<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-rumors-4-names-managerial-vacancy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins rumors: Minnesota down to 4 names for managerial vacancy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Minnesota-down-to-4-names-for-managerial-vacancy.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Twins rumors: Minnesota down to 4 names for managerial vacancy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T22:10:20-07:00">October 24th, 10:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T22:10:20-07:00">October 24th, 10:10pm</time><address><a>Tristin McKinstry</a>Tristin McKinstry is an experienced sports writer who got his start back in 2014. He is a Senior Editor with ClutchPoints and is one of the staff's NHL experts. Tristin has worked professionally with The Inquisitr and GIVEMESPORT in the past, and his work has also been featured on Last Word On Sports, XFL News Hub, and USFL News Hub. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Communications at Southern New Hampshire University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-minnesota-rocco-baldelli-70-92-season">Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli</a> after a horrific 2025 MLB season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-joe-ryan-gets-brutally-honest-on-minnesotas-franchise-direction">Minnesota failed to come close to qualifying</a> for the postseason. In fact, they lost 90+ games for the first time since 2016. With the offseason about to begin following the World Series, Minnesota appears to be closing in on a new manager.</p><p>The Twins are reportedly considering a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6748156/2025/10/24/twins-manager-search/" rel="noopener">group of four candidates</a>, according to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes and Brittany Ghiroli. The names remaining in the hunt for this job are Derek Shelton, James Rowson, Scott Servais, and Ryan Flaherty. Names such as Vance Wilson, Nick Punto, and Ramon Vasquez are no longer under consideration, according to Hayes and Ghiroli.</p><p>Of the four candidates, Shelton and Servais have previous manager experience. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-pittsburgh-fires-derek-shelton-after-12-26-start">Shelton most recently managed with the Pittsburgh Pirates</a>. He was hired by Pittsburgh in November 2019. However, he was fired in May 2024 as the team lingered near the bottom of the league.</p><p>Servais, meanwhile, is the former manager of the Seattle Mariners. He was hired by Seattle after the 2016 season, and he led the Mariners to their first postseason birth since 2003 by claiming a Wild Card spot in 2021. The Mariners fired Servais in August 2024 after the team collapsed during the season.</p><p>Flaherty does have managing experience on an interim basis. He was the acting manager of the San Diego Padres in June 2022 when Bob Melvin went into COVID-19 protocol. He currently serves as the bench coach of the Chicago Cubs.</p><p>Rowson is the only candidate without managerial experience. In saying this, he has experience with the Twins. He served as the team’s hitting coach from 2017 to 2019. Shelton also has experience with the Twins, serving as Minnesota’s bench coach before being hired by Pittsburgh.</p><p>The Twins are hoping to turn things around after a rough season. This starts with hiring the best manager for the job. It appears as if Minnesota is close to hiring its man, and it will be interesting to see who wins the race for this vacancy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins rumors: Minnesota down to 4 names for managerial vacancy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/twins-news-interviewing-yankees-hitting-coach-managerial-opening');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins interviewing Yankees hitting coach for managerial opening');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Minnesota-Twins-stadium.jpg"><figcaption>© Nick Wosika-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Twins interviewing Yankees hitting coach for managerial opening</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-14T13:28:15-07:00">October 14th, 1:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-14T13:28:37-07:00">October 14th, 1:28pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-rumors-minnesota-looking-to-interview-red-sox-coach-for-managerial-vacancy">Minnesota Twins are looking for a manager</a> after a disappointing 2025 season. Minnesota <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/14/sports/yankees-hitting-coach-james-rowson-talking-to-twins-about-manager-job/" rel="noopener">is taking a look</a> at New York Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, per the New York Post. Rowson is planning to interview with Minnesota for the job, after the Yankees allowed Minnesota to speak to him.</p><p>Rowson previously worked with the Twins as their hitting coach, from 2017-2019. He has been hitting coach for the Yankees since before the 2024 season. New York reached the World Series in 2024, with Rowson helping mentor the team’s bats.