26 career outs above average according to Baseball Savant. While he has found a greater degree of success at second (+2 OAA; -0.1 UZR) and third (-3 OAA; -1.8 UZR), his overall sample size is too small to even begin to draw conclusions based on data alone. Additionally, he has never appeared at first base or in the outfield. (For reference, Hernandez has appeared at every position except for catcher and pitcher.) Polanco’s defensive skillset and attributes are arguably better suited for second and even third base - less range and arm strength is required for both positions - but his lack of experience in the outfield may be cause for a slight amount of pause. (Admittedly, the presence of the likes of Alex Kiriloff, Brent Rooker, Jake Cave, and LaMonte Wade Jr. - not to mention Trevor Larnach and Royce Lewis who are waiting in the wings - dampens some of the need for Polanco to appear in the outfield.) What it comes down to is this: Would bringing in a shortstop of a greater caliber than Polanco place the Twins in a better position to win more games than bringing in a super utilityman? From a purely statistical standpoint it would be difficult to argue otherwise, even with Polanco’s defensive shortcomings - potential and actualized - across the infield. Semien would be a significant - albeit still below average - upgrade over Polanco defensively while also being a solid upgrade offensively; his OPS is .002 points higher than Polanco’s since 2017 and he has hit 20 more home runs in 41 more games. On the other hand, most of Hernandez’s value would come defensively; he’s average to above average at virtually every position, though he is strongest in the outfield according to UZR. Hernandez boasts a career slugging percentage of .425 and 71 home runs in 690 games. But let’s be real, signing either of Semien or Hernandez would provide the Twins with an embarrassment of riches, particularly offensively. The only way the Twins lose in their current situation is if they do not make a move at all, an outcome that is highly unlikely. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Athletic’s intrepid reporter Ken Rosenthal sent the imaginations of trade enthusiasts — myself a representative of the club — aflurry when he speculated in his Friday column that the Minnesota Twins may try to bring in a shortstop this offseason.This idea isn’t necessarily unique — other Twins reporters and bloggers have brought this up as well — and he ultimately concluded that former Oakland Athletic Marcus Semien or Twins killer Didi Gregorius probably make the most sense, but he also mentioned two very intriguing potential trade targets: Francisco Lindor and Trevor Story. A reporter of Rosenthal’s caliber and track record likely wouldn’t acknowledge this smoke unless there was some amount of corresponding fire and, as I have written previously, the Twins’ farm system is deep enough to make a significant trade and not be kneecapped in the process. The biggest issue with both Lindor and Story is that they will be eligible for free agency following the 2021 season meaning they only have one full season of guaranteed team control remaining. However, “Should the Twins be willing to trade for either player?” should not really even be a question. Lindor is the better of the two — he’s younger, is a four-time All-Star, and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting three times compared to Story’s two and zero, respectively — but both shortstops possess legitimate team-altering talent. Any team in the Twins’ position — back-to-back division titles, playoff embarrassments, etc. — should be willing to depart with their top prospects to obtain an MVP-caliber talent, no matter how many years of control they have left. The question, though, is how many prospects should the Twins be willing to depart with? It’s likely that Cleveland and Colorado’s asking price will begin with at least one of Royce Lewis, Alex Kiriloff, Trevor Larnach, Jhoan Duran, and/or Jordan Balazovic. Additionally, it wouldn’t be surprising if Luiz Arraez were included in the deal — as Rosenthal surmised — as bringing in a shortstop would likely mean shifting Jorge Polanco to second, a position his talents are likely better suited for. Other potential prospects included in a trade may include Blayne Enlow and Gilberto Celestino, or someone of commensurate talent. A package of Arraez, Lewis, and Enlow in exchange for Lindor or Story would be a massive loss for the Twins, but would also place them in a position to perhaps be the best team in the American League, particularly if they retain the services of Nelson Cruz and Jake Odorizzi. Imagine the following lineup, if even for just a moment: Max Kepler, RFFrancisco Lindor/Trevor Story, SSNelson Cruz, DHJosh Donaldson, 3BMiguel Sano, 1BJorge Polanco, 2BMitch Garver/Ryan Jeffers, CAlex Kiriloff, LFByron Buxton, CFTalk about a murder’s row! Now for the cold shower of reality: It remains highly unlikely that either Lindor or Story will be in the Twins starting lineup on opening day. Cleveland probably won’t be too keen on trading Lindor within their division even if it sets them up nicely for the future and Colorado may try to convince themselves — however irrationally — that they could contend in the National League West as long as Story remains on their roster. Regardless of either team’s thought process, the market for both players will likely be extremely competitive and other teams may be willing to give up more than the Twins; additionally, both Cleveland and Colorado may wait until closer to the trade deadline in July before parting with their All-Star shortstop in an attempt to further drum up the market. Trading for a Lindor or Story is not a move that just any team should make; only those with a legit chance to win the World Series with their acquisition should even consider it and the Twins fit that description to a T. The window to win a title is only open for a short amount of time for most teams and the Twins find themselves on the window sill pondering if they should jump. If the opportunity presents itself they should, even if it means mortgaging some of their future. