Welcome to our Remarkable season preview series for the 2021 season. The Twins fell in the playoffs but there is plenty of optimism for a deep playoff run this season.

 

2020 Record: 36-24 (1st in AL Central)

 

Twins Hitters

 

Max Kepler

  • Max Kepler is slugging .581 against starting pitchers since 2019 — 8th best in MLB
  • Max Kepler has 17 home runs when leading off an inning since 2019 — tied for 6th most in MLB
  • Max Kepler is hitting .385 against pitchers who have thrown at least 80 pitches in the game since 2019 — 3rd best in MLB
  • Max Kepler has 68 extra-base hits out of 122 total hits against RHP since 2019 — 2nd best in MLB

 

Jorge Polanco

  • Jorge Polanco has missed on just 14% of swings on the first pitch of at-bats since 2019 — 4th best in MLB
  • Jorge Polanco has seen 8+ pitches in 39 PA’s since 2019 — tied for 10th most in MLB
  • Jorge Polanco has 106 quality ABs out of 191 total with runners in scoring position since 2019 — 15th best among 127 in MLB
  • Jorge Polanco is batting .313 with runners on base since 2019 — tied for 15th best among 127 in MLB
  • Jorge Polanco is batting .316 on the road since 2019 — 9th best in MLB

 

Josh Donaldson

  • Josh Donaldson has drawn 35 walks in 170 PA’s when leading off an inning since 2019 — best in MLB
  • Josh Donaldson is slugging .733 on elevated fastballs since 2019 — 2nd best in MLB

  • Josh Donaldson has hit 19 opposite field home runs since 2019 — tied for 4th most in MLB
  • Josh Donaldson is slugging .532 on breaking pitches against RHP since 2019 — 15th best among 127 in MLB
  • Josh Donaldson is slugging .742 against pitchers who have thrown at least 80 pitches in a game since 2019 — 5th best in MLB

 

Nelson Cruz

  • Nelson Cruz has barreled 14% of his batted balls since the start of the 2019 season — tied for best in MLB; League Avg: 7%.
  • Nelson Cruz has 22 home runs against LHP since the start of the 2019 season — most in MLB
  • Nelson Cruz is slugging.453 with two-strikes since the start of the 2019 season — best in MLB; League Avg: .319

  • Nelson Cruz has an OPS of 1.062 with runners in scoring position since the start of the 2019 season — 7th best in MLB; League Avg:.860
  • Nelson Cruz is slugging .694 against LHP since the start of 2018 — best in MLB

 

Miguel Sano

  • Miguel Sano is slugging .750 on low fastballs since 2019 — 5th best in MLB
  • Miguel Sano has 17 home runs in innings 7-9 since 2019 — tied for 6th most in MLB
  • Miguel Sano has 80 extra-base hits out of 132 total hits since 2019 — 2nd best in MLB
  • Miguel Sano has an OPS of 1.707 when ahead in the count since 2019 — 2nd best in MLB 
  • Miguel Sano is slugging .588 with runners on base since 2019 — 9th best in MLB

 

Alex Kirilloff

 

Byron Buxton

  • Byron Buxton has 60 extra-base hits out of 104 total hits since 2019 — tied for 6th best in MLB
  • Byron Buxton slugged .955 on the first pitch of at-bats last season — tied for 11th best in MLB
  • Byron Buxton is slugging .623 on breaking pitches against RHP since 2019 — 3rd best in MLB

 

Ryan Jeffers

 

Andrelton Simmons

  • Andrelton Simmons has 72 strikeouts in 820 PA’s against RHP since the start of 2018 — best in MLB among hitters with at least 571 total PA’s; League Avg: 21%
  • Andrelton Simmons batted .458 on inside fastballs last season — tied for 8th best in MLB among hitters with at least 87 total PA’s; League Avg: .272
  • Andrelton Simmons has made 22 non-routine plays since the start of the 2019 season — tied for 13th most in MLB
  • Andrelton Simmons is batting .222 on pitches out of the zone since the start of 2018 — 13th best in MLB among hitters with at least 571 total PA’s; League Avg: .162
  • Andrelton Simmons is batting .344 on pitches 95 mph or greater since the start of 2018 — tied for 6th best in MLB among hitters with at least 571 total PA’s; League Avg: .260