</p><p>Other candidates for the Twins job include former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton and Boston Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez, per the outlet. Former Twins player Torii Hunter is also seen as a possible dark horse candidate. Hunter wants a job managing a Major League Baseball team. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-angels/angels-rumors-albert-pujols-torii-hunter-consideration-manager">Los Angeles Angels are also in the mix for Hunter</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-minnesota-rocco-baldelli-70-92-season">Twins fired Rocco Baldelli</a>, following a 70-92 season in 2025. The Twins dealt away lots of talent ahead of the July 31 Major League Baseball trade deadline.</p><h2><b>Twins need to hit a home run with their next manager</b></h2><p>Minnesota had a promising 2024 season, with 82 victories. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-joe-ryan-gets-brutally-honest-on-minnesotas-franchise-direction">Twins struggled in 2025</a>, which led to a massive exodus of players at the trade deadline. One of the many stars dealt away was reliever Jhoan Duran, who ended up with the Philadelphia Phillies.</p><p>Twins management says they <a href="https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/twins-president-derek-falvey-focused-on-manager-search" rel="noopener">are looking for a leader</a> with experience, who can win a lot of games.</p><p>“The type of manager we’re going to hire is going to be able to blend all of the things that will come with any type of team you have,” team president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said, per MLB.com. “That’s what you want, right? You want a manager that, no matter what the 26 or the 30 or the 40 [players] you use over the course of a season, that their view is we’re going to make this team the best it can be. You’re going to approach it with, you need to develop at this level.”</p><p>Twins fans hope that brighter days are ahead for their club.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins interviewing Yankees hitting coach for managerial opening

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-rumors-minnesota-looking-to-interview-red-sox-coach-for-managerial-vacancy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins rumors: Minnesota looking to interview Red Sox coach for managerial vacancy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Red-Sox-coach-and-Twins-candidate-Ramon-Vazquez-warms-up.jpg"><figcaption>© Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Twins rumors: Minnesota looking to interview Red Sox coach for managerial vacancy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-14T01:29:34-07:00">October 14th, 1:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-14T01:29:34-07:00">October 14th, 1:29am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins have endured a disappointing past two seasons. In 2025, their downturn from their playoff berth in 2023 continued, as they finished the campaign with a 70-92 record. Their winning percentage this past season (.432) is their worst since 2016, and the front office sensed that there was a need for a change on the managerial level. As a result of this past campaign, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-minnesota-rocco-baldelli-70-92-season">Twins relieved Rocco Baldelli</a>, their manager since 2019, of his managerial duties.</p><p>Baldelli, for what it’s worth, had a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-rocco-baldelli-knows-he-could-be-fired-soon">few successful seasons with the Twins</a>. He finished his inaugural campaign as manager with 101 wins, although the team simply could not find any postseason success with him at the controls. They won a total of two playoff games with Baldelli leading the squad, and during their 101-win campaign in 2019, they ended up getting swept by the New York Yankees in the ALDS.</p><p>Suffice to say, the Twins are looking for someone who can make the most out of the talent they have at their disposal. And following the Boston Red Sox’s strong 2025 season in which they finished 89-73 and came within one win away of making it to the ALDS, Minnesota is <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1977963483967692969" rel="noopener">reportedly eyeing</a> one of their coaches to take over as manager.</p><p>“Sources: Twins are seeking permission to interview Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez for their manager opening,” Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote.</p><p>Vazquez has long been a member of the Red Sox franchise (since 2018) so prying him away from Alex Cora’s coaching crew will not be easy. But this is shaping up to be the biggest career opportunity for Vazquez, and it will be surprising if Boston does not grant him permission to interview for the Twins’ opening.</p><p>Cora’s job as Red Sox manager appears to be very safe anyway, so if the Twins deem Vazquez to be their guy, he most definitely can land the gig.</p><h2>Twins have to overhaul roster to compete in 2026</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Twins-center-fielder-Byron-Buxton-vs-Rangers.