Five Facts That Tell the Ugly Tale of the Minnesota Twins to Start the Season

Minnesota hasn't been good at the plate or on the mound, and they've been especially bad when runners are in scoring position.

Apr 2, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) reacts after striking out during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The first 10 days of the Major League Baseball season have passed, and the Minnesota Twins find themselves exactly where everyone thought they would be: at the bottom of the American League Central Division.

At 3-6, the Twins have essentially got what they paid for (thanks to one of the league's lowest payrolls) in a strikeout-prone lineup and a bad bullpen. Those issues peaked in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, in which the Twins had just three hits while right-hander Justin Topa served up the game-deciding two-run homer to start the 10th inning.

It's early, but here are some of the ugliest facts about the 2026 Twins through nine games.

1. Horrid hitting

The Twins are slashing .192/.298/.331, which is the equivalent of an entire team of the 2025 version of former Minnesota catcher Christian Vazquez, who hit .189/.271/.274 in 65 games. Of the 30 teams in the majors, the Twins rank 29th in batting average, 21st in on-base percentage, and 26th in slugging percentage.

It's not a good sign that Josh Bell and Luke Keaschall have been the Twins' best hitters when they're both batting .222. Matt Wallner (.194), Brooks Lee (.167), Ryan Jeffers (.167), Royce Lewis (.167), Kody Clemens (.150), and Byron Buxton (.133) are all batting below the Mendoza Line.

2. Matt Wallner's whiffs

Apr 5, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins right fielder Matt Wallner (38) runs the bases on his solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Wallner's platinum sombrero, which he hypothetically received for striking out five times in Minnesota's Home Opener against the Rays on Friday night, represents less than one-third of his total strikeouts. Sure, he's hit three home runs, but he's struck out in 18 of his 36 at-bats. Only Cal Raleigh (the MVP runner-up last season) has struck out more times (20 in 38 at-bats).

Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely that Wallner blossoms into an MVP candidate like Raleigh. The reality is that Wallner, at least so far in his career, is a boom or bust player who busts more often than he booms.

3. Everyone is whiffing, especially with the bases loaded

For a team that doesn't have a ton of power (13 homers, which ranks 21st), the Twins have struck out 91 times in 287 at-bats. That's a strikeout in 31.7% of their at-bats. Only the Angels (33.1%), Athletics (33.2%), Rockies (32.3%), and White Sox (33.2%) are striking out more often.

What's more is that the Twins lead the majors with 18 at-bats with the bases loaded, and while their five hits are encouraging since they had just 21 with the bases loaded all of last season, they've struck out 10 times with the bases juiced.

Minnesota has struck out more times with the bases loaded than 23 other teams have bases-loaded at-bats. Just imagine how many runs the Twins might have if they were able to put the ball in play more often.

4. Byron Buxton is already slumping

Mar 29, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) looks on during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Buxton has always been prone to extended slumps, so it's not much of a surprise that he's 4-for-30 to start the season, including zero hits in his last 19 at-bats. He's also struck out 10 times compared to only one walk (and one hit-by-pitch) and one RBI.

Alas, he's the guy the Twins need to have a functioning offense. The fact that he's not hitting and has already suffered an injury scare is a bad sign.

5. The pitching isn't good

Apr 5, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Justin Topa (48) throws to the Tampa Bay Rays in the tenth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

At just 7.73 strikeouts per nine innings, Twins pitchers rank 25th in the majors. They're also 21st in the league in walks per nine innings at 4.15. This just in: a 1.86 K/BB ratio is terrible (it ranks 25th overall). The No. 1 K/BB team in the majors is Seattle at 4.95 strikeouts for every one walk.

Also concerning is that Minnesota is dead last in batting average allowed when runners are in scoring position. Yep, opponents are hitting .333 against Twins pitchers with runners on second or third. With runners in scoring position and two outs, the Twins have allowed 11 hits and a .306 opponent batting average. Gross.

The good news is that Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson have been quality starters, and Joe Ryan looked great in his first start before struggling in the rain in his second outing. However, Bailey Ober's 2025 issues with velocity have carried over to 2026, and Mick Abel has been wild and hittable despite flashing some electric movement on his pitches.

If Bradley, Ryan, and Woods Richardson can be consistent and healthy, they'll at least keep the Twins in a lot of games, while Abel still has a high ceiling and could blossom into a stud. As for Ober and the bullpen, there are more concerns than reasons to be optimistic.