The Minnesota Twins enter the All-Star break at 47-49, only three games out of first place in the American League Central, and the first half has made one thing clear: this team has leaned hard on the unexpected.
The biggest surprise has been Yoendrys Gómez, who has gone from a late-May pickup to a stabilizing force at the back of the bullpen. Minnesota acquired the 26-year-old right-hander from the Tampa Bay Rays on May 6 for cash considerations after Tampa Bay designated him for assignment on May 2. By that point, Gómez had already bounced around three different teams in the 2025 season, and in the last 15 months he had been with five different organizations.
The Twins gave him a shot and activated him on May 8. Since then, he has looked like a completely different pitcher.
In 30 appearances with Minnesota, Gómez has posted a 1.71 ERA with 10 saves and a 0.99 WHIP. He has struck out 25 and walked 10 in 26.1 innings, and those numbers represent the best stat line of his career. What started as another stop in a restless journey now looks like a real fit, with Derek Shelton trusting him in the biggest moments and Gómez rewarding that confidence.
That kind of lift matters for any contender, and it has mattered plenty for the Twins.
On the other side of the ledger is Royce Lewis, the former No. 1 overall pick who has not delivered the kind of first half Minnesota needed from a player with his pedigree. Lewis came into the 2026 season with high expectations, but through 62 games he is hitting .221 with 10 home runs, 29 RBI and a .699 OPS.
That line falls well short of what the Twins want from a cornerstone bat, especially from a player who has already shown how dangerous he can be. In 2023, Lewis hit .309 with 15 home runs and a .920 OPS in just 58 games, a stretch that hinted at the star-level impact Minnesota has been waiting for. Injuries and inconsistency have kept him from building on it.
There have been some signs of life lately, though. Over his last 30 games, Lewis has hit .277 with seven home runs and a .521 slugging percentage. If that carries into the second half, it would give the Twins a much-needed boost as they stay in the postseason mix.
For now, the first half has been defined by one player who exceeded every expectation and another still searching for the level everyone knows he can reach.
In Other News...
Twins Suddenly Have A Tempting Bullpen Reunion Chance
A familiar left-handed arm could soon be back on the market, and that is the sort of bullpen wrinkle the Twins have reason to watch closely. Danny Coulombe has been much better since June after a rougher start to the season, and Minnesotas relief group has been in need of help as the club keeps sorting through pitching options and trying to stabilize the late innings.
Coulombe also fits the kind of move that can make sense for a team looking for efficiency as much as upside. The Twins already know what he can bring, and with the bullpen still searching for dependable left-handed depth, there is at least a plausible reunion path here if Boston makes him available and Minnesota decides the fit is worth pursuing. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Made The Kind Of No. 3 Pick Fans Will Debate
The top of the MLB draft brought a little bit of everything, from the White Sox opening things by taking UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky to Tampa Bay going second with Grady Emerson. Chicago even circled back later for another name that will draw plenty of attention in its own right, selecting Landon Thome, the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome, at 34th overall. For the Twins, though, the real conversation started a pick later, when they stepped in at No. 3 and made a choice that fits the kind of draft night debate that can linger well beyond the commissioners podium.
Minnesotas selection gives the front office a chance to shape the conversation early, especially in a draft where the first few picks already set a strong tone. Fans will immediately sort through how the board fell, what was available, and whether the Twins landed the right player for that spot. The answer to that question will take time, development, and a lot more than one night in Atlanta, which is exactly why this pick should keep people talking. [Read more 🡒]