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What the Twins Can Learn from MLB’s Final Four

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With the postseason push reaching its climax, the Minnesota Twins have entered an offseason of introspection, watching rival teams vie for championship glory in the American and National League Championship Series.

As the final four teams battle for a World Series title, it’s natural to ponder what might have been for the Twins. While direct comparisons can be challenging due to disparities in payroll and roster construction, this postseason has revealed valuable lessons and strategic nuances that the Twins can apply to their club. The remaining contenders – the Guardians, Yankees, Mets and Dodgers – have showcased distinct strengths and philosophies that diverge from the Twins’ 2024 approach. As Twins fans reflect on what could have been, here are key takeaways from October’s final four that can inform Minnesota’s path forward.

Twins Take Notes: Strategies from the MLB Postseason Elite

Los Angeles Dodgers

Looking at the Dodgers lineup, it is easy to think about hitting with players such as Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. However, the Twins should learn from the Dodgers that they need strikeout efficiency and bullpen depth. First, the Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow at 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings, Yoshinobu Yamamoto with 10.5, and even reliever Alex Vesia at 11.8. The Twins’ Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober are both at 9.6 SO9, respectively, but the Dodgers have more pitchers striking out batters at a higher rate. Developing more high-strikeout arms would improve the Twins’ ability to limit opposing batters.

The other aspect the Twins could learn from the Dodgers’ pitchers is their starting pitchers need to suppress the long ball. Dodgers starters like Yamamoto at .7 home runs per nine innings and Glasnow at 1.0 certainly excel in this stat. The Twins did not have a single starter below 1.1.

The Twins can learn from the Dodgers to limit the number of home runs allowed by their starters while generating more strikeouts to take the next step in their pitching development.

New York Mets

A stark contrast exists between the Mets and Twins in two crucial areas: plate patience and baserunning aggressiveness. New York’s lineup, despite lower batting averages, excels at drawing walks and creating scoring opportunities. The Mets’ key hitters showcase impressive walk totals, with Pete Alonso drawing 70 walks, Brandon Nimmo 77, and Francisco Lindor 56. In comparison, the Twins have fewer players with high walk rates, although Carlos Santana‘s 65 walks and Willi Castro‘s 51 demonstrate decent plate discipline. However, others must improve, notably Max Kepler with just 22 walks and Ryan Jeffers with 33.
Enhanced plate patience would significantly boost the Twins’ on-base percentage and run production.
On the basepaths, the Mets’ aggressiveness far surpasses the Twins. The Mets amassed 106 stolen bases this season, led by Lindor’s 29 and Starling Marte‘s 16. In contrast, the Twins managed a mere 65 stolen bases, last in the American League, with Castro leading the team at 14.
To become a more balanced and formidable offense, the Twins can learn from the Mets’ approach by emphasizing plate discipline to increase walks and on-base percentage and adopting a more aggressive baserunning strategy to create additional scoring opportunities.
By addressing these areas, the Twins can bridge the gap between their offense and the Mets’ more dynamic attack.

New York Yankees

The Yankees certainly have a star-studded lineup and can consistently be in the running to land big names when it comes to trades and free agency. The Twins have their fair share of star-quality names too, but the biggest thing they need to learn here is to keep their top players healthy and able to perform at a high level.

Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton spent a significant amount of time on the disabled list this past season. These are supposed to be the big three names the Twins are relying on to have a successful offense and make a run in the postseason, but they were only in the starting lineup together 18 times in 2024. The inability to have their key performers consistently in the lineup is certainly something the Twins can learn from the Yankees. Their ability to keep Aaron Judge and Juan Soto playing every day at 158 and 157 games played in 2024 is impressive and a part of their continued success in the postseason.

Cleveland Guardians

When it comes the the AL Central, the biggest nemesis for the Twins has been the Guardians. Yes, other teams have had successful years, especially this year when the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers made the postseason, but it has consistently been Cleveland that the Twins have been chasing or watching behind their back when it comes to the division.

The Cleveland Guardians’ consistency was a hallmark of their division-winning season. They never fell more than three games back and held the lead for 119 days. In contrast, the Twins finished 10 1/2 games back, leading for just one day. Minnesota’s rollercoaster season featured a 12-game winning streak, but also damaging losing streaks, including a seven-game skid in May and a late-season collapse (seven losses in eight games). Cleveland avoided such slumps, with their worst losing streak being four games. The Twins would benefit greatly from emulating Cleveland’s consistency in 2025.

Whether it’s patience at the place combined with aggressiveness on the base paths, leveraging more strikeouts from the mound, expecting more of their star players, or playing consistent baseball, there is a lot the Twins can learn from the four remaining playoff teams. While these teams are still competing in 2024, all the Twins can do right now is learn and hope for a better 2025.

Main Photo: © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Chris Lence

Chris Lence

Chris is a lifetime Twins fan and baseball coach of 17 years. He uses his experience on the field and the bleachers for his insights on everything baseball.

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