Twins pitcher Taj Bradley struck out four and allowed two runs over 3 1\/3 innings at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers on Sunday in a 7-3 win over the Braves.<\/p>\n
NATHAN MAYBERG<\/p>\n
After the Minnesota Twins unloaded about one-third of their roster at last year\u2019s trade deadline, many fans and baseball observers wondered what kind of rebuild the team was up to.<\/p>\n
After six weeks of Spring Training in Fort Myers, that rebuild may be taking off quicker than it looks. It may not be evident in the team\u2019s 10-18 spring record heading into their last game Tuesday. The spring for the team began on a tough note with the season-ending elbow injury from one of their top starters Pablo Lopez.<\/p>\n
Despite that loss, there is a lot to be hopeful for thanks to two young, high-octane arms the Twins acquired in those deals last year. Right-handers Mick Abel and Taj Bradley, ages 24 and 25 respectively, have only shown this spring that their former teams may have made some major mistakes in letting them go.<\/p>\n
Both Abel and Bradley possess fastballs that averaged 96 miles per hour last year, putting them among the top 10 of Major League starters for average velocity on their four-seam fastballs. Both command a multitude of pitches. Any improvement on their seasons from last year and the Twins could be holding a pair of aces.<\/p>\n
Abel, who was acquired from the Phillies in exchange for closer Jhoan Duran, began the spring with 10 shutout innings before being named Friday as a starter in the rotation. Bradley, who was picked up from the Rays in exchange for reliever Griffin Jax, has shown the type of tools that could make him an All-Star.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, when facing the Atlanta Braves at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. Bradley did not have his best command in the first inning. After walking a couple batters and throwing 29 pitchers Manager Derek Shelton pulled him to give him a little rest. With no need to put one of his stud young arms at risk, Shelton as able to give him a break as part of spring training rules which allows pitchers to be taken out and brought back in.<\/p>\n
When Bradley returned in the second inning, he was a new pitcher, more in command and effective. Bradley\u2019s fastball cruised in the 96 mph range on Sunday. He mixed in a split-finger fastball in the low 90\u2019s with a curveball in the low 80\u2019s and a cutter that edge out at 90 mph. With that kind of arsenal, Bradley could turn out to be one of the great steals the Twins have made. <\/p>\n
Bradley knows he wasn\u2019t tip-top in the first inning, which can often be the inning where a lot of pitchers have troubles getting into rhythm. But Bradley\u2019s thoughts on his pitches show a young pitcher who is maturing. Asked what Twins pitching coach Pete Maki said to him when he took a break in the first inning, Bradley said \u201cGet down. Throw the ball down. If I am missing armside up what else is there to do except do the opposite you know and find my way back into the zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simple enough.<\/p>\n
Bradley is learning this spring training and looking to improve on his 5.05 ERA from last year which was up almost a run from his 4.11 ERA the year before. That statistic was marred by Bradley\u2019s home ERA, which was 5.89. The Rays pitchers had to adjust to playing in a new hitter-friendly ballpark last year at Steinbrenner Field. Bradley\u2019s road ERA was 4.23, more in line with his previous year\u2019s output. Any improvement from Bradley this year could be golden for the Twins. Bradley said he also on occasion last year would let one bad inning take him out of the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy velo has been good, pitch shape has been good, I have been adjusting a few things with my command and stuff like that and finding sight levels and cues to get back in zone when I am away from it,\u201d Bradley said. <\/p>\n
Bradley said he thinks the Twins staff could be good this year. \u201cI think we are going to eat up a lot of innings. We have a lot of young talent,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are all young so we can all pick each other\u2019s brains.\u201d<\/p>\n
Twins Manager Derek Shelton sees the potential. Shelton said he liked the way Bradley re-adjusted after the first inning on Sunday. \u201cThe one thing I really like is he didn\u2019t try and go harder the next inning,\u201d Shelton said. \u201cHe came out and executed pitches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having Bradley and Abel, two young fireballers in the rotation, has their manager brimming with excitement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am a big fan of it,\u201d Shelton said. \u201cThis goes back to when you talk about you make trades and everybody wants to highlight the trades and you forget you got a 23 and a 24-year-old starters that rush it up to the high-90\u2019s. We got some good arms back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abel and Buxton join All-Star ace Joe Ryan, who is coming off one of his best