A large part of the Twins’ success this season is due to their patience at the plate.
Through the first month of the season, the team has posted a walk rate of 11.6 percent, which is the best figure in the majors this season.
Swiss-army knife Robbie Grossman has the highest walk rate in the league, while Miguel Sano and Jason Castro aren’t far behind.
- Robbie Grossman: 20 percent
- Miguel Sano: 18.6 percent
- Jason Castro: 15.5 percent
As Twinkie Town notes, only four teams in league history have posted a better base-on-balls rate than 2017 Twins, and all four of them finished with records above .500.
- 2000 Seattle Mariners: 12 percent, 91 wins
- 1993 Detroit Tigers: 11.8 percent, 87 wins
- 1999 Oakland A’s: 11.7 percent, 87 wins
- 2000 A’s: 11.7 percent, 87 wins
Last year, the team posted a walk rate of 8.2 percent, which was above league average. However, throughout the team’s history, Minnesota has only posted a double-digit walk rate once – and that was 55 years ago, in 1962.
The Twins begin a three-game series with the Oakland A’s on Tuesday with a record 12-11, and although it’s early in the season, they’re just one game back of first place in the Central Division.
