Buxton just tagged up and advanced to 2nd base on a fly ball to center. Very much in favor of Shelton's philosophy that this team needs to be much more aggressive on the bases.
Here’s a nice blurb (from The Athletic last week) regarding the base running and focusing on fundamentals in camp, which should lead to more run scoring opportunities and fewer unforced errors -
One way the Twins hope to squeeze more out of the roster is by continuing the aggressive base running they adopted after the trade deadline last season. Over the final six weeks, the Twins were the most aggressive base-running team in baseball.
In camp, Shelton had the Twins — who stole seven more bases as a team this spring versus a year ago — participate in more interactive drills. The team brought minor leaguers over to play defense while Twins major leaguers received instruction and ran the bases “at full tilt,” Shelton said. Coaches didn’t hesitate to correct mistakes or ask for multiple attempts.
After seeing a taste of it last year, Joe Ryan is intrigued to see how dedication to a new style on the base paths plays out over a full season.
“We played a little more athletic and we were close in a lot more games than we got credit for,” Ryan said. “We’ve taken care of some of those pieces and guys are in a pretty good spot. … I feel good about where the guys are at.”
Multiple players mentioned there was a different feel to the way spring training was run under their new manager. Shelton’s desire for precision was felt throughout, with the team focused more on fundamental play and accountability.
Early in camp, pitchers went through more fielding practice, echoing the days of Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire and Paul Molitor. The Twins also took advantage of a reduced roster during the World Baseball Classic to drill down on cutoffs and relay plays. Additionally, coaches emphasized infield and outfield drills, running them before most exhibition games.
“Shelty did a real good job orchestrating his vision this camp,” veteran Josh Bell said. “Attention to detail, some of the finer details, playing the game the right way, but also having a purpose for each workday. Each day has a different plan of what we want to work on.”
