Minnesota Twins: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The right side of the infield starting hot
Brian Dozier hit safely in the Twins first 17 games and helped keep Minnesota from falling too far behind in the division. Dozier has been one the more consistent performers for Minnesota, however, his start has cooled over the past week.
Dozier is hitting only .260 but he does have four early home runs and a .333 on-base percentage. Although he hasn’t displayed the same ability defensively that won him a Gold Glove last season, he has been very good at the keystone.
Another player who has started this season strong is first baseman, Joe Mauer. Although the Minnesota Twins have struggled to score runs, it isn’t because there haven’t been runners on base.
Mauer has a very good .454 on-base percentage to go along with a solid .293 batting average. He already has 22 walks in only 98 plate appearances with only 11 strikeouts so far. Mauer has done enough to earn an opportunity to finish his career in the Twin Cities.
José Berríos emerging as an ace
José Berríos has been unbelievable on the mound to start this season. Through his first four starts, Berríos surrendered five earned runs total, all against the Seattle Mariners. He still managed to have a 1.63 ERA and 29 strikeouts with only ONE walk in 27 2/3 innings pitched.
However, things haven’t gone well over his last two starts against the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds. Berríos pitched only seven innings allowing nine earned runs with seven strikeouts and five walks in those two games.
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This will all go down as a minor blip on the radar for Berríos this season. He has emerged as a legitimate ace for the Minnesota Twins and he will be the anchor for the pitching staff. These next two pitchers have done well in helping out of the bullpen.
Bonus: Two good starts from the pen
First, we’ll start with Addison Reed and his strong start to his Twins career. Reed has a 2.57 ERA through his first 14 innings pitched with Minnesota. Although he has allowed four earned runs, he has done well limiting walks to this point.
Reed has 13 strikeouts with only four walks and is the pitcher this staff needs in the ninth inning. Fernando Rodney has been brutal in the closer’s role, but we’ve already covered that. However, Reed has 125 career saves and can easily handle the pressure of the ninth inning.
Ryan Pressly has been the standout performer for the Twins through the first month of the season. He has allowed only one earned run through his first 13 2/3 innings pitched.
On top of that, Pressly has 19 strikeouts with only three walks and is another pitcher who could close games for this team. One thing is certain, Fernando Rodney needs to go. Pressly, or Reed, could be the answer the Twins have been searching for.
Next: The Minnesota Twins have made a surprise roster move
This concludes “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” for this month. Stay tuned to Puckett’s Pond for the latest news and stories about your Minnesota Twins. Want to share your opinions with other Twins fans? Join the writing team here at Puckett’s Pond and have your voice heard! Contact us via Twitter or apply above for more details.