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[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 4, Rays 3: Leadoff walkoff blastoff for Harrison Bader

I assume this WASN’T the scene after the walkoff. | Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images

It’s his second of the game! And it gives the Twins a much-needed home win.

On a nasty-hot-and-humid day, Rays starter Zack Littell was juuuuust a bit better than Twins one Chris Paddack. But Harrison Bader opted to channel his inner Harmon. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Sad news from the radio. We used to have infrequent “Hosken Powell Memorial Link Dumps” around here, Stu’s silly name for articles that contained lotsa links and short descriptions of what they linked to. The joke was there was nothing wrong with Hosken Powell, he wasn’t a Twin for very long, and he has a neat name.

He died last week, in his hometown of Pensacola, FL, at age 70. Here’s a decent obituary by Kevin Glew, whose website focuses on Canadians in baseball and baseball in Canada (Powell played two seasons in Toronto). It looks like it’s a pretty interesting website overall, so check it out if you like.

Nagurskiinnortheast shared that Powell and fellow Twin Willie Norwood were “supposed to make fans feel better about losing” Larry Hisle, Lyman Bostock, and Rod Carew, which was “a lot to ask of those guys. RIP Hosken.”

2: There is a Rays player named Jake Mangum. There was also a baseball player named Leo Mangum, who pitched in 85 games in seven seasons, mostly in relief. He had a baseball card:

From Wiki at this link, public domain.

So, that’s the ManGum gum card.

BH-Baseball informs us that the Twins traded Hosken Powell to Toronto for Greg “Boomer” Wells. Wells played in 15 games for the Twins, and 1148 games in the JPL. With an OPS of .927 and 277 home runs. Wow.

As you’d guess, nothing of any interest is happening in this baseball game, and probably nothing of interest WILL happen. If we’re lucky. If we’re unlucky, a Twins player will lose their femur or something.

3: Paddack is sailing right along, perfect through three! Which is good because the Twins are never gonna score again, guilty bats got no hits in ‘em.

Kinda almost? With two outs, Willi Castro walks, and Trevor Larnach singles him to third. Then the Twins, who aren’t reeking of desperation at ALL, try a tricky double steal — Larnach goes, and as catcher Danny Jansen makes the throw, Castro dashes for home. Larnach is called out.

As Dan Gladden points out on radio, Larnach screwed this up. He had a super-low chance of getting the stolen base. The plan was for him to INTENTIONALLY get caught in a rundown, or even pull up short of second and let himself get tagged out. AFTER Castro had scored. The second Jansen threw the ball, Larnach should have stopped running. But muscle memory told him to slide, so he slid.

See! I kid Gladden sometimes (‘cuz he sometimes says very goofy things), but I’ll credit him where credit is due. That was actually useful information, Mr. Dazzle Man.

4: No more perfecto. Two two-out hits finish that off. But Paddack gets out of it. He’s at 57 pitches now, so I’m not sure when his arm turns into a pumpkin.

I still miss Do-Hyoung Park on the mlb.com Twins beat. No offense to Matthew Leach, but has he ever been on Jeopardy? Park has. (He lost, but it was close.) Anyways, Leach’s newsletters usually have some music picks, frequently ones I also enjoy. But this week he was WRONG.

He listed some tunes from 2005, and included “Black Tambourine.” No. Just no, Matthew. That is not the song you pick from Guero. This is.

I also would have accepted “E-Pro,” or probably any song except “Black Tambourine.”

5: One of those Weird Baseball moments. Mangum (who does NOT have a gum card, unlike Leo — Topps stopped putting gum in card packs in 1992) swings at a pitch, kinda tips it off his arm and it rolls in front of the plate. He starts running, as the ump missed it — but Paddack saw it immediately and pointed it out. They correct the call — it’s a foul ball.

Finally a touchdown point goal! Harrison “Ford Darth” Bader with the solo shot. Into the Treasure Island Field Deck, which means Treasure Island will donate $2500 to the Twins’ Community Fund, so that’s a good thing.

6: THAT didn’t last long. Josh Lowe singled and Yandy Díaz doubled him in. Pumpkin time for Paddack, or whichever fall gourd you prefer. I suppose I’d probably take butternut squash myself. Danny “Electric Charge” Coulombe comes in and gives up the winning run to Junior Caminero. I guess the game’s not over yet, but do YOU expect the Twins to manage more than one run? Me neither. Devil Rays 2-1

7: Tough start to the relief outing for Brock Stewart, a hit, SB, and walk — you’ll remember that, two days ago, he was saved from blowing the lead because a ball hit the umpire. He’s almost saved here when Danny Jansen can’t get a bunt down and pops out instead. Then the Rays try a double steal and Jeffers nails the lead runner at third. Doesn’t matter — Josh Lowe’s second hit provides the RBI. Cole “Alberta Tar” Sands cleans things up.

Edwin Uceta, whose mlb.com player page displays some very stylish ear wear, is the reliever for Tampa and Matt Wallner leads him off with a single. Royce Lewis Ks, and Ty France celebrates Bastille Day a little early with a single of his own. Bader Ks. Then Buxton’s up and OH MY GOSH THE TWINS MAKE A SCORING! Buxton doubles. France has to hold up at first because he’s not very fast.

Garrett J. Cleavinger plunks Castro. And then... RBI plunk! Scoring the Homer Simpson way! Fortunately Brooks Lee was NOT hit in the head, as Homer was. Carlos Correa... check-swing strikes out, which is like kinda the lousiest way to strike out. But... this baby is all tied up 3-3

8: A solid outing for Louis Varland, who I guess has said if you’re not out on the water, you’re not a real Minnesotan. As in fishing, he means. Lake stuff. Well, I don’t fish. And Louis Varland’s only been a Minnesotan four years longer than I have.

Another baserunning blunder, this one by pinchrunner DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (He came in for Ryan Jeffers after a leadoff walk. Keirsey stole second, and failed to tag up on a loooong fly to center. He shoulda gotten to third there. Didn’t matter, as Ty France struck out anyways, but it’s what they call a “teachable moment” for the youngling.

9: A leadoff murder, as Harrison Bader kills a fan with his bare hand (just the one hand) and eats the brain (with the other hand). Not really. Would you accept a walkoff home run, instead? Twins win!

Studs of the game: Bader (duh). I guess we’ll give one to Brooks for getting his RBI the painful way. Duds: Tampa Bay’s replay challenge calls (two of ‘em, both failed, adding more minutes to a game on a very hot day). The win puts the Twins 4.0 GB in the wildcard chase and ∞.5 behind the Tigers.

Comments of the game go to sandwiches for “GO TWINS GO” because it was his first comment of the GT and immediately after it was posted, the Twins went. norff for “I think whats been so irritating about this particular stretch of sucking is that it’s so mundane. Substandard hittting. Starting pitching not giving a chance. There’s nothing interesting about how theyre losing, they just roll over and die” because that’s what it felt like for most of this game.

And to Matt M for knowing his Bible far better than most of those who thump it.

Tomorrow’s game will be at 1:10, and the Twins haven’t named a starter yet, following Bailey Ober’s going on the IL. The Rays are starting something called a Taj Bradley.

Some morons in my neighborhood are setting fireworks off already. Don’t blow your fingers off, folks. I’m not a huge fireworks fan myself, having seen enough shows for a lifetime. But I get why people like them, and have for 1000 years!

My favorite-ever fireworks show, though, came in San Diego in 2012, when a computer glitch turned a planned 15-minute show into a 15-second one.

I’d have liked to see THAT.

Be safe out there, friends.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...off-blastoff-for-harrison-bader-two-home-runs

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 6, Rays 5: Revenge of the Squeeze

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Somehow, piranhaball returned.

The Twins clutched their way to a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, after finding themselves in a 5-1 hole as later as the home sixth. This one took contributions from everybody, including a pair of unexpected strategic deployments that helped ice the game in favor of Minnesota.

Since Rocco broke this one down bullpen-style, I’ll go arm-by-arm to take you through this one.

Cole Sands​

Despite a brief delay that pushed back the start time, the Twins were able to execute their intended gameplan for Saturday’s contest. Cole Sands got the ball to kick things off, with the intention of tossing an inning to help set up the rest of the squad. He met the assignment swimmingly, retiring all three of his batters and earning two Ks to make sure things were squared away.

Danny Coulombe​

The second inning was Danny’s, serving today as something of a second opener to help ensure that Travis Adams — making his major-league debut — would be able to start his afternoon facing the bottom of the order. Coulombe would start his own outing with a strikeout, then grab two more quick red dots to move things along.

The Twins would get their first run of the day in the home second. Singles from Carlos Correa and Ryan Jeffers precipitated a walk to Matt Wallner, bringing up Royce Lewis in one of his signature bases-loaded plate appearances. Rays starter Taj Bradley surely had a chance at some out, somewhere — but a small hesitation is all it takes in this game, and after he made one, Lewis had an RBI single.

