Minnesota Twins 2023 Season Preview: The Year of Brand New

As baseball followers, we have grown accustomed to issues altering from yr to yr: a brand new scoreboard on the stadium, a brand new alternate uniform on Sundays, a refined tweak to the sport’s guidelines.

By no means earlier than have we seen this a lot drastic change, occurring unexpectedly. 

The 2023 season will introduce, at a league-wide stage, rule adjustments that basically have an effect on the material of the sport, together with a pitch clock, pickoff restrict, shift discount, and enlargement of bases. Oh, plus a totally reconfigured schedule that features much less intra-division and extra interleague play.

The Minnesota Twins can be carrying all-new uniforms with revamped branding, enjoying at Goal Area beneath a newly supersized scoreboard and … LED baseball medallion? All a part of what crew president Dave St. Peter known as “the most important low season undertaking within the historical past of this ballpark.”

Par for the course, in 2023. The yr of brand name new.

Breaking Down the 2023 Minnesota Twins Roster
There are many new faces on the Twins crew this yr, however for the entire offseason roster churn and upheaval, the largest shocker is what stays the identical: Carlos Correa is again at shortstop. His free agent odyssey led to agreements falling by way of with the Giants and Mets earlier than Correa discovered his approach again to Minnesota on a six-year, $200 million deal.

Now, he’ll bear the total weight of a franchise that is positioned to compete however tormented by large query marks round him. Correa provides them a second famous person expertise alongside Byron Buxton to enhance a robust position-player core with a number of confirmed standouts. 

The Twins are hoping the returning duo of Correa and Buxton, together with mainstays like José Miranda, Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler, and Alex Kirilloff can elevate Minnesota again into the higher tier of run-producing groups. Whereas Christian Vázquez and Joey Gallo are actually aboard as regulars, the story of the offseason was including high-caliber depth.

Minnesota’s entrance workplace insured its most prized property to an admirable diploma. Kyle Farmer, acquired from Cincinnati after beginning 200 video games for the Reds at shortstop over the previous two years, can be Correa’s high backup. Michael A. Taylor, acquired from Kansas Metropolis after beginning 250 video games in middle discipline over the previous two years, can be Buxton’s high backup.

Each Farmer and Taylor present invaluable depth elsewhere, too. They’re contingencies at worst, and bonus contributors at finest. It is a good place for Rocco Baldelli to be following a season the place he ran out of each, and was lowered to routinely fielding makeshift lineups as competition slipped away in September. 

Well being conditions for key gamers already trending in a troubling path, with Polanco and Kirilloff each opening on the injured listing, so this added high-level depth will undoubtedly come into play early and infrequently.

Constructing depth was additionally the main target of Minnesota’s greatest and most controversial offseason commerce, which despatched batting champ Luis Arraez to Miami in alternate for Opening Day starter Pablo López. It was a daring transfer by the entrance workplace, eradicating one star-caliber bat from the offensive equation to be able to bolster a rotation tormented by its personal well being considerations.

López, who will get the nod on Opening Day, joins Sonny Grey, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle, and Kenta Maeda within the beginning 5. Bailey Ober will stand by as an influence reinforcement on the prepared in Triple-A – crucial given the uncertainties hooked up to Mahle and Maeda particularly.

You possibly can click on by way of to in-depth evaluation of the outlook and depth at every place beneath, or maintain studying for extra 2023 Twins storylines.

The 2023 Twins, Place by Place

Youth Motion: Twins High Prospects to Arrive in 2023
The Twins are in an fascinating interval of generational transition, with a position-player core that contains principally three eras of high prospects. First, a longtime class of veterans, and one other of creating skills with out a lot expertise:

• The Previous Guard: Buxton, Polanco, Kepler (and Correa, albeit not a former Twins prospect)
• Coming into Their Prime: Kirilloff, Miranda, Larnach, Jeffers, Gordon

Then, an intriguing wave of sturdy prospects who’re, by and enormous, able to enter the fold. Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Austin Martin, Matt Wallner and Brooks Lee are all gamers ranked close to the highest of the Twins’ system who might be in line for vital MLB enjoying time this yr. 

Learn: Twins Day by day High 20 Prospects: Recap and Evaluation

This intermingling of youth is likely one of the season’s major sources of intrigue for me. Ought to issues usually go effectively, the Twins will discover themselves swimming in high quality depth, with high-performing prospects slamming on the door. And if issues do not go so effectively, followers ought to get a protracted have a look at the subsequent era of expertise, as a silver lining.

Key Storylines for the 2023 Twins
We have been writing right here at Twins Day by day all spring and offseason about among the crew’s greatest priorities, narratives, and query marks heading into this pivotal season. Click on by way of the tales beneath to discover these subjects in depth:

Can Kenta Maeda shake off an underwhelming season and recapture one thing resembling his 2020 kind, as he comes again from a misplaced yr at age 34 with free company bearing down? Learn: Kenta Maeda’s Discouraging Spring, by Cody Pirkl

How large of an influence can high prospect Royce Lewis have within the second half of the season, as he works again from a second straight knee surgical procedure? Learn: Royce Lewis Is Able to Rock, by Ted Schwerzler

With accidents to key gamers already being established as a significant 2023 storyline earlier than the season has even begun, how will the Twins make up for the lack of absent stars? Learn: Right here Are 5 Choices If Alex Kirilloff Misses Time, by Adam Friedman

How good can this beginning rotation – so deep in high quality choices {that a} clearly succesful big-leaguer will open at Triple-A – actually be? Learn: The Finest Twins Rotations of the Final 25 Years, by Hans Birkeland

For that matter, what does the way forward for this rotation appear to be? All 4 veterans in thee beginning 5 are due without cost company at yr’s finish. Learn: How Doubtless Are the Twins to Prolong Their Veteran Beginning Pitchers? by Cody Christie

Will the Twins profit from MLB’s rule adjustments, which appeared to play a job in how the entrance workplace went about constructing this yr’s crew? Learn: Twins Roster Constructed on Protection and Rule Adjustments, by Alex Boxwell

Assuming he can keep wholesome (knock on wooden), will Durán get sufficient late-inning assist to guard leads and keep away from among the expensive bullpen lapses from final yr? Learn: Can Jorge López Rediscover His First-Half Success? by Lou Hennessy

Charting the AL Central Competitors
The Guardians are usually seen by betting odds and projection techniques because the favorites within the AL Central, however not by an enormous margin. This division forecasts (as soon as once more) as a mediocre one the place the crown is there for the taking. The Twins in all probability will not want every little thing to go proper to make the playoffs. 

Compensate for how the remainder of the Central shapes up in 2023 with Matt Braun’s “check-in” collection:

Rejoice Opening Day with Twins Day by day
Obtained plans for the sport on Thursday afternoon? Properly if not, you do now: Twins Day by day can be internet hosting a watch get together for the season opener towards the Royals at Forgotten Star Brewing in Fridley. Be a part of the “Twins Day by day Social Membership” without cost beer, meat raffles, prizes, and most significantly: REAL LIVE BASEBALL! Listed here are the small print:

What: Twins Day by day’s Social Membership Season Opener
When: 3 PM – 6 PM, March thirtieth, 2023
The place: Forgotten Star, 38 Northern Stacks Drive Fridley, MN 55421
Price: FREE