Rocco Baldelli is still pushing his team down the stretch as they angle for postseason positioning. They have yet to overtake the Cleveland Guardians, but the Minnesota Twins look like a playoff team. Their rotation will look much different than expected though.
Minnesota Twins Opening Day rotation has turned over
When the Minnesota Twins took the field at Kaufman Stadium for Opening Day, the 26-man roster looked noticeably different. Rocco Baldelli’s starting rotation has seen a significant amount of turnover as well. Currently Joe Ryan is tracking towards missing the rest of the season. Chris Paddack may join him. Anthony De Sclafani never joined either.
Pablo Lopez took the ball on Opening Day, but has been the third-best pitcher on the staff. Bailey Ober has been a steadying force when not pitching against the Royals . Then there has been the emergence of the rookies. That’s where the Twins starting rotation could turn in October.
As things stand right now, the Twins starting rotation in the postseason would likely be Lopez, Ober, and Simeon Woods Richardson in that order. The latter has been consistent if not uninspiring. He has largely kept the Twins in games, even if he hasn’t been truly dominant in most of them. Woods Richardson began the year at Triple-A and would now be in line to start the third postseason matchup.
Related: Simeon Woods Richardson Emerges as Legitimate Rookie of the Year Candidate
Depth wasn’t what it was last season, but Minnesota has relied on internal talents to show up in some very big spots.
Rookies dominate Minnesota Twins pitching plans
Multiple pitchers are unavailable for the Minnesota Twins, so top prospects have stepped up. David Festa has made multiple starts, and Zebby Matthews won his big league debut this week. The pair of pitchers shouldn’t be expected to pitch in the top three of a postseason rotation. Both of them, however, would make ideal candidates for the bullpen as long arms.
Last season the Twins put both Louie Varland and Paddack in the bullpen for the postseason. The former could find his way there again. For right now, he has been pushed into a big league starting role . If Paddack does return , then throwing him out of the bullpen down the stretch makes a good deal of sense.
No matter who they are facing, Minnesota must get the best from Lopez and Ober on a nightly basis. Beyond that pairing, it’s a mix-and-match game of situational pitching. How long Woods Richardson can go, and where someone should take over will be the name of the game. Minnesota has continued to be hit by injuries this season, and navigating that into October will largely determine their fate.
Related: Bailey Ober Throws Historic Complete Game… and Not Just Because It’s 2024 and Nobody Does That Anymore
Rocco Baldelli put things together last season and the Twins swept a playoff series. They will look to make a deeper run this time around.
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