The Minnesota Twins have spent the stretch since June 1 looking like a different offense.
They went into the All-Star break at 21-16 over that span, the third-best record in the American League since then, trailing only the Detroit Tigers at 22-14 and the Boston Red Sox at 21-15. The biggest reason is the lineup, which has powered Minnesota to an AL-leading 471 runs this season.
Five bats have driven the surge: Trevor Larnach, Josh Bell, Kody Clemens, Victor Caratini and Byron Buxton. Since June 1, each has posted an OPS of .832 or better and sits among the AL’s top 10 in other offensive categories among players with at least 100 plate appearances.
Bell has hit .291/.349/.567 with eight homers, 28 RBI and 21 runs scored, along with a 7.5% walk rate and 19.2% strikeout rate. Buxton has gone .296/.340/.602 with eight homers, 18 RBI and 17 runs scored, plus a 5.7% walk rate and 20.8% strikeout rate.
Clemens has delivered 10 homers, 28 RBI and 26 runs while hitting .254/.295/.536. Caratini has slashed .318/.402/.557 with five homers, 16 RBI and 15 runs scored.
Larnach has been even hotter, hitting .336/.403/.542 with four homers, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored.
For the Twins, the formula has been simple: keep the line moving and let the next hitter take his turn.
“I think we more we kind of try to pass the baton to the next guy, and if you’re not going to do the damage and they pitch around you, let the next guy do it,” said Clemens. “And everyone in the lineup is more than capable of doing it.
I feel like we’ve seen that over the past few months, so it’s been awesome. There’s nothing better than scoring a bunch of runs every game.”
Derek Shelton pointed to the same thing from the dugout, calling out the steady quality of the plate appearances.
“Overall, it’s just the consistency of the at-bats,” said Twins manager Derek Shelton.
“Early on, we had other guys that were carrying us. Buck has carried us, obviously, at a bunch of different times. But to see different parts of the lineup, I think Brooks has done it at times regardless if he’s been at the bottom of the order or the top of the order.”
Clemens’ line looks a little different from the rest because he has become the left-handed bat the Twins use against left-handed pitching during this run. For the season, he has a .212/.278/.364 slash line against lefties with a 23.3% strikeout rate in 73 plate appearances.
The results against lefties have not been eye-popping, but Clemens sees value in the reps.
“You’ve got to stay in versus lefties,” said Clemens.
“I think sometimes I think it gets you right in certain aspects. But the thing is, the more reps you get off of them, the more consistent you’ll be. In years prior, when I wasn’t facing them, then I’d have, say a late game off a lefty or whatever, I’d feel a little bit less comfortable than I do now since I’ve been seeing them.”
He’s not the only one getting those chances. Bell has settled in at DH after a slow start, Royce Lewis is in the lineup almost every day at first base, and Luke Keaschall has been in the outfield more often as the Twins work to keep Clemens at second base and keep the bats in motion.
“I think it is important when guys get opportunities to see how they go,” said Shelton. “We have not been very reactionary, too. We’ve given guys time, good or bad, to be able to decide like, all right, we’re either going to option you, or we’re going to give you more playing time.”
That willingness to move players around has helped Minnesota keep the hot bats in the lineup, even if it has meant asking some of them to handle positions they weren’t expected to play earlier in the year. The payoff has been a team tied for the third AL Wild Card spot, three games back in the Central and just a game under .500.
With a four-day break before the second half begins, the Twins believe the rhythm they found since June 1 can carry over.
“What I like is the consistency of the at-bats,” said Shelton. “Coming out of spring training, I did not know what the identity of our offense was going to be.
But I think the identity of our offense is they grind through every single at-bat, and they play for 27 outs. It’s something we asked them for in spring training in total as a group to make sure we played a full game.
Our offense totally embodies that.”
“I think hitting is contagious,” said Clemens. “Like whenever someone is doing it and having constant, consistently good at-bats, it kind of leads everyone else to feeling the same way.
I don’t know if that’s just how baseball works sometimes; it’s contagious. But everyone has a good plan.
We look at the pitcher prior to the game and get a good game plan, and we stick to it.”
In Other News...
Twins May Be Getting Even More From That Deadline Deal
The deadline swap that sent Griffin Jax out of Minnesota and brought Taj Bradley into the rotation has already given the Twins the kind of immediate return front offices dream about. Bradley has stepped in as a key starter and given the club stability on the mound, while Jax has found a new lane with Tampa Bay by moving into a starting role of his own after struggling in relief.
There may be another layer to that deal for the Twins, too, because Andrew Morris has started to look like more than just a depth arm. He has settled into a bullpen role and has shown real improvement, including a scoreless run heading into the All-Star break, and his recent outing against the Angels hinted at a higher ceiling. If Minnesota can keep getting that kind of growth from the back end, the trade may end up paying off in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Fans Have A New Reason To Believe In Their Top Pick
ESPNs latest update to the Twins prospect board gave Vahn Lackey another jolt of national attention, and it is easy to see why Minnesota is already excited about the catcher it took with the third overall pick in the MLB Draft. Lackey backed up the selection with a strong final collegiate season, flashing the kind of offensive production and defensive polish that made him one of the most intriguing players in the class.
For the Twins, the appeal goes beyond the usual draft-day optimism. Lackey has been described as a rare catcher with five-tool upside, and his athleticism gives him a chance to develop into more than just a bat-first prospect. If the tools keep translating the way they have so far, Minnesota may have a real answer behind the plate for years to come. [Read more 🡒]
Byron Buxton Just Sent A Strong Message About Twins Trade Rumors
Byron Buxton has become one of the more intriguing names to watch as the trade market starts to take shape, and not just because of what he has done when healthy. The Twins center fielder is in the middle of a strong season, but he is also dealing with a right hip ailment that has him on the injured list, which only adds another layer to the conversation around his future.
Even so, Minnesota does not appear eager to entertain the idea of moving him, and Buxtons own contract gives him a major say in the matter. With his name floating around as a potential fit for contenders, the Twins still have every reason to treat him as a core piece rather than a chip, and the latest buzz only underscores how complicated any serious pursuit would be. [Read more 🡒]