Locks to make the Minnesota Twins' Opening Day bullpen include Jeff Hoffman, Anthony Banda, Yoendrys Gomez, Cole Sands, Andrew Morris and Tommy Nance. That leaves two open spots. Minnesota will also likely acquire some relief help in the offseason, making it even more difficult for relievers such as Kody Funderburk, Eric Orze and Travis Adams to make the Opening Day roster.
However, Adams should still have a decent shot at cracking Minnesota's Opening Day bullpen. He spent much of the year on the IL and in the minors. The right-hander initially struggled with the Twins in 2026, carrying a 5.68 ERA into September. However, he turned things around in the final month of the season, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 12 over 14 2/3 innings.
Adams, 26, posted a 4.58 ERA with 62 strikeouts and 25 walks over 59 innings with the Twins this year. He made his MLB debut in 2025, recording a rough 7.49 ERA over 33 2/3 innings.
There is plenty to like about Twins RHP Travis Adams
Adams excels at limiting hard contact, with an 87-mph average exit velocity (86th percentile) and a 33.1% hard-hit rate (87th percentile) in 2026. He also had a 70% strikeout rate (70th percentile), a 32.9% chase rate (75th percentile) and a 27.5% whiff rate (69th percentile).
Adams relies on his four main pitches pretty evenly. Here's his 2026 pitch usage:
- Slider (86.9 mph): 25%
- Changeup (86.2 mph): 25%
- Four-seamer (94.4 mph): 24%
- Cutter (91.8 mph): 21%
- Sinker (94.1 mph): 6%
Of his four most-used pitches, Adams' slider had the most success in 2026. Opposing batters hit just .152 against the pitch.
The right-hander's changeup got hit at a less-than-ideal .274 clip. However, his changeup had an expected batting average of .217, suggesting he got unlucky when he used it.
Unfortunately, Adams' four-seamer and cutter got hit pretty well this year. Opposing hitters hit .364 with a .328 expected batting average against his heater and .273 with a .276 expected batting average against his cutter.
Adams found success with his sinker this year, but he rarely threw it. Hitters hit just .143 against the pitch. However, he had a poor .317 expected batting average on his sinker.
Adams probably deserves a spot on the Opening Day roster due to his strong finish to the year and strong peripherals. However, he has options left, so there's a strong chance he will begin the season in the minors.
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