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The St. Paul Saints are now the official Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins and if you’re to believe franchise president Dave St. Peter and executive vice president Derek Falvey at their word, the pairing was all about improving player development and driving competitive success.“Since moving to Minnesota in 1961, I think player development has been the heartbeat of the Twins franchise,” St. Peter told reporters during Wednesday’s press conference announcing the move. “Thinking back over six decades of Twins’ baseball there hasn’t been a single successful team that we’ve had that wasn’t really largely fueled by players that were ultimately products of our farm system. And with that reality in mind, I think today’s news of an enhanced player development model is absolutely central to our future success.” “We are uniquely positioned now as a major league franchise to have our two highest levels of play within a few short miles of one another and we view that as a competitive advantage,” Falvey said. “As something as, in this game when you’re seeking every possible competitive advantage in scouting, in development, in player selection, in performance, this is something that we feel is going to be a significant benefit to our club.” While there is undoubtedly a large element of truth in those statements - the Twins will now be able to have a fully functional “taxi squad” for a second season in a row, something most other MLB teams will not have access to due to geographical limitations - it also can’t be ignored that the Minny and Paul Merger allows for the Twins to develop the Twin Cities into a Midwestern baseball Mecca, a factor that likely played into the decision as well. A select few MLB teams have their Triple-A affiliate in close proximity - though not all teams have officially announced their respective Triple-A teams and all are longer than the 13 miles between the two Minnesota stadiums - and it is safe to say that none have the same cachet as Target Field and CHS Field. Both fields are considered to be crown jewels in their respective leagues and, in the case of CHS Field, provide a fan experience that is unique and Saints’ owner Marvin Goldklang stated that ticket prices - which begin as low as $5 - will not be changing. These factors are the primary reason behind why the Saints are able to draw in crowd sizes that are practically unrivaled, even by Triple-A standards. According to the official press release, “Since [the Saints moved] to their current home, located in the historic Lowertown District of St. Paul, the club has drawn 2,028,402 fans over five full seasons (2015-19), leading the American Association in each of those years. They have been over 100% capacity 15 times, including a combined 112% capacity in the first five full seasons at CHS Field. In 2019, the Saints led all of Minor League Baseball in percent capacity, were eighth in average attendance (topped only by seven Triple-A teams), and 26th in overall attendance.” The ability to watch top prospects such as Royce Lewis, Jordan Balazovic, and Trevor Larnach in person and on a near daily basis will surely draw even more fans to lowertown St. Paul. This will allow fans to become even more familiar with the Twins’ stars of tomorrow, which, in turn, will likely have a ripple effect on the overall attendance numbers at Target Field - and the franchise’s bottom line. This line of logic applies to the Saints as well. Combining their state-of-the-art field and fan experience with the Twins’ top prospects will likely drive attendance above the 112% capacity number cited previously - once fans are allowed to go to games uninhibited - and will drive revenue skyward. In essence, this pairing was a no-brainer for all parties involved. The ability to create a competitive advantage by pairing with the Saints was undoubtedly an enticing proposition for the Twins - and one that ultimately proved too good to turn down - but at the end of the day, baseball is a business and businesses are driven by the bottom line. Not only will the merger with the Saints make the Twins a better baseball team around the margins, it also will have a significant impact on their margins of profit as well. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins have yet to make a substantial splash in free agency, but they have landed a few interesting players on minor league deals. One such player is former Boston Red Sox utilityman Tzu-Wei Lin.Boston outrighted Lin this past October after he spent the previous eight seasons with the organization; he was originally signed by the club out of Taiwan in 2012. The signing of Lin seems to provide further evidence to the foregone conclusion that Ehire Adrianza - and to a lesser extent Marwin Gonzalez - will not be returning to the Twins after four successful yet unremarkable seasons. Lin topped out as the 16th best prospect in the Red Sox’s system before making his major league debut in 2017. During his time in Boston, he was billed as a defensive Swiss Army knife of sorts, being able to play virtually every position in the field. He appeared at every position save for first base over the first 101 games of his career, though 70% of his time has been spent at either shortstop or second base. However, despite his perceived versatility, Lin’s defensive numbers leave much to be desired across a small sample. According to FanGraphs, Lin grades as a decent second baseman (2.1) and shows some potential at third base (0.9) in terms of career UZR - the equivalent of 14.9 and 21.9 career UZR/150, respectively - but falls flat virtually everywhere else. So, he can do everything, but nothing particularly well; he’s less a Swiss Army knife and more a poor generic brand facsimile. Offensively, Lin has less pop than a popgun. His average exit velocity (85.7 mph) and barrel percentage (2.9%) fall well below the