Minnesota Twins making history two games into the season
It only took two games for the Minnesota Twins to make history in 2019.
Seemingly every year, strikeouts are increasing in Major League Baseball. With a focus on launch angles and putting the ball into the air, that swing path leads to a smaller zone to make contact. Meanwhile, the stigma of striking out has long since gone away, with the days of Bobby Bonds and Reggie Jackson leading to the era that we are in today.
As such, it is not a surprise when a strikeout record is recorded. The Minnesota Twins did just that on Saturday, as they became the second team since 1893 to have their first two starters strike out ten batters in a game.
Per #MNTwins PR, the Twins are the second team in MLB history (since 1893) to have pitchers record 10+ strikeouts in the first two games of the season.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) March 30, 2019
The only others were the 2001 D-backs (R. Johnson, Schilling).
The reason why 1893 is the cutoff is also an interesting note in MLB history. Prior to that season, the pitcher’s box, as it was referred to, was only 50 feet from home plate. As pitchers were throwing harder, it caused offense to decrease, leading to rule changes to even the game out. The mound was moved back to the current 60 feet, 6 inches prior to the 1893 season, where it has remained ever since. At least, until Rob Manfred moves it back a bit more…
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It is not a surprise that Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling would be on the short list of pitchers that began the season with 10+ strikeouts. Johnson, after all, did lead the league in strikeouts nine times, had 13 seasons where he struck out 200 or more batters, and his 4875 career strikeouts are second in major league history. Schilling, meanwhile, only led the league in strikeouts twice, and had only five seasons of over 200 strikeouts, but his 3116 strikeouts ranks 15th all time.
It is that company that the unlikely duo of Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi now find themselves. After Berrios struck out 10 Indians hitters in his 7.2 innings, Odorizzi struck out 11 batters in six innings.
The Twins have to hope that this is a sign of things to come. They have hopes of contending in what should be a weak AL Central, but need to have a lot go right in order for that to happen. Having Berrios take that step to becoming an ace, and Odorizzi realizing his potential, would be a step in that direction.
Next. Twins Mount Rushmore. dark
Even if that does not happen, the Minnesota Twins duo made history on Saturday, as they become the season pair of pitchers to open the season with ten or more strikeouts in the first two games of the year.