Injuries Have Created Major Cracks in the Twins Defense
Early injuries have defanged the Minnesota Twins lineup. It’s not only on offense that the impact of those losses has been felt, though.
In 2023, the Minnesota Twins finished ninth in Major League Baseball in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), despite Byron Buxton never stepping foot in the outfield. Buck is back in 2024 and looks like his usual spectacular self in the field, yet the team is 27th in the league in DRS to start the year, at -10. With players like Willi Castro, Austin Martin, Manuel Margot, and Alex Kirilloff all thrust into different defensive roles due to the injuries suffered by Carlos Correa, Max Kepler, and Royce Lewis, as well as the demotion of Matt Wallner, how is defensive stress impacting the Twins?
On paper, the 2024 Twins were projected to align even better defensively than 2023. The loss of Michael A. Taylor was to be offset by Buxton’s return to the field, coupled with the addition of defense-first outfielder Manuel Margot. Correa’s plantar fasciitis (which plagued him in 2023) was gone, and fellow infielder and playoff star Royce Lewis was healthy enough to take over duties at third base. Unfortunately, a wrench was thrown into this defensive alignment early, forcing the team to adjust.
To this point, the adjustment hasn’t gone very well. As I mentioned, the Twins rank 27th out of 30 in DRS. The most difficult fielder to replace has been Correa. Castro has taken over as the primary shortstop in his absence, accounting for -4 DRS in just 92 innings. While Castro has produced +1 Out Above Average (OAA), according to Statcast, he isn’t as productive at the position as the former Platinum Glove winner. Castro has struggled to play out of position as the Band-Aid shortstop. He should be looking forward to Correa’s return, whereupon he can go back to being a utility man.
Rookie Austin Martin has also been thrust into his debut earlier than anticipated in the young season. While Martin has looked increasingly comfortable at the plate, he continues to work to find his footing in the field. So far, Martin has accounted for -4 DRS and -1 OAA in his early action across all three outfield spots. While the defensive metrics aren’t ideal, Martin possesses excellent athleticism and should be able to work through the kinks by getting experience under his belt. He’s already making an impact at the plate, and I’d be willing to bet his defense will also improve. I think Martin has shown enough to believe he can remain with the team as a utility player for the remainder of the season.
Margot has been among the biggest disappointments of the 2024 season (I would call him the biggest, but I understand that Carlos Santana exists). Brought in as a Buxton insurance option, Margot was signed due to his impressive defensive résumé, with a bat somewhere around league average. He came with a similar skillset to Taylor, whom the Twins traded for prior to the 2023 season. Unlike Taylor, though, Margot has yet to bring his glove or his bat. So far, Margot has accounted for -2 DRS and -1 OAA, along with his .521 OPS at the plate.
The most surprising development about Margot is that the Twins haven’t even allowed him to play center field with any regularity. So far, he has only played four innings in center, the position for which he was presumably brought in to provide vital depth. Either the Twins don’t trust Margot out there, or they want to get Martin playing time out there when Buxton needs a day off. It could be that they prefer Martin’s athleticism over Margot’s declining speed (down almost 2 feet per second in Statcast sprint speed since last season).
Either way, Margot has struggled to provide his typical defense even in the corners, which has contributed to some crummy defensive stats for the team. If he is to remain on the team for the duration of the season, he would benefit from having his playing time limited to a platoon outfielder role, but that, too, depends on others getting healthy and performing as they’re able.
There are others to whom the finger can be pointed for some blame in the defensive woes early. Kirilloff has some bad defensive metrics, but he is moving from the infield to the outfield fairly frequently, which is a tall task for someone who likely didn’t spend much time preparing to do so during the offseason. As the team’s original primary DH, Kirilloff has been asked to play not only more positions than expected, but more defense, in general.
The good news is that the key injuries that have stretched the Twins thin defensively are starting to mend. Kepler recently returned to the lineup, allowing for more flexibility in the outfield, and Correa shouldn’t be far behind. Lewis seems to be progressing well, and fingers are crossed that he can return in early June. These three players make a massive difference in the lineup and the field, not only because they’re great players, but because they allow role players like Castro, Margot, and Martin to return to the roles the team initially envisioned for them.