league average (88.3 and 6.4%, respectively) according to Baseball Savant, and he’s only ever launched one home run across 218 plate appearances. Lin has fairly good plate discipline boasting career 9.6% walk and 25.7% chase percentages - both considered well above average - however, he rarely makes opposing pitchers pay for having to throw him strikes. His slow swing velocity and overall lack of power - even extrabase power - doesn’t prevent pitchers from pounding the zone. In essence, the Twins’ signing of Tzu-Wei Lin is likely more of a low-risk, low-reward backup plan than a direct response to the pending departures of Adrianza and Gonzalez. His acquisition should not - and likely will not - prevent them from looking to sign or trade for a versatile defender in the vein of Kike Hernadez or Andrelton Simmons. Signings like that of Lin’s are common occurrences in baseball as, at the very least, they help build the overall depth of a team’s farm system while being able to take an inexpensive flier on a young talent; Lin is only 26-years-old. In all likelihood, Lin will spend the majority of his time with the St. Paul Saints during the 2021 season, though his presence provides an available, if fleeting, stopgap should, say, Jorge Polanco or Luis Arraez suffer an injury and the Twins determine that Travis Blankenhorn and/or Royce Lewis are not quite ready for the big show. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly re-signed shooting guard Malik Beasley Friday night to a four-year, $60 million dollar deal. It’s a good move for the Wolves, who are looking to obtain relevance for the first time in what seems like an eternity, but what does this have to do with the Twins, exactly?The 24-year-old Beasley was acquired by the Wolves in a February trade and went on to score 20.7 points per game and shoot 42.6% from three in 14 games before the NBA shut down due to the initial COVID-19 outbreak on U.S. shores. According to Michael Scotto, a plugged-in reporter for the website HoopsHype.com, components of the Wolves’ pitch to Beasley Friday night involved custom Vikings and Twins jerseys, a video of his top highlights in Minnesota, and a message from Twins’ key free agent target Nelson Cruz. Twins Daily was able to confirm Scotto's report, though the content of Cruz's message is unknown. Does this mean that Cruz is destined to return to the friendly confines of Target Field? No. But it is interesting that off all the Twins players and coaches who could have pitched Beasley on staying in Minneapolis, Cruz was designated as the best one to do it. Cruz is reportedly waiting on further clarification about the status of the universal DH moving forward and is seeking a multi-year deal in free agency; additionally, while both sides have interest in a reunion, a signing is not expected anytime soon. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The New York Mets are officially an entity of the Steve Cohen empire and the hedge fund magnate wasted no time cleaning house, bringing back Sandy Alderson to run the front office and relieving the divisive Brodie Van Wagenen of his general managing duties. The Mets are looking to return to the top of the National League and arguably their best opportunity to do so is by leaning heavily on their new owner’s deep, velvety pockets (I assume that all pockets of billionaires are lined with velvet anyway).The New York Mets are officially an entity of the Steve Cohen empire and the hedge fund magnate wasted no time cleaning house, bringing back Sandy Alderson to run the front office and relieving the divisive Brodie Van Wagenen of his general managing duties. The Mets are looking to return to the top of the National League and arguably their best opportunity to do so is by leaning heavily on their new owner’s deep, velvety pockets (I assume that all pockets of billionaires are lined with velvet anyway). New York is coming off a disappointing 26-34 season that saw them finish fourth in the NL East and three games clear of the final Wild Card spot. No single Met performed particularly well on the season - that is besides perennial Cy Young candidate Jacob DeGrom and outfielder Michael Conforto - and the team was without starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard for the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Cohen will give the greenlight to any move - through free agency or trade - that will result in the Mets contending next season; one may even go so far as to say that it is likely. Should that be the case, there is a real argument to be made that the Minnesota Twins should be one of the first teams reaching out to Alderson and the Mets’ new GM...whoever that may eventually be. New York doesn’t have a remarkably deep farm system - only three prospects rank in the top 100 according to MLB.com - though they do possess a number of team-controlled, young players already with the major league club that may be of interest to the Twins. One such name is Amed Rosario. Rosario debuted for the Mets in 2017 at the ripe old age of 21-years-young and is a former high-level prospect. He has primarily appeared at shortstop across the 400 or so games of his career, but also has appeared in the outfield. (The Mets are reportedly considering moving him to centerfield next season.) Rosario possesses a strong arm and quick feet, making him viable at shortstop or in the outfield long-term. When compared to current Twins’ shortstop Jorge Polanco, Rosario grades out similarly in UZR and defensive runs saved, while performing slightly better in outs above average. (TL;DR: Neither are future Gold Glove candidates, by any means, but they’re both serviceable shortstops at worst.) On offense, Rosario isn’t anything to write home about as he will provide an OPS and wRC+ that trends toward league average, which is roughly similar to if not better than former utility man Marwin Gonzalez. However, his young age and solid hit tool allows for some projectability. Where Rosario could be of value for the Twins is if they miss out on