Travis Adams​

That was all the Twins would get in the third, so it was onto Travis Adams to get the bulk innings covered today. Adams got Taylor Walls to ground out in his first-ever big-league plate appearance, but it was a grind from there. In the third inning, Danny Jansen doubled home Chandler Simpson to tie the game. Two more doubles in the fourth — these from Jonathan Aranda and Josh Lowe — would eventually pull Tampa Bay ahead, 2-1.

Then, two more in the fifth; Simpson bunted his way aboard, moved to third on a Jansen single, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Yandy Diaz. It would be the first of two RBI sac flies in the inning; after Brandon Lowe moved the runners up with a single, Jansen scored on another flyout, this time from Junior Caminero. These wound up key outs, RBIs aside, as Adams did his best to limit the damage while failing to strike out a Tampa Bay hitter until the sixth.

It was in the aforementioned sixth (literally, I just mentioned it) that yet another sacrifice fly — this time rom Simpson, scoring Magnum — made it a 5-1 Rays lead but simultaneously ended the inning and the outing for Adams.

So, work to do for Minnesota, now watching as the Rays had pecked their way to a four-run lead in the middle innings. Still riding the high of yesterday’s victory, the Twins decided that they weren’t going to roll over and watch this one slip away — instead opting to get all four runs back in the home sixth.

It started with singles from Carlos Correa and Ryan Jeffers, though these were bookended by a pair of outs; as such, still down 5-1, Minnesota brought Royce Lewis to the plate with two already gone in the inning, and the Tampa Bay lead still at four. But Royce would crack a single to center, plating Correa and bringing the tying run up to the plate.

Because he’s apparently the most randomly clutch power hitter of all time, the tying run in question was Kody Clemens, and one swing later, this game was even.

Griffin Jax​

Not quite in the driver’s seat, the gameplan had altered itself with things knotted up at 5. Where we might have seen a Joey Wentz-type outing for the rest of this one, a tie ballgame meant Griffin Jax got the assignment instead. He’d walk his first man, but induce a double play and a flyout to calmly end any threat the Rays were considering building.

Jhoan Duran​

Facing the 3-4-5 hitters in the top of the eighth, Duran was tabbed for an early entrance to help keep that win probability metric on the up-and-up. The eighth was not without drama; two quick outs preceded a double and subsequent intentional walk of Josh Lowe, then was capped with a called K on Taylor Walls to shut the Rays down again.

Then came the aggression on the part of manager Rocco Baldelli, seeking his 500th victory as skipper of the Twins. Duran, not having been called upon for a second inning all year, was summoned back out for the top of the ninth with a looming All-Star Break and an all-important comeback win opportunity sitting in front of the team.

His ninth was equally stressful — probably more so, considering Jansen’s one-out single, steal of second, and advance to third on an airmail from Ryan Jeffers meant that the Rays had the go-ahead run standing on third with two outs left on the ledger. But Duran blew Diaz away with cheese above the zone after a great battle, and earned himself a pop fly off Caminero’s bat and into Harrison Bader’s glove to escape the danger.

Served up another opportunity to embarrass the Tampa Bay bullpen, the Twins got creative in their walk-off ninth. Byron Buxton drew a dangerous walk to begin the inning, and before a steal of second could even be contemplated, Willi Castro had already pushed him to third with a ground-ball single through the right side.

With men at the corners and nobody out, options were limitless for today’s hero Brooks Lee. With ever the flair for the dramatic, Lee pushed a squeeze bunt down the first-base line and ended the ballgame.

So, make it seven walk-off winners for a Twins team that climbs to 43-46, still three solid games under the .500 mark, but with opportunity to sweep a Rays squad tomorrow and work their way back to respectability ahead of an All-Star Break which hopes — hopes — to lead into a healthier second-half squad. There’s still a week to go before the team earns some much-deserved rest, but every win and every chance to pick up the vibe counts when you’re still 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot in early July.

Rocco’s boys are taking it one game at a time until then — and this one, in particular, was a fun day at the ballpark.

COURTESY: Baseball Savant

STUDS:

PH/DH Brooks Lee (1-for-2, RBI)

SS Carlos Correa (2-for-4, 2 R)

C Ryan Jeffers (3-for-4, R)

3B Royce Lewis (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI)

1B/2B Kody Clemens (1-for-4, R, 3 RBI, HR)

SP Cole Sands (IP, 2 K)

RP Jhoan Duran (2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K)

DUDS:

NO DUDS! TWINS WIN! TWINS WIN!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/5/24462197/twins-6-rays-5-revenge-of-the-squeeze

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 90: Rays at Twins

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

We’re talking about bunting on a holiday weekend!

First Pitch: 1:10 PM CT​

TV: Twins.TV​

Radio: TIBN​

Know Thine Enemy: D-Rays Bay​

Because this is Independence Day weekend and most folks will either be squeezing in one last cookout, piling into the car for the long drive home, or tending to fireworks-induced bodily mishaps instead of intensely involved in Twinkie Town game threads, I’m going to take the opportunity to muse on one of my favorite baseball topics: bunting.

I fully admit that analytical data-crunching has “proven bunting wrong”, so to speak. In all but the most outlier scenarios (more on this later—hahaha), it is not advisable to give up an out to either score one run or move runner(s) up a station.

Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images
As Chili Davis said to Kirby Puckett in Game Six of the 1991 World Series: “Bunt? My (bleep)!”

But when I see runners on 1st & 2nd and anyone-but-the-big-slugger at the dish, there’s a little radar blip that goes off in my head saying “I’d bunt them over here”. It would 100% be what gets me fired if my Little Big League managerial dream scenario ever pans out.

So, instead of trying to justify bunting, I looked at it throughout the history of the Minnesota Twins organization—finding three distinct “bunt eras”, if you will...

1961-1980: 76 sac bunts (average-per-Twins-season)​

• High: 142 in 1979. Led by Rob Wilfong (25—league leading), John Castino (22), Roy Smalley (15), Bombo Rivera (13), & Bob Randall (13)

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Bombo!

• Low: 34 in 1973. Led by Jerry Terrell (10)

Skipping over the 1981 strike-addled season...

1982-2017 (minus ‘94/’95 strike seasons): 34 sac bunts per year​

• High: 52 in 2008. Led by Alexi Casilla (13—league leading), Denard Span (8), Brendan Harris (7), & Adam Everett (6)
• Low: 18 in 1998. Led by Otis Nixon (4)

Odie!

2018-2024 (minus ‘20 pandemic season): 11 sac bunts per year​

• High: 19 in 2018. Led by Ehire Adrianza (4) & Jorge Polanco (3)
• Low: 7 in 2021. Led by Andrelton Simmons (3)

This brings us to 2025, where until Saturday afternoon YOUR Minnesota Twins had produced exactly two sac bunts—one from ‘25 legend Kody Clemens and another a squeeze play (OMG!) from exactly who you would expect...

Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Of course it’s Willi!

Clearly the art, skill, and usage of bunting has gone the way of the dinosaurs or bi-partisan politics. Probably for good reason from a win-expectancy mindset.

Of course, the sport of baseball always surprises you. For example: pre-writing a “bunting is cool but probably out-dated” piece and then this happens the day before it publishes...

I’m not complaining, though—between yesterday and the infamous walk-off walk of 2022, I love seeing old-school baseball thumb its nose at the probabilities now and again.

With Joe Ryan on the mound and looking for the sweep this Fourth of July weekend-ender, it could be another small-ball race to a few runs for the victory!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...y-weekend-bunting-rob-wilfong-brooks-lee-bunt

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rays 7, Twins 5: Squandering a sweep

Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images

PFP tomorrow

After two consecutive Target Field walk-offs—Friday’s home run & Saturday’s squeeze bunt—the Minnesota Twins and their fans were energized to complete the sweep of fellow AL Wild Card contenders Tampa Bay Rays.

It didn’t happen—largely because of miscues from the center of the diamond.

The Twins got off on the right foot when Joe Ryan struck out the side in the top of the first, then Byron Buxton honk-honk’d home run #20 into the LF bleachers for a quick 1-0 lead.

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Buck keeps truckin’

Alas, the advantage only lasted until the top of the 3rd when Taylor (over the) Walls deposited a HR into The Dock over Matt Wallner’s head to tie it at 1-1.

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Oopsie Joe

Not insignificant: through the first three innings, Christian Vazquez gunned down two potential Ray pilferers of the second pillow—helped by wonderful swipe tags from Carlos Correa & Brooks Lee.

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Out!

Speaking of the running game, Buxton—who else?!—started the next Twins rally in B3 by singling and swiping his 16th sack of the season. A Willi Castro walk clogged the bases further, but consecutive K’s from Trevor Larnach & Correa fizzled the fun.

That proved inconvenient when Tampa Bay took the lead in T4 after Jose Caballero blooped a hustle-double and was knocked in by Jonathan Aranda to give TB a 2-1 lead.

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Also: Matt Wallner was picked off and tagged out at 2B

In T6, the Joe Ryan Experience (TM) battled questionable umpire calls and a pitch clock violation—but managed the mischief and completed the quality start.

Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images
Ace gonna ace

As has become all-too-common of late, the Twins offense contributors whose fathers are not long-haul truckers (presumably) had no horns to sound through the early-to-middle game portions.

That is, until Larnach doubled in B6 and was sent dashing home when Rays 2B Caballero misplayed a routine Lee grounder. Though the throw to the dish beat Larnach, Trev’s hook slide-of-the-year-candidate evaded a Matt Thaiss tag by inches and evened things up at 2-2.

Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images
Safe!

In the game thread intro, I mentioned how “small ball” may come into play today. It did in T8—to MN’s detriment. After singles from Thaiss & Yandy Diaz off Griffin Jax and a sac bunt from Caballero, the Rays hit three consecutive squibbers between home and the mound. The first one was mishandled by Vazquez on a tag play (3-2 TB), the second was missed by Jax altogether (4-2 TB), and the third saw the Captain nearly threw the ball away but did record the out. A devastating sequence for Minnesota’s sweep ambitions.

Photo by Graham Miller/MLB Photos via Getty Images
X did not give it to ‘em today

But as has happened so many times this holiday weekend series, the bats struck back:

After Castro coaxed a walk, Harrison Bader pinch hit for Larnach and hit a bomb—403 feet and about a foot on the fair side of the foul pole!! 4-all and a new game again!

Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images
Pic from Friday—but also felt like today!

Sadly, after the Twins went down 1-2-3 in the 9th, the bullpen was out of high-leverage arms—and it showed immediately. Justin Topa entered and within a few pitches the ghost runner had scored on a Diaz double. Adding insult to injury, Topa then misfired a Caballero bunt attempt (leading to another TB run) and a sac fly gave the visitors a three-run cushion.

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Topa tumult

MN would predictably get their own spooky speedster Buxton across in B10, but that was all that could be mustered.

Your Final: Tampa Bay Rays 7, Minnesota Twins 5.

A back-and-forth contest that ultimately feels like a bitter pill when the home team loses by two runs and that margin (if not more) can be attributed to pitchers’ fielding mishaps. Minnesota takes the series—but squanders the sweep.

Up next: Monday off, followed by 3 (T/W night, H noon) with the Chicago Cubs.

Studs​

• Buxton: All of the usual reasons.
• Ryan: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 1 BB.
• Vazquez: Keeping the vaunted TB running game at bay.

Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images
Assist from C-4

• Larnach: The slide of his life.
• Bader: Ultra-clutch home run (again!).

Duds​

• Jax: Fielding error.
• Topa: Fielding error & disastrous T10 overall.
• Correa’s bat: Two BB, but also 0-3 with 2 Ks and multiple runners LOB.

Comment of the Game​

• JohnFoley wanting Statcast to track pitcher fielding after games like this

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...n-buxton-jax-bader-topa-fielding-errors-throw

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “All-Star Bryon Buxton” Edition

Photo by Graham Miller/MLB Photos via Getty Images

A well-deserved nomination

The Twins faced the two Floridian teams this week, dropping the series to the Marlins and winning a series against the Rays, finishing out the week at an even 3-3. Byron Buxton was named as the Twins’ lone representative to the All-Star Game for his second appearance. The AL Central is now a shell of its former self, as the Twins, with their 43-47 record, sit in 2nd, 13.5 games behind the Tigers.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Need to vent about the Twins? Or provide some reasons to calm down? Check out our Game Threads and join the conversation!
• In case you forgot what happened this past weekend, our Game Recaps are back as well!
• Zach Koenig takes us back to Game 6 of the 1965 World Series.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• La Velle E. Neal III at the Star Tribune looks at a new wrinkle that Joe Ryan added to his pitching arsenal on Sunday’s start.
• Lou Hennessey at Zone Coverage evaluates what needs to change for the Twins to have a 2024 Tigers-esque comeback.
• Matthew Leach at MLB.com looks at how Travis Adams might be a sign of how the Twins may develop pitchers in the future.

In the World of Baseball:

• Final rosters for the All-Star Game were announced yesterday. Clayton Kershaw was named to the NL team as a “Legend Pick”.
• Speaking of Kersh, he joined the 3,000-strikeout club last week, striking out Vinny Capra.
• The Tigers continue their winning ways, with a 57-34 record, 1.5 games ahead of the Astros. The Twins are still barely in the Wild Card race, as they are 5.0 games behind the Mariners.
• Despite getting swept at home by the Astros, the Dodgers are still atop the National League with a 56-35 record, and are clear of the Twins’ next opponents, the Chicago Cubs, by 1.5 games.
• In advance of the trade deadline, Jesse Rogers at ESPN shares a few fun trade anecdotes from GMs around the league.
• The Washington Nationals are the next team to make some major personnel changes, firing president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. Rizzo and Martinez were a part of the Nationals’ World Series-winning team in 2019, but since that point, the team has been in rebuild mode, especially after dealing Juan Soto to the Padres.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...g-minnesota-the-all-star-bryon-buxton-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 89: Rays at Twins

Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Here’s hoping for some Saturday baseball.

First Pitch: 1:10 pm CDT​

TV: Twins.TV / ~ / Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM

The vibes ran high on the Fourth of July (from a baseball sense), with Harrison Bader breaking two deadlocks — homering to start the scoring, and homering again in the ninth to end it. Now, the Twins have a chance on Saturday afternoon to clean up a series against the Tampa Bay Rays, a chance to keep their home record running strong, and a chance to win a game which is going to be started by...

Tomorrow’s #MNTwins starter is listed as tba in the game notes but there’s a locker for Travis Adams so you can probably do the math as easily as I can.

— Matthew Leach (@matthewhleach.bsky.social) 2025-07-04T16:25:13.857Z

Well, he may not officially start — MLB.com currently has Cole Sands listed as part of an opener/bulk situation — but opportunity has officially knocked for the 25-year-old former 6th-rounder out of California State. With 19 outings (five starts and three saves) in St. Paul this year, Adams has a 3.68 ERA, 2.8 BB/9 to 8.2 K/9, and has only allowed three homers in over sixty innings.

In the wake of Bailey Ober’s much-awaited IL stint (hip impingement), Adams will be the latest in a recent line of Minnesota pitching pipeline debuts to keep an eye on, even if his appearance is only due to Derek Falvey running out of all other internal options.

Of course, all this depends on the game actually getting started on time today. Thunderstorms are due for the metro right around first pitch, with a few hours of rain in the forecast threatening outdoor summer events beyond just those scheduled to take place at Target Field. We’ll keep an eye on the weather; with Tampa Bay done with the Twins after tomorrow, there is plenty of incentive to get the game in even if it takes until this evening.

GO TWINS GO!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/5/24462015/game-89-rays-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 91: Cubs at Twins

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Twins welcome the Cubs for a three game series.

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT​

TV: Twins.TV​

Radio: TIBN​

Know thine enemy: Bleed Cubbie Blue​

The Cubs are sending out an elite lefty, Shota Imanaga, so runs may be at a premium today. The Twins are countering with Simeon Woods Richardson, who has been good in his last two starts, allowing just 1 run and 4 hits over 10 innings.

Today's Lineups​

Ian Happ - LF	Byron Buxton - CF
Kyle Tucker - RF	Ryan Jeffers - DH
Seiya Suzuki - DH	Willi Castro - RF
Pete Crow-Armstrong - CF	Carlos Correa - SS
Michael Busch - 1B	Royce Lewis - 3B
Dansby Swanson - SS	Harrison Bader - LF
Carson Kelly - C	Ty France - 1B
Nico Hoerner - 2B	Brooks Lee - 2B
Matt Shaw - 3B	Christian Vazquez - C
Shota Imanaga - LHP	S. Woods Richardson - RHP

[th]

CUBS​

[/th]​

[th]

TWINS​

[/th]​

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/8/24463982/game-91-cubs-at-twins

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 8, Cubs 1: Three homers in 8th power Twins to blowout

Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Simeon Woods Richardson had another good start, with the lineup supporting him early.

The Twins got on the board in the bottom of the first. Ryan Jeffers hit an RBI double, then Royce Lewis hit a sac fly RBI to give Simeon Woods Richardson a 2-0 lead to work with. That turned out to be more than enough for SWR, as he only allowed 2 hits and 3 walks in 5 scoreless innings.

He was taken out in the 6th inning to avoid going through the lineup a 3rd time, with Danny Coulombe taking over. From there, a combination of Brock Stewart, Cole Sands, and Griffin Jax kept the Cubs off the board through the top of the 8th.

The Twins lineup didn’t do much in innings 2-7, but finally broke through again against Porter Hodge in the 8th inning. Byron Buxton walked to lead things off, then Ryan Jeffers hit a two-run homer to the upper deck in left. Willi Castro made it back-to-back homers with a blast into the right field flower box. Carlos Correa doubled, then, after a wild pitch, Royce Lewis drove him in with a single to make it 6-0. Harrison Bader capped it all off with a homer to left to make it 8-0, his 11th of the year and 4th in his last 4 games.

