The Weekly Nutshell:
The Twins surpassed the 90-loss mark on the season’s final road trip, marking their first time reaching this milestone of failure in the Derek Falvey or Rocco Baldelli eras. It was a second straight season stained by devastating levels of disappointment, with a capable roster repeatedly shrinking in key moments and ultimately collapsing in embarrassing fashion. 

This time around, the front office got out front of things by selling off half the roster at the deadline, leaving the team’s future outlook in a state of complete limbo. Reviewing a second half in which the remnants of the roster posted one of the worst records in baseball, with sub-par performances almost across the board, it’s been hard to find much in the way of silver linings to grasp onto. But the Twins did close things out by winning four of their last seven games, and did so behind some really outstanding work from a starting pitching corps that they hope will lead them back to relevance. We’ll certainly take that morsel of positivity heading into an offseason that is likely to leave most fans wanting.

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 9/22 through Sun, 9/28
***
Record Last Week: 3-3 (Overall: 70-92)
Run Differential Last Week: +7 (Overall: -95)
Standing: 4th Place in AL Central (17.5 GB) 

Game 157 | MIN 4, TEX 1: Zebby Rebounds as Twins Run Wild in Victory

Matthews: 7 IP, 0 R, 6 K, 0 BB

Game 158 | TEX 4, MIN 2: Offense and Bullpen Struggle, Let Down Bradley

Game 159 | MIN 4, TEX 0: Ober Finishes Strong, Buxton Homers Twice

Game 160 | PHI 3, MIN 1: Nola Flirts with Perfection, Vázquez Plays Spoiler

Twins hitters: 4 H, 0 BB, 11 K

Game 161 | MIN 5, PHI 0: Abel Shines in Return as Twin Shut Out Phillies

Abel: 6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 9 K

Game 162 | PHI 2, MIN 1: SWR Finishes Strong, Lineup Can’t Come Through

Woods Richardson: 6 IP, 0 R, 9 K

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NEWS & NOTES

The Twins suddenly morphed into the most aggressive baserunning team in the league during the final month, leading all of MLB in steals. And while this certainly made for more entertaining viewing, it didn’t equate to more winning, and there is an inherent risk that came to light in the final week. Breakout rookie Luke Keaschall suffered a left thumb sprain while sliding into second against the Rangers on Tuesday, and it sounds like he’ll need surgery, following in the footsteps of Alan Roden who experienced a similar ordeal. 

Keaschall will have an offseason to heal up and should hopefully be good to go next spring. But he’s another example of a promising young Twins player whose ascent has been besieged by injuries and setbacks. His last season ended in Tommy John surgery and he missed half of this one with a broken forearm. Hopefully the highly talented 23-year-old can bounce back and overcome all the early wear and tear, but as we’ve seen, that’s not a given.

In other news, the Twins got back both of their injured catchers for the final road trip – Christian Vázquez (infection) was activated on Monday and Ryan Jeffers (concussion) the following day. The unwavering availability of these two ultra-durable backstops at the game’s most punishing position, up until their respective injuries late this season, has been one of the cooler Twins side stories, so it’s good to see them both make it back to the active roster before the finish line.

Finally: Lefty reliever Anthony Misiewicz was activated following a two-month absence for the season’s final game on Sunday. Pierson Ohl was optioned in a corresponding move. My read is that the Twins wanted to do the veteran journeyman Misiewicz a favor by giving him one chance to show he’s healthy and capable after dealing with a shoulder injury. (He was first out of the bullpen on Sunday.) Ohl had an up-and-down MLB debut in the Twins bullpen, but finished brilliantly with eight shutout innings over his final six appearances. He will likely have a prominent role in the rebuilt Minnesota bullpen next year.

HIGHLIGHTS

It was not a strong second half overall for the Minnesota Twins rotation — one of the biggest gut punches for fans in the wake of a deadline teardown that was primarily focused on strengthening this unit for the long haul. But Twins starters did have a very strong final week, and that gives us some tangible hope to hang onto as we navigate into the offseason.

Zebby Matthews opened the week with a gem in Texas, holding the Rangers to one run on four hits over seven-plus innings with six strikeouts and no walks. This was a major turnaround for Matthews coming off perhaps the worst start of his career at home against the Yankees (3 IP, 11 ER). He finishes the season with a 5.56 ERA but a more encouraging 3.79 FIP in 79 â…“ innings. Matthews has much to prove, including that his shoulder can hold up, but he’s definitely shown he has what it takes to be a rotation building block.

