Twins spring game lineup Thursday a preview for Opening Day?
The Minnesota Twins open the 2024 regular season exactly two weeks from today, and today's spring training batting order against the Blue Jays might be a preview of what the Opening Day lineup will look like March 28 against the Kansas City Royals.
- Eddy Julien, 2B
- Byron Buxton, CF
- Carlos Correa, SS
- Royce Lewis, 3B
- Max Kepler, RF
- Carlos Santana, 1B
- Ryan Jeffers, C
- Kyle Farmer, DH
- Manuel Margot, LF
If that's the case, it would mean Willi Castro, Alex Kirilloff, Matt Wallner and Christian Vazquez would be on the bench.
Castro has been really good this spring, batting .458 (11 hits in 24 at-bats) with a triple and a homer. Wallner, meanwhile, is 2-for-23 (.087 batting average) this spring.
Pablo Lopez will be Minnesota's starting pitcher on Opening Day. The Royals haven't named a starting pitcher for Opening Day, but it'll likely be either Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha.
Lugo and Wacha are right-handers so it's possible that Farmer isn't the DH on Opening Day and instead the Twins go with Wallner or Kirilloff, who are left-handed hitters who typically smash right-handed pitching.
Mar 6, 2024; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien (47) hits a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox in the third inning at Hammond Stadium.
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