Joey Wentz entered for the 9th, and Justin Turner joined the 200 home run club with a solo shot, the Cubs’ only run today.

Studs:

Simeon Woods Richardson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 SO

Ryan Jeffers: 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI

Harrison Bader: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI

Duds:

NO DUDS TWINS WIN!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...-1-three-homers-in-8th-power-twins-to-blowout

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 4, Cubs 2: Matty Wallbanger

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

An early lead and another Wednesday win!

Lazy day summers just watching the Twins
In hope that these ballgames would lead on to wins.
They line up the batters, send out the D,
But overly often, the win’s absentee.
‘Cause across Minnesota, our sports have been cursed,
Convinced that our luck is the worst.
How many times have we hoped and appealed?
Can we pull off a win in our field?

Play in our field: our prospects are low,
Luck has been awful, patience can’t flow.
Still we come out to our field
Just watching the Twins in every row.

Play in our field tends to render one numb:
Major League seasons conclude with us glum.
We dream of a swing, a champion’s ring;
Maybe it comes, but what will now bring?
A banger from Wallner that’s left the crowd awed;
For Ryan, an All-Star Game nod.
A long Festa start where each out is a breeze:
We pray this is one of more strong memories

Here in our field: though prospects are low,
Luck has been awful, patience can’t flow,
Still we come out to our field
Just watching the Twins in every row.

Up in the broadcast with Morny and Plouffe,
The vet helps the rookie: their dialogue’s proof.
Our Northeast Nagurski gets the Comment du Jour.
The team has been winning — will they hold? I’m not sure.
Suddenly out comes the closer Duran,
And all through the seats, we believe that we can.
A liner to right and it lands in the glove:
It’s a win for this team that we love!

Here in our field, Minnesota’s aglow;
We mightn’t know what is next, but what we know we can show!
So we come out to our field
Just watching the Twins in every row!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...a-bullpen-strong-throughout-sgdq-trans-rights

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Cubs 8, Twins 1: Twins fall flat in finale

Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

The NL Central-leading Cubs finally get the best of the Twins

The Minnesota Twins couldn’t get it done today at Target Field, falling 8–1 to the Chicago Cubs in a game that, at times, sounded more like a road contest than a home matchup. With a heavy Cubs presence in the crowd, the energy never quite swung in the Twins’ favor.

Chris Paddack got the start for Minnesota but struggled mightily, surrendering 11 hits and 6 earned runs over just 5 innings of work. Recently called up lefty, Anthony Misiewicz made his Twins debut in relief, pitching two innings, giving up a solo home run, and striking out three. While his stuff showed promise, some fans took issue with his jersey number — No. 57. It’s not, but could be considered off-limits for Twins pitchers, at least for a little while longer.

Justin Topa handled the final two innings on the mound, but the damage had long been done.

At the plate, the Twins’ bats once again went cold in a series finale — what feels like a frustrating trend as of late when trying to complete a sweep. Kody Clemens provided the lone spark with a solo home run, his 11th of the year. Ryan Jeffers notched the team’s first hit in the second inning with a double, and Royce Lewis was a bright spot, going 2-for-3. But outside of that, offensive production was scarce.

Crazy stat of the day: 58.6% of Kody Clemens’ hits this season have been for extra bases! pic.twitter.com/xLx9ZaCXcj

— Sam Fosberg (@discussbaseball) July 10, 2025​

The Cubs, on the other hand, were locked in. Nico Hoerner opened the scoring with a single to center, scoring Dansby Swanson. Pete Crow-Armstrong launched his 24th and 25th homers of the season — one of which soared into the batter’s eye beyond Harrison Bader’s outstretched glove.

Pete Crow-Armstrong hammers one to dead center to extend the @Cubs lead! pic.twitter.com/QupPd64zcz

— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2025​

The Twins now turn their attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team reeling from a six-game losing streak after being swept by the Royals and Mariners. But don’t be fooled — just before that, the Pirates swept both the Mets and the Cardinals, shutting the latter out across the entire series. The Cards didn’t score a run.

As the All-Star break approaches, a sweep of the Bucs could be just what the Twins need to reach .500 and build momentum heading into a crucial second half.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/10/24465345/cubs-8-twins-1-twins-fall-flat-in-finale

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 2, Pirates 1: Correa hurt as Ryan, Twins outlast Paul Skenes

Get better, good sir. | Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

The thing you don’t want to see in a game you do want to see.

Carlos Correa had to leave in the seventh with what’s being called a “mild right ankle strain.” It puts a dour mood on a night where the Twins beat one of baseball’s top pitchers, with a gutsy getting-better performance by Joe Ryan. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Von Ryan’s Express getting awfully close to a train wreck, here. Bases loaded, two outs — 33 pitches and not ONE has been a swing + a miss. Pitch 34 is a popup out, but when you’re facing the guy with the lowest ERA in all of baseball a short start from the Twins’ best pitcher is Not What You Want.

2: Paul Skenes spent ONE year in the minors and went to the pros and won Rookie of The Year and he is REALLY GOOD.

Begging the question: when you are facing a pitcher this good, do you use your best pitcher (if it lines up on his day) or a bullpen game? Just get through it, and assume you’re probably going to lose, save your top guy for the next day? I dunno. But Ryan is now at 51 pitches, so...

3: Will Kody Clemens save us? Sometimes this weirdly-named dude saves us. (Roger Clemens gave all his children names beginning with “K,” to remind the world how good he was at striking out batters.) Kody kan’t, not this time.

There’s gonna be a Nelly concert after the game. I’m not familiar with his music. So I checked out a big hit, “Country Grammar.” It’s not my style of music, but I can see the appeal. He’s a talented fellow. One bit from the video struck me. It’s at the 1:10 mark (screenshot by me):

That’s the biggest dang container of hot sauce I’ve ever seen.

I looked online, and this looks like it’s (probably) Louisiana Hot Sauce. So, I get it. I think about the best thing you could do with Louisiana Hot Sauce is to use it as barbecue marinade. (I love good barbecue, although I’m terrible at it, myself — the food in this video looks fantastic!)

I’m kinda of a hot sauce freak. I love the taste of Louisiana Hot Sauce, but it’s too thin for most of the things I like hot sauce for. I prefer Valentina, it sticks to the food a little better. And chili garlic paste for Asian-style dishes (not the squirt-bottle stuff, the stuff so thick you need a spoon to scoop it out of the jar.)

The best hot sauce I ever had was from a Hindu temple in Maple Grove (we visited for a World Religions class at Metro State, such beautiful shrine statues and our hosts were so great). They were selling hot pickled cauliflower as a church fundraiser. The sellers said “this is too hot for you.” I said, “nah, I’m a hot sauce guy from way back.”

I ate one of the cauliflowers on the ride back and had to leave the car, gasping for air. It was Death. There’s no way the “Hot Ones” guy ever had anything THIS potent. It tasted great, though! So I used it in chili and soup. ONE piece of cauliflower in a big pot of chili or soup. Those church people were right. I’m sure these barbecuers are right.

4: With one on and two out, old acquaintance Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubles in the run from first. That’s gonna be hard to overcome.

Dan Gladden mentions that one of the Pirates hitters had TWO home runs off Shohei Ohtani in the same game. Kris Atteberry says “that’s like one of the things you’d see on a baseball card under the cartoon.”

Gladden: “What cartoon?”

Atteberry: "You know, on the back of the old baseball cards, they’d have a little cartoon on top, a drawing of a guy riding a motorcycle or something, and underneath you’d have some stories about the player.”

Neither Gladden nor I have any idea what the heck Atteberry means. My baseball cards had the little stories on top and stats on the bottom, no cartoons.

ANYWAYS —

Buxton legs out the infield hit. Willi Castro hits into a FC by dogging it at bit. The Pirates tried for the DP, and Bux beat the throw at second, but Castro thought the ball was foul and didn’t run, so he can’t beat the return throw to first.

(The cardinal rule of the great Minnesota-born pitcher Charles Albert Bender: “Always run them out. You never can tell.”)

Still, Trevor Larnach guesses “one of Skenes’s seven different pitches might be a curve this time” and then BLASTS the curve. Homer runner!

The Twins now lead 2-1 after I said they wouldn’t be able to overcome it. That’s why my career at the Psychic Friends’ Network never worked out. Although I DO know the way to San Jose.

5: Ryan at 86 pitches, now. Run him out for another inning? Hard to say. It was his first 1-2-3 of the game, so I would, but I don’t have Rocco’s Magical Arm Barn spreadsheet.

Case for bunting: Clemens gets on with one out, and low-hitting Christian Vázquez is up against one of baseball’s best pitchers. He pops out, and Buxton gets a through-the middle hit. That would have scored Clemens, if he’d been bunted over. Commenter falcontimmy shares this opinion.

6: The spreadsheet says get rid of Ryan, so ridden he is gotten of. It’s Danny “Electric Charge” Coulombe, and he manages.