Taj Bradley made a good case for that in his final start as well. Like Matthews, Bradley has been plagued by inconsistency as a big-leaguer. But like Matthews, his final start of 2025 showcased the reasons to believe in his long-term viability as a mid-rotation starter or better. On Wednesday, Bradley cruised through six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts and one walk. The secondary stuff was on point in this one. Bradley’s final results as a Twin weren’t good (6.61 ERA) but he completed five or more innings in five of six starts. Seems like a good floor-setting debut.

 

On Saturday night, Mick Abel made his first MLB start in over a month, taking the mound against a Phillies team that drafted and developed him. Abel rose to the occasion against his former organization, shaking off a season’s worth of rookie struggles to demonstrate his potential. Locked in from the very start, he held Philadelphia scoreless on three hits, all singles, in six efficient innings. Abel struck out nine with one walk on just 73 pitches, peppering the strike zone and inducing 13 whiffs with a fastball that touched 99 MPH.

 

Simeon Woods Richardon rounded out a great week for the rotation, and a great second half for himself, with another brilliant performance in Philly: 6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 9 K. Since the start of July, Woods Richardson has worked around a stomach issue that knocked him out of action to post a 3.40 ERA in 11 outings, including 2.33 in five September starts, which included some of the most dominant swing-and-miss efforts of his career

 

With Pablo López sidelined, the two remaining veteran fixtures in the rotation also both finished on high notes: Joe Ryan tossed five innings of one-run ball on Friday night, and one day earlier, Bailey Ober fired six shutout frames. It was a rocky second half but a fantastic season for Ryan. Ober’s overall grade for 2025 is much lower, but he quietly had a semi-resurgent stretch upon returning from Triple-A, leading the pitching staff in fWAR in August and September while allowing nine homers in 10 starts. 

There are big question marks going forward surrounding Ober, Ryan and López. Does Ober still have frontline ability within him? Will one or both of Ryan and López be traded? Optimism is at odds with reality in each of these instances. 

But in theory, the Twins could be equipped to survive the subtractions of former veteran mainstays. It all depends on how well and how quickly this next wave of starters pans out. That’s why these positive signs, as well as Connor Prielipp being named Twins minor-leaguer of the year to cap off a comeback campaign that ended in Triple-A, are so very invigorating to see.

On the hitting side, Byron Buxton put the finishing touches on a career year with four more homers in five games, pushing his season total to 35. Healthy at last, Buxton slashed .264/.327/.551, stole 24 bases without getting caught, and posted 5.0 fWAR in 542 plate appearances. Two years after making zero starts in center field, he made 118, and could be in line for a Silver Slugger. 

Buxton has already earned $1 million incentives for playing time and will trigger another $3 million bonus with a top-10 MVP finish, which seems likely. What a year for a guy who is finally getting his due, both financially and reputationally. (Harrison Bader recently called Buxton the best position player he’s ever played with.)

 

Austin Martin closed out his season on a fitting note, dashing around the bases and scoring from first on a double with the go-ahead run in Sunday’s finale. For the week, he tallied three hits, three walks and a steal in four games. This wasn’t an extraordinary sample for him, but Martin’s performance in general since arriving after the deadline selloff absolutely deserves commending. He was outside of the team’s plans coming out of spring training, and six months later, was batting leadoff as the starting left fielder on the final day of the season. This despite missing half the season with hamstring injuries! Martin could easily find himself back in the same place next Opening Day, leading off and starting in left, after slashing .282/.374/.365 in 181 plate appearances with the Twins. 

Even more important than the offensive output, I think, is the huge improvement Martin has shown defensively. Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune notes that Martin has gone from being worth negative-6 runs defensively in 2024 to plus-five in 2025, per the Defensive Runs Saved metric.

 

Some other bats that flashed in the final week, and where things might go from here with these players:

Vázquez seemed very happy to be back from a prolonged absence, putting up his best week of the year with ease. He went 5-for-12 with two walks and no strikeouts, homering to break up Aaron Nola‘s perfect game on Friday night. He even stole a base! Vázquez is heading to free agency and facing a lukewarm market after posting a 61 OPS+ in three years as a Twin. I could pretty easily see him being brought back to help develop an emerging young staff on a non-contender.

Unlike Martin, Edouard Julien didn’t take advantage of his opportunity to show he belongs in August and September, posting a meager .660 OPS with only one home run, but he at least provided a splash of production on his way out, notching six hits including a pair of doubles in the last week. I’m not sure it’ll be enough to save him, with the Twins likely to move on during the offseason. 

Somewhat ironically, Ryan Fitzgerald probably has much better odds than Julien of being in the team’s plans in 2026. He wasn’t even invited to big-league camp back in February, but Fitzgerald has made the most of his unexpected first opportunity in the majors, showing a solid plate approach and popping four home runs in  53 plate appearances. Fitzgerald has appeared all around the infield in his short time with the Twins, including shortstop, and that’s a profile the team will need to have around. 

