Byron Buxton is backWhen Byron Buxton is right, he’s so much fun to watch. This offseason, I wrote that he might be ready to run again.
Through 18 games, it sure seems like I was right. He has stolen four bases in four attempts. He’s also made several aggressive base running moves that have helped the team. In Wednesday’s game alone, he took second on a bloop single that barely left the infield. Then, in the 10th inning, while on second as the Manfred Man, he scored the winning run on a similarly-hit single from Ty France. Players not named Buxton just can’t do these things. Oh, and he’s played his typical caliber of defense in center.
Coming into the season, there were thoughts that he might begin a legitimate decline phase. While his bat speed is down slightly, he’s shown signs of truly waking up at the plate. In the past seven games, he has put up an .800 OPS. He looks healthier than he has in years, and if he keeps it up, his return to form could be a fun storyline all summer.
The free agent signing are actually…good?
Was I excited about either Harrison Bader or Ty France when the Twins signed them? Not at all. They seemed like low-wattage additions to a team desperately in need of at least one more big bat. You know what though? Early signs say I was wrong. France has looked better than expected at first, and has hit better than he has over the past couple seasons. He was even the AL Player of the Week last week.
In fact, those two hitters have been the best on the active roster by fWAR. Both are on pace for close to 5.0 fWAR on the season if they keep their pace up. Will they? Probably not. Let’s not be hasty. It is a small sample size, after all. But, early signs suggest that even with regression, both are shaping up to at least merit being everyday regulars. That portends good things once some of the other hitters get healthy (looking at you, Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Matt Wallner).
On the pitching front, Danny Coulombe was the sole addition to the bullpen, and he has looked good as well. Sporting a shiny 0.00 ERA across nine games, his peripherals are good too. His strikeouts are down just a bit, but he’s only given up two hits and a walk in 6-2/3 innings pitched. In all, those are some impressive results for less than $11 million, combined.
The depth is basically ready
The Triple-A roster is loaded – even after injuries and call ups. On the hitting side, Luke Keaschall got his first call up, less than two years after being drafted. To be clear, it’s probably just a bit premature as Keaschall has all of 14 games played at Triple-A, but it’s a great sign, and he looked really good in his first game with the Twins. Emmanuel Rodriguez may not be far behind, particularly if Castro spends time on the shelf or if Wallner’s IL stint is much longer than the minimum. Carson McCusker could be a reinforcement as a big bat.
On the pitching side, David Festa has acquitted himself well in his first two starts of the year with the Twins. Beyond Festa, Zebby Matthews has looked electric, flirting with 100 MPH on his heater while retaining his signature command. Andrew Morris, Travis Adams, and Marco Raya aren’t far behind, and could play a role if needed.
It’s been such a long time since the Twins had even one strong starting candidate across town that now having five is a legitimate luxury. For many teams, losing a pitcher of Pablo Lopez’ caliber would cause a significant challenge for the rotation; for the Twins, it’s still unfortunate, but not devastating.
So, here’s my reminder to all Twins fans. While the team can be frustrating to follow, there’s still a lot to be excited about. And it’s baseball season! We wait for this all winter — why not enjoy it while we can?
