Minnesota
Minnesota Twins PECOTA Projections: The Pitchers
The end of the Super Bowl means two things: pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, and projection season. Teams are finished touching up their roster (sans a notable quartet of free agents still available), allowing our not-quite-yet robot overlords to offer their opinions on each squad.
I previously reviewed PECOTA’s predictions for the 2023 team here, and the articles about the pitching and hitting projections can be found here and here, respectively, along with a short description of what any of this is. Let’s wait no more, here are Minnesota’s top 12 projected pitchers.
(Other notable projected pitchers include Kody Funderburk (0.3 WARP), Jay Jackson (0.2), and Matt Canterino (0.2).)
That Pablo López comes in as the best pitcher on the team is no surprise; PECOTA pegged him as a top-tier arm last year, and he only reinforced the system’s confidence with his best all-around year to date. PECOTA only sees 10 other pitchers accruing more WARP in 2024.
Then, Joe Ryan. Man, PECOTA loves Joe Ryan. He had an eyebrow-raisingly high projection heading into 2022, and ranked solidly last year. It’s hard not to love his ability to combine an elite strikeout rate with an abnormally low walk rate; projections eat that skillset up. I think his relatively new home run problem gives the computer hope that it’s a fluke, not a sudden slide into late-career Bert Blyleven “all systems go” territory.
Bailey Ober rounds out the trio that, according to PECOTA, gives the Twins three of the 40 best pitchers in MLB. Yet again, projections love guys who can whiff hitters while keeping the walks low—and Ober’s increased workload in 2023 increased confidence in him staying healthy moving forward.
Jhoan Durán earns the best projection among all MLB relievers. His odd command downslide in 2023 did not portend disaster: he still struck out everyone and their mother and upped his groundball rate to 65.9%. Much like low walk rates, projection systems adore pitchers able to induce grounders at an elevated clip. When matched with elite strikeout production, few other relief arms can touch Durán.
The last thing I want to touch on is the two final arms. Dan Szymborski talked about the Brock Stewart conundrum in his piece here, in which he explains the deviation surrounding Stewart has to do with sample size: how can you project a 32-year-old who missed three MLB seasons, entered the year with a negative career WAR, and then mowed down guys like prime Joe Nathan? Simple: assume regression. Now, Szymborski points out that Stewart’s underlying numbers—mainly a 20% swinging-strike rate on all pitches and a 60.6% contact rate on swings—are hard to fake, giving legitimate credence to his success. Still, it’s going to take a few years for any projection system to believe in him.
(You can essentially say the same thing about Justin Topa, who didn’t shed rookie eligibility until his age-32 (!!!) season. How do you project something that almost never happens?)
Everything passes the smell test here. Minnesota’s big three look solid, but their back-end depth is a little scary, and the sleeping dragon nestled in the back of their bullpen should drive what appears to be a deep unit.
If you would like to see any of this PECOTA stuff yourself, consider heading over to Baseball Prospectus’s website to subscribe and read some of the best baseball writing in the business. Their alumni include Brandon Warne and Aaron Gleeman, and our editor, Matthew Trueblood, writes pieces for them as well. No one told me to write this; I truly believe they are one the best resources for analytical and creative baseball thinking currently in operation.
What stands out most to you in these projections? Where would you place more faith, or less? Spark a discussion in the comments, below.
Minnesota
Trump says he’s ending temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota
President Donald Trump said he is ending the temporary protected status (TPS) program for Somalis in Minnesota, “effective immediately,” in a post to Truth Social Friday night.
Newsweek reached out to Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s office for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump’s decision to end TPS for Somali migrants in the North Star State has potentially major implications for immigrant communities, humanitarian protections and U.S. immigration policy.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the country. Changes to TPS could affect not only the lives of those directly impacted, but also broader debates about deportation policies and the U.S. role in offering safe haven to people from conflict zones.
What To Know
In a post to social media, the president said, “Minnesota, under Governor Waltz [sic], is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota.”
Trump continued, “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER! President DJT”
TPS, established by Congress in 1990, is designed to prevent deportation of people to countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters or other unstable conditions.
This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
Minnesota
For Minnesota, warmer winters do not mean the end of snow
Minnesota
South Central Workforce Council/Minnesota Valley Action Council and Southwest Private Industry Council Receives $500,000 Grant from Department of Employment and Economic Development – Radio Mankato
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded more than $4.8 million to 39 organizations to provide more than 4,000 young people with workforce development and training opportunities.
DEED’s Youth at Work Opportunity Grants Program serves youth of color and youth with disabilities who are economically disadvantaged or considered to be at-risk. Grantees will connect young people ages 14-to-24 with good-paying jobs in high-growth industries, taking a targeted approach for youth who face the largest systemic barriers.
“Youth development and job training is crucial to the wellbeing of our communities and our state’s economy,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “At DEED, we take pride in providing opportunities and assistance for some of our most vulnerable community members. Supporting the youth of today helps ensure Minnesota has a healthy and vibrant workforce tomorrow.”
“Across Minnesota, our Youth at Work partners are helping young people gain valuable skills and pursue economic stability,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development Marc Majors. “We’re proud that these grants will support the next generation in building a stronger and more resilient workforce.”
Youth at Work grantees are listed below (many organizations serve regions beyond the cities in which they are located):
Achieve Twin Cities, Minneapolis – $236,200
African Economic Development Solutions (AEDS), St. Paul – $120,000
African Immigrants Community Services, Minneapolis – $100,000
American Indian OIC, Minneapolis – $100,000
Anoka County Job Training Center, Blaine – $300,000
Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, Virginia – $100,000
Bi-County Community Action Programs, Inc., Bemidji – $100,000
Career Solutions, St. Cloud – $242,000
Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc., Monticello – $300,000
City Academy High School, St. Paul – $100,000
City of Duluth Workforce Development, Duluth – $300,000
City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis – $1,350,000
City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation – Right Track, St. Paul – $1,350,000
Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, St. Paul – $100,000
Elpis Enterprises, St. Paul – $156,000
Face to Face Health & Counseling Service, Inc., St. Paul – $100,000
Faribault Public Schools, Faribault – $190,000
Genesys Works Twin Cities, St. Paul – $200,000
Greater Bemidji/Minnesota Innovation Initiative, Bemidji – $200,000
Hennepin County Department of Workforce Development, Minneapolis – $300,000
Hired, Minneapolis – $200,000
Independent School District No. 625 (St. Paul Public Schools), St. Paul – $150,000
JET – Northeast Minnesota Office of Job Training, Virginia – $300,000
Karen Organization of Minnesota, Roseville – $100,000
MIGIZI Communications, Inc., Minneapolis – $142,000
Minnesota Training Partnership, St. Paul – $100,000
Port Authority of the City of Bloomington, Bloomington – $100,000
Project Legacy, Rochester – $100,000
Red Lake Band of Ojibwe, Redby– $200,000
Rural Minnesota CEP, Inc., Detroit Lakes – $200,000
RWDA 5 – South Central Workforce Council/Minnesota Valley Action Council and Southwest Private Industry Council, Mankato – $500,000
Sabathani Community Center, Minneapolis – $200,000
Smart North, Minneapolis – $200,000
Spark-Y: Youth Action Labs, Minneapolis – $200,000
The Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota, Morton – $150,000
Urban Boatbuilders, St. Paul– $100,000
Wildflyer Coffee, Minneapolis – $200,000
Workforce Development, Inc., Rochester – $200,000
Youthprise, St. Paul – $200,000
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