 

Bench

 

Luis Arraez

  • Luis Arraez is batting .382 on elevated fastballs since 2019 — best in MLB
  • Luis Arraez has a K:BB ratio of 0.9 since 2019 — tied for 2nd best in MLB
  • Luis Arraez is batting .331 since 2019 — tied for 2nd best in MLB
  • Luis Arraez has 247 quality ABs out of 487 total since 2019 — 11th best in MLB
  • Luis Arraez has missed on just 8% of swings since 2019 — best in MLB

 

Mitch Garver

  • Mitch Garver has a Well-Hit Avg of .269 since 2019 — 2nd best in MLB
  • Mitch Garver is slugging .561 since 2019 — 14th best in MLB
  • Mitch Garver has chased just 17% of pitches out of the zone since 2019 — 6th lowest in MLB

 

Jake Cave

  • Jake Cave made 10 non-routine plays out of 23 chances last season — tied for 14th best in MLB
  • Jake Cave missed on 40% of swings last season — 9th highest in MLB
  • Jake Cave had a K:BB ratio of 8.8 last season — 8th highest in MLB

 

Brent Rooker

 

Projected Starting Rotation

 

Kenta Maeda

  • Kenta Maeda has allowed an OPS of just .334 with two-strikes since 2019 — best in MLB

  • Right-handed hitters have a miss rate of 39% against Kenta Maeda since 2019 — 2nd best in MLB
  • Opponents are hitting just .192 against Kenta Maeda since 2019 — 3rd best in MLB
  • Opponents have a Well-Hit Avg of just .115 against Kenta Maeda since 2019 — best in MLB
  • Kenta Maeda has allowed an OBP of just .252 since 2019 — 3rd best in MLB

 

Jose Berrios

  • Hitters have chased 316 of Jose Berrios’ 1,028 fastballs out of the zone (31%) since 2019 — 8th highest in MLB 
  • Jose Berrios has thrown his curveball 29% of the time since 2019 — 4th highest among qualified SPs in MLB
  • Opponents have a chase percentage of 46% against Jose Berrios with two-strikes since 2019 — 5th highest in MLB
  • Right-handed hitters have a chase rate of 35% against Jose Berrios since 2019 — 11th highest in MLB
  • Jose Berrios has allowed a slugging percentage of just .481 when behind in the count since 2019 — 9th best in MLB

 

Michael Pineda

  • Hitters have swung at 53% of Michael Pineda’s pitches since 2019 — 2nd highest in MLB
  • Michael Pineda has walked 35 of 711 batters since 2019 — 8th best in MLB
  • Hitters have chased 233 of Michael Pineda’s 552 breaking balls out of the zone (chase rate of 42%) since 2019 — 5th highest in MLB
  • Michael Pineda has a strike rate of 68% vs left-handed batters since 2019 — 3rd highest in MLB
  • 66% of Michael Pineda strikeouts are located out of the zone since 2019 — 4th highest in MLB

 

J.A. Happ

  • Hitters batting in the top of the order have hit just .198 against J.A. Happ since 2019 — 3rd best in MLB
  • J.A. Happ has recorded 126 of his 182 strikeouts (69%) with his fastball since 2019 — 5th highest in MLB
  • The average home run distance against J.A. Happ against right-handed batters since 2019 is 393.4 feet — 13th best in MLB
  • Opponents are hitting just .155 against J.A. Happ’s inside fastball since 2019 — 4th best in MLB
  • J.A. Happ has induced opposing hitters to ground into 22 double plays in 135 opportunities since 2019 — 10th best in MLB