Carmen Mlodzinski replaces Skenes, and the Twins do nothing against him, but this name reminds me of when Mark Grudzielanek and Doug Mientkiewicz were both playing for KC and making New York Times crossword writers very happy.

7: CRAP. Tommy Pham, trying to stretch a single into a double, accidentally runs into Carlos Correa, who is helped off the field. It wasn’t Pham’s fault at all. The last thing Twins fans need is another Correa injury. The last thing Correa needs is another injury. I’ve had to do rehab and even with the nicest, kindest PT rehab specialists, the process of rehab is a chore and I hated it. Above and beyond being a baseball fan, I hope he’s OK.

8: Capt. Grffin Jax, USAF, comes in and says “Paul Skenes, I FINISHED my service academy degree.” Skenes left after two years. The first day of your junior year, you owe the US government for the free college education you’re getting — you have to serve. Before then, you can bail and it’s no hard feelings.

Hey, I did it. I spent one year at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. It’s one of the five service academies — Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine — which is NOT the Marines, it’s for sailors. (In WWI, German U-boats were sinking American merchant ships sending supplies to Europe at such a high rate, fewer people were wanting to work on ships. So we established the Merchant Marine Academy to train sailors to be on ships in the event of another war, and quite a few USMMA students/alumni died in WWII.)

The regimented military lifestyle — where you’re told what to do and you follow it — was not for me. So I left after a year. But it is for some people! My brother liked it, and was in both the Navy and the Army. In the Navy during Gulf War I, which wasn’t so bad, not for him. In the Army for Gulf War II, and it’s something he won’t talk about, and it’s not my place to press. He’s a good man. Anyways, he liked military regimentation more than I did. Different strokes, folks.

And Jax does fine.

9: Patrick Nagel’s cover art does put on the tying run, but that’s it! Twims wim!

For the handful of people reading this on smartphone newsfeeds, the intentional misspelling “Twims wim” is just a weird thing we do around here, since this blog has always has a bit more of a weird streak than a straight sports-coverage side. It’s just a site thing.

Hence, COTG goes to Minnesota 1952 for this summary: “Two great starting pitchers. Two great bullpen outings. Larnach guessed correctly. Twims Wim. The end.” I’d post that as my whole recap but I’d get in trouble. I DID follow orders at the USMMA. Mostly. Until I kinda got tired of it.

Also, Nagurskiinnortheast for “This game is exhibit A for why I love baseball...joe is decidedly not fresh to begin the game... twins couldn’t possibly have looked more feeble the first time thru the order and it.just.didnt.matter in the end.... let’s go.”

And sandwiches for seeing my Bat Out Of Hell reference and anteing one better.

Studs of the game: duh. Larnach’s dinger, Ryan’s settling in, the bullpen, Buxton with two hits and a run scored. Duds: me for weird ramblings, here.

Hey, in the last ten days, I’ve had four wisdom teeth yanked out and my droopy eyebrows surgically lifted to avoid them impacting my vision. My face feels like Joe Mauer swung a bat at my mouth and then Justin Morneau threw me eyes-first through a plate glass window. I considered sharing a picture, but there might be CHILDREN reading this and they don’t need to see this face. Although you could use it to tell them what the boogeyman looks like who’ll eat them if they don’t clean their room.

Tomorrow’s contest is at 1:10, featuring Pirates starter Mike Burrows and the Twins’ most effective weapon, known only by his initials “TBD.” Enjoy the weekend, and our best wishes to Carlos Correa.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...ea-hurt-as-joe-ryan-twins-outlast-paul-skenes

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins 12, Pirates 4: Byron. Keiron. Buxton.

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

It’s Buxton’s world and we’re all just living it.

There are few things in the world better than healthy Byron Buxton. Today, he proved that once again, hitting the Twins’ first cycle since 2019 and the first one in Target Field history.

Buxton started his afternoon with hard hit infield single but the Twins couldn’t bring him home. He came up again in the second inning after Kody Clemens’ three-run blast to put the Twins on top. Buxton followed with his fourth triple of the season as part of a six run inning and team intra-inning cycle thanks to multiple singles and a Brooks Lee double.

Buxton came up again in the next inning, this time launching an RBI ground rule double to left field. For those of you counting at home, that left Buck a homer short of the cycle with six innings to play against a bad Pirates team. Time to feast.

Buck’s first shot at history came in the fifth when all he did was hit a 103 MPH single to left. With the Twins up big and a busy All-Star week ahead of him, I was worried Rocco Baldelli would pull Buxton after the at-bat, but Rocco gave Buck one last chance in the seventh inning. Andrew Heaney hung a breaking ball, and Cory Provus can tell you the rest.

After all that, Buxton ended his day with a five hit cycle with three runs scored and two RBI. Absolutely electric.

Byron Buxton is the All-Star. The MVP candidate. The very lifeblood of the Minnesota Twins organization. He’s the reason I (and probably you, as well) refuse to give up on this team despite all the signs pointing that direction.

You try telling that guy the Twins should be sellers at the trade deadline.

Willi Castro had a standout game of his own, adding three hits and a homer of his own, while bulk pitcher Travis Adams showed significant improvement from his first appearance in the Big Leagues. At the end of the day though, this one’s about Buck.

The Twins won this game handily and clinched their third series win in a row ahead of the break. Win one more tomorrow and the Twins will be at .500 and right back in the thick of the playoff race with Zebby Matthews’ and Luke Keaschall’s returns imminent and Pablo Lopez (hopefully) not far behind. It’s now or never.

STUDS

• BYRON BUXTON: 5-5, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, AND A CYCLE
• Willi Castro: 3-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
• Kody Clemens: 2-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
• Matt Wallner: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI

DUDS

• Me, for writing 90% of an article about why the Twins should sell at the trade deadline. Thank you for proving me wrong, Twins!

We’ll see you back here tomorrow for the final game of the first half!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/12/24466542/twins-12-pirates-4-byron-keiron-buxton

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Game 99: Twins at Rockies

Hello from Denver!

First Pitch: 2:10 PM CT​

TV: Twins.TV​

Radio: TIBN​

Know Thine Enemy: Purple Row​

Hello from Denver, Twinkie Town! I’m not going to the game today, but if all has gone to plan I’ll have been at Friday & Saturday’s Minnesota Twins vs Colorado Rockies clashes. Stories & pics to come, as usual!

When I think of the Rockies franchise, I have an oddly specific memory of reading this book about their creation and inaugural season. Don’t ask me why a book about baseball’s newest expansion franchise (1993, along with the Florida Marlins) would have appealed to a 11-year old who mainly knew baseball through Tony La Russa Baseball II on the computer and his dad’s VHS tapes of Games 6/7 of the 1991 World Series—but I was a precocious reader and ended up working in libraries for awhile. So it all sort of tracks.

Anyway, I recall being fascinated by the Blake Street Bombers and the thin air of the Mile High area (I’d often purposely put my Tony II teams in that stadium in hopes of more simulated dingers).

My baseball bible as a child

A look back at those ‘95 Denver denizens is pretty wild...

• Andres Galarraga: 604 PA, 31 HR, 106 RBI—and a league-leading 146 SO.

The Big Cat

• Eric Young Sr.: League-leading nine triples!
• Vinny Castilla: 571 PA, 34 2B, 32 HR, 90 RBI
• Larry Walker: 562 PA, 31 2B, 36 HR, 101 RBI, .988 OPS
• Dante Bichette: 612 PA, led the league in H (197), HR (40), RBI (128), & SLG (.620). Yet, astoundingly, only compiled 1.2 WAR. Was he the worst LF of all time?!

Dante about to trot

Despite all that offensive pop, the team’s non-pitcher OPS+ was 99. So, this was a league-average squad at the plate. Baseball was bonkers in the mid-1990s!

Pitching-wise—yeesh. Unless Kevin “Puttin’ on the” (not an official nickname) Ritz was starting games, it was likely a slugfest. Well, until the later innings when a dominant bullpen would show up.

Baseball-Reference.com

A 108 ERA+ overall, meaning that the 1995 Colorado Rockies were a better pitching team than hitting team. Again: bonkers.

Ultimately, the Rox rode a 77-67 record in the strike-shortened ’95 season to a Wild Card berth. Alas, they drew the Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz eventual World-champion Atlanta Braves in the ALDS and were bounced 3-1.

Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
Forever amazed that a guy who looked exactly like everyone’s stereotypical high school substitute teacher could be so dominant

All in all, I just remember the 1990s Rockies being fun squads. Folks hadn’t quite figured out the altitude effect—and even if they did, the answer was probably “take more PEDs and/or just mash the ball over the fence”—so it was bombs away in Denver!

Boom!

In a post-humidor world, the homers don’t fly as happily in the Centennial State as they used to, but perhaps today these clubs can turn back the clock and send a few into seats!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...blake-street-bombers-bichette-galarraga-vinny

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Minnesota Twins 2025 MLB Draft Tracker

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Stay tuned to this page for the next two days as we’ll be tracking each pick the Twins make. Come chat about it with us!

