The Twins this year have had no problem outpitching all of their AL Central competitors. Having Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Pablo Lopez and Griffin Jax all having tremendous seasons is a nice perk, and seeing this rotation so strong, and so consistent, has to be a calming presence for a team that struggled to find viable starting options in the wake of Jose Berrios' departure in 2021.
It's just a shame that none of the hitters are showing up.
I will admit that since the last time I wrote about this team, there have been more improving hitters. Edouard Julien is hitting .308 and has been a fantastic fill-in at 2nd base for Jorge Polanco. I wouldn't be shocked if they end up letting Polanco walk and going with Julien going forward. There's also been production from Donovan Solano, who's hitting .275 with a team-leading 20 doubles. Additionally, Willi Castro has been an excellent defensive substitution and is the most valuable hitter at the moment.
But...thinking logically here, a team with Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Max Kepler, Michael Taylor, Jorge Polanco, Joey Gallo, Kyle Farmer and Christian Vazquez should not be relying on people like Willi Castro and Donnie Barrels to lift the lineup statistically. Those are depth guys, the bench guys that help bail you out. Solano's a nice guy to have around but he really shouldn't be hitting better than half the team. Correa at least is playing decently now, and leads the team in RBIs with 42, but it still feels like everything that was great about him might have come with the territory in Houston. And then...Buxton, your marquee guy, is hitting .196. That's not ideal.
This team is actually showing signs of versatility despite all of this, with Castro, Taylor and Correa having great defensive seasons, Castro also stealing 21 bases, and Jhoan Duran fitting into his role in the ninth fairly well, with 15 saves and a 2.17 ERA. They're just not hitting; not for contact, and not for power either, which is kind of upsetting for a team that hit so many home runs in 2019. Unlike in New York, nobody's especially blaming Rocco Baldelli, it's just been an unlucky shake of things; also, because this division is such a crapshoot, there's still a chance this team still makes the playoffs, so I doubt the manager would lose his job if that happens unless, again, if they're in New York.
The Twins could afford to turn things around a little bit, and for some of the veteran hitters to at least do something. I wouldn't rest on the inevitability of a playoff spot, as that's honestly what did them in last time.
Coming Tonight: I actually think that he might be having the best season of anyone in his family this year, which is weird, considering.
The hitting has been a disaster (keeping Arraez would have helped). There are rumblings that Kepler won't be around next year and I wouldn't doubt if this is Polanco's last season with the team. Paying Buxton $100m to DH and hit .196 is really hurting them. Its too bad they can't move him.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased that we (Twins) have a good pitching staff for the first time since the early 2000's. Of course, now the Twins can't hit just four years removed from their record setting 2019 season. I expect Kepler and Gray to be gone by next season amongst others even after a playoff appearance this year.
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