Nine games into the season, the Minnesota Twins are one of the worst offenses in Major League Baseball. Going into Sunday’s games they were tied for 26th with three runs per game, but their biggest issue has been cashing in with runners in scoring position.
The Twins are 29th in MLB with a .125 average with runners in scoring position entering Sunday and only the Chicago White Sox have a worse average at .105. The issue is even worse with two outs, with the Twins hitting just 4-for-33 (.121) in those situations.
Part of the reason for the Twins’ struggles has been the depth of their lineup. While Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton have combined to go 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position this season, the rest of the Twins lineup is 3-for-46, with the lone highlight coming on Ryan Jeffers’s three-run homer in a win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Apr. 3.
It also doesn’t help that the Twins are missing one of their most clutch hitters after Royce Lewis suffered a severe quad strain during a season-opening win over the Kansas City Royals on Mar. 28.
Lewis thrived with runners in scoring position last season hitting .385/.452/.785 with eight home runs and 43 RBI in 65 at-bats. Lewis was especially good with the bases loaded as well, hitting 6-for-11 with four grand slams and 20 RBI in those situations last season.
By comparison, the Twins have struggled with the bases loaded, going 0-for-8 with four strikeouts this season.
The Twins set a major league record with 1,654 strikeouts last season and while they’ve struck out 73 times in the first nine games, 25 of them have come with runners in scoring position.
Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (38) and Pittsburgh Pirates (32) have struck out more times with runners in scoring position this season.
It’s a problem that has contributed to the Twins’ struggles which dated back to last season. The Twins ranked 17th with a .252 average with runners in scoring position but ranked second behind the Seattle Mariners (430) with 389 strikeouts in those at-bats.
It’s a positive that the Twins are getting themselves into positions with runners in scoring position, and Rocco Baldelli told reporters Saturday that he’s confident a turn in the Twins’ fortunes is near.
Perhaps the Twins will warm up with the weather and start driving runners in after Sunday’s game was rained out. But until Lewis returns, they’ll need to find a way to produce when it matters the most.