signing the likes of Swiss Army knife Kike Hernandez or wish to spend their money at a different position; he isn’t arbitration eligible until 2022 and has two minor league options remaining. In all, Rosario would provide defense akin to Polanco and offense akin to Gonzalez, but at a much cheaper price than either of the two or Hernandez. He shouldn’t be the Twins’ top priority this offseason, but he’d be a respectable consolation prize, especially if he can be had for reasonable capital. Another name that should be on the Twins’ radar is David Peterson. Peterson is a former first-round draft pick for the Mets who made his major league debut this past season. Despite coming in at 6’6”, 240 lbs, the left hander ranked in the 35th percentile in fastball velocity and the 26th percentile in K% during the 2020 season. However, he possesses two skills that Twins’ pitching coach Wes Johnson loves: he doesn’t get hit hard and his slider is dominant. Only 3.6% of batted balls off Peterson in 2020 were categorized as Solid, according to Baseball Savant, while 5.8% were categorized as Weak, which was better than the MLB averages of 5.6% and 3.2%, respectively. Additionally, Peterson’s hard hit percentage (70th percentile) and exit velocity (65th percentile) were solidly above average. As for his slider, well... Peterson threw his slider 210 times last season and it produced 60% of his total strikeouts (24), a .119 BA, and a 37.1% Whiff%. For reference, Kenta Maeda’s split-change up - the pitch that propelled him towards a Cy Young caliber season - produced similar numbers. This is not to say that Peterson is an ace-level pitcher waiting to be unleashed - his ceiling is probably that of a mid-rotation starter - but Johnson’s previous success with pitchers who have one defining pitch is enough to make him an intriguing trade acquisition option. But what would it take for the Mets to part with Rosario and/or Peterson? That’s the million dollar question. The Twins would likely have to build a package centered around catcher Mitch Garver. New York lacks talent behind the plate and figures to be a major player in the JT Realmuto sweepstakes, but Garver would be a solid back up plan. Minnesota would also likely have to include a low-high-tier or a couple of mid-tier prospects to round out the deal. All in all, a Twins-Mets trade isn’t likely high on the priority list for either team, but should one or both miss out on their top targets this offseason, they should keep each other’s phone numbers handy, just in case. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

There has arguably been no better story in the 2020 MLB playoffs than the emergence of Tampa Bay Rays’ outfielder Randy Arozarena out of obscurity and into the collective baseball zeitgeist.Arozarena was brought over from the St. Louis Cardinals as a throw-in component of a January trade that saw Tampa Bay ship out two top prospects - pitcher Matthew Liberatore and catcher Edgardo Rodriguez - in exchange for pitcher Jose Martinez and immediately slotted in as the 19th best prospect in the Rays’ farm system. MLB.com’s scouting report described him as a raw outfield talent with decent power potential and good speed who “profiles as more of a bench outfielder” than an everyday starter. The 25-year-old Cuban debuted for St. Louis in 2019, where he produced 0.2 WAR, a .891 OPS, and a .200 ISO over the course of 23 at-bats. However, after the trade and with more readily available playing time in the outfield of The Trop, Arozarena’s numbers rose to 0.8 WAR, 1.023 OPS, and a .359 ISO in 76 regular season at-bats. Arozarena’s rise from random low-tier prospect in his mid-20s to a legitimate contributor on the American League East’s best team would have been a great feel good story in and of itself...but then along came the playoffs where his numbers have ballooned even further - he boasts a 1.222 OPS and .426 ISO in 69 ABs - on his way to being named the ALCS MVP. Developing a prospect much like the Rays have with their newfound star outfielder is the dream for the 29 other MLB franchises, though the feasibility of doing so is rather low; it is difficult to make chicken salad out of, well, you know. Tampa Bay has established itself over the years as the gold standard for prospect development and helping their athletes achieve levels of play that many thought highly unlikely, or in some cases impossible. The Minnesota Twins have emerged over the last couple of seasons as another team that has been able to derive more bang from their proverbial buck as it pertains to their young and inexperienced players. So that begs the question: Do the Twins have any candidates to have a breakout season in the mold of Arozarena in 2021? The short answer is, probably not. The majority of the Twins’ MLB-ready outfield prospects - Kiriloff (2), Larnach (3), Rooker (12) - rank in their top 15 according to MLB.com and their overall skill sets are stronger and differ than that of Arozarena (though Rooker is probably the closest of the three). However, glancing further down the list of prospects reveals a few names that have the potential to become Arozarena-types two or three years down the line. Misael Urbina, 18, Rookie Ball Urbina has an overall similar body type to that of Arozarena - approximately six-feet tall and 180ish lbs - though MLB.com grades his run and field tool slightly faster (they also have Arozarena with a stronger arm). At the ripe old age of 18-years-young, Urbina has plenty of time to grow into his body and develop the kind of power numbers that will rival those of Arozarena. He produced a .825 OPS and .164 ISO in 217 ABs during his lone minor league season. Alerick Soularie, 21, Fort Myers Miracle Soularie was the Twins’ second round pick in the 2020 MLB draft almost solely due to his potential to unlock a 20-30 home run per season swing. He clubbed the ball during his final season at the University of Tennessee - 1.068 OPS - but possesses neither the speed nor arm strength to call any outfield position his home, according to MLB.com. He did not appear in a game in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Matt Wallner, 22, Cedar Rapids Kernels Wallner is much bigger than Arozarena - 6’5”, 220 lbs - however, his minor league numbers approximate those of the Rays’ rookie. His strikeout and walk percentages correlate closely with Arozarena and he has produced similar ISO and OPS numbers as well through his young minor league career. Wallner’s arm grades out stronger than that of Arozarena’s, but both figure to be corner outfielders primarily in the majors, according to MLB.com. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

