Almost one year after the Twins’ massive selloff, the club is back in the fight for a playoff spot. Yes, there have been some new faces who’ve helped get the Twins back into playoff contention. But much of the credit has to be given to some of the established faces.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 471 | 6th |
| Home Runs | 120 | 10th |
| OPS | .738 | 8th |
| Whiff% | 26.5 | 24th |
| Hard Hit% | 37.7 | 22nd |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.24 | 13th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 5.19 | 29th |
| Strikeouts | 804 | t-15th |
| Whiff% | 23.5 | 25th |
| Chase% | 28.3 | 28th |
The Good
The only thing that slowed Byron Buxton down this season was a hip injury.
Buxton hit 25 home runs over 75 games before the break, a dominant pace for the 2026 AL All-Star. It’s been obvious for years that the only thing that can slow him down is his health. And for most of the first half, Twins fans were able to see just how special he is and how important Buxton is to the organization.
Overall, it was a good first half for the Twins’ offense, which ranked in the top third in several different categories, including runs scored. Josh Bell quietly hit 13 home runs and drove in 60 over the first half, while now-second baseman Kody Clemens belted 16.
Brooks Lee took over as the everyday starting third baseman and hit 14 home runs, putting him on pace to potentially hit 20. As for Lewis, who was sent down earlier in the year, he hit 10 and came back to produce after a brief stint with St. Paul.
As for the pitching staff, the rotation was led by two former Rays prospects: Joe Ryan & Taj Bradley.
Ryan, now the ace of the staff with Pablo Lopez hurt, was yet again phenomenal this season before the break. Bradley, who scuffled last year with the Rays before he was acquired for Griffin Jax, won nine games and pitched effectively.
The Bad
When the Twins traded away Jhoan Duran to the Phillies last summer, the move, at the time, made sense. After all, why have a hot rod in the bullpen when it was hard to get Duran a lead to make the best use of him? But with the Twins now in a push for a playoff spot, the team hasn’t been able to fill the void left behind just yet.
The Twins cycled through multiple options for the late innings over the past few months, and most recently landed on Yoendrys Gomez. Gomez, despite some erraticism at times, has been the best option of late.
Minnesota saw both Taylor Rogers and Justin Lawrence, the latter of whom isn’t in the organization anymore, have ERAs north of 5.00 this season. And to give the team a jolt, Minnesota added Tommy Nance before the deadline.
As for the offense, the Twins saw several players take steps forward this year. But two who didn’t were Matt Wallner and Luke Keaschall.
Wallner, a power hitter with blistering bat speed, still has a lot of swing-and-miss, particularly on the soft stuff. Keaschall, meanwhile, had an OPS of .696 as of the break. However, three of his four home runs came from July 1 onward, a span that saw him post an OPS of .791.
Looking Ahead
The Twins are still very much in it, competing with the likes of the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Red Sox, among others, for an AL Wild Card spot.
It’s more likely than not that the Twins don’t add a big piece. After all, the Twins are still technically in a re-tool and are awaiting some of the more notable prospects to come up and establish themselves.
But right now, there should be ample optimism in Minnesota, compared to one year ago.
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