The Twins Mission Is To Not Be A Trainwreck In April

It was a frigid spring day at Target Field. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were sitting in their office high above left field. It was just two days until the Minnesota Twins opened against the Seattle Mariners and the front office duo was thrilled with their work.

"Look at all we've accomplished," Falvey beamed. "We got rid of Josh Donaldson's contract. We turned Mitch Garver into Gary Sanchez. We signed Carlos freaking Correa! But I feel like we're forgetting something."

Falvey and Levine contemplated for a moment. Suddenly, they looked at each other as if they drew the New York Yankees in a postseason series.

"PITCHING!!!" they screamed at the same time. "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE PITCHING!?!?"

Falvey frantically speed-dialed the Oakland Athletics. They didn't pick up the phone. Lavine called Brian Cashman, who hurled several expletives before hanging up. Both men were deflated. They knew the truth. The Twins would march into the season with what they have.

In a season where the Twins appear to be all-in, their staff is an eyesore. Joe Ryan will be the first Twins rookie to start on Opening Day since 1969. Sonny Gray and Chris Archer are coming off injury-shortened seasons. Dylan Bundy is a reclamation project, and several of Minnesota's top prospects aren't ready for the big leagues.

This is a problem. But the Twins' goal is simple: Don't be a trainwreck in the opening months.

The 2021 Twins had plenty of flaws. But their pitching ended their season before it started. In 24 April games, the staff compiled a 9-15 record and a 4.05 ERA. Out of those 24 games, the Twins received a quality start (six innings with three earned runs or fewer) seven times.

The bullpen also played a key role. With Alex Colomé struggling and Taylor Rogers stumbling out of the gate, the bullpen had blown five saves and was saddled with eight losses, contributing to an early-season slump. It also set the tone for a miserable season. If the Twins had won a handful of these games, they could have remained in the hunt.

Instead, they were making October golf plans when the calendar turned to June.

It was a significant contrast to what happened in 2019. The Bomba Squad got the headlines, but the pitching staff did enough to come away with wins. Minnesota got off to a 15-9 start in April, but their 4.71 ERA was actually higher than what the Twins posted in April of 2021.

But think of what that start did for the Twins. By collecting wins, Minnesota was able to stay in the hunt. They put together a 10.5-game lead in May. When the pitching staff faltered, they were in a position to add to it at the deadline.

We all know that Minnesota sat on its hands that year, but at least they were in a position to improve. The 2021 Twins didn't even have that opportunity, making a fast start on the mound critical.

The Twins don't have an All-Star at the top of the rotation. But they have enough to piece things together. Ryan was sensational during September. If hitters can't figure out his fastball, he could have a run of success in the opening months.

The same goes for Gray. His first spring training start saw him strike out six batters and force 10 swings and misses. Getting out of The Great American Ballpark, it's possible Gray can fool opposing hitters for a couple of weeks.

Archer and Bundy are low-risk options that could pay off. If Bailey Ober improves off his solid rookie season, the Twins could have a rotation that could help them get some early wins.

It's not sexy. But it lines up compared with what's going on in the rest of the Major League Baseball. Since pitchers reported two weeks later to camp, they've had an accelerated ramp-up period for the season. That means there could be a lot of five-inning starts while teams rely on their bullpen to close games out.

It could also level the playing field for the Twins. By being competitive, they can help themselves be in a position to improve their team later in the season. The chances more teams will be looking to deal their arms will be higher, and the Twins can take advantage of a better situation.