There is arguably no better spectacle in the wide world of sports than when a pitcher absolutely baffles an opposing hitter with a pitch of such filth that it requires to be bleached in order to be sufficiently free of pathogens and grime.Sometimes the batter ends up corkscrewing themself into the ground after sitting fastball only to see a changeup come out of the pitcher’s hand; other times it’s a slider that ultimately leaves them staring off into space as the bat swords off their shoulder. The Minnesota Twins’ pitching staff frequently left hitters questioning why they took up the game of baseball in 2020 as they logged 535 strikeouts - fifth most in the American League - and posted the seventh-best whiff percentage (28.1%) in all of MLB, according to Baseball Savant. For the first time since the days of Johan Santana the Twins’ bread and butter was their pitching staff. So that begs the question: What was the nastiest pitch thrown by a Minnesota Twin during the shortened 2020 season? There is no way to answer this question in a completely objective manner, but it’s a question that needs an answer, regardless. Plus, I figured it would be really fun to watch video upon video of opposing batters looking silly at the hands of the Twins. The process was straightforward. I narrowed down the Twins’ pitch staff to their best performers based on the available pitching stats provided by Baseball Savant. I then determined which pitch type was each pitcher’s strongest and watched each occurrence in which said pitch resulted in a whiff. It’s common scientific knowledge that those pitches provide the best optics, after all. My very scientific research resulted in concluding that the following four pitchers and their respective pitches were the Twins’ nastiest this past season: Top Pitchers and their Best Pitch Type (in no particular order) Kenta Maeda, changeupMatt Wisler, sliderTyler Duffey, curveCaleb Theilbar, curveThese players made the cut as they most frequently ranked in the top 10% of all MLB pitchers in various categories including WOBA, Hard Hit %, Whiff %, and xBA. Each pitch was selected largely based on opponent BA and Whiff %. Scouring the video catalogs of each pitcher revealed numerous potential individual candidates, but in the end I decided to select one example to represent each pitcher. Without further ado, here are the four nastiest pitches thrown by the Twins’ best pitchers that resulted in a swing and miss in 2020. Number 4: Hooked on a Thielbar Chicago White Sox infielder Yolmer Sanchez never stood a chance. Thielbar’s curveball started at the belt and ended by the foot by the time it meandered to the plate at a cool 69 mph. Sanchez must have been sitting fastball as his lead foot landed early and his weight shifted forward. Thielbar’s curveball - which averaged a glacial 68.7 mph - struck out seven batters this past season and yielded a Whiff % of 38.7%; he did not allow a single hit off his curveball in 94 pitch attempts. Number 3: Wisler While You Work Wisler was arguably the biggest breakout on the Twins in 2020 due to the newfound reliance on his slider. As the video clip above shows, that was a good call. Wisler makes MVP candidate Jose Abreu look like an amateur with his filthiest slider of the season. Wisler’s slider accounted for a whopping 83% of all his pitches thrown, but that didn’t matter because opponents simply could not touch it; it produced a Whiff % of 37.9% and opponents hit .143 against it. Number 2: When the Going Get Duffey, The Duffey Gets Going Pour one out for Oscar Mercado. Duffey’s curveball starts middle-middle leading Mercado to think that he is going to get Cleveland right back in this thing...but then the bottom drops out and he misses the ball by a good foot. Duffey essentially threw a 50/50 fastball-curve pitch mix this past season and his release point for each pitch was virtually the same. As a result, his curve produced a Whiff % of 40.2% and an opponent batting average of .158. However, it could be argued that Duffey’s best pitch is actually his fastball, because the stats are virtually identical to that of his curve. Number 1: You Kenta-lways Get What You Want What an absurd changeup. An opponent BA of .122; 38 strike outs; -5 degree average launch angle; 45.6% Whiff %. Maeda’s changeup was the best pitch for the Twins’ best pitcher and it didn’t take Franmil Reyes long to figure that out. What is a batter supposed to do with a changeup that looks like a fastball and drops like a curveball? Nothing. The answer is nothing. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