seasons. Ryan had an eventful spring after some back soreness early in camp, he was slated to go to the World Baseball Classic but ended up not going. Ryan pitched to a 1.50 ERA this spring. Last year, Ryan went 13-10 with a 3.42 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He had 192 strikeouts over a career-high 171 innings. The team\u2019s veteran right-hander Bailey Ober had a shaky start on Monday allowing 10 hits over four innings. He is exiting a season in which he struggled with a hip injury. His health could be a major key to the team\u2019s future this year. Rounding out the rotation is right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, who pitched to a 4.04 ERA last season. The team doesn\u2019t have a lefty in the starting rotation. <\/p>\n
On the hitting side, the Twins are led by veteran centerfielder Byron Buxton, who is coming off a career-best year in which he hit 35 homers. <\/p>\n
The storyline offensively during Spring Training quickly emerged as Luke Keaschall. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the guy. Luke\u2019s the guy. If you asked me, he\u2019s the dude. He\u2019s the man,\u201d Buxton said. Buxton used high praise for Keaschall, calling him a \u201cHall of Fame\u201d talent. \u201cI know he\u2019s that good,\u201d Buxton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to be side by side to watch him play and see him grow from last year to this year, that\u2019s baseball. It\u2019s fun,\u201d Buxton said. \u201cHe\u2019s got it.\u201d <\/p>\n
On Sunday, Buxton and Keaschall hit back-to-back home runs off Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez. The home run was the third of the spring for Keaschall and the first for Buxton.<\/p>\n
Keaschall, a 23-year-old second round pick for the Twins out of the 2023 MLB Draft, has wowed observers with his .360 batting average while only striking out twice in 50 at-bats this Spring tTraining. That kind of strikeout ratio is nearly unheard of in today\u2019s game. He has also fought off numerous injuries on his way from the minors to the majors successfully.<\/p>\n
Buxton said he believes Keaschall \u201ctapped into that belief in believing in himself earlier than I did.\u201d He added, \u201cit\u2019s just about putting it together.\u201d Buxton said the training room and weight room \u201cwasn\u2019t as big\u201d when he started with the Twins after being drafted by the organization with the second overall pick in 2012. \u201cHe listened, he learned and you can just see how much more prepared he is,\u201d Buxton said of Keaschall said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have the technology when I was coming up. He knows how to use that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buxton said he still gets advice in spring from Hall of Fame Twins players like Tony Oliva. \u201cI cherish them. I have been blessed enough. This is my 13th big league camp. Tony and Rod, I saw them 14 years straight. To be able to have Hall of Famers like that. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s memories that are fun to make here. That\u2019s something you don\u2019t get anywhere else. I don\u2019t know too many people who say they had 14 years of Tony Oliva conversation, or 14 years of Bert Blyleven, or Rod Carew, or Torii Hunter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cHe is willing to work and he gets better and better, he listens and he tries very hard. He gets better and better and he is going to get better and better. No limit,\u201d Oliva said of Buxton. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe cares,\u201d Buxton said of Oliva. \u201cNo matter what it is, he wants you to be the best person you can be and the best hitter you can be,\u201d Buxton said. \u201cKeep it simple\u201d Oliva said. \u201cKeep it simple,\u201d Buxton said. <\/p>\n
Buxton is not afraid to do what it takes to be ready for the season. After losing some time playing to the World Baseball Classic, he played in a couple minor league games to get some at-bats. \u201cThe passion you see when people people play for their country makes it special,\u201d he said of his WBC experience.<\/p>\n
Buxton is optimistic about the team this year. His Spring Training was interrupted while playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. <\/p>\n
\u201cI feel good. Especially being able to get back with the guys. Obviously a lot of changes,\u201d Buxton said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like coming back to the beginning of something new.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buxton said he lost some teammates last year \u201cthat were awesome people that I had a chance to be around\u201d but said he is looking forward to the team getting better and \u201cto be able to see the team come together with the guys that\u2019s in here.\u201d <\/p>\n
Buxton said he knows the team has a good lineup and its all about players \u201cpicking each other up\u201d this season. \u201cThat keeps you from dropping down. It keeps you on that level train, staying even keel and humble,\u201d Buxton said. \u201cWe\u2019re a young team.\u201d<\/p>\n