MINNESOTA TWINS VS TEXAS RANGERS SUN 9/27 FINAL

Luke Keaschall has inserted himself into the team MVP conversation with his offensive production over the last month.

He is leading the team in both Batting average (.274) and On-Base Percentage (.365). He was named to the 2025 MLB Rookie All-Star team at second base. The irony is he has been moved to the outfield, where he has committed several fielding errors. With transition, comes a learning curve. The same could be said for Royce Lewis move to first base.

Luke has found that the leadoff role for this team is the best spot for him and it has paid off hitting multiple home runs and collecting RBIs. His most productive month was April where he had 13 RBIs, but also had 106 at-bats. Luke has matched his July total of 7 in only 66 at-bats. If his production contiues to climb, he should definitely be in the team MVP conversation.

For my third and final candidate, I nominate Kody Clemens. Now before you pass judgements on why Byron Buxton isn't nominated with his team-leading 25 home runs, let me present to you some facts. Byron has only played in 90 games (injuries, no surprise), batting only .251, and 3 for 42 (.071) in the last 30 days. Those aren't team MVP numbers in my eyes. Now back to Kody Clemens.

Kody has had a very solid year. Even though his batting average is .239, he has hit a career-high 21 home runs on the season. Where he separates himself from Byron Buxton this season is in the categories of On-Base Percentage (.478/last 7 days), SLG% (.727/last 7 days), Batting average (.455/last 7 days), and an OPS of 1.206 (last 7 days). The team is making a playoff push and Kody is producing. Let me also add that he has also moved around positions quite a bit this year playing multiple outfield positions, second base, and first base as well. This versatility also contributes to his value to the team as a whole. This puts him in the conversation for team MVP in his young career.

I will also make an honorable mention for Brooks Lee as well.

There are points through the season where he has shined as a team MVP, but some inconsistencies have not put him with the other three candidates, I have nominated.

After starting the season 13-20, it was looking like the Minnesota Twins were in for a long dismal season. Manager Rocco Baldelli was feeling the pressure and fans were not happy. Some even thought Rocco wouldn't make it out of April as Twins Manager. Then things suddenly change. The Twins go on a 8 game winning streak to go over .500 the first time this season and now are only 5.5 games back American League Central leading Detroit Tigers. What changed? There are several factors involved, but the combination of these factors are the ingredients to winning.

The Twins hope to extend their winning streak out on the road as they face Baltimore and Milwaukee. Key pieces like the addition of Ty France in the offseason has helped their offense. Buxton staying healthy is another big factor. Royce Lewis recently returned to the lineup, but has struggled in his first few games. Middle relief has played a crucial role as Louis Varland and Danny Coulombe have really solidified those roles as of late. Each season is different and it's taken a month into the season for Rocco and the Twins to find success.

To say the Twins are off to slow start is an understatement. Four straight losses to start the season including a blowout vs the White Sox (who lost over 100 games last season). Minnesota was glad to be home after starting the season on the road and was expected to get back on track. All three games vs Houston looked promising to start, but the 6-9 innings have been very unproductive. Very few hits and just not doing much offensively. That was magnified today in the series finale after the bullpen blew a 7-1 lead to lose the game 

9-7 and the series. The third straight series loss to start the season.

Twins pitching has struggled from day one of the season. Starting Pitching and/or bullpen pitching have both gotten hammered. It is early, but has been a concern for a few years now. Some new faces are in the bullpen this season and are hoping to turn around the late-inning pitching woes. Darren McCaughan & Justin Topa have made appearances during this homestand and are expected to be frequently used this season in hopes of limiting their opponents to minimal runs allowed. As long as the arms stay healthy and get consistent reps, they could have a positive impact going forward.