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the AL Central isn’t exactly a home to many powerhouses like, say, the AL East is, the Twins’ roster most definitely pales in comparison to that of the Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, and the Kansas City Royals.</p><p>The Twins’ starting rotation behind Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez needs work. But their position player depth is close to non-existent, with Byron Buxton being left on an island as one of the few quality position players Minnesota deploys everyday. Luke Keaschall is very promising, however, and he appears poised to have a big first full season in the big leagues.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins rumors: Minnesota looking to interview Red Sox coach for managerial vacancy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-trevor-plouffe-manager-candidates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ex-Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe has two manager candidates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep-6-2016-Minneapolis-MN-USA-Minnesota-Twins-first-baseman-Trevor-Plouffe-24-blows-a-bubble-as-he-walks-back-to-the-dugout-in-the-fifth-inning-against-the-Kansas-City-Royals-at-T.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Ex-Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe has two manager candidates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-29T18:20:50-07:00">September 29th, 6:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-29T18:20:50-07:00">September 29th, 6:20pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins’ managerial search took a sharp turn toward nostalgia Monday when former third baseman Trevor Plouffe made his pick — or rather, picks — for who should replace <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-minnesota-rocco-baldelli-70-92-season">recently fired manager Rocco Baldelli</a>.</p><p>Shortly after the team announced Baldelli’s dismissal, Plouffe posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his thoughts on <a href="https://x.com/trevorplouffe/status/1972758502553870781" rel="noopener">who should lead</a> Minnesota next. The nine-year MLB veteran and Talkin’ Baseball podcast host didn’t hesitate, naming two candidates he believes are the only qualified choices for the role.</p><p>“Torii Hunter or Justin Morneau are the only right answers.”</p><p>Plouffe’s post quickly gained traction online, sparking widespread fan debate. After a 70-92 season and a second straight year without a playoff berth, Minnesota’s fan base is hungry for a cultural reset. The suggestion of Hunter and Morneau — both franchise legends — resonated with fans longing for identity and connection.</p><p>Hunter, a nine-time Gold Glove winner and longtime leader in the Twins clubhouse, currently works in the Los Angeles Angels front office. Morneau serves as a broadcaster for Bally Sports North and remains a visible voice tied to the organization.</p><p>Both have never managed at the professional level, but their deep ties to the franchise are why Plouffe’s endorsement carries weight. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-rocco-baldelli-white-sox-loss-reaction">Baldelli</a> gone after seven seasons and three division titles, the front office now faces pressure not just to win — but to restore trust with the fan base.</p><p>Plouffe played 723 games for Minnesota between 2010 and 2016. His call for a leadership change rooted in identity — not just analytics — has opened up a new narrative in the Twins’ managerial search.</p><p>As the offseason begins, the eyes of the fanbase are fixed on the Twins front office. Whether the front office listens to Plouffe or not, the message is clear — fans are looking for more than wins. They want connection, tradition, and a culture that reflects the legacy of the clubhouse.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ex-Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe has two manager candidates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-minnesota-rocco-baldelli-70-92-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins fire Rocco Baldelli after 70-92 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rocco-Baldelli-with-MN-Twins.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Twins fire Rocco Baldelli after 70-92 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-29T13:07:21-07:00">September 29th, 1:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-29T13:21:09-07:00">September 29th, 1:21pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins have fired manager Rocco Baldelli after a 70-92 season, falling woefully short of the postseason. Minnesota sold off nearly all of its <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/carlos-correa-trade-grades-astros-twins">valuable pieces at the MLB trade deadline, including Carlos Correa</a>. That sent them spiraling to the worst record after the deadline of any American League team. That ended Baldelli’s <a href="https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1972752220656640393" rel="noopener">run as manager</a> after seven seasons.