If the Minnesota Twins had a calling card during the abbreviated 2020 season it was pitching. But as the old adage goes: You can never have too much pitching, particularly starting pitching.Offseason acquisitions Kenta Maeda, Matt Wisler, and Caleb Theilbar burned the hottest and helped lead the Twins to post the third-best ERA (3.58), give up the fewest home runs (62), and strikeout the fourth most batters (535) in the American League. Maeda evolved into a verifiable ace over the course of his 11 starts and Jose Berrios bounced back strongly after a slow and frustrating start, but the rest of the starting rotation left much to be desired. Michael Pineda reproduced his production from the tailend of the 2019 season, but only started five games due to suspension; Randy Dobnak began the season as a Rookie of the Year candidate, but petered out as the season went on; Jake Odorizzi, Lewis Thorpe, Devin Smeltzer, and Homer Bailey were largely ineffective or unavailable due to injury; Rich Hill performed admirably, but lost zip on his already zipless fastball and was not the Rich Hill of past years. Maeda, Berrios, and Pineda are the only three with a guaranteed rotation spot for the 2021 season, leaving two spots to be filled. While reinforcements may be coming around the corner internally in the form of top prospects Jordan Balazovic and Jhoan Duran, relying on young pitchers to anchor a championship caliber starting unit is a big ask and the upcoming free agent class is weak on high-end starters. It would be prudent for the Twins to aggressively pursue starting pitching in the trade market. One could argue that the Twins have never been in a better position to shoot for the moon. The team is coming off back-to-back 100-win pace Central Division titles in which they drastically underperformed in the playoffs and own one of the deeper farm systems in all of baseball. Additionally, the team is currently “burdened” with a logjam of high-end, young talent in the outfield. It’s become a forgone conclusion at this point that the Twins will look to move Eddie Rosario in the offseason and replace him with either Alex Kiriloff or Trevor Larnach next season, but one must also consider that the team also has Brent Rooker, Gilberto Celestino, Alerik Soulaire, and Akil Baddoo at various levels on the farm. (The logjam becomes even more, well, jammed if number one prospect Royce Lewis makes the transition to the outfield at some point.) Could the Twins entice the Philadelphia Phillies to part with Aaron Nola? What about the Los Angeles Angels with Dylan Bundy or the Colorado Rockies with German Marquez? The Twins’ success with the Brusdar Graterol-for-Maeda swap lends credence to the fact that Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have the ability to identify starting pitching talent and Maeda’s subsequent blossom shows that Wes Johnson knows how to unlock their full potential. Why not lean on these strengths again? The Twins’ farm system is stacked with outfield depth and the team has never had a better reason to trade a blue chip prospect and go all in. Parting with one or two of their young outfielders to fetch another quality starting pitcher seems like a no brainer. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the times, they are unprecedented. The game of baseball has seen an unprecedented (there’s that word again) increase in soft tissue injuries, particularly among pitchers, and teams are scrambling to figure out not only how to treat the injuries effectively, but also how to prevent more from popping up.The season is one-third of its usual length; the amount of teams that will qualify for the playoffs has increased by 33%; drones are interrupting games; and the designated hitter is now universal, at least for the time being (but, let’s be real, it’ll probably stay that way). But the game of baseball is still, well, baseball in its essence despite all of the changes. However, that isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to rehabilitation and the athletic training, medical, and strength and conditioning staffs that coordinate and administer treatments. A number of factors have contributed to this increase, but the two biggest culprits are likely the short “Summer Camp” ramp up period as well as the grueling game schedule. Rehabilitation science is a legitimate science, though it is young compared to other medical sciences and is peppered with many so-called gray areas; very few laws (in the scientific sense) exist when it comes to rehabilitation and recovery. However, one fact that is pretty set in stone is that injuries are more likely to occur when an athlete undergoes a large increase in activity in a relatively short amount of time. This is essentially what the Twins and the league’s 29 other teams experienced as their second spring training was only three weeks long and very few games were ultimately played. And not only that, but now teams are playing games with fewer off days built into the schedule compared to a normal season. If a normal season is a marathon, the 2020 season is a marathon-sprint hybrid. It’s a marathon in the sense that athletes need the neuromuscular endurance to be able perform at a high level without much time or opportunity for rest, but it’s a sprint in that every team will play 60 games in approximately 65 days. The established rehabilitation protocols and processes, particularly in regard to professional baseball, aren’t necessarily designed for such an environment. The teams who are best able to adapt, both with in-game decision making as well as with injury management, are likely to be the most successful...and healthy. The Twins’ training staff has caught some flack this season for how they’ve handled and communicated the injuries of Jake Odorizzi, Josh Donaldson, Luis Arraez, and Homer Bailey, among others. There are a few realities that need to be taken into account when broaching this topic. First and foremost, each of these players is suffering from a soft tissue injury that is nagging, but not overly serious if handled correctly; the injuries also fit the description to a T of what would be expected to be seen early in a marathon-sprint hybrid season preceded by a short ramp up period. Second, and this bears repeating, the current circumstances call for a new rehabilitation and recovery playbook. Take the case of Josh Donaldson for example. Twins’ President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey explained during Friday night’s broadcast the reasoning behind placing Donaldson on the injured list a week after he was removed from the game with right calf tightness. “Josh came out of a game against the Indians in that last series we played here at home and was a little tight in his calf. We felt like we wanted to take this day-to-day, if we could, and slow it down. With 30-man rosters, we felt we had