Surprising Twins in thick of AL Central
By Tim Haberin
After a 1-6 start, some may have considered the Minnesota Twins’ 2015 season already sunk. It would have been an admittedly familiar script in the recent landscape of Minnesota baseball. Though winners of six division crowns from 2002-2010, three of the last four campaigns have seen the team finish in the cellar of the American League Central. The new season took on a sour taste before it even officially began when $54 million winter acquisition Ervin Santana received an 80-game PED suspension only days prior to the opener.
It was a lot for any manager to have on their plate, let alone first-year skipper Paul Molitor. Replacing longtime Minnesota mainstay Ron Gardenhire, the Hall of Famer entered 2015 with tepid expectations typical for an underperforming franchise. Very strong recent form, however, has landed the Twins in uncharted and unexpected waters: the middle of the AL Central race. Since that poor run of seven games, the club has gone 16-7 and sits only two games off the pace of division-leading Detroit. Minnesota has been especially torrid over the past couple weeks, winning 11 of its last 14 contests.
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To what do they owe this recent rash of success? A bit of everything. Their lineup may not be the flashiest, but it’s getting the job done. Despite hitting the second fewest home runs in the American League (21), the Twins rank fourth in total runs scored (142). For what it lacks in gaudy individual numbers, Minnesota is more than making up in well-distributed run production. Six of its players currently sport double-digit RBI totals. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe leads the squad with five homers and prodigal son Torii Hunter has driven in a team-best 18 runs. Former batting champ Joe Mauer paces the starting lineup with a .283 average.
The starting rotation has found itself steadied by a pair of low-profile names. Mike Pelfrey is enjoying a 3-0 start, posting a 2.62 ERA over 34.1 innings of work. 27-year-old Kyle Gibson is also impressing in his second full year of big league action. He’s nabbed three wins in his first six outings to the tune of a 2.97 ERA. Over his last two starts he has tossed 14 scoreless innings while allowing just eight hits.
Phil Hughes has struggled early (5.02 ERA, 15% HR/FB rate) but expects to more closely resemble the 200 inning workhorse who racked up 16 victories last year. Tommy Milone hopes to recapture some of his Oakland success (31-22, 3.84 ERA in three seasons there) during his second campaign wearing a Twins uniform. And Ricky Nolasco will seek to provide a much better return on his club’s investment after a horrid first year in Minnesota.
Glen Perkins, Aaron Thompson and Blaine Boyer have also formed a nice trio in the bullpen. In 47 combined innings, the relievers have surrendered 35 hits and 12 earned runs. Lefty closer Perkins has converted all 10 of his save opportunities thus far, good for third in the AL.
All things considered, the Twins own a healthy +19 run differential, nine better than the Tigers and their vaunted offense. Can they maintain this kind of success? It will be a daunting challenge, and even if they do keep playing well, the Royals and Tigers probably aren’t going anywhere. On an optimistic note, Minnesota hasn’t really relied on any unsustainable statistical streaks during this recent run, and they have faced some quality (if not tremendous) competition. Solid performances on both sides of the ball have generated positive results. If that continues, the Twins might prove an unanticipated factor in the AL Central and Wild Card races moving forward.