Minnesota Twins Defense Must be Their Saving Grace
By Jordan Ison
The slumping Minnesota Twins are looking for a solution to get back to winning ball games. Defense may be their only option.
Losers of 5 out of their last 6 games, the Minnesota Twins need to quickly find a way to get back to their winning ways. As a team that doesn’t hit the ball well, defense may be their only way to do so.
Don’t get me wrong, the Twins have shown some powerful bats on occasion. But this is so rare, it’s hard to be confident in the fact that their offense could win them ball games. Their speed on the defensive side of the diamond is good enough to put together a string of victories.
The Minnesota Twins’ outfield is a force to be reckoned with, led by Byron Buxton. Their speed is nearly unmatchable and makes it hard for hitters to find a soft spot in the outfield. Despite Buxton’s struggles at the plate, he seems to be a necessity in the outfield for the Twins.
Eddie Rosario has been a key piece to the outfield thus far, as well. While not as fast as Buxton, Rosario possesses enough speed and range to cover the majority of left field. Not to mention, he has a very strong arm as well as seen in the World Baseball Classic.
Max Kepler has been solid in right field as well. He may not boast the speed or range that Rosario and Buxton do, but he has a strong arm and a reliable glove as well. The outfield remains the strongest part of the roster for the Twins.
The infield is no slouch either. Lead by double-play machine, Brian Dozier, the Minnesota Twins have something to be proud of in their infield as well. Miguel Sano has proven himself as a solid infielder. The shortstop position may be one of the weakest spots for the Twins, as they are the only position for Minnesota with multiple errors.
Jason Castro and Chris Gimenez have both been solid behind the plate. Both boast a strong arm and great range in stopping wild pitches. In all, the defense of the Minnesota Twins has been extremely strong thus far.
The Twins’ hitting has shown it cannot be trusted, with only one outburst of 10 or more runs. Averaging 4 runs per game is not terrible, but the Twins have had issues in putting together runs as of late.
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While the pitching has been solid, the Twins don’t take pride in their ability to strike batters out. Instead, the Twins rely on their defensive ability to keep runs from getting across the plate. If the Twins want to find success down the stretch, all eyes will be on their defense.