MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Correa’s hottest stretch ever continued during Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of the Oakland A’s.
A few days ago, Correa identified what is now an 11-game run in which he’s slashing .511/.538/.787 as the best of his career. He’s since maintained it with a smattering of home runs to add to the earlier singles factory.
Advertisement
Correa went 5-for-10 with two homers and four RBIs as the Minnesota Twins swept the A’s, winning 6-2 in the opener before pulling out an 8-7 victory in the nightcap.
Through the first game of the doubleheader, his 22 hits over the previous 10 games played were the most in his career and matched Delmon Young for the most by a Twins hitter in a 10-game stretch since 2010.
“He’s using the middle of the field very well, and I think that helps,” Twins slugger Royce Lewis said. “It’s special to watch.”
What Lewis — who homered in each game Sunday and is the first Twins player to hit seven round-trippers in their first 12 games of the season — and the dugout see during Correa’s red-hot run is a teammate who is consistent no matter how he performs. Ask any teammate