Tuesday, April 13, 2010

So Far, So Good

With today marking the first off day in this young season, it seems an appropriate time to look back and review what's happened so far. Basically, the Twins have been on absolute fire. They've won six of their eight games against three quality teams and been competitive in both their losses. They've outscored all but two AL clubs and rank second in homers. Perhaps more surprisingly, they've allowed fewer runs than any other team in the league.

For those, like myself, who spent a lot of time raving about this lineup throughout the winter and spring, the team's fast offensive start should come as no surprise. The strong work from the pitching staff, though, was not necessarily a given. With a rotation filled with question marks and a bullpen that lost its best member during spring training, preventing runs certainly appeared to be the Twins' biggest hurdle, but thus far the team's arms have been up to the task. Starters have been delivering quality starts and the bullpen has been lights-out with a few exceptions.

The Twins have started their season on a hot streak, to be sure, and as such it would be wise not to jump to grandiose conclusions. Sure, right now they have the look of a 100-win team, but we haven't yet seen the bats hit their first power lull, nor have we seen our first late-inning bullpen implosion. These things are bound to happen, and I'm sure they will serve to dampen enthusiasm somewhat. However, what is clear is that this is a very good team, with a lineup that stacks up favorably against even the mighty Red Sox and a group of pitchers that appears more than capable of supporting that lineup. So far, so good.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would have to agree with most of this blog. One thing is very clear in their wins and losses is that they have to be able to hit when men are in scoring position. The twins have left a lot of men on base. And also to commend the pitching staff on doing the same.

I felt when watching the games I could, the games could have been big run scoring games for either teams playing. The bounces have gone in the twins favor and the pitchers are making good pitches to get out of the innings.

Peter said...

Good Summary Mr Nelson. I am amazed by the attitude, Twins look like a balances squad with a lot of confidence. To me that is the biggest difference with the talented but less balanced team of the last decade. Premature but it makes me feel it's op to five teams: the champs of 06/07/08/09 & Minnesota Twins!

Adam said...

I am on the same page in terms of raving about this offense throughout the offseason. I am also of the belief that we haven't yet seen what this offense is capable of. We have yet to drive in a run with the bases loaded this season, and just off the top of my head I can think of 4 different times in which we have loaded them up. If we can start producing in those situations, then what we have seen thus far is just the tip of the iceberg.

Adam
http://justabitout.blogspot.com

Ben said...

I liked "most best member" as a new alternative to the closer title. Why'd you change it?

Nick N. said...

I liked "most best member" as a new alternative to the closer title. Why'd you change it?

Haha, sometimes I like to give the false impression that I'm literate.

Beau said...

One thing people have to keep in mind is that the only way to screw up with runners in scoring position to get hits and walk that get people into scoring position. We'll get our big hits eventually in these situations; the fact that we're 6-2 without many clutch hits speaks volumes.