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Minnesota Twins today announced that Rocco Baldelli will not return as the club’s manager in 2026. <a href="https://t.co/IgGgOMfhHI">pic.twitter.com/IgGgOMfhHI</a></p><p>— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) <a href="https://twitter.com/Twins/status/1972752220656640393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“This is a difficult day because of what Rocco represents to so many people here,” a statement from Twins president Derek Falvey read. “He led with honesty, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to our players and staff. He gave himself fully to this role and I have a tremendous respect and gratitude for the way he carried himself and the way he showed up every single day.”</p><p>Baldelli spent seven years as an MLB outfielder between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox from 2003-2010. After that, he joined the coaching ranks with Tampa in 2011 and became the Twins manager in 2019. The Twins now search for a manager to replace Baldelli, who won three division titles.</p><p>The Twins have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, namely, how much they will spend in free agency. Will they replace the talent they traded away with high-priced free agents? Or will they try to build a sustainable, young core that does not require the same payroll? The Twins will not be sold like originally planned, which changes a lot of their future.</p><p>The Twins did not trade Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan at the deadline, which gives them something to build around. A new voice and new prospects should give Minnesota a boost heading into 2026. But will their talent prevent them from making a run in the AL playoff race?</p><p>The Twins head into an offseason looking for a skipper and a new identity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins fire Rocco Baldelli after 70-92 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-joe-ryan-gets-brutally-honest-on-minnesotas-franchise-direction');   ga('set', 'title', 'Joe Ryan gets brutally honest on Twins’ franchise direction');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Twins-pitcher-Joe-Ryan-faces-the-Guardians.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Joe Ryan gets brutally honest on Twins’ franchise direction</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-27T07:37:07-07:00">September 27th, 7:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-27T07:37:07-07:00">September 27th, 7:37am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-pablo-lopez-lands-on-il-season-winds-down">season winds down for the Minnesota Twins</a>, there is no doubt that it will end up being a disappointing one, given the team’s expectations of reaching the postseason. While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/3-free-agents-twins-must-pursue-mlb-offseason">Twins figure out who to pursue this offseason</a>, pitcher Joe Ryan spoke about the direction of the franchise and if it’s an optimistic one rather than a murky path.</p><p>Ryan’s season with Minnesota has been an interesting one, as there could have been predictions that he would’ve been dealt by the trade deadline. However, he’s still with the team and even sees the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6667145/2025/09/27/joe-ryan-twins-start-trade-offseason/" rel="noopener">“big picture”</a> with Minnesota and how the “trajectory of the organization is positive,” according to The Athletic.</p><p>“At the end of the day, I see the big picture and the decisions they’ve made, and I think they’re good decisions and the trajectory of the organization is positive,” Ryan said. “I think they’re doing a really good job of working with what we have and making the right decisions on the field right now and putting a little more pressure on teams.</p><p>“The young guys that are stepping up, obviously, there have been a couple of rocky outings here and there, but for the most part, guys like Taj (Bradley) and Mick (Abel), those guys look really good,” Ryan continued.</p><h2><b>Twins’ Joe Ryan on what was a hectic trade deadline</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Twins-SP-Joe-Ryan-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Although the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-rumors-3-trades-further-infuriate-fans-ownership-surprise">Twins could make trades that infuriate fans</a>, as even The Athletic speculates Ryan as being a possibility this winter, Ryan is finishing up a season where he threw a 3.47 ERA, along with 194 strikeouts and a 13-10 record.</p><p>Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli would feel for Ryan as he was aware of the speculation, but the pitcher himself has “settled in” to his current situation after what was a hectic time around the deadline.</p><p>“I felt like I was in shock for a couple of weeks after that, and then it kind of settled in,” Ryan said via The Athletic. “(My future) is so far out of my control. But it seems like the team is making good decisions from the front office and coaching staff down to give ourselves a chance to win a couple more ballgames. … I think the team’s going to be in a really good spot going forward.”</p><p>At any rate, the Twins are 69-91 with two games left as they take on the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday evening.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Joe Ryan gets brutally honest on Twins’ franchise direction