the flexibility to maybe play this out for a few days. After having him run a little bit today he was still sore and we felt like the best thing to do was to be smart about this and make sure he gets this fully taken care of before he gets back on the field. So we’re going to put him on the IL for a few days.” The logic is solid. The Twins have an expanded roster, were winning without him, and Donaldson has a history of calf injuries, so it’s in both parties’ best interest for him to be fully healthy before returning to play. Donaldson’s pain levels and ability to tolerate activity were very likely assessed every day since the injury first occurred, and with it improving slowly the Twins decided it was the best decision to place him on the IL. That’s not an example of a team being nefarious or coy with their decision or press conference wording, but rather the example of adaptability and good process. Soft tissue injuries, particularly relatively minor soft tissue injuries, can be difficult to treat even when the times are precedented. MRIs usually return negative or largely inconclusive; the injured tissue can feel great one day and not so much the next; one twist of a nearby joint can either make the pain better or worse and it's anyone’s guess as to why. All of these factors likely contributed to Donaldson being placed on the IL later rather than sooner. That doesn’t mean the Twins were lying when they defined his absence as “day-to-day” or handled the situation poorly. I’d argue it actually means the opposite; again, the result is less than ideal and it may be frustrating, but the decision making process - employed with Donaldson as well as Odorizzi and Hill and Bailey - is good. Falvey continued when discussing the most important aspect of the 2020 season, “Making sure our guys are healthy every day and on the field. We talk about quick summer camp, getting guys back on the field; you didn’t have your normal spring training ramp up, so that’s part of it. Beyond COVID, you want to make sure everyone is healthy. So, we’ve been slow to bring guys back. I know it’s a 60-game season, it’s a sprint, but you can’t speed up health. And I do feel like we’ve got to make sure that guys are healthy and going as we get ramped up and back into this ‘cause we’ll play a lot of games in a short period of time and it’s important for us to be healthy into September and hopefully into a good playoff run.” The Twins have a method to their madness and it can - understandably - be frustrating from a fan’s perspective. But the Twins’ process is good and their ability to be adaptive in a difficult situation is an advantage than many teams wish they had. Trust the process. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Despite struggling with command, José Berríos held the Pirates to one run over six innings of work to help lead the Twins to victory Tuesday afternoon. In the middle of the fifth inning, Berríos and the Twins had to vacate the field because a drone was flying above Target Field. Only in 2020.Box Score Berrios: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Berríos .176, Cruz .128, Kepler .068 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): Download attachment: Winchart.png The Minnesota Twins took down the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 Tuesday afternoon to secure the two game sweep and advance to 9-2 overall on the young season; the team’s hot start is tied with the 2001 squad for the best record to begin a season. The teams will now travel to Pittsburgh to play another two. Berrios Better, But Command Issues Continue Jose Berrios made the start today for the Twins and went six innings, striking out six and allowing only a single run; his ERA now stands at 4.80. However, the Twins’ ace continues to struggle with command, particularly - as pointed out by fellow Twins Daily writer Matt Trueblood - with fastballs and sinkers on the third base side of the plate. Berrios’ fastball velocity hovered around 94 mph all afternoon and accounted for approximately 60% of his total pitches thrown, however, only 38 were either called strikes, swung on and missed, fouled off, or put in play, meaning 22 were balls. The key to Berrios regaining his All-Star form is regaining the command of his fastball as well as generating more whiffs - he produced a 28% whiff rate today - so this will continue to be something to monitor in his starts moving forward. Drone Delay? Right when Berrios seemed to be getting into his groove, the game was delayed for nine minutes in the top of the fifthing inning...because someone thought it would be a good idea to fly a drone over the field during the middle of a game? In a year where supposedly nothing could surprise us anymore, this definitely did. Cruz, Gonzalez Stay Hot Twins’ slugger Nelson Cruz continued his hot streak Tuesday afternoon going 3-for-4 with a league-leading 15th RBI to increase his batting average to .395 and OPS to 1.109. Quite a bit of virtual ink was spilled in the build up to the start of the 2020 season wondering if Luis Arraez could be the first player since Ted Williams in 1941 to hit .400 for an entire season. Maybe we should start wondering if the Twin to do it may actually be the ageless Cruz? While Marwin Gonzalez had only one-third the amount of hits as Cruz in today’s contest, he produced twice as many hard hit balls. Gonzalez went 1-for-4, but all four at bats produced balls with an exit velocity above 95 mph and an xBA above .340 (coming into the game his average exit velocity and xBA was 88.9 and .235, respectively). Gonzalez hot start at the plate as well as his defensive versatility has been an utter boon for the Twins so far this season. Thielbar Makes His Return Relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar returned to an MLB mound this afternoon for the first time since 2015, a season that he also spent with the Twins; he played for the St. Paul Saints in 2016 and 2017 before pitching in the Detroit and Atlanta minor league systems in 2018 and 2019. Thielbar went 