MVP Boost?
After a surprising 6-12 start to their season, the Minnesota Twins looked like a disappointment. Fresh off winning the AL Central a year ago and recording their first playoff win in almost 20 years, snapping a historic 18 game playoff losing streak, the Twins looked to build on their momentum and come out of the gates swinging. Unfortunately for them, they were ravaged by injuries and they dipped to 6 games under .500; they seemed lost, losing stars Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa for weeks at a time, and phenom Royce Lewis injured himself just one game into the year.
However, since that low point, the Twins have been really good. Anchored by slugging catcher Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota went on a 34-20 run to right the ship and be right in the playoff hunt. They also rank as a top ten offense, despite their injury riddled start- most notably ranking second in doubles and sixth in home runs. They also have scored the ninth most runs and have the fifth best slugging percentage as a team, which has helped offset the pitching struggles they have had this season. The pitching ranks 22nd in ERA and has allowed the third most homers out of any team in baseball, which is far poorer than expected considering they ranked sixth in ERA and were in the middle of the pack in long balls allowed in 2023. It is reasonable to expect them to average out in the pitching department as the season wears on.
As the Twins have surged, they have received boosts from the aforementioned stars, but the biggest impact might come from the one who has starred the least so far this year, Royce Lewis. Lewis was a touted prospect out of high school and rocked through the minors before suffering an ACL injury in early 2021 that kept him out for all of that season and half of 2022, where he finally made his debut only to tear the same knee ligament and start all over. He was good in his brief 12 game stint, posting an OPS of .867 as a shortstop. Last year is when he really established his candidacy as a future super star in his return from his second knee injury, where he smacked 15 home runs in 58 games and posted an excellent .921 OPS. He also brought the thunder in the postseason, smacking 4 home runs there for good measure and propelling Minnesota past Toronto in the wild card round.
This season he was tabbed for a major breakout, and he has delivered…..when healthy. A strained quad on opening day kept him out until early June, but since his return on June 4th, he has been sensational with a .359/.422/.872 slash line and an OPS of 1.294 as a primary third baseman. He is only 25 and if he can stay on the field, he will be a massive impact for a Twins team moving forward into the dog days of summer and October.
By Jackson Westfall