All Things 2025 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

[coolhandgopher]

Twins were ahead 3-0 yesterday against Skubal. Morton is a very good pitcher. No doubt the Tigers have a score to settle since our AAA team won 2 of 3 at Comerica last week.

Morton is a 41 year old whose ERA coming into this game was nearly 5.50. Jamie Moyer’s thinking about coming out of retirement to get a crack at this lineup.

 

[howeda7]

Tonight is an example of why Falvey and Rocco deserve to be fired. Why are we wasting innings and AB's on Urena and Mickey Gasper? Let Pereda or one of the other catchers have a chance. And for God's sake, call up Abel and Bradley that you just went out of the way to trade for and give them starts.

 

[Ope3]

Interesting story about Gwynn calling his hit before a game. I’ve heard similar stories about Carew tellingUmps where the pitch was coming and where he was going to hi it. Oh, to be a maestro with the bat

This Tony Gwynn Story is UNREALð±ð¤¯ #tonygwynn #mlb #baseball #story #stories #storytime #padres

#tonygwynn #mlb #baseball #story #stories #storytime #padres

youtube.com

Must have been in either 1996 or 1997, as the pitcher being yanked was former Twin Mark Portugal. Those were his 2 seasons as a Red.

 

[howeda7]

 

[coolhandgopher]

While there's been a drumbeat to get Mickey Gasper out of the lineup, I say leave him in--in this season of suckiness, embrace the suck, as something historic could be afoot. Here are the 10 lowest batting averages in Twins history (minimum 50 AB's):
1988 Tom Nieto .067 (60 AB's)
2014 Pedro Florimon .092 (76)
2025 Dashawn Keirsey .110 (82)
1986 Mark Davidson .118 (68)
2023 Mark Contreras .121 (58)
2025 Mickey Gasper .123 (57)
2021 Gilberto Celestino .136 (59)
1975 Luis Gomez .139 (72)
2022 Jeremy Palacios .143 (70)
2018 Jason Castro .143 (63)

One more hitless game for Gasper, and the 2025 Twins will be tracking for two of the top five lowest batting averages in Twins history. As it stands, that half of the lowest averages on this list are from this partial decade alone speaks to a dismaying lack of depth in the Twins system. But wait, there's more!

While there's some fascinating and/or forgettable names when you track through the lowest BA's at 75 AB's/100 AB's/and 200 AB's, for the purpose of brevity, I'm going to skip ahead to another 2025 bat (check the footnotes for some whimsy if you're so inclined). Christian Vazquez is currently batting .174 in 178 AB's this season, which ranks him in the top 10 of lowest BA's for 100 AB's and over.

However, if he reaches 200 AB's this season, he has a good chance of eclipsing the lowest BA for a Twin with over 200 AB's (currently a tie between '67 Jerry Zimmerman and '11 Drew Butera at .167).

With forty games left in the season, there's a real possibility the following could happen:
* Gasper gets enough at-bats and continues with his ineptitude with the bat to reach 75 AB's and knock Florimon from the spot of lowest batting average for those with 75 AB's or more in a season.

* Keirsey gets called up again, continues apace with the bat and reaches 100 AB's, knocking Chris Hermann (2015, .146, 103 AB's) from that "top" spot.

* As mentioned, Vazquez reaches 200 AB's and continues with his putrid stick, and claims the regrettable title of lowest Twins BA over 200 AB's.

The triple crown of suckitude at the plate is possible for the '25 Twins. When I was stepping into my Twins fanhood, I would check the daily boxscores to see how far Ken Landreaux could extend his hitting streak; in this lost season, when the most depressing of news is somehow not from the diamond, the boxscore checking is driven by the limbo contest of "how low can you go" (and I've got my eye on you too Alan Roden, Edouard Julien, and Ryan Fitzgerald).

*Interesting note, #1: The father/son combo of Sal and Drew Butera currently sit at #4 and 5 for lowest averages with Twins over 100 AB's in a season.

*Interesting note, #2: In 1999, called up at the end of the season, future HOF'er David Ortiz recorded a .000 average over 20 AB's.

 

[Unregistered User]

I just hope Vazquez is OK after emergency surgery. It’s been a week and I haven’t heard an update.

 

[howeda7]

While there's been a drumbeat to get Mickey Gasper out of the lineup, I say leave him in--in this season of suckiness, embrace the suck, as something historic could be afoot. Here are the 10 lowest batting averages in Twins history (minimum 50 AB's):
1988 Tom Nieto .067 (60 AB's)
2014 Pedro Florimon .092 (76)
2025 Dashawn Keirsey .110 (82)
1986 Mark Davidson .118 (68)
2023 Mark Contreras .121 (58)
2025 Mickey Gasper .123 (57)
2021 Gilberto Celestino .136 (59)
1975 Luis Gomez .139 (72)
2022 Jeremy Palacios .143 (70)
2018 Jason Castro .143 (63)

One more hitless game for Gasper, and the 2025 Twins will be tracking for two of the top five lowest batting averages in Twins history. As it stands, that half of the lowest averages on this list are from this partial decade alone speaks to a dismaying lack of depth in the Twins system. But wait, there's more!

While there's some fascinating and/or forgettable names when you track through the lowest BA's at 75 AB's/100 AB's/and 200 AB's, for the purpose of brevity, I'm going to skip ahead to another 2025 bat (check the footnotes for some whimsy if you're so inclined). Christian Vazquez is currently batting .174 in 178 AB's this season, which ranks him in the top 10 of lowest BA's for 100 AB's and over.