2 1/3 innings in relief, giving up two runs and striking out three. Miscellaneous Notes The Twins did not hit a single home run against the Pirates; the only other game this season in which this has happened was the 2-0 loss to Cleveland and Shane Bieber.Today’s official game time was 3 hours and 40 minutes, which beat out the 14-2 win over the White Sox for the longest game of the season by two minutes.Bullpen Usage SpreadsheetDownload attachment: Bullpen.png Postgame Pint The Twins start early, Berrios finds his way, a drone delays the game and the team gets an easy win. Listen to the live virtual audience drive the discussion with Nick Nelson, Nash Walker and Andrew Thares. Download The Postgame Pint Podcast You can also listen to the Postgame Pint and never miss another one. Just head over to our iTunes page and subscribe. Every morning you'll have a new episode waiting for you. Or listen wherever you download your favorite podcasts. Click here to view the article

New Minnesota Twins’ starting pitcher Rich Hill had just wrapped up his first session of long toss when he realized that he was in a good spot. “I’ve been fortunate that there weren't any issues from the onset,” Hill said regarding the quasi-experimental elbow surgery he underwent last fall to address a partially torn left UCL. “I would say probably right after the first time I played long toss I really felt like ‘Ok, this is something that I’m not really going to have too many issues with moving forward.’”New Minnesota Twins’ starting pitcher Rich Hill had just wrapped up his first session of long toss when he realized that he was in a good spot. “I’ve been fortunate that there weren't any issues from the onset,” Hill said regarding the quasi-experimental elbow surgery he underwent last fall to address a partially torn left UCL. “I would say probably right after the first time I played long toss I really felt like ‘Ok, this is something that I’m not really going to have too many issues with moving forward.’” The Twins signed Hill this past offseason to a one-year, incentive-laden $3 million deal to bolster an already deep rotation featuring arguably three All-Star level arms in Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, and Kenta Maeda (who was teammates with Hill with the Los Angeles Dodgers). Hill wasn’t expected to be ready to pitch until mid-June or early July, but with the beginning of the season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic he’ll be ready to go by season’s start. In a similar fashion, center fielder Byron Buxton - who underwent surgery to address a torn labrum in his left shoulder last fall - is also ready to begin the season without any restrictions. “[The delayed start to the season] gave me that time to fully get [my shoulder] healed and get it to where I wanted it to,” said Buxton. “I got no limits. So, I’m back to being myself and going out there and playing the game the right way.” Athlete health is always a major contributor to a team’s overall success - the 2019 New York Yankees notwithstanding - and the 2020 season will be no exception. Now, more than ever, a team’s ability to keep their players off the injured list - non-COVID variety - will go a long way in determining their playoff chances. The Twins are fortunate as they find themselves with one of the easiest schedules in all of baseball due to them only facing off against teams from the American League and National League Central Divisions. They are unfortunate, however, in that the baseball team in Cleveland - a team not only fighting with the Twins for the AL Central crown, but also the AL Wild Card spot - goes up against the same opponents. The deciding factor in who wins the division - and who potentially misses out on the playoffs entirely - may simply come down to who can keep their players on the field. Hill and Buxton - who have combined for 15.3 WAR according to Baseball-Reference over the last five seasons, Buxton’s first - have struggled with injuries over the course of their careers. However, Buxton has only once not reached the 60 game mark due to injuries - that being his lost 2018 season - while Hill had thrown over 100 innings for three straight seasons prior to 2019. The Twins’ - and their individual - ability to maintain their physical health over the course of the 60 game season may very well push the Twins past Cleveland - and, hopefully, the likes of Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers. According to Hill, the path is relatively straight forward; listen to your body, keep doing the little things, and keep preparing for the season. As for Buxton, he’s made adjustments - both mental and physical - to his defensive approach - perhaps the primary cause of his injury history. “I’ve had a little bit more time to figure out when to be aggressive and when to be a little more conservative. I worked a little bit more on jumping off of two feet, which keeps me a little bit more in control, especially towards the wall. That’s probably the biggest thing I worked on this offseason and over this break.” While it may seem like a small change, jumping off of two feet versus one could have a rather large impact on Buxton’s health and at the same not not impact his ability to catch balls at the wall. For starters, jumping off of two feet produces essentially the same vertical height as jumping off of one. Additionally, jumping off of two feet functions to decrease Buxton’s velocity as he careens towards the wall. If you remember from high school physics, force is equal to mass multiplied by velocity; a decrease in velocity when approaching the wall is akin to a decrease in force when ramming into it. It would be a bit of a surprise if the Twins missed out on the playoffs should Hill and Buxton - and the rest of the key members of the team - remain healthy and perform at high levels. However, in a 60 game season anything can happen. Keeping these two healthy should be a top priority for the Twins’ medical staff. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article