The Minnesota Twins held an 11-8 record after their first 19 games this season in large part due to clutch hitting. Eleven games later, Minnesota holds a 13-17 record. The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman pointed out a stat that shows a major reason for the Twins' recent rough stretch.
Twins hitters with runners in scoring position:
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) April 29, 2026
First 19 games — .314 AVG, .921 OPS
Last 11 games — .184 AVG, .609 OPS
Live by the RISP variance, die by the RISP variance.
Minnesota failing to produce when it matters isn't new. Last season, the Twins ranked 29th in OPS with runners in scoring position (.671).
Notably, star center fielder Byron Buxton has failed to collect a hit in 22 plate appearances with runners in scoring position this season. While the 2025 Silver Slugger has overall been productive this year (0.7 bWAR, 109 OPS+), it'd be nice if he could step up his game in big moments. Besides Buxton, here's how the Twins' hitters have fared with runners in scoring position over the last 11 games:
C Ryan Jeffers — 4-for-8, 1 HR, 1 3B, 3 BB, 8 RBI
1B/DH Josh Bell — 2-for-13, 2 BB, 2 RBI
UTL Kody Clemens — 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 BB, 5 RBI
C/1B Victor Caratini — 1-for-6, 0 BB, 3 RBI
2B Luke Keaschall — 3-for-15, 1 BB, 3 RBI
SS Brooks Lee — 2-for-6, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 RBI
3B Royce Lewis — 1-for-7, 0 BB, 1 RBI
UTL Tristan Gray — 1-for-8, 1 BB, 1 RBI
UTL Ryan Kreidler — 0-for-1, 1 BB, 0 RBI
OF Trevor Larnach — 1-for-8, 1 BB, 1 RBI
OF Austin Martin — 1-for-6, 1 2B, 2 BB, 3 RBI
OF Matt Wallner — 0-for-5, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 RBI
The Twins' lack of clutch hitting was on full display against the Seattle Mariners at Target Field last night, as Minnesota's offense went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position as Seattle defeated Minnesota 7-1.
Twins' awful bullpen another big reason for recent rough stretch
The Twins offense's failure to produce when it matters isn't the only reason for Minnesota's rough stretch. The starting pitching has been solid, ranking 12th in MLB with a 4.20 ERA over 60 innings. Meanwhile, the bullpen has been absolutely awful. Over the past 11 games, Minnesota's relievers have ranked 25th in ERA (5.40) and strikeout rate (20.3%) in 35 innings.
Despite its recent lack of clutch hitting, the Twins' offense proved it can produce when it matters earlier in the year. However, the bullpen has been a major issue all season. Even when the team was doing well during the first 19 games of the year, Minnesota's relievers ranked 23rd in ERA (5.00). If the Twins want to turn things around, the offense must get back on track, and the team needs to add bullpen reinforcements from the minors and/or free agent/trade market.
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