Minnesota Twins: 5 things that have defined the Twins season so far
By Chris Schad
The Twins hiring of Wes Johnson
A lot has been made of the Twins’ decision to bring Rocco Baldelli along as manager. In his first year, he’s taken a more laid back approach with his team and brought his use of analytics to the Twins to help them relax and play at their best. But he may not be the biggest addition to the Twins staff.
Instead, that honor goes to pitching coach Wes Anderson, who has successfully made the jump from college to the major leagues. There were plenty of questions raised when the Twins took Anderson from the University of Arkansas, but you can’t argue with the results he has produced with the starting rotation.
Jose Berrios has had a second consecutive strong season atop of the rotation, while Jake Odorizzi has taken the next step en route to his first All-Star appearance. Even reclamation projects at the bottom of the rotation in Pineda and Perez have seen success as the Twins built their huge lead in the AL Central.
The pitching staff will need some enhancements heading into the All-Star break, but Johnson has gotten the most out of his talent, which is what every coach should strive to do.