LOWLIGHTS

Depth on the left side of the infield, like Fitzgerald is able to provide, will be especially crucial as far as 2026 planning goes, because the de facto starters at both shortstop and third base are awfully difficult to have faith in. 

Brooks Lee closed out his season by going 3-for-22 with a trio of singles and one walk. He scored a run and drove in none. It’s the same old story for Lee, who experienced a modest and brief hot streak in the middle of the month, then promptly reverted into an out-making machine. He ends the year with a .655 OPS, sixth-lowest out of 145 players with 500-plus PA. While he appeared capable in his first prolonged exposure at shortstop, defensive metrics don’t rate him very favorably. 

Royce Lewis also has not been able to sustain any type of momentum in a season that leaves his career at a crossroads. Like Ryan, Lewis has been openly musing about his future in Minnesota as this lost season winds down, but in Lewis’ case it seems more like wishful thinking. Yeah, he might be keen on getting a fresh start elsewhere — that’s a pretty fair read on his quotes — but, what would be the Twins’ incentive to trade him? 

Lewis hasn’t done much of anything to prop up his value this year. His .671 OPS is a continuation of last year’s sharp drop-off. He hit 13 homers, but when he ran into one it almost felt by accident. The improvement we’ve seen lately on defense and on the base paths is starkly overshadowed by his persistently dysfunctional bat.

Lewis went 4-for-23 in the final week — no RBIs, no runs scored — to finish with a dreadful .237/.283/.388 slash line. He drew one walk in 98 September plate appearances. That stat itself really says it all: a combination of bad swing decisions and opposing pitchers who are completely unafraid to come into the zone.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the best version of Royce, but he’s still only 26 and baseball is a rollercoaster of a sport. Players get lost and they find themselves. Serious injuries often take years to fully clear up. I have a hard time conjuring a scenario where a trade brings back enough value to accept giving up on Royce’s ability resurfacing within the next year or two. 

When you talk about “shaking up the core” of the Twins or whatever, in a way that actually improves their outlook, the moves that make most sense are trying to find a trade partner for Lewis or Lee. They currently look like impediments to building a successful lineup. But for that reason, neither is a valuable trading commodity, and the Twins are probably better off standing pat and hoping — with blind faith, some might argue at this point — that they can turn it around and turn into worthy regulars. 

 

Honestly, that is by no means out of the question, because these are talented players: former top prospects and first-round picks who, at least in Lewis’ case, have already shined on the biggest stage. But what we’ve seen all year from them, right up through the finish line, has been anything but reassuring. It’s been confidence-shattering. 

TRENDING STORYLINE

The big question that now looms in the wake of this dismal season: Who have we seen for the last time in a Minnesota Twins uniform? Departing free agents and fringy minor-league castaways are more or less givens. (Though as mentioned, I’m not sold we’ve seen the last of Vázquez.)

As the Twins openly transition into a low-effort rebuild, with Joe Pohlad hinting at more short-term pain in store on top of what fans have already been subjected to, you wonder how players like Ryan, López, Ober, Trevor Larnach and Jeffers fit into the plan. Anyone making over the minimum will likely be scrutinized. You even wonder if Buxton’s disenchantment might override his fierce loyalty. Cory Provus speculated in an interview last week that this might’ve been Buck’s last season finale in Minnesota. Everyone’s gotta have limits.

 

Rocco Baldelli‘s job status is the hottest topic in the immediate aftermath of another lifeless second half for the Twins. He’s under contract for 2026 but managers rarely make it through the kind of catastrophic underdeliveries we’ve seen over the past two years, and to me, it’s kind of hard to argue that one should. A new manager wouldn’t be a solution to this franchise’s many woes, but would at least represent a substantive step in a different direction.

Morale among Twins fandom is incredibly low. That’s no secret. There is a world where the upcoming offseason proves energizing and inspiring, fueled by exciting newcomers in the ownership group, the coaching staff, even on the roster. But again, optimism is at odds with reality. Everything that’s been said and done by Twins leadership signals toward a low-budget rebuild, potentially spanning multiple years, with the promise of sparse crowds and meaningless games at Target Field in the interim.

But that’s not set in stone. A new season brings a fresh slate and the front office will have the opportunity to reshape the organizational makeup, in a way that incumbent leadership rarely receives. What can Falvey and Co. do with it, if indeed they’re staying in place? 

We’ll be covering it all as the offseason blueprint comes together, and however next year’s club materializes, you can bet we’ll be back here breaking down the action each Sunday night on the Week in Review. Thanks to all who followed along and engaged this season!