Baldelli admits Twins' record-setting strikeout pace is an 'issue'

Minnesota is on pace to shatter the single-season strikeout record.

The Twins have struck out a whopping 28 times in the last two games, including 12 in a 7-0 shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night. It continues an alarming trend that has Minnesota on pace to strike out more than any team in single-season MLB history. 

To date, the Twins are on pace to strike out 1,660 times. The worst strikeout season in MLB history was in 2021 when the Chicago Cubs struck out 1,596 times. 

“The strikeouts, they are an issue and there’s no way around that,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday night. “I think I’d be sitting here feeding you something if I told you it wasn’t something that we’re thinking about and talking about because we can say, ‘Oh yeah, we can still be productive and strike out.’ But I think the consistency at which we’re not making the decisions that we want at the plate, it has to change because I think it actually kind of bleeds over a little bit into just the quality of the types of at-bats that we’re having.”

The Twins are striking out in 26.9% of at-bats and their 625 total strikeouts is 206 more than the Washington Nationals, who have struck out an MLB low 419 times. The Oakland Athletics, who are on pace to win 32 games, have struck out 44 fewer times than the Twins despite playing two more games. 

A more alarming statistic compiled by MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park is that 29.3% of all swings by Twins batters aren't making contact. It's the worst whiff rate in the majors and is the "worst among any team in any season since Statcast began tracking in 2015, outside of the pandemic-shortened ‘20 campaign."

Minnesota's team contact rate of 79.4% is 29th in the majors. There are 30 teams, in case you were wondering. On the flip side, the Twins' batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is .291, which ranks 18th overall. Not great, but not awful. And their BABIP is .312 over the last month, which is an encouraging sign. 

According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, there's "some concern" in the clubhouse that the "technology-heavy approach" employed by Twins hitting coach David Popkins doesn't work well with everyone. 

All of the swings and misses and times caught looking are wasting good pitching performances. It's the pitching combined with playing in a terrible division that has kept Minnesota's head above water. At 31-30 entering play Wednesday, the Twins lead the AL Central by 3.5 games. 

“We have to get going on the offensive end," Baldelli said. "That’s probably the biggest thing we need to think about and worry about right now. Our starters have continually kept us in games. Our offense has to, you know, get going. We have to."