Minnesota Twins: Grading Each Aspect of Their Game this Season

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May 11, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) celebrates defeating the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

The Minnesota Twins have been surprisingly successful in 2017. Let’s take a look at each aspect of the game and see what the reason behind their success is.

Just a year ago, the Minnesota Twins started off 0-9 and went on to finish the season with over 100 losses. Nobody could have predicted that, nearly 40 games in, they would be on top of a division that also boasts the Cleveland Indians.

The reason for their success isn’t something that can be seen very easily. At some points, they look awful. Other times, the Twins look fantastic. It’s been a roller coaster, but a fun one yet.

The game of baseball isn’t like any other sport. There are so many aspects to the game that affects each team in so many ways. From pitching to hitting to defense, let’s give grades to each aspect of their game so far in 2017.

Aug 14, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Jose Berrios (17) in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field. The Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 11-4. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Pitching

This one may be the hardest to grade. The Twins have pitchers on the top portion of the MLB and also some very close to the bottom. You would think that this would even out their production as a whole, but not quite.

As a team, the Twins have a 4.21 ERA, ranking 17th in the MLB. They have given up 128 walks, ranking 7th in the MLB. They have earned 253 strikeouts, 2nd worst in the league. Finally, their opponents batting average is .243, coming in at 12th in the majors.

Ervin Santana has been a very bright spot for the Minnesota Twins thus far. After a 4-0 start to the season, he is now 6-2 with a 2.07 ERA. Jose Berrios has been a very nice addition to the team as well. In two starts he is 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA.

At the same time, Phil Hughes and Matt Belisle have struggled mightily. Hughes has an ERA of 5.23 and Belisle has an ERA of 8.36.

As you can see, the good for the Twins pitching is great, but the bad is horrendous. Some consistency would be nice, but with the improvements of Hector Santiago and the upcoming of Berrios, there is definitely hope for this pitching rotation.

Grade: B-

May 18, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano (22) singles in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Batting

The Minnesota Twins offense has been inconsistent, for sure, but they have gained some steam as the season has progressed. They just owned a 16-game home-run streak before it was ended by the Colorado Rockies on 5/18.

As a team, the Twins have a batting average of .241, ranking 19th in the MLB. They have an OBP of .327, 14th in the league. They have 41 total home-runs, ranking 23rd. Finally, they have 161 runs scored, ranking 26th in the majors.

The offensive stat line doesn’t look too good for the Twins, but Miguel Sano has made this offense exciting. He is having an MVP type season so far, batting .293/.424/.626 with 10 home-runs and 30 RBI’s.

Byron Buxton, on the other hand, has yet to find his stride at the plate. He is hitting .178/.261/.280 with 2 home-runs and 5 RBI’s. His game has picked up as of late, but he is still struggling, no doubt about that.

According to the stats, the Twins offense is basically horrible. But statistics don’t tell the whole story. With some more consistency and better at-bats with runners in scoring position, the Twins’ offense can definitely improve.

Grade: C

May 14, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) holds up the ball after making a leaping catch at the wall in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Defense

The Minnesota Twins’ defense has been very strong this year, led by their speedy outfield and Byron Buxton. They don’t boast too many over-powering strikeout pitchers, so the defense is very important in Minnesota.

They have only had 12 errors this season, the least in the MLB. This gives them a fielding percentage of .991, 2nd best in the MLB.

As I said earlier, this defense is led by their outfield. Byron Buxton in center field has been a pleasure to watch. Something has to make up for his lack luster hitting, right? Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler are also speedy outfielders that have very strong arms.

Even though the catcher position is rarely talked about when it comes to defense, Jason Castro has been brilliant. His ability to frame pitches is marvelous and he also boasts a very strong arm behind the plate.

Honestly, the Twins’ defense has been the main reason for their success so far this season. They have arguably been the best in the MLB, and we shouldn’t expect that to change. As they say, defense wins championships…

Grade: A

Next: Best Minnesota Twins Player in Each Decade

It’s been fairly surprising to watch the Minnesota Twins after seeing where they were just a year ago, but it’s been a nice surprise. Hopefully, they can keep up the great defense and improve offensively as the season goes on!

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