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-how-al-mvp-votes-earn-byron-buxton-3-million-bonus');   ga('set', 'title', 'How AL MVP votes could earn Twins’ Byron Buxton $3 million bonus');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Twins-center-fielder-Byron-Buxton-vs-Rangers.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How AL MVP votes could earn Twins’ Byron Buxton $3 million bonus</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-26T11:12:13-07:00">September 26th, 11:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-26T11:12:13-07:00">September 26th, 11:12am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Minnesota Twins <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-rocco-baldelli-white-sox-loss-reaction">may have missed the MLB postseason</a>, but Byron Buxton still has plenty at stake. Still, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-byron-buxton-reassures-minnesota-fans-he-aint-goin-no-where">Buxton put together one of his best seasons</a> and now eyes individual honors in the AL MVP race. In fact, if he finishes between sixth and 10th place, he will collect a $3 million bonus. His payout grows by $1 million for every step higher he places, with a maximum of $8 million for a first-place finish. For a player who has battled injuries for years, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6663759/2025/09/26/twins-byron-buxton-bailey-ober/" rel="noopener">incentives</a> highlight <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-byron-buxton-home-run-ohtani-dodgers">how impactful his 2025 campaign has been</a>.</p><p>For context, the voting process has proven rewarding for players in similar spots. Last year, Oakland’s Brent Rooker earned a 10th-place finish after appearing on 21 of 30 ballots. His highest vote was for seventh place. By comparison, Buxton’s blend of power, defense, and steady play gives him a stronger case. Across the league, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-byron-buxton-huge-catch-rockies">his highlight-reel moments and consistent production</a> have stood out even while Minnesota fell short in the standings.</p><p>Meanwhile, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised Buxton’s impact and predicted his name will surface often in award voting. “He’s in the process of capping off a pretty historic year,” Baldelli said. “My guess is he’s going to get a whole bunch of MVP votes and Silver Slugger votes. We’ve been able to watch Buck for a long time. We know what he does and how pretty incredible it is to watch.” Baldelli noted that opponents now share the same appreciation.</p><p>Ultimately, the financial element makes the MVP race even more meaningful for Byron Buxton. His performance did not save the Twins’ MLB postseason hopes, but it did cement his status as one of the league’s premier talents. Each ballot cast could raise his earnings and add to a year defined by resilience. As the voting approaches, the question remains: how high will Twins star Byron Buxton climb in the AL MVP race?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How AL MVP votes could earn Twins’ Byron Buxton $3 million bonus

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-pablo-lopez-lands-on-il-season-winds-down');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ Pablo Lopez lands on IL as season winds down');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pablo-Lopez-Twins-pitcher.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Twins’ Pablo Lopez lands on IL as season winds down</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-20T15:15:40-07:00">September 20th, 3:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-20T15:15:54-07:00">September 20th, 3:15pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pablo Lopez is done for the season. The Minnesota Twins starting pitcher is <a href="https://x.com/DanHayesMLB/status/1969514343814332811" rel="noopener">going on the injured list</a> with a mild mid-forearm strain that he suffered in Friday’s 6-2 loss to the molten-hot Cleveland Guardians, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. He allowed two runs on three hits and recorded two strikeouts and two walks in what was his last outing of the 2025 campaign.</p><p>Lopez was mighty productive when he was on the mound, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-pablo-lopez-nearing-return-from-injury">a shoulder strain</a> kept him on the shelf for three months. The Twins desperately missed his arm in the rotation, as they fell out of contention and went into seller mode. Lopez finishes with a 2.74 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 1.110 WHIP and a .622 OPS against in 75 2/3 innings of work.</p><p>If Minnesota (66-88) was in the American League Wild Card race — presently 18 games behind the Houston Astros for the final spot — then the 29-year-old Venezuelan probably would have returned after skipping one start, according to Hayes. He can now focus on just getting healthy and mentally prepared for next season. Considering all the players the organization shipped out of town at the trade deadline, it is possible Lopez could be on the move as well.</p><p>However, if management is hoping for a relatively quick turnaround, it may make sense to retain the 2023 All-Star. He can add valuable stability at the top of the starting rotation alongside Joe Ryan. Regardless of the uniform he is wearing, Pablo Lopez should still be able to make an impact. He just has to stay off the IL.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins’ Pablo Lopez lands on IL as season winds down