 

Randy Dobnak

  • Opponents had a groundball rate of 69% against Randy Dobnak’s fastball last season — 2nd highest in MLB
  • Opponents had a chase percentage of 49% against Randy Dobnak with two-strikes last season — tied for 7th highest in MLB
  • Randy Dobnak had a first-pitch strike rate of just 54% last season — 12th lowest in MLB 

 

Matt Shoemaker

  • Matt Shoemaker allowed 5 home runs with two-strikes last season — tied for 7th most among pitchers in MLB

 

 

Projected Bullpen

 

Taylor Rogers

  • Taylor Rogers has walked 15 of 369 batters since 2019 — 5th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Taylor Rogers has a strike rate of 69% since 2019 — 4th highest among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Taylor Rogers has allowed an OPS of just .566 versus hitters not batting 3-4-5 in the order since 2019 — 9th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Taylor Rogers has thrown at least two strikes in his first three pitches to 74% of opposing batters since 2019 — 4th highest among qualified RPs in MLB

 

Alex Colome

  • Opponents batting in the heart of the order are hitting just.175 against Alex Colome since the start of the 2019 season — 10th best among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .248
  • Left-handed hitters have a miss rate of 35% against Alex Colome since the start of 2018 — 9th best among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: 27%
  • Alex Colome has allowed an OPS of just .503 vs left-handed batters since the start of 2018 — 2nd best among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .699

  • Alex Colome has an ERA of 2.62 since the start of 2018 — 11th best among among 163 qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: 3.85
  • Opponents are hitting just.132 against Alex Colome when ahead in the count since the start of the 2019 season — 7th best among qualified RPs in MLB; League Avg: .181

 

Tyler Duffey

  • Hitters not batting 3-4-5 in the order are hitting just .184 against Tyler Duffey since 2019 — 10th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Tyler Duffey has allowed an OBP of just .246 since 2019 — tied for 9th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Tyler Duffey has allowed a slugging percentage of just .186 when facing the leadoff batter in the inning since 2019 — best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Tyler Duffey has a first-pitch strike rate of 68% since 2019 — 6th highest among qualified RPs in MLB

 

Jorge Alcala

  • Jorge Alcala walked 2 of 55 right-handed batters last season – tied for 7th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Jorge Alcala allowed a slugging percentage of just .226 against right-handed batters last season — tied for 8th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Jorge Alcala’s K:BB ratio was 6.5 against right-handed batters last season — tied for 10th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Jorge Alcala threw his slider 49% of the time on the first pitch of at-bats last season — 7th highest among qualified RPs in MLB

 

Cody Stashak

  • Cody Stashak had a strike rate of 68% last season — 15th highest among among 232 qualified RPs in MLB
  • Opponents had a chase percentage of 36% against Cody Stashak last season — 15th highest among among 232 qualified RPs in MLB
  • Cody Stashak has not allowed a walk in his last 55 PAs against a RHH dating back to September 8th, 2019 — Chris Bassitt has the longest active streak at 77
  • Hitters swung at 53% of Cody Stashak’s pitches last season — tied for 14th highest among among 232 qualified RPs in MLB

 

Caleb Thielbar

 

Hansel Robles

  • Opponents had a miss rate of 52% against Hansel Robles on the first pitch of at-bats last season — 5th best among qualified RPs in MLB
  • Opponents have a Well-Hit Avg of just .059 against Hansel Robles with two-strikes since 2019 — 4th best among qualified RPs in MLB

 

Shaun Anderson

  • Shaun Anderson threw his slider 54% of the time (150/277) in the 2020 season — 12th highest among among 183 qualified RPs in MLB
  • Shaun Anderson has walked 50 of 494 batters (10%) since 2019 — 14th highest in MLB
  • Shaun Anderson has allowed an OPS of .858 (322 PA’s) versus hitters not batting 3-4-5 in the order since 2019 — 9th highest in MLB

 

 

 

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