After an up-and-down first half by the Minnesota Twins that included another long win, it is officially time for the All-Star Break and the 2025 MLB Draft! The Twins will have a busy first day in the draft with four total day one selections.

The 2025 MLB Draft begins today at 5 P.M. CDT in Atlanta for All-Star Week. Rounds 1-3 will take place on the first day, including all compensatory and competitive balance selections. Rounds 4-20 will be on Monday at 10:30 CDT. Both ESPN and MLB Network will cover the first round, while the second and third rounds will be on both MLB Network and MLB.com. You can find everything you need to know about the draft here, in our draft preview.

Follow along on this post for the next few days. We’ll track all of the first-round picks and break down each of the Twins picks that they make along the way.

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker​

Round 1, Pick No. 16: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest​

Houston continues the Twins’ trend of first round college hitters, specifically shortstops. Funnily enough, Houston profiles very similarly to last year’s first round pick Kaelen Culpepper. A high floor prospect with the potential to blossom if his power develops, the 6’3”, 205 pound shortstop should be able to rise through the ranks quickly like Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall before him as long as his bat keeps up with his glove.

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#15 ranked prospect):​

Houston earns solid-to-plus grades for his quickness and arm strength, and some evaluators will go even higher than that on his ability to play shortstop. He has smooth actions and plenty of range to both sides and should be a high-quality defender at the big league level. Should he not hit enough to merit an everyday role, he has the tools to play almost anywhere on the diamond as a utilityman.

In his first two college seasons, the righty-swinging Houston had a contact-over-impact mentality and projected as an average hitter with below-average power. Now that he has added muscle and sold out for power, he may find 12-15 homers per season while providing less in the way of batting average. His speed plays better in the field than it does on the bases.

FanGraphs Scouting Report (#26 ranked prospect):​

Exciting shortstop defender with plus contact skills. Average range, plays up due to body control and ability to make acrobatic throws. A virtual lock to stay at short, has a chance to be plus there. Plus contact and below-average power combo on offense. Passive hitter who often takes strikes right down the middle. All-fields contact spray, tracks pitches well, moves the barrel all over the zone, cuts stride with two strikes. Swing has an abbreviated finish, produces doubles contact. Limited power ceiling, but a high-probability low-end everyday shortstop thanks to contact and defense.

Competitive Balance Round A, Pick No. 36: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama​

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#38 ranked prospect):​

Quick has the power stuff to go in the first round, beginning with a heavy sinker that sits at 96-97 mph and tops out at 99, and the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder holds his velocity throughout his starts. His mid-80s slider can be a wipeout offering with two-plane depth, and he can turn it into a cutter that climbs as high as 95 mph. He also flashes a solid upper-80s changeup with fade and sink.

Though Quick’s fastball and slider grade as plus-plus at their best and he can back them up with a quality changeup, he doesn’t miss nearly as many bats as his pure stuff indicates he should. His pitches move so much that they can be difficult to harness, leaving him with decent control but spotty command. He has logged fewer innings than most third-year college pitchers and the hope is that he’ll approach his frontline-starter ceiling as he gains more experience and polish.

FanGraphs Scouting Report (#49 ranked prospect):​

Coming out of high school, had offers from Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Auburn to play offensive line, but wanted to play baseball at ‘Bama. Good decision, is about to go late first round-ish. Six-foot-six sinkerballer up to 99. Some of these sinkers have incredible tail and draw embarrassing swings from righties who nearly get hit by the pitch. Lower-effort delivery but doesn’t repeat, lacks feel for consistent release. Scatters his entire repertoire; sharpening command will be biggest developmental priority in pro ball. Four-pitch mix. Changeup in the 86-90 mph range flashes plus and has right-on-right utility, slider and cutter give him glove-side weapons. Heavy slider usage against righties, only playing like an average pitch. Was coming off TJ in 2025, entered the season with 25 collegiate innings. Size and inexperience give Quick’s profile exciting late-bloomer characteristics.

Round 2, Pick No. 54: Quentin Young, SS, Oaks Christian HS (CA)​

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#37 ranked prospect):​

The 6-foot-6 Young has a ton of projection, obvious baseball bloodlines and some loud tools. He has huge raw power that some evaluators put top-of-the-scale grades on. He has bat speed and some feel to hit, but there are some swing-and-miss concerns and trouble recognizing spin that cropped up over the summer, leading some to worry a bit about how much he’ll tap into that raw pop consistently.

Young moves well for his size and his athleticism shows up defensively. He actually doesn’t look terrible at shortstop, his position in high school, though he’s likely to move to third if he’s going to stay on the dirt. Some think he might be best suited in right field, where a plus arm that can fire 95-mph fastballs off the mound profiles well. Committed to LSU, Young could provide a team with a Jayson Werth-type of toolbox if he can to a more consistent hit tool, with scouts who laud his work ethic believing he can do just that.

FanGraphs Scouting Report (#39 ranked prospect):​

Superlative size and arm strength, massive power projection, very poor hit tool performance on the showcase circuit with more whiffs than balls in play. Lever length makes it tough for him to be on time; impact contact comes in a fairly narrow part of the strike zone. Range and bend on defense is surprisingly good considering Young’s size. Has multi-positional potential as 3B/RF and has the athleticism to be proficient at both. Comes from a family of great big leaguers (Dmitri, Delmon) and is an exciting prospect because of his power potential, but Young swung and missed so much against his elite peers that one has to be apprehensive about his ability to tap into that power.

Round 3, Pick No. 88: James Ellwanger, RHP, Dallas Baptist​

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#79 ranked prospect):​

When Ellwanger is dialed in, he can sit in the mid-90s with his fastball and blow it by batters in the zone with ample carry and armside run, though he has fought his control and command of the pitch throughout 2025. His low-80s curveball has good shape and has been his most reliable offering, while his mid-80s slider has been crushed so much that he has begun toying with a low-90s cutter. He barely uses his mid-80s changeup but it will dive at the plate at times.

After working just 30 2/3 innings between Dallas Baptist and the Cape in 2024, Ellwanger needs innings to hone his craft and prove he can do more than just overpower hitters with his heater. He’s athletic but will have to polish and repeat his three-quarters delivery to develop average control and command. He still has projection remaining in his 6-foot-4 frame, so his arsenal could become even more powerful.

FanGraphs Scouting Report (#96 ranked prospect):​

Two-year starter at DBU, struggled with walks both years, sustained velo deep into seasons. Was parked at 96-97 in regional start at LSU and up to 100 on the season. Downhill angle hurts fastball effectiveness but helps curveball stay hidden until descent. Prototypical big league frame at 6-foot-5, loose but erratic arm action. Threw strikes with both his fastball and curveball (his most-used secondary) less than 60% of the time. Primary offspeed is 12-6 curveball with plenty of depth, also has tighter gyro slider that was emphasized more late in the year because he can actually locate it, more like a cutter in terms of usage style. Command likely relegates him to relief, but then where does his velo end up? Shot to be late-inning reliever, but needs to find another grade of command.

Round 4, Pick No. 119: Jason Reitz, RHP, Oregon​

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#191 ranked prospect):​

A gangly presence on the mound at 6-foot-11, Reitz does have the chance to start with four potential pitches to work on as he moves forward in his fastball, cutter, slider and changeup. He and the Ducks have a tendency to pitch a little backwards and lean too heavily on his mid-80s cutter, though it has the chance to be a solid pitch. His fastball has been up to 97-98 mph, sitting more around 93, and he shows off the makings of a separate slider and a decent changeup.

Reitz has struggled to be a consistent strike-thrower throughout his college career, though he found the zone more as a starter in the second half of this spring. He also doesn’t take full advantage of his size, with a short stride to the plate cutting off what could be impressive extension. Not everyone loves pitchers this big, but his improvement as Oregon moved into postseason play and the possibility of unlocking more with some delivery tweaks could be very intriguing.

Round 5, Pick No. 149: Matt Barr, RHP, SUNY Niagara CC (NY)​

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#136 ranked prospect):​

At 6-foot-6, the long-limbed Barr oozes projection from the mound, and he already has some pretty exciting now stuff. He throws everything with a ton of spin, including a fastball he can crank up to 97 mph with good life. Both his slider and curve register elite-level spin rates and help him miss a ton of bats at the NJCAA DIII level.

Barr’s control will need refinement; he’s shown he can be around the strike zone, but his command can be scattered. There’s conviction among scouts that, given the ease of operation and the loose and athletic delivery, he’ll be a decent strike-thrower in time. He’s a bit raw, but the ingredients are all there, including the ability to add strength, to make him an intriguing early-round possibility.

Round 6, Pick No. 179: Bruin Agbayani, SS, Saint Louis School (HI)​

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#234 ranked prospect):​

Parents always hope their kids will surpass their achievements and there’s no question that Benny Agbayani, a 30th-round pick in 1993 who spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues, wants that for his son Bruin, the top player coming out of Hawaii in this Draft class. The high school shortstop proved his mettle at events like the Area Code Games and Perfect Game’s WWBA world championship last fall, then made a strong impression with a hard-hit triple and some impressive on-base skills during the MLB Draft Combine High School Game in June.

The Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year, the younger Agbayani is a couple of inches taller than his dad and unlike Benny, he hits left-handed. Bruin’s feel to hit is his carrying tool, with at least above-average bat speed and a feel for finding the barrel and controlling the zone. There’s some loft to his pull side, as evidenced when he turned around a 93 mph fastball at the Combine for his 106 mph triple to right-center field. It’s a hit-over-power profile right now, with more gap pop than anything, though it’s not too hard to dream on more damage in the future.

An above-average runner who is aggressive on the basepaths, Agbayani’s bat comes with some questions about where he can play defensively at the next level. He probably doesn’t have the actions or hands to stay on the dirt, with the best option likely to be left field. He’s committed to Michigan if the Draft doesn’t go his way.

Round 7, Pick No. 209: Jacob McCombs, OF, UC Irvine​

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#180 ranked prospect):​

McCombs is an aggressive left-handed hitter who has shown a propensity for making contact. He rarely strikes out, but walks even less, and he likely will have to tone down his desire to swing at everything at the next level. Not everyone loves his swing and setup, as he starts with very high hands over his shoulder, though it’s worked for him. He’s also shown he can tap into some raw power as well, with a short swing despite the mechanics.

Strong and athletic, McCombs is more of an average runner, though his speed plays a tick better when he’s in the outfield; some scouts think he has a chance to stick in center field long-term as at least an average defender with an average arm. He makes the most of his abilities with an all-out approach, with a chance to be at least a solid fourth outfielder-type who has the skills to play all three outfield spots.

The Rest of the Twins Draft Selections​

Past this point, we’re running thin on publicly available scouting reports, but I’ll link to any I find. Still plenty of diamonds in the rough going forward though. The Twins currently have 15 players on their roster selected in the 7th round or later, including Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack, David Festa, Edouard Julien, Louie Varland, and Zebby Matthews.

• Round 8, Pick No. 239: Ryan Sprock, 3B, Elon

2025 MLB Draft First Round Picks​

1. Washington Nationals: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)
2. Los Angeles Angels: Tyler Brenmer, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
3. Seattle Mariners: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
4. Colorado Rockies: Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater HS (OK)
5. St. Louis Cardinals: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona Senior HS (CA)
7. Miami Marlins: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
8. Toronto Blue Jays: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (MS)
9. Cincinatti Reds: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt Trussville HS (AL)
10. Chicago White Sox: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona Senior HS (CA)
11. Las Oakramento Athletics: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
12. Texas Rangers: Gavin Fien, SS, Great Oak HS (CA)
13. San Francisco Giants: Gavin Kilen, SS, Tennessee
14. Tampa Bay Rays: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS (GA)
15. Boston Red Sox: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
16. Minnesota Twins: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
17. Chicago Cubs: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Lady Bird Johnson HS (TX)
19. Baltimore Orioles: Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn
20. Milwaukee Brewers: Andrew Fischer, 3B, Tennessee
21. Houston Astros: Xavier Neyens, SS, Mt. Vernon HS (WA)
22. Atlanta Braves: Tate Southisene, SS, Basic HS (NV)
23. Kansas City Royals: Sean Gamble, OF, IMG Academy (FL)
24. Detroit Tigers: Jordan Yost, SS, Sickles HS (FL)
25. San Diego Padres: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS (OR)
26. Philadelphia Phillies: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
27. Cleveland Guardians: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M
28. Kansas City Royals (PPI: Bobby Witt Jr.): Josh Hammond, SS, Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC)
29. Arizona Diamondbacks (QO Comp: Christian Walker): Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
30. Baltimore Orioles (QO: Corbin Burnes): Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
31. Baltimore Orioles (QO: Anthony Santander): Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
32. Milwaukee Brewers (QO: Willy Adames): Brady Ebel, SS, Corona HS (CA)
33. Boston Red Sox (Competitive Balance Round A, acquired from Brewers): Marcus Phillips, RHP, Tennessee
34. Detroit Tigers (CB A): Michael Oliveto, C, Hauppauge HS (NY)
35. Seattle Mariners (CB A): Luke Stevenson, C, UNC
36. Minnesota Twins (CB A): Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama
37. Baltimore Orioles (CB A, acquired from Rays): Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS (OR)
38. New York Mets (Dropped 10 slots as Competitive Balance Tax penalty): Mitch Voit, IF, Michigan
39. New York Yankees (CBT penalty): Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan HS (GA)
40. Los Angeles Dodgers (CBT penalty): Zachary Root, LHP, Arkansas
41. Los Angeles Dodgers (CB A, acquired from Reds): Charles Davalan, OF, Arkansas
42. Tampa Bay Rays (CB A, acquired from A’s): Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
43. Miami Marlins (CB A): Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/13/24467071/2025-minnesota-twins-mlb-draft-tracker

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Brian Dozier continues the groove at the 2015 All-Star Game

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Proving he belonged amongst the Stars!

In 2005, the pitching-only Minnesota Twins representatives at the MLB All Star Game in Detroit underwhelmed. Johan Santana wobbled through a 4th inning of two baserunners (no runs allowed), while Joe Nathan’s 8th inning saw Miguel Cabrera drive in Moises Alou.

Photo by John Reid III /MLB via Getty Images
The AL won anyway, 7-5

But in 2015’s Cincinnati Midsummer Classic, MN reps acquitted themselves far better!

After home team slugger Todd Frazier won the Home Run Derby and Sandy Koufax tossed out the ceremonial first pitch, Ned Yost (AL) and Bruce Bochy’s (NL) squads squared off for World Series home field advantage.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Todd-Father

The American League’s starting lineup contained two future Twins—Josh Donaldson (3B) & Nelson Cruz (DH). Well, three if you count 2023 MN legend Dallas Kuechel (the AL’s SP).

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
The Boomstick!

The Twins sent Glen Perkins—who had closed out 2014’s memorable Target Field affair—and baseball’s hottest hitter Brian Dozier to Great American Ballpark as reserves.

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
Those caps!

The contest began well for the AL when Mike Trout homered off Zack Greinke’s fourth pitch, then the Junior Circuit upped their lead to 3-1 with RBI hits from Prince Fielder & Lorenzo Cain off Clayton Kershaw.

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
Trout gets to jog

By the 8th inning it was a 5-2 advantage over the Senior Circuit, and that’s when Dozier entered the game. Facing Mark Melancon, Brian belted one...

The new face of the Minnesota Twins was established!

Still at 6-2 in B9, Perk was recalled from the pen to dust the lamps for a second consecutive year. Glen garnered some gnashing with a Ryan Braun triple and Brandon Crawford sac fly, but he retired Kris Bryant & Joe Panik to shake hands with Russell Martin.

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
“Sooner or later God’ll cut you down”

The American League prevailed, our Twins representatives starred, and my favorite non-Twins superstar Trout went home with hardware.

Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Peak Trout Era

A memorable night in Twins Territory and across the MLB-watching community!

What a week, indeed!

Perhaps Byron Buxton and/or Joe Ryan can provide similar smiles tonight at Truist Park.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...-game-cincinnati-glen-perkins-american-league

 

[Minnesota Twins]

2025 MLB Home Run Derby & All-Star Game Open Thread

Photo by Mady Mertens/MLB Photos via Getty Images

In case we want to talk about All-Star stuff!

I’m a big “All Star festivities” guy. I look forward to the HR Derby and Midsummer Classic every summer! Even if just fun exhibitions, I enjoy seeing all the best and brightest baseball talent in one place and what that represents for fandom.

So, here is a thread to talk about everything All Star-related this week!

Home Run Derby​

First Pitch: 7:00 PM CT​

TV: ESPN​

Radio: ESPN Radio​

Know Thine Combatants: Derby Lineup​

The full cadre of participants...

Besides of course our beautiful hometown (in more ways than one) boy Byron Buxton, I’m interested to see how former Twin Brent Rooker and “Big Dumper” Cal Raleigh fare.

One MN Twin has prevailed in home run heroics: Justin Morneau in ‘08 at Yankee Stadium.

The Derby rules seemed to get tweaked a little bit each year, so you can find the current configuration here. Granted, it is more of a “everything is made up and the points don’t matter” sort of scenario anyway (hahaha).

Can Byron join Justin on the HR throne?!

All-Star Game​

First Pitch: 7:00 PM CT​

TV: FOX​

Radio: SiriusXM​

Know Thine All-Stars: AL & NL Rosters​

MLB Network

This is the third time the state of Georgia has hosted All-Star festivities—the first being 1972 in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and the second at Turner Field in 2000. The new Truist Park was actually scheduled to host in 2021—until protests against the Election Integrity Act of 2021 prompted MLB to postpone ATL host duties until now.

It sounds like a gaggle of Braves from the ‘00 game—Andres Galarraga, Andruw Jones, & Chipper Jones—will be the focal point of pregame festivities before Aaron Boone (AL) & Dave Roberts (NL) skipper their respective league squads.

Getting the (ATL) band back together

Historically-speaking, the AL holds a 48-44-2 advantage in these contests and are currently riding a 10-1 advantage (NL won in ‘23, but before that not since ‘12) in the last 11 games.

Sports Illustrated
AL Lineup

Sports Illustrated
NL Lineup

No recaps after these two events—I won't have time for that this week. But just a place here to somehow watch more baseball when the whole point is kinda-sorta to get a break from baseball (tee-hee!).

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...nta-georgia-native-byron-buxton-joe-ryan-yeah

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “CyclePalooza” Edition

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

A well-deserved nomination

In the last game of the 1st half of the 2025 season, the Twins injected some hope into the season, winning their third straight series, taking two out of three from the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. They enter the All-Star Break at 47-49, 4.0 games out of the last Wild Card spot.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Need to vent about the Twins? Or provide some reasons to calm down? Check out our Game Threads and join the conversation!
• In case you forgot what happened this past weekend, our Game Recaps are back as well!
• The MLB draft started last night and continues today. Ben Jones has the latest in our draft coverage.
• Zach Koenig highlights Brian Dozier’s heroics in 2015.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• CJ Baumgartner at Zone Coverage evaluates the Twins’ catcher position, for now and in the future.
• Theo Tollefson at Pitcher List highlights a few standout minor league performances in St. Paul during the Iowa Cubs’ visit to CHS Field.
• Dan Hayes at The Athletic looks at how coaching an 11U baseball team brought back Byron Buxton’s love for the game. ($)
• Hayes also provided an inside look at the Twins’ unique broadcasting setup last week during the Cubs series, as play-by-play announcer Cory Provus was on vacation, leaving the booth to Justin Morneau, Glen Perkins, and Trevor Plouffe. ($)

In the World of Baseball:

• With the Cubs in town, Patrick Reusse at the Star Tribune highlighted local product Michael Busch and his growth from Simley High School to the big leagues. ($)
• The Tigers enter the All-Star Break on a four-game losing streak, but still sit on top of the AL with a 59-38 record, 2.5 games clear of the Astros.
• Meanwhile, the Dodgers, who had their own seven-game skid, are still first in the NL, but are only a half game clear of the Cubs.
• Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com recaps the first day of the MLB draft.
• Jeff Passan highlights one of the favorites to win the Home Run Derby today, Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/14/24467615/monday-morning-minnesota-the-cyclepalooza-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Should the Twins Buy or Sell at the Trade Deadline?

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

It’s time to ask the hard hitting questions.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Minnesota Twins fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The draft, home run derby, and All-Star game come and gone which means hot stove season is officially underway. The Kansas City Royals got things started early by acquiring Adam Frazier this morning, signaling a willingness to buy despite being three games under .500. In a similar spot in the standings, the Twins face the same question.

On the one hand, the fact that the Twins were one competent offensive performance away from being .500 at the break is a minor miracle. Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, Willi Castro, and the Big Five relievers (Duran, Jax, Varland, Stewart, Coulombe) have been spectacular, but nearly every other player has either underperformed, gotten hurt, or both. Though the fault mainly lies with two players: Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis.

Correa has rebounded from his horrendous start, but was still worth in 1.0 fWAR in the first half while his strikeout and chase rates skyrocketed alongside a plummeting walk rate and dearth of home runs. Those are warning signs for sharp decline once players have been around as long as Correa. Lewis, meanwhile, has been pretty good since returning from his latest IL stint but still has only two home runs and a worse OPS and wRC+ than Edouard Julien, who was demoted to AAA two months ago.

All this is important context for the trade deadline because there’s little the Twins can do if Correa and Lewis don’t start hitting like mid-order bats. Given the financial realities of the team and the (hopeful) pending sale, the Twins aren’t going to be able to take back the big salaries of players like Sandy Alcantara or Mitch Keller. They might even need some financial relief to acquire the relatively modest salaries of Ryan O’Hearn or Josh Naylor. While it’s possible the Twins could try to shed the salary of someone like Christian Vazquez, the more likely scenario would be the Twins paying a premium in prospect capital to have other teams foot the bill.

The alternative would be a light, retooling sell of pending free agents and maybe one of Jax or Duran. Castro, Coulombe, Harrison Bader, and Chris Paddack are all free agents at season’s end and could fetch moderate returns. The real prize would be the relievers, either of whom would be the best available arm at the trade deadline.

While the Twins would have no qualms keeping Jax and Duran around, relievers are incredibly fickle and those two are about to enter year two of arbitration, when things start to get expensive. Additionally, the emergence of Louie Varland and Cole Sands as other late-inning options makes Duran/Jax expendable without really eating into your long term plans. Either one of Jax or Duran could slot in as closer for a contender and fit right in, while still being controllable for two additional seasons. Derek Falvey and Twins could get a haul for a player who provides much less value than someone like Joe Ryan, who Falvey is insistent is not going anywhere.

There’s legitimate arguments for either direction and it’s important to note that the Twins have done next to nothing at the past two trade deadlines. However, I think standing pat would be the worst of both worlds. Either lean in or re-tool with an eye toward 2026.

Should the Twins pay a premium and buy at the deadline to push for the postseason? Or trade away the pending free agents and maybe an additional reliever while hoping for a 2024 Tigers-esque run?

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/16/24468325/should-the-twins-buy-or-sell-at-the-trade-deadline

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rob Manfred announces HR Derby ties to be broken with an All-Star Game

Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

It’s tiebreakers all the way down.

In the wake of a controversial Home Run Derby tiebreaker that saw Cal Raleigh advance past Round 1 by less than an inch, Rob Manfred has announced that all Derby ties will now be broken with an All-Star Game.

“With this format, players who might not be in the Derby lineup can get the chance to sock a few,” he said in his press conference, transcribed in full on The Unathletic. “And if we can end an All-Star Game with a Home Run Derby, it’s just logical to reverse the process.”

Yesterday’s All-Star Game ended in a swing-off after nine tied innings, extra-innings drama like 2008’s be damned. Kyle Schwarber’s perfect performance in the swing-off earned him game MVP honors despite the MLB previously saying the MVP would be decided purely on in-game performance.

By the new rule, when two players are tied at the end of any round in the Derby, they will pick lineups from any All-Stars attending the contest. They will be placed on the field at random positions, although the six-run rule for position players pitching still applies. The two teams will play three full innings, and whichever player’s team is ahead wins.

“I figured three innings was enough. These are All-Stars; fans don’t need to see them playing too much baseball,” Manfred said.

If the tiebreaker game is tied after three innings, the two tied players will have another Derby round to break the second tie.

When asked for a final comment, Manfred responded with his bank account details. Twinkie Town’s guidelines prohibit us from reposting them here in full.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...roken-with-an-all-star-game-tiebreaker-satire

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins Select Riley Quick 36th Overall

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Twins go with a big righty for their second selection of the night.

Breaking from their typical mold, the Twins went with a college pitcher for their second selection of the evening. Riley Quick out of Alabama became the Twins’ newest prospect, their first college pitching prospect selected in the first round since Tyler Jay back in 2015.

While he was drafted higher than usual, Quick fits the Derek Falvey pitching mold perfectly. The big righty (6’6”, 255 pounds, which might be generous underestimates) was recruited to play offensive line in college before settling on baseball for Alabama. His size, extension, and velocity make him a unique blend that has the potential to be a frontline starter if his health allows. At a bare minimum, his power fastball-slider combo could make him an impact reliever in the immediate future.

Quick didn’t put up outstanding stats in college, but you can clearly see the upside in the video below. In 62 innings for the Crimson Tide, Quick put up a 3.92 ERA and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings, but simply gave up too many hits and walks with a 1.387 WHIP. You can see MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the Twins’ newest prospect below.

MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#38 ranked prospect):​

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Quick was Alabama’s top high school baseball prospect in 2022, as well as a four-star offensive lineman who drew interest from college football programs, but he was determined to pitch for the Crimson Tide. After a successful freshman season in Alabama’s bullpen, he blew out his elbow in his first college start in 2024 and had Tommy John surgery. He returned quicker than normal, making it back for the start of the 2025 season and staying healthy other than missing a late-March start with a bad blister.

Quick has the power stuff to go in the first round, beginning with a heavy sinker that sits at 96-97 mph and tops out at 99, and the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder holds his velocity throughout his starts. His mid-80s slider can be a wipeout offering with two-plane depth, and he can turn it into a cutter that climbs as high as 95 mph. He also flashes a solid upper-80s changeup with fade and sink.

Though Quick’s fastball and slider grade as plus-plus at their best and he can back them up with a quality changeup, he doesn’t miss nearly as many bats as his pure stuff indicates he should. His pitches move so much that they can be difficult to harness, leaving him with decent control but spotty command. He has logged fewer innings than most third-year college pitchers and the hope is that he’ll approach his frontline-starter ceiling as he gains more experience and polish.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/2025/7/...nnesota-twins-select-riley-quick-36th-overall