Spring training stats don’t matter, but usage trends do, especially at this stage of the game. We’re now only 11 days from the season opener in Baltimore. The Twins roster has been whittled down and Derek Shelton is increasingly obligated to operate with — to borrow a word he likes — intentionality. 

This is no longer just about getting guys their reps and experimenting. As Opening Day approaches, players needs to start acclimating to their planned roles, and final decisions need to be informed. So it’s worthwhile to keep a close eye on lineup construction and pitcher deployment, which we track in this space.

Last week we checked in who’s been playing where in the first half of camp. Here’s an update seven days later with a few quick notes on what stands out. Total starts are listed next to each player, with their number of starts in the past week (Monday through Sunday) listed in parentheses.

Catcher

No surprises here. The top three catchers are splitting reps evenly. But the Twins aren’t really breaking in anyone as a third-string catcher for the event that Jackson doesn’t make it through waivers. Cardenas, who’s presumed to fill that role, has seen plenty of action as a sub.

First Base

The balanced usage here reinforces my belief that first base will be heavily rotated. I don’t expect Wagaman to make the Opening Day roster, but would guess he’ll see plenty of action there over the course of the season.

Second Base

I mentioned last week that I was surprised to see Clemens getting so many spring starts at second base (and so few at first). Since then he’s made two starts at first and zero at second. 

Third Base

The injury scare that got Lewis scratched from the lineup a couple weeks ago now appears to be completely in the rear-view, which is good news. He’s been starting at his set position as consistently as anyone else of late. Still no appearances at third base for Clemens, even as a sub.

Shortstop

Brooks Lee: 13x (4x)

Orlando Arcia: 5x (1x)

Tristan Gray: 3x (1x)

Ryan Kreidler: 3x (1x)

Lee leads the team in starts at a single spot this spring with 13 at short, as the Twins continue to evaluate his three backup options. This position has perhaps the worst starter and the worst depth on the roster.

Left Field

Keaschall getting two more starts in left field was the most eye-catching development in camp over the past week. It’s starting to look less like a novelty and more like something the Twins could actually implement at times (although he hasn’t looked the sharpest out there). If Keaschall, Martin, Larnach, and Outman or Roden are all options in left field, the Twins will have plenty of matchup flexibility.

Note that Larnach was originally scheduled to play left field on Sunday against the Red Sox, but was scratched shortly before game time with left side soreness, so that will be something to keep an eye on. If he has to start on the injured list, the door is flung wide open for Roden, who continues to produce this spring.

 

Center Field

James Outman: 6x (1x)

Byron Buxton: 4x

Austin Martin: 5x (3x)

Alan Roden: 5x (2x)

Ryan Kreidler: 2x (1x)

Walker Jenkins: 1x

Emmanuel Rodriguez: 1x

The candidates to back up Buxton have all been getting plenty of looks while he’s away at the World Baseball Classic. Among that trio, Outman is the truest center fielder, but the Twins are taking every opportunity to evaluate the viability of Martin and Roden, who got five of seven starts.

Right Field

Matt Wallner: 10x (3x)

Alan Roden: 6x (2x)

Trevor Larnach: 4x (2x)

James Outman: 2x

Ryan Kreidler: 1x

Gabriel Gonzalez: 1x

I continue to believe that Wallner will be the starter in right field almost every day. Unlike left, the Twins aren’t really setting up platooning possibilities at the position, with lefty hitters starting 23 of 25 games, including all seven last week. One related note: On Sunday, Martin made (I believe) his first spring appearance in right field, sliding over in the middle innings after starting in left.

Designated Hitter

Bell: 5x (3x)

Wallner: 3x (1x)

Larnach: 3x (1x)

Urshela: 3x (1x)

Lewis: 2x (1x)

Buxton: 2x

Caratini: 1x

Jeffers: 1x

Keaschall: 1x

Rodriguez: 1x

Gonzalez: 1x

Mendez: 1x

About what you’d expect: the three clear bat-first players on the roster getting a majority of DH time. If Larnach misses time that could shake things up here.

The Pitching Carousel
As we march toward Opening Day, it becomes increasingly interesting to follow the pitching usage. Who’s starting, in what order, and how are they mapping toward the first series of the season? On the relief side, who is entering in the early part of games? Generally, you expect the pitchers who are going to be in more significant roles to be the first ones in — you’re never guaranteed to face high-end competition in spring training, especially at home, but you’re far more likely to throw against legit MLB hitters if you’re coming in for the fifth or sixth versus the eighth or ninth.

Here’s how the starters lined up over the past seven days, along with the first and second relievers to enter (not including the stock arms who enter to finish the last inning for a starter):

Here are a few observations based on what I’m seeing above. Take them with a grain of salt because observations and extrapolations is all they are.

Joe Ryan should be in line to start on Opening Day. He made his first official spring start on Tuesday and threw 48 pitches over three innings. From there it sounded like his next appearance might come for Team USA in a potential WBC championship game this coming Tuesday, but this plan has been nixed. With Ryan staying in camp, my assumption is that he’ll start Monday against the Pirates (75 pitches?), then again on Saturday against the Rays (90?), setting him up pitch in Baltimore on March 26th with a standard four days’ rest.

Simeon Woods Richardson could do it too, though. Woods Richardson pushed all the way to 79 pitches in his latest start on Saturday, so he’s ahead of Ryan in terms of build-up. And if the Twins were following a standard five-man starting cycle from here forward (one game on, four games off), Woods Richardson’s turn would be up on Opening Day. I bet he’s the backup plan if Ryan can’t go for any reason.

Liam Hendriks and Taylor Rogers poised to split closer duties? If you look at earlier spring game usage as an indicator of expected role leverage, then Hendriks and Rogers are tracking toward claiming late-inning spots, alongside Cole Sands, who we know is going to be the de facto fireman. One might surmise that Hendriks and Rogers will be the go-to ninth-inning options depending on matchups. This is more or less what I would’ve expected — both offer a great deal of closing experience, if not a ton of upside at this stage of their careers.

Zak Kent trending toward a bullpen role. The Twins are trying to get a look at their latest reliever acquisition against reasonably decent competition. Claimed off waivers on February 26th to fill the 40-man spot vacated by Pablo López, Kent has been getting some valuable opportunities and making the most of them. He was the second reliever in on Tuesday and the first in on Friday. In 4 â…” innings across four total appearances, he has allowed two hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. I have to imagine Kent is either going to make the roster or be DFA’ed to make room for a Hendriks or Andrew Chafin, so it makes sense the Twins are giving him some real chances to show what he’s got.

Time for back-to-backs. Unless I’m mistaken, we still haven’t seen a reliever pitch on back-to-back days yet. It’s a key aspect of spring ramp-up, and is especially important for someone like Hendriks who needs to prove himself physically coming off an injury-ravaged stretch. Keep an eye on that in the coming week.

Anything catching your eye in terms of usage trends and decision-making as we march into the latter portion of camp? Sound off in the comments and let us know where you’ll be focusing in the final full week of spring training.