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-trent-grisham-pull-off-feat-since-1958-mickey-mantle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Trent Grisham first to pull off bonkers feat since 1958 Mickey Mantle');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/New-York-Yankees-outfielder-Trent-Grisham-1-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees’ Trent Grisham first to pull off bonkers feat since 1958 Mickey Mantle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-17T23:36:45-07:00">September 17th, 11:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-17T23:41:29-07:00">September 17th, 11:41pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-boone-reveals-possible-strategy-wild-card-race">New York Yankees sustained their torrid offensive momentum</a> as Trent Grisham catapulted the squad to a 10-5 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night in the decisive rubber game of their three-match series. Grisham hit two home runs, a solo shot in the third inning and a three-run blast in the fourth, giving him 33 for the season and his third multi-homer performance in just two games.</p><p>Grisham’s latest performance has been historically significant. In his last 50 games, he has <a href="https://x.com/OptaSTATS/status/1968504175408423037" rel="noopener">recorded 16 home runs</a> with zero doubles or triples, making him the first player since Mickey Mantle in 1958 to have a 50-game span with 15 or more homers and no other extra-base hits, according to OptaSTATS. Over his last 22 games, Grisham has hit 10 homers, including eight in his last 19 contests. His 12 home runs since August 20 lead MLB, and he is tied with George Springer for the third-most multi-homer games this season with five.</p><p>The Yankees’ offense was boosted further <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-judge-wins-2nd-al-mvp-award-dominant-season">by reigning MVP Aaron Judge</a> and Cody Bellinger. Judge went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk, propelling his major league-leading batting average to .329, while Bellinger added a ninth-inning two-run homer, his 29th of the season, to put the game away. Rookie Jasson Dominguez contributed with an RBI double in the fourth and two stolen bases, but Grisham remained the centerpiece of the offense. Paul Goldschmidt and Jose Caballero also chipped in, combining for key extra-base hits that helped New York take control early.</p><p>Luis Gil floundered once more on the mound for the Yankees, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits with just two strikeouts, raising his season ERA to 3.33. The Twins capitalized on sloppy defense and two-out situations early, scoring twice in the second and three more in the fifth. Gil was replaced by Fernando Cruz, who, along with Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and Camilo Doval, combined to pitch 4.1 scoreless innings, striking out six and ultimately securing the series win.</p><p>The Yankees’ 10-run output was their second consecutive night of double-digit scoring, after a 10-run performance on Tuesday. With the victory, New York has won four of their last five series, moving within four games of first-place Toronto in the AL East. Grisham’s historic display of power, combined with consistent contributions from Judge and Bellinger, has established <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-dream-scenario-2025-mlb-playoffs">the Yankees as bona fide AL East contenders</a> as they travel to Baltimore for a four-game series against the Orioles starting Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ Trent Grisham first to pull off bonkers feat since 1958 Mickey Mantle

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-luke-weaver-on-trash-performance-loss-twins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Yankees’ Luke Weaver doesn’t hold back on ‘trash’ performance in loss to Twins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Luke-Weaver.jpg"><figcaption>Tom Horak-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Yankees’ Luke Weaver doesn’t hold back on ‘trash’ performance in loss to Twins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-15T22:16:01-07:00">September 15th, 10:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-15T22:31:19-07:00">September 15th, 10:31pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-aaron-judge-al-player-of-the-week">Aaron Judge earned AL Player of the Week</a> honors for a remarkably dominant stretch from September 8-14. The reigning AL MVP led the New York Yankees’ offense with five home runs and a 1.760 OPS in that span. But on Monday, Judge and the rest of the Yankees’ bats were silenced by the Minnesota Twins.