The Minnesota Twins kicked off their 2026 spring training with a bang, securing an 8-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park. While there’s plenty to celebrate, one standout performance deserves a closer look: Eric Orze.
Orze, a 28-year-old right-handed reliever newly acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, made his debut with the Twins on Sunday. And what a debut it was.
Pitching the seventh inning, Orze delivered a flawless 1-2-3 frame, throwing 10 pitches-eight of which were strikes. This kind of performance is exactly what the Twins’ bullpen needs, and it's already generating buzz among fans.
In his first outing, Orze showcased his impressive arsenal: a four-seam fastball, slider, and a particularly lethal splitter. He quickly dispatched John Gil on just two pitches, then turned up the heat against Alex Lodise with three consecutive splitters to notch a strikeout. Former Twin DaShawn Keirsey Jr. also fell victim to Orze’s splitter, striking out to end the inning.
What truly stands out is Orze’s mastery of the splitter. He threw it six times during his appearance, and every single one resulted in a swing and miss.
In 2025 with the Rays, he leaned on this pitch 48.5% of the time, delivering a 31.8% whiff rate and a 22.9% put-away rate, contributing to 30 of his 40 strikeouts. With a .194 expected batting average against and zero home runs allowed, the splitter is clearly his go-to weapon.
Orze's ability to dominate with his signature pitch in his first spring training game with a new team is turning heads. His stock is rising, and his teammates are undoubtedly thrilled to have such a reliable arm in the bullpen.
If Orze can maintain this level of performance, the Twins’ bullpen might finally have the consistency it has long lacked. With a 3.02 ERA over 41.2 innings in 2025, Orze could become a cornerstone for the Twins, providing stability in those crucial middle innings. His impressive debut against a formidable opponent like the Braves is a promising sign that the Twins might have found a gem in their bullpen.