Twins break spring training camp in Fort Myers with hope after turbulent season
After the Minnesota Twins unloaded about one-third of their roster at last year’s trade deadline, many fans and baseball observers wondered what kind of rebuild the team was up to.
After six weeks of spring training in Fort Myers, that rebuild may be taking off quicker than it looks. It may not be evident in the team’s 11-18 spring training record or last year’s disappointing 70-92 record, but the development of a few key players this spring could lead the team to outperform prognosticators.
The Twins started camp in Fort Myers on a sour note after Pablo Lopez was shut down a week into camp after an elbow injury required season-ending Tommy John surgery for one of the team’s top frontline starters.
Despite that loss, there is a lot to be hopeful for thanks to two young, high-octane arms the Twins acquired in trade deals last year. Right-handers Mick Abel and Taj Bradley, ages 24 and 25 respectively, have only shown this spring that their former teams may have made some major mistakes in letting them go.
Both Abel and Bradley possess fastballs that averaged 96 miles per hour last year, putting them among the top 10 of Major League starters for average velocity on their four-seam fastballs. Both command a multitude of pitches with plus stuff. Any improvement on their seasons from last year and the Twins could be holding a pair of aces.
Abel, who was acquired from the Phillies in exchange for closer Jhoan Duran, began the spring with 10 shutout innings before being named Friday as a starter in the rotation after another strong showing against the Red Sox. Bradley, who was picked up from the Rays in exchange for reliever Griffin Jax, has shown the type of tools that could make him an All-Star.
On Sunday, when facing the Atlanta Braves at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. Bradley did not have his best command in the first inning. After walking a couple batters and throwing 29 pitchers, Manager Derek Shelton pulled him to give him a little rest. With no need to put one of his stud young arms at risk, Shelton was able to give him a break as part of spring training rules which allows pitchers to be taken out and brought back in at any point in the game.
When Bradley returned in the second inning, he was a new pitcher, more in command and effective. Bradley’s fastball cruised in the 96 mph range on Sunday. He mixed in a split-finger fastball in the low 90’s with a curveball in the low 80’s and a cutter that edged out at 90 mph. With that kind of arsenal, Bradley could turn out to be one of the great steals the Twins have made.
Bradley knows he wasn’t tip-top in the first inning, which can often be the inning where a lot of pitchers have troubles getting into rhythm. But Bradley’s thoughts on his pitches show a young pitcher who is maturing. It is that learning curve and progression which can define the differences in pitchers who are successful. Asked what Twins pitching coach Pete Maki said to him when he took a break in the first inning, Bradley said “Get down. Throw the ball down. If I am missing armside up what else is there to do except do the opposite you know and find my way back into the zone.”
Simple enough.
Bradley is adjusting his repertoire this spring training and looking to improve on his 5.05 ERA from last year which was up almost a run from his 4.11 ERA the year before. That statistic was marred by Bradley’s home ERA, which was 5.89. That doesn’t tell the whole story though. The Rays pitchers had to adjust to playing in a new hitter-friendly ballpark last year at Steinbrenner Field. Bradley’s road ERA was 4.23, more in line with his previous year’s output. Any improvement from Bradley this year, and a return to his previous year’s form, could be golden for the Twins. Bradley said he also on occasion last year would let one bad inning take him out of the game citing a game against the Mets where he allowed missed coverage on a bunt play to distract him.
“My velo has been good, pitch shape has been good, I have been adjusting a few things with my command and stuff like that and finding sight levels and cues to get back in zone when I am away from it,” Bradley said after Sunday’s outing.
Bradley said he thinks the Twins staff could be good this year. “I think we are going to eat up a lot of innings. We have a lot of young talent,” he said. “We are all young so we can all pick each other’s brains.”
Twins Manager Derek Shelton sees the potential. Shelton said he liked the way Bradley re-adjusted after the first inning on Sunday. “The one thing I really like is he didn’t try and go harder the next inning,” Shelton said. “He came out and executed pitches.”
Having Bradley and Abel, two young fireballers in the rotation, has their manager brimming with excitement.
“I am a big fan of it,” Shelton said. “This goes back to when you talk about you make trades and everybody wants to highlight the trades, and you forget you got a 23 and 24-year-old starters that rush it up to the high-90’s. We got some good arms back.”
Abel and Buxton join All-Star ace Joe Ryan, who is coming off one of his best seasons. Ryan was another acquisition from the Rays in 2021 when Minnesota dealt away aging slugger Nelson Cruz. The trade has paid dividends for the Twins.