However, if he reaches 200 AB's this season, he has a good chance of eclipsing the lowest BA for a Twin with over 200 AB's (currently a tie between '67 Jerry Zimmerman and '11 Drew Butera at .167).

With forty games left in the season, there's a real possibility the following could happen:
* Gasper gets enough at-bats and continues with his ineptitude with the bat to reach 75 AB's and knock Florimon from the spot of lowest batting average for those with 75 AB's or more in a season.

* Keirsey gets called up again, continues apace with the bat and reaches 100 AB's, knocking Chris Hermann (2015, .146, 103 AB's) from that "top" spot.

* As mentioned, Vazquez reaches 200 AB's and continues with his putrid stick, and claims the regrettable title of lowest Twins BA over 200 AB's.

The triple crown of suckitude at the plate is possible for the '25 Twins. When I was stepping into my Twins fanhood, I would check the daily boxscores to see how far Ken Landreaux could extend his hitting streak; in this lost season, when the most depressing of news is somehow not from the diamond, the boxscore checking is driven by the limbo contest of "how low can you go" (and I've got my eye on you too Alan Roden, Edouard Julien, and Ryan Fitzgerald).

*Interesting note, #1: The father/son combo of Sal and Drew Butera currently sit at #4 and 5 for lowest averages with Twins over 100 AB's in a season.

*Interesting note, #2: In 1999, called up at the end of the season, future HOF'er David Ortiz recorded a .000 average over 20 AB's.

6 of the 10 worst in 65 years under Rocco Baldelli. And somehow it doesn't include his favorite, Swinging Christian Vazquez. He just loves giving the worst hitters in baseball tons of AB's. #FireRocco.

 

[jamiche]

Tonight is an example of why Falvey and Rocco deserve to be fired. Why are we wasting innings and AB's on Urena and Mickey Gasper? Let Pereda or one of the other catchers have a chance. And for God's sake, call up Abel and Bradley that you just went out of the way to trade for and give them starts.

The Twins are likely trying to screw them on service time.

 

[howeda7]

The Twins are likely trying to screw them on service time.

Dumb if they are. Bradley has 1.1 seasons coming into this year and will still be under 2 years at the end. They have control of him through 2029 either way.

Abel has 6 career starts. There might be some incentive to keeping his "rookie" status through 2026 but it likely makes no difference if he makes 6 starts or 10.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Dumb. Bradley has 1.1 seasons coming into this year and will still be under 2 years at the end. They have control of him through 2029 either way.

Abel has 6 career starts. There might be some incentive to keeping his "rookie" status through 2026 but it likely makes no difference if he makes 6 starts or 10.

They are promoting Conner Prielipp from Witchita to St. Paul, so logically they should be promoting a starter to the bigs here shortly

But logic doesn't always come into play with thus franchise.

 

[FinnGopher]

Morton is a 41 year old whose ERA coming into this game was nearly 5.50. Jamie Moyer’s thinking about coming out of retirement to get a crack at this lineup.

He's a good pitcher. You don't stay in the bigs this long if you're not a good pitcher.
Throw in the hitting ineptitude of the Twins and you get a Tigers 7-0 shutout.

 

[Ope3]

He's a good pitcher. You don't stay in the bigs this long if you're not a good pitcher.
Throw in the hitting ineptitude of the Twins and you get a Tigers 7-0 shutout.

Luke Keaschall's error on the routine double play grounder led directly to the 5 runs in the 1st.

In the end, getting shut out doesn't make that matter as much.

 

[FinnGopher]

Luke Keaschall's error on the routine double play grounder led directly to the 5 runs in the 1st.

In the end, getting shut out doesn't make that matter as much.

So, I think you and coolhand are misunderstanding what I mean by "a good pitcher." Perhaps I should say "crafty veteran." Morton has been around forever. These young Twins, for the most part, haven't seen him before. This sets the kids up to be fooled and messed with at the plate. Morton had very little trouble with this Twins lineup. Why? Because Morton is a good pitcher. He's crafty. He's been around forever. He showed what a veteran can do against a group of young hitters.

 

[Ope3]

So, I think you and coolhand are misunderstanding what I mean by "a good pitcher." Perhaps I should say "crafty veteran." Morton has been around forever. These young Twins, for the most part, haven't seen him before. This sets the kids up to be fooled and messed with at the plate. Morton had very little trouble with this Twins lineup. Why? Because Morton is a good pitcher. He's crafty. He's been around forever. He showed what a veteran can do against a group of young hitters.

No misunderstanding at all on my part, I was just adding context to what led to the majority of the deficit in the 7-0 shellacking.

Nobody had referenced Keaschall's error yet, it really led to the game being essentially over before the Twins came up to bat.

 

[FinnGopher]

No misunderstanding at all on my part, I was just adding context to what led to the majority of the deficit in the 7-0 shellacking.

Nobody had referenced Keaschall's error yet, it really led to the game being essentially over before the Twins came up to bat.

I missed the first inning and at 5-0 I was simply too lazy to see how the Tigers scored. Regardless, a 41 year old pitcher held the Twins scoreless.

 

[TNGophfan]

We are so inept hitting the ball sometimes. BRUTAL!