The Minnesota Twins are crashing the wild-card party and have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2015 season. After finishing last year with the second-worst record in the American League, the Cinderella Twins are now very much in the postseason picture and are just one game back for the second AL wild-card spot following a dramatic win Thursday night.
In their preseason team rankings, Sports Illustrated had the Twins at No. 28 in the league with a projected 2015 record of 67-95. With three games left to play, the Twins have managed to win 83 games this season and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
What has been the key to their remarkable turnaround?
Young talent.
Similar to the Houston Astros, who coincidentally tied the Twins for the second-worst record in the AL last year (70- 92) and currently hold the second wild card, the Twins made an early decision that they were going to play their youngsters.
Seeking a spark following an 11-17 June, the Twins wasted little time in calling up top hitting prospect Miguel Sano from Double-A on July 1. The hard-swinging designated hitter/third baseman made an immediate impact. Sano, 22, hit .297 that month with an OBP of .424 to go along with four home runs in 22 games.
On Thursday, Sano was named one of three finalists for the Major League Baseball Players Association Most Outstanding Rookie Award in the AL. He has slugged 18 homers in 77 games this year. Projected over the course of a full season, those numbers become awe-inspiring.
On top of the power, Sano has shown a consistent ability to get on base. Although he has struck out 115 times, which is alarming, he has drawn 50 walks and has an OBP of .385.
Joe Mauer, who knows a thing or two about hitting himself, has been impressed with the Dominican slugger’s approach so far. In an interview with Derek Wetmore of 1500 ESPN, Mauer said it has been fun to watch the progress Sano has made.
“I think everybody talks about his power and how strong he is, but I think I'm mostly impressed with his eye at the plate,” Mauer said. "Laying off of tough pitches. He's got a pretty good idea of what he wants to do and needs to do."
If Sano can limit his strikeouts next year by cutting down on his swings and misses on hard breaking balls, he could grow to be one of the elite power hitters in the league.
Another rookie who has helped turn things around for the Twins is outfielder Eddie Rosario. With the big league club since May 6, Rosario has brought some much-needed energy to the Twins lineup.
Rosario projects to be a solid, all-around player for Minnesota for years to come. Rosario, who celebrated his 24th birthday on September 28, leads the majors in triples with 15.
On September 16, the Guayama, Puerto Rico, product became the first rookie since Hanley Ramirez in 2006 to collect at least 10 homers, 10 doubles, 10 triples and 10 stolen bases in a season.
He has a .271 average with 13 home runs and 18 doubles. Like Sano, and many young hitters out there, look for Rosario to work on cutting down his strikeout totals moving forward. If he can work the count and get on base a little bit more, he should be able to establish himself as a decent stolen base threat to go along with his power.
Also making a difference is shortstop Eduardo Escobar. Splitting time at short with Danny Santana, Escobar has impressed with his timely hitting and .989 fielding percentage.
The Twins got a huge lift from Escobar on Thursday night when he smacked a game-tying opposite-field double down the line during the top of the eighth in a must-win game against the Cleveland Indians. The hit helped keep the team’s postseason hopes alive.
And then there’s the Twins’ No. 1 prospect, Byron Buxton. Although he has struggled to the tune of a .216 BA, the outfielder has recently shown signs of breaking out. He is hitting .400 over the past two weeks, including his first two homers of his career.
He has also played in only 44 games so far and is still only 21 years old.
Just as Mike Trout struggled during his first taste of big league action (.220 BA in 2011), Buxton may just be going through the rounds as he adjusts to the AL and tougher pitching
Who knows what Buxton could be capable of in a full season?
At a point when young teams sometimes tend to fade or fatigue, the Twins have played strong down the stretch in September, compiling a 15-13 record.
That’s usually a sign of good things to come, and their core of young hitters, mixed with veterans, should help propel this team moving forward.
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