</p><p>Simeon Woods Richardson tossed six scoreless innings for Minnesota, while striking out 11. Carlos Rodon did his best to keep the Yankees in the game with a quality start. New York was still in striking distance, down 2-0 when manager Aaron Boone went to Luke Weaver in the seventh inning. Then it <a href="https://x.com/BrendanKutyNJ/status/1967795120851284035" rel="noopener">all fell apart</a>.</p><p>“Yeah. That was trash,” Weaver said of his performance against the Twins, per The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty. “The body just wasn’t on time. It wasn’t aligned with what I was trying to execute and do.”</p><h2><b>Luke Weaver struggles in Yankees’ blowout loss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Luke-Weaver-2.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Twins thumped Weaver Monday night. He allowed three doubles and two walks as Minnesota scored five runs off the veteran righty. Weaver recorded just one out in a brutal inning before getting pulled for Camilo Doval. When the dust settled, the Yankees trailed 7-0.</p><p>“Felt like I was fighting myself the whole time. Mentally, just trying to overcome it and have a good mindset and stay within myself. Those two things weren’t coming together,” Weaver explained.</p><p>The 10th-year veteran developed into one of the Yankees’ most trusted relievers last season. And he looked sharp early in 2025, with a 1.05 ERA in his first 24 appearances. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-news-luke-weaver-crushing-hamstring-injury-update">Weaver landed on the IL with a hamstring strain</a> that sidelined him for 18 games in June. And he’s struggled since his return from the injury.</p><p>Weaver now has a 6.21 ERA and 1.359 WHIP in 34 appearances since being activated from the injured list on June 20. And his numbers have been even worse during the Yankees’ playoff push. In six September outings, Weaver has an ugly 28.13 ERA and 4.687 WHIP.</p><p>New York’s bullpen has been a persistent problem for the team this season. While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-jazz-chisholm-jr-warns-teams-that-think-theyre-better-than-us">Yankees remain confident</a> in their ability to make a deep playoff run, relief pitching could prove New York’s undoing.</p><p>Monday’s 7-0 loss to the Twins dropped the Yankees five games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. New York is holding onto a one-game lead over the Boston Red Sox for the top Wild Card berth.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Yankees’ Luke Weaver doesn’t hold back on ‘trash’ performance in loss to Twins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/minnesota-twins/twins-news-kody-clemens-hits-astounding-3-home-runs-battle-diamondbacks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Twins’ Kody Clemens hits astounding 3 home runs in battle with Diamondbacks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Twins-first-base-Kody-Clemens.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Twins’ Kody Clemens hits astounding 3 home runs in battle with Diamondbacks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T21:08:46-07:00">September 12th, 9:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T21:08:46-07:00">September 12th, 9:08pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Twins</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kody Clemens had an explosive performance in the Minnesota <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/diamondbacks-news-ketel-marte-playing-twins">Twins’ matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks</a> on Friday night.</p><p>Minnesota was coming off a series loss to the Los Angeles Angels, falling in two of the three games. They needed to bounce back against one of the decent sides from the National League in the Diamondbacks.</p><p>Then came Clemens. The first baseman was impressive with the four at-bats he got in the game, landing hits in all of them. Three of them <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1966699302094557297" rel="noopener">resulted in home runs</a> during the third, fourth and ninth innings.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">KODY CLEMENS WITH HIS THIRD HR OF THE GAME 🤯</p><p><a href="https://t.co/unlLLQ9kfr">pic.twitter.com/unlLLQ9kfr</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1966699302094557297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Kody Clemens, Twins played against Diamondbacks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Minnesota-Twins-first-base-Kody-Clemens-18-celebrates-a-home-run-hit.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Blewett-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thanks to Kody Clemens’ incredible efforts, the Twins fended off the Diamondbacks’ advances with a 9-8 victory.</p><p>It was a back-and-forth affair between the two squads, trading blows throughout the course of the contest. When the Twins needed runs to take back the lead, Clemens was ready to heed their call with a crucial homer in the ninth inning.</p><p>Minnesota’s offense was aggressive as they kept up with Arizona’s advances. They landed 12 hits after 33 at-bats, including Clemens’ trio of homers. They won the game after Luke Keaschall used a sac fly to drive Byron Buxton to home plate for the game-winning run.</p><p>The Twins’ bullpen had their ups and downs but made the plays they needed to give their squad a chance at victory. They have up 10 hits after 37 at-bats, including two homers in the seventh and ninth frames. Pablo Lopez started on the mound as he lasted five innings, striking out six batters while conceding four hits. Meanwhile, Cole Sands earned the win for his fourth of the season.</p><p>Minnesota improved to a 65-82 record on the season, holding the fourth spot of the AL Central Division standings. They are 8.5 games behind the Kansas City Royals and 11 games behind the Cleveland Guardians.</p><p>The Twins will prepare for Game 2 of their series against the Diamondbacks. The contest will take place on Sept. 13 at 7:10 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Twins’ Kody Clemens hits astounding 3 home runs in battle with Diamondbacks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-back-injury-update-twins-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bobby Witt Jr.’s back injury receives update before Twins clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bobby-Witt-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bobby Witt Jr.’s back injury receives update before Twins clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T16:35:40-07:00">September 6th, 4:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T16:53:21-07:00">September 6th, 4:53pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Kansas City Royals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Kansas City Royals hung on for a 2-1 win in their series opener against the Minnesota Twins on Friday. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-will-clinch-al-wild-card-spot">Royals are eying a playoff berth</a> as the team is now just one game back in the AL Wild Card standings. But Kansas City’s postseason hopes hinge on the health of Bobby Witt Jr.</p><p>Witt was forced to exit the Twins game after six innings due to back spasms. On Saturday, Matt Quatraro provided an update <a href="https://x.com/anne__rogers/status/1964436958320414743" rel="noopener">on the All-Star shortstop</a>. The Royals manager said Witt’s back is “still spasming” and he’ll have an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, per MLB.com’s Anne Rogers.</p><p>Quatraro <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46170719/royals-bobby-witt-jr-leaves-7th-vs-twins-low-back-spasms" rel="noopener">told reporters</a> that Witt’s back issue started after he made two defensive plays in the top of the sixth. “[It happened] sometime in that inning before we took him out… He talked to [Royals head athletic trainer Kyle Turner]. As he sat there, it got worse,” Quatraro said, via ESPN. “It locked up pretty good on him.”</p><h2><b>Royals’ playoff hopes hang on Bobby Witt Jr.’s back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bobby-Witt-Jr-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Witt has followed up his sensational 2024 season with another strong campaign. Last year he won the batting title and finished second in AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge.</p><p>In 2025, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-bobby-witt-jr-unprecedented-feat-vs-guardians">Witt made MLB history</a> as the first player ever to begin his career with 20 home runs and 25 stolen bases in each of his first four seasons. The two-time All-Star is up to 21 homers and 34 steals in 139 games. He also has 77 RBI, 90 runs scored and 6.0 bWAR so far this year.</p><p>A trip to the IL could potentially be devastating to the Royals’ playoff hopes. The team is gearing up for a postseason push, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-calls-up-no-2-prospect-wild-card-push">calling up No. 2 prospect</a> Carter Jensen at the end of August. Jensen’s elevation prior to September 1 qualifies him for the Royals’ playoff roster, should the team secure a Wild Card berth.</p><p>Witt’s back ailment comes as Kansas City deals with multiple injuries during their September push. Fellow middle infielder Jonathan India is currently on the IL and the Royals just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-seth-lugo-il-kansas-city-postseason-push">lost Seth Lugo to back tightness</a>. The veteran starter landed on the 15-day IL earlier this week.</p><p>Kansas City did receive some positive news as All-Star lefty <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/kansas-city-royals/royals-news-kansas-city-all-star-close-to-beginning-rehab-assignment">Cole Ragans began a rehab assignment</a>. The fourth-year starter has been sidelined since early June with a rotator cuff strain. His addition to the rotation could help the Royals down the stretch. But it won’t really matter if Witt is unable to play.</p><p>With Witt out of the lineup Saturday, third baseman Maikel Garcia shifted to shortstop and Nick Loftin filled in at third.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pierson
Ohl

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Pierson Ohl

Latest Related Team News

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Pierson
Ohl