2023 Minnesota Twins Season Preview: 6 things you can count on
It may not look like it outside, but Opening Day is right around the corner, with the Minnesota Twins starting the 2023 season Thursday against the Kansas City Royals.
While fans may still trying to get the bad taste out of their mouth after last season's collapse, there's a reason for optimism with this year's team. It's too early to tell whether this year's team can break its 18-game postseason losing streak, but here are some things you can count on in 2023.
A deeper starting rotation
The first concern for the Twins going into this season was the starting rotation, which ranked 20th in MLB with an ERA of 4.11 and ranked 27th with 782.2 innings pitched last season.
While the Twins weren't able to get an ace this winter, they've tried to solve the problem by acquiring depth. Opening Day starter Pablo López is one new addition after coming over in the Luis Arraez trade and the return of Kenta Maeda, who missed last season after recovering from Tommy John surgery, should provide another boost.
Pablo López this spring:
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) March 24, 2023
-Fastball velo ⬆️ 1.5mph & +1" ride
-No more cutter (worst pitch last year)
-New sweeper, ~84 mph w/ 12" horizontal
His spring has been fine (9 IP, 9 K, 2 BB, 2 HR), but the underlying stuff jump with these adjustments looks legit. #Twins
With returning pitchers Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan and Tyler Mahle, the Twins should have a serviceable rotation with Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson and Louie Varland waiting in the minors.
It should be mentioned that the Twins thought they had depth one year ago before a slew of injuries ran through the rotation including Chris Paddack's torn UCL and a groin injury for Ober, but it feels like they should have more success this time around.
A hard-throwing bullpen
Another common complaint of the Twins has been their bullpen. With the Twins trying to get by on bargain bin relievers, the focus seems to have shifted to hard-throwing, homegrown talent.
Jhoan Duran is the face of this movement with an average fastball velocity (100.8 mph) that led the major leagues, but the Twins have other relievers that can bring the heat toward the end of games.
Jorge Alcala missed the 2022 season with an elbow injury but in 2021, he was in the 96th percentile with an average fastball velocity of 97.4 mph. He also threw a slider that averaged 89.7 mph and held hitters to a .181 average.
Jorge Alcala averaged 97.4 on the fastball today. He has 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings this spring and hasn't allowed a run in nearly a month. I think he's back. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/OvqZrp1l64
— Cody Pirkl (@CodyPirkl) March 23, 2023
The Twins are also hoping for big things from Griffin Jax, who went 7-4 with a 3.36 ERA in his first full season as a reliever. Jax's fastball averaged 95.4 mph last season but he was shown throwing over 100 mph during a training session in Colorado earlier this winter.
25-year-old Jovani Moran figures to make the team after posting a 2.21 ERA last year and while Emilio Pagan is still lurking, the Twins have more than enough arms to have a decent bullpen this season.
A conservative plan with injuries
When the Twins arrived at spring training, they did so with the expectation that Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff would be ready for Opening Day. As it turns out, Buxton will be the only player in the Opening Day lineup as Polanco and Kirilloff recover from their offseason ailments.
Polanco missed the final month of the 2022 season after a bout with knee tendinitis, while Kirilloff underwent surgery to shorten the ulnar bone in his right wrist. Neither player has played in a spring training game, but the reports are more optimistic about Polanco as he could play in a minor league game on Tuesday.
While both players are important to the Twins lineup, they pale in comparison to Buxton, who made his first All-Star appearance last season despite battling a nagging knee injury. Buxton will begin the season as the Twins' primary designated hitter with the hope of his outfield return coming later in the season.
The Twins protected themselves this offseason by acquiring gold glove outfielder Michael A. Taylor, but Buxton's health could be the difference between a contending team and another finish outside of the playoffs.
A youth movement
Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism is the talent that's waiting in the minor leagues. MLB Pipeline ranks the Twins organization 19th in their farm system rankings, but several of those prospects should be ready to contribute in the majors this season.
Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis could all be fixtures in the Twins lineup by the end of the season, while Woods Richardson and Varland could also find a role on the Twins pitching staff.
Even in the lower levels of the minors, prospects such as Emmanuel Rodriguez should give fans hope for the future.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said to expect a “prospect extravaganza” today.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 24, 2023
He wasn't messing around.
Minnesota's No. 3 prospect, Emmanuel Rodriguez, laced this three-run homer after a Julien homer earlier in the game. pic.twitter.com/q4hR6zJFOc
If you're not sold on the prospects, maybe Jose Miranda's potential breakout will do. Miranda hit .268/.325/.426 with 15 homers last season and dropped weight this offseason as he prepares to become the Twins' full-time third baseman.
With Trevor Larnach set to be the Twins' Opening Day left fielder, there's plenty of young talent to go around, and it could be enough to push them into contention.
A new look for the Twins
The roster isn't the only thing that will have a new look as the Twins will debut new uniforms this season. The change got positive reviews when they were unveiled last December and after taking the field in spring training it appears that they got it right.
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) March 21, 2023
With a tri-colored batting helmet and an old-school (but revamped) wordmark, the Twins have definitely upgraded from their Kasota Gold theme over the past couple of years. But the changes have also stretched to Target Field, where a new scoreboard and a revised Minnie and Paul sign have been put up in the outfield.
None of these changes will help the Twins get to October (or even win a playoff game), but they'll at least look good doing it. The change already has a positive review from Correa and should be a fan-favorite once the season gets going.
A return to the playoffs?
With the exception of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Twins have made just one playoff appearance in a full season since 2010. An expanded playoff field should help Minnesota's cause, but the Twins also have enough talent to get back to October.
The Twins are hoping that the elimination of the shift will bring the best out of Max Kepler and free-agent signing Joey Gallo, while Correa and Buxton should bring superstar appeal to the lineup.
Even the addition of Christian Vazquez behind the plate to pair with Ryan Jeffers should make a difference as they compete for their first division title since 2019.
Will it be enough to end the Twins' 18-game playoff losing streak? Time will tell. But it should be enough to at least give them the opportunity in what should be a competitive season in Minnesota.
