Eight different players have started at DH.Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton are not among them.
The beginning of spring tends to bring a lot of optimism and platitudes, but actions are more indicative. While both Correa and Buxton arrived at camp raving about their physical conditions, the handling of these star players once the games started was going to tell the story.
And that story has been: Correa and Buxton appear completely healthy, with no limitations or special restrictions.
Both players were in the lineup for Minnesota’s first spring game, batting second and third, playing shortstop and center. They’ve since been rotating into the lineup regularly, and it’s noteworthy that Rocco Baldelli hasn’t felt compelled to lighten either one’s load with a “partial day off” at designated hitter.
I don’t take it to mean they’ll never start at DH during the regular season, but this usage suggests Baldelli is feeling very good about the state of Correa’s feet and Buxton’s knee.
Ty France is batting .550 with a team-leading 1.641 OPS.
Ample skepticism surrounded this scrap-heap signing, but France’s performance in the Grapefruit League is providing early validation for the front office’s belief in the embattled first baseman. Through eight games, he’s 11-for-20 with four doubles, two homers and only three strikeouts.
Is this small sample of excellent production in an exhibition setting meaningful? No, not really. But it’s sure better than the alternative, especially for a player who really struggled last year.
Brock Stewart has already touched 97.5 MPH.
There was a general expectation that Stewart might be slowly eased into action this spring, coming off shoulder surgery, but instead he’s been off to the races.
The right-hander threw a bullpen session within days of reporting to camp, and has made two appearances in Grapefruit League games.
In the first of those appearances, last Wednesday, Stewart averaged 96.5 MPH with his fastball and reached as high as 97.5. Head trainer Nick Paparesta told media over the weekend that Stewart is essentially on a standard build-up plan, and all is progressing smoothly.
“Obviously, Brock is a little bit more of a daily check-in to make sure everything’s going well and he’s feeling good,” Paparesta said.
“It’s been all thumbs up since his outing the other day, which was really nice and good to see.” The Twins bullpen could be absolutely lethal with a healthy Stewart.
Brooks Lee is making loud contact.
A failure to drive the ball with authority was the prime culprit in Lee’s offensive struggles as a rookie. His average exit velocity of 85.3 MPH was lowest on the team.
He slugged .320 with just 10 extra-base hits in 185 plate appearances. Improving his quality of contact was going to be instrumental to Lee establishing himself as a quality big-league hitter.
His performance in spring action is making a statement. Lee is batting .308 with a .538 SLG in nine games, shaking off last year’s ending slump with a hot start in 2025.
Against the Yankees last Thursday, he ripped a 107 MPH single in his first at-bat, nearly matching the highest exit velocity he posted in 50 games with the Twins last year. In his next at-bat he launched a homer over the right field wall. Granted, these hits came against an apparently injured Gerrit Cole, but we’ll take it.
As long as he keeps making noise at the plate, Lee is a lock to make the roster.
David Festa has walked one of 36 batters faced.
I don’t care too much about the 10.13 ERA in eight innings.
I’m confident that if Festa throws the ball in the zone consistently, he’s going to have success, and I know the Twins feel the same way. That’s why they have to be very pleased by the way Festa is pounding the strike zone this spring, with a 9-to-1 K/BB ratio in his three appearances.
Festa is likely on the outside looking in for a rotation spot because Simeon Woods Richardson has been very good in his own right (1 ER in 7 IP) but Festa’s going to make himself very difficult to option back to Triple-A if he can keep the BB column clean.
Let’s from you all. What have you seen so far this spring that has you feeling most encouraged about the Twins? Sound off in the comments!
