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Earlier this week, we dove into where the Minnesota Twins can upgrade their lineup in the outfield. Now, we need to take a look at any existing holes in the infield. This past weekend and into this week have been a great example of how quickly the outlook of a position group can change with as little as one player regaining healthy status.
One thing the infield group has going for them is a healthy Carlos Correa, who is performing more like the MVP-caliber player the Twins believed they were signing when everyone else was balking at his medicals. He is playing his usual stellar defense while hitting .252/.327/.430 and a .758 OPS. Those offensive numbers are below where Correa should be but not so alarmingly low that they create a crater as he is placed in the lineupeach and everyday.
Royce Lewis returned Tuesday night to take his rightful spot at third base. As he loves to do, he returned with fanfare, collecting two walks and his second home run of the season. If Lewis and Correa are healthy, the Twins left side of the infield should be in good shape the rest of the way.
That said, this is where the team needs to look to improve.
Second Base
Second base making this list is a surprise when considering how the position was widely viewed coming into the season. Since the beginning of the season, Edouard Julien has struggled mightily and was the move to make room for Royce Lewis to return to the MLB roster.
Last season, Julien hit for a .839 OPS. His OPS has dropped significantly to .676 this season. I don’t need to go into detail here as his struggles have been examined and scrutinizedalready, but this now becomes a position that needs answers. Julien’s demotion left the Twins turning to Willi Castro to start at second in the first game without Julien. As discussed with the outfield mix, it may be time for Castro to have a starting role. What is tough now is Castro appears to be needed potentially at second, in left field, and as a utility player. Last I checked, there is only one Willi Castro, and he can’t be the answer everywhere.
Now would be an excellent time for Kyle Farmer to shake off his ugly start of .163/.274/.239 and a .513 OPS. He is still best suited as a bench or platoon player, but for the short term, he couldreallyhelp out the Twins lineup if he could be trusted to play second regularly.
First Base/DH
Technically, first base anddesignated hittershould be theeasiestholes for any team to fill. They are at the lowest end of the defensive spectrum (or require no defense), and often, the goal is to find a player who can hit and play enough defense at first base to contribute positively.
This offseason, the Twins emphasized the position's defensive side and signed Carlos Santana. Santanahas carried a bulk of the load at first base in 2024, but his bat overall has yet to follow. His season numbers sit at .222/.304/.397 with a .701 OPS. Santana has shown improvement. In May, he improved to a .735 OPS, and in a young June, he is sitting at 1.043 OPS.
For the Twins,designatedhitter functions best in a rotation as a day of rest from the field for some of the team's better bats or oft-injured players. Because of the lack of production from some players, Ryan Jeffers has been used heavily at DH and still sits at the top of games played at the position with 24. Trevor Larnach (20 games), Alex Kirilloff (12), and Byron Buxton (6) are the following most prominent players to rotate through that spot. If it weren’t for Jeffers, the DH production would be ugly.
The new wrinkle in this mix adds intrigue to how to move forward at this position: Jose Miranda. In a ripple effect move to Lewis being healthy, Miranda needs a new home, and both first base and DH could be just that for him.
Backup Catcher
Christian Vazquez is a joy to watch defensively. There have been a few times this year when he has thrown out potential base runners, and it has been nothing short of awesome. His bat has proven the Lego Movie song very wrong. He is part of a team, and it has not been awesome.
With Vazquez’s contract, there may be nothing the Twins can realistically do about this spot unless they are willing to carry three catchers. Undoubtedly, the Twins would like to see Vazquez’s .169/.194/.237 and .431 OPS drastically change or be replaced by someone with better batting numbers.
Injury Reinforcements:Lewis was the big name on this list less than a week ago. Now that he is back, the Twins are healthy at these positions.
Minor League Promotions:
Brooks Lee
Brooks Lee recently returned from injury and is the prized promotion for the Twins infield mix. He was very desired when Correa and Lewis went down this year and certainly would have been a call-up if he was healthy. The next player to get a crack at the Twin's primary second baseman job may be a race between Lee and Julien. Lee is doing his job thus far in five games at Triple-A, batting .450/.476/.550 with a 1.026 OPS.
Jair Camargo
Jair Camargo was up with the Twins for a moment this season, and while he didn’t produce much at the plate in his two games of action, don’t let that fool you into thinking he can’t hit. Camargo has a .917 OPS in the minors this year,and last season had a .826 OPS with Triple-A St. Paul. Camargo is rehabbing on his way back from injury but is the Twin's answer to backup catcher whenever they make that move.
Michael Helman
It feels like Helman’s name continues to come up as a guy who could butjusthas never quite gotten a call-up. Julien and Lee are certainly ahead of him as long as they are healthy, but Helman’s .261/.357/.466 slash line, .823 OPS, and eight home runs make him intriguing. Coming into the season, I would have expected to be writing Yunior Severino or Chris Williams’ name here, but they have been unable to follow up their powerful 2023 campaigns in the same way in 2024.