Ryan had an eventful spring after some back soreness early in camp. He was slated to go to the World Baseball Classic to pitch for Team USA but ended up returning to Fort Myers instead. Ryan pitched to a 1.50 ERA this spring. Last year, Ryan went 13-10 with a 3.42 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He had 192 strikeouts over a career-high 171 innings while being named to his first American League All-Star team. Ryan finished the season in the top 10 in the majors in strikeouts per nine innings, strikeout to walk ratio and among the top 10 in the lowest walks and hits allowed per inning rate. The team’s veteran right-hander Bailey Ober had a shaky start on Monday allowing 10 hits over four innings. He is exiting a season in which he struggled with a hip injury, leading to a drop in his ERA from 3.98 to 5.10. His health could be a major key to the team’s future this year. Rounding out the rotation is right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, who pitched to a 4.04 ERA last season. The team doesn’t have a lefty in the starting rotation. Next in line for starts would be Zebby Matthews, who was optioned to the minors. Right-hander David Festa did not pitch this spring. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury.
On the hitting side, the Twins are led by veteran centerfielder Byron Buxton, who is entering the season off a career-best year in which he hit 35 homers.
The storyline offensively during spring training, though, quickly emerged as Luke Keaschall.
“That’s the guy. Luke’s the guy. If you asked me, he’s the dude. He’s the man,” Buxton said. Buxton used high praise for Keaschall, calling him a “Hall of Fame” talent. “I know he’s that good,” Buxton said.
Keaschall, a 23-year-old second round pick for the Twins out of the 2023 MLB Draft, has wowed observers with his .360 batting average while only striking out twice in 50 at-bats this spring training. That kind of strikeout ratio is nearly unheard of in today’s game. He has also fought off numerous injuries on his way from the minors to the majors successfully.
“Being able to be side by side to watch him play and see him grow from last year to this year, that’s baseball. It’s fun,” Buxton said. “He’s got it.”
On Sunday, Buxton and Keaschall hit back-to-back home runs off Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez. The home run was the third of the spring for Keaschall and the first for Buxton.
Buxton said he believes Keaschall “tapped into that belief in believing in himself earlier than I did.” Buxton said “it’s just about putting it together.” Buxton said the training room and weight room “wasn’t as big” when he started with the Twins after being drafted by the organization with the second overall pick in 2012. “He listened, he learned and you can just see how much more prepared he is,” Buxton said of Keaschall said. “We didn’t have the technology when I was coming up. He knows how to use that.”
Buxton said he still gets advice in spring from Hall of Fame Twins players like Tony Oliva. “I cherish them. I have been blessed enough. This is my 13th big league camp. Tony and Rod, I saw them 14 years straight. To be able to have Hall of Famers like that.
“That’s memories that are fun to make here. That’s something you don’t get anywhere else. I don’t know too many people who say they had 14 years of Tony Oliva conversation, or 14 years of Bert Blyleven, or Rod Carew, or Torii Hunter.”
“It’s easy,” Oliva said. “He is willing to work and he gets better and better, he listens and he tries very hard. He gets better and better and he is going to get better and better. No limit,” Oliva said of Buxton.
“He cares,” Buxton said of Oliva. “No matter what it is, he wants you to be the best person you can be and the best hitter you can be,” Buxton said. “Keep it simple” Oliva said. “Keep it simple,” Buxton said.
Buxton is not afraid to do what it takes to be ready for the season. After losing some time playing to the World Baseball Classic, he played in a couple minor league games to get some at-bats. “The passion you see when people people play for their country makes it special,” he said of his WBC experience.
Buxton is optimistic about the team this year. His spring training was interrupted while playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
“I feel good. Especially being able to get back with the guys. Obviously a lot of changes,” Buxton said. “It’s kind of like coming back to the beginning of something new.”
Buxton said he lost some teammates last year “that were awesome people that I had a chance to be around” but said he is looking forward to the team getting better and “to be able to see the team come together with the guys that’s in here.”
Buxton said he knows the team has a good lineup and its all about players “picking each other up” this season. “That keeps you from dropping down. It keeps you on that level train, staying even keel and humble,” Buxton said. “We’re a young team.”
Shelton said he liked what he saw out of his hitters on Sunday, with Buxton and and Keaschall hitting homers. “Big fan,” Shelton said. Buxton hit second homer on Tuesday on the last day of camp. Shelton liked what he saw from Trevor Larnach on Sunday, who got a hit. Larnach homered on Monday. “I thought Larnach’s at-bats were good,” Shelton said. “There were some encouraging signs in the at-bat range that I don’t think we’ve had this spring.” Shelton also likes having Josh Bell, a switch hitter who he expects to be a designated hitter with the team.
“I like Keaschall a lot,” Shelton said. Shelton is still figuring out where he will put him and Buxton in the lineup. Buxton hit 35 homers last year whole leading off a lot. Shelton wants to put Buxton in situations where he and Keaschall will have more RBI opportunities.
There are still some aspects of the game Shelton wants the team to work on as they begin a new season but said he likes what he saw from the team this spring. “The overall feel is I am really pleased with the work we got in and the detail of the work that we got in. Obviously there is going to be situations that arise that we still need to discussed but overall I was really pleased,” Shelton said. “There are things we still need to be consistent with but I am very happy with the detail of work we have put in.”