The Minnesota Twins have oscillated between being a winning and losing team this year because of their inconsistent roster. They are 45-48 with the All-Star Break approaching.

The Twins are searching for stability, and their most dependable position group since 2023 has been the Ryan Jeffers–Christian Vázquez catching tandem.

Minnesota has handled the catcher’s workload well since Derek Falvey took over the front office after the 2016 season. They’ve had quality catchers like Jason Castro, Mitch Garver, Jeffers, and Vazquez, and prioritized giving their backstops consistent rest. It allows catchers to be healthier throughout a season while enabling manager Rocco Baldelli to ride the hot hand when either player is hitting well.

Whether it’s their catching philosophy, good fortune, or a combination of the two, the Twins have been one of the healthiest teams in the league at a physically demanding position. Jeffers and Vázquez have exclusively started behind the plate for Minnesota in all 423 games played since the start of the 2023 season, including playoffs. That alone should make them one of the most valuable catching tandems in baseball.

However, things are starting to get complicated.

Jeffers and Vázquez were once one of baseball’s best catching tandems

In their first season together, Jeffers and Vázquez were a top-10 catching tandem in baseball. The Twins got a combined .721 OPS from their catchers in 2023, 11th-best in baseball. Jeffers and Vázquez’s 98 wRC+ (100 is the league average) was tied for the 8th best in MLB, and they produced a 9th-ranked 3.0 fWAR.

However, their production has waned this season. Their 87 wRC+ is tied for 18th in baseball this season, and a 1.0 fWAR from Twins backstops is 20th in the majors. Their 88.3 MPH average exit velocity is only 26th in baseball. The issues are coming from more than the batter’s box. Minnesota’s wall behind the plate is starting to crumble.

Although Jeffers and Vázquez have combined to throw a league-best 26 attempted base-stealers in 2025 and have only committed four fielding errors, other defensive metrics have not been kind to them.

Statcast has a fielding run value statistic that combines throwing, blocking, framing, arm strength, and range into a single score called FRV. Minnesota’s catching tandem’s -3 FRV is sitting below average at 17th in MLB. Their -5 framing number is their primary culprit. It sits at 24th in the league, despite Jeffers and Vázquez having been successful framers earlier in their careers.

The Twins signed Vázquez to be their starter

Vázquez signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Twins after the 2022 season to be their primary catcher. However, Vázquez, 34, has declined at the plate. The two-time World Series champion and career .250/.298/.367 hitter has slashed .213/.261/.310 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI since he came to Minnesota. As a result, the Twins have demoted him to the secondary option behind Jeffers. Vázquez’s 64 wRC+ in 2023 has declined to a 40 wRC+ in 2025, ranking 74th among catchers. It’s hard to argue that Vázquez has met the standards his contract demands, especially offensively.

Still, adding Vazquez stabilized Minnesota’s catching situation defensively. His defensive prowess and ability to call a game behind the plate have helped to guide Minnesota’s pitching staff to a 4.07 ERA that ranks 16th since 2023.

A big part of that is his ability to control the strike zone. In 2023, Vazquez had a plus-3 catcher framing runs, ranking him 21st among all catchers. Last year, his plus-6 CFR rating was top-10 in baseball. However, this year, the 34-year-old Vazquez has seen his catching numbers decline dramatically in his 11th season (minus-2 CFR). That bumps him down to 46th compared to other catchers in the majors.

However, Vázquez can still make a noticeable impact defensively. Controlling the ground game has also been crucial to his game. He has thrown out 14 runners this season, which puts him on pace to reach his 22 baserunners caught stealing total from 2019. His glove still has value, even if he isn’t as good defensively this season. Vazquez must find a way to generate additional offensive production, but that hasn’t been an issue for Jeffers.

Jeffers continues to rake

Jeffers has put together a nice 2025 campaign. He’s slashing .248/.348/.401 with seven home runs through 74 games. Adding that to his 113 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR and .748 OPS rank in the top 15 among catchers with at least 100 plate appearances this season.

It also puts Jeffers on a path to replicate his 2023 season, with career highs in both his 136 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR. His 89.5 MPH average exit velocity is in a good spot compared to his 88.7 MPH career average exit velocity. What’s most encouraging is that he is more disciplined at the plate with a 0.64 BB/K ratio that’s on pace to smash his previous 0.37 BB/K career mark from 2022. It has culminated in a great stretch from Jeffers since June 1, where he’s hit four home runs while recording a .774 OPS and 120 wRC+.

Jeffers must improve defensively, though

Jeffers is a top-15 offensive catcher, but he must improve his fielding metrics. While he’s tied a career-high with 13 runners thrown out in 2025, he has also allowed 35 stolen bases. Jeffers has committed three of Minnesota’s four errors behind the plate this year.

He also hasn’t framed pitches well. Jeffers has a plus frame rating in the first three seasons of his career, but his framing has declined since then. Jeffers has a minus-3 frame rating this year and a minus-3 FRV in his career, which ranks 51st overall among catchers this season.

Will the Twins keep Jeffers long-term?

Jeffers, 28, has proven to be a big-league starting catcher, but the Twins will have to decide if they want to offer him a second contract, which will be much more expensive than the $4.55 million he’s making this year. They’d likely have to offer him the $10 million per year they’re paying Vázquez.

Add to that a franchise that has a lot of uncertainty, from potential ownership changes to the manager’s job status. It’s tough to get a read on what direction the franchise wants to take with their starting backstop. Jeffers has earned the right to be a starting catcher in the majors. Still, it’s far from a no-brainer to keep him in Minnesota long-term, especially if ownership doesn’t increase payroll.

Minnesota’s catching duo has been critical to the 2025 team. Still, a catcher in the prime of his career and another making $10 million should be producing at a higher clip than below league average. It can seem like an unfair criticism. However, the team needs these two to reach another level to elevate a team that has also hovered around .500 for most of the 2025 season.

Jeffers has developed into a top-15 major league bat at his position. Vázquez has been a dependable battery for the pitching staff. However, the Twins still could be getting more from their duo. Vázquez finding a way to boost his offensive production and Jeffers smoothing out his defensive bumps can go a long way for Minnesota’s backstops to become a top-10 catching duo after the All-Star Break.