The Twins' Bullpen Still Has the Talent, But It Has Lost Control of the Strike Zone

Minnesota still has relievers capable of overpowering hitters, but declining command and mounting injuries have turned one of the team's biggest strengths into a growing concern.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Yoendrys Gomez (94). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Minnesota Twins still possess one of baseball's hardest assets to build: a bullpen full of power arms. Friday's 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs offered a glimpse of the version Minnesota needs to rediscover—a relief corps that throws strikes, attacks hitters, and turns high-leverage innings into routine outs.

Since June 1, Twins relievers have averaged 94.0 mph on their fastballs while producing 9.40 strikeouts per nine innings. The velocity hasn't disappeared. What has changed is the bullpen's ability to consistently throw strikes and stay ahead in counts.

The Twins haven't stopped throwing hard. They've stopped controlling the moments that separate a clean inning from a disastrous one. A bullpen built around overpowering hitters with its best pitches has begun turning every close game into a high-risk situation.

The team numbers show exactly where the cracks have formed. Since June 1, Minnesota's relievers rank fourth in MLB with 128 1/3 innings pitched, but behind the strikeout production lies a more concerning trend: 4.56 walks per nine innings (28th in MLB) and 1.61 home runs allowed per nine (26th).

Everything changes once the first runner reaches base. The Twins can still overpower hitters. They're simply giving opponents too many chances for one mistake to unravel an inning.

How the Bullpen Lost Its Stability

Taylor Rogers has struggled to command the strike zone in recent weeks, contributing to the Twins' bullpen inconsistency. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The decline didn't happen overnight. It emerged as several relievers lost the command that had fueled their early success. Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa illustrate how the bullpen's foundation started to crack.

When the Command Disappeared: Two Relievers Who Explain the Decline

Pitcher	Period	IP	ERA	BB/9	FIP
Taylor Rogers	May	11	2.38	0.0	2.74
Taylor Rogers	June	9	11.00	7.0	6.22
Justin Topa	April	13	3.29	3.3	4.60
Justin Topa	May	5 1/3	20.25	8.4	12.28

The issue wasn't that opposing hitters suddenly started crushing better pitches. Minnesota's biggest problem has been its inability to get ahead in counts.

Rogers went from issuing no walks in May to allowing seven per nine innings in June. Topa followed a similar path. For a bullpen built on applying constant pressure, losing the strike zone removes the greatest advantage its pitchers possess.

Without early strikes, even elite pitches lose their effectiveness as put-away weapons. The margin for error disappears.

The Arms Keeping Minnesota Afloat

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Andrew Morris (78). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The loss of command hasn't affected every reliever equally. Some continue to preserve the bullpen's identity, while others have turned manageable innings into dangerous situations. The unit's collective -0.3 WAR reflects that divide.

The bullpen also lost its depth at the worst possible time. Anthony Banda, who had provided stability with a 1.93 ERA, underwent surgery to repair a left lat injury. With several additional options unavailable, Minnesota has lost valuable flexibility in high-leverage situations.

That has made Andrew Morris and Yoendrys Gómez the two relievers keeping the group competitive.

Morris represents exactly what Minnesota needs to recover: power paired with command. His value extends beyond a fastball averaging 97.5 mph. He gets ahead early and forces hitters to react. He posted a 2.20 FIP in June and has thrown nine scoreless innings in July while issuing just 1.00 walk per nine innings.

Gómez has also delivered strong results, posting a 2.25 ERA while stranding 83.3% of baserunners. The underlying metrics tell a different story. His 4.19 xERA and 5.31 xFIP suggest he must continue pitching with a narrow margin for error.

The sharpest contrast comes from Justin Lawrence. His arsenal still generates strikeouts (10.50 K/9), but his lack of command has made nearly every appearance unpredictable. Since June 1, he owns an 18.00 ERA alongside 13.50 BB/9 and 6.00 HR/9.

The gap between those two groups explains Minnesota's real problem: the bullpen hasn't lost its talent—it has lost its margin for error.

The velocity remains. The swing-and-miss stuff is still there. Too many relievers, however, have stopped converting those tools into quick outs.

When the Margin for Error Vanishes

Anthony Banda, who had provided stability with a 1.93 ERA, underwent surgery to repair a left lat injury. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The advanced metrics show that Minnesota's problem extends beyond the quality of contact it allows. The bigger issue is the situations the bullpen creates before that contact happens.

Since June 1, the bullpen owns a collective .306 BABIP, a figure that does not suggest unusually poor luck on balls in play. The gap between its 5.89 ERA and 4.18 xERA points instead points to a sequencing problem: too many runners reach base, and the damage comes at the worst possible moments.

Walks increase the pressure. Home runs with runners aboard change games.

Friday's victory showed that the dominant version of this bullpen still exists. Minnesota doesn't need to rebuild its relief corps. It needs to rediscover the consistency that allows it to repeat performances like that one.

The velocity is still there. The strikeouts are still there.

For a bullpen built around power, velocity alone isn't enough. The Twins still have the arms to dominate. Until they consistently throw strikes, those weapons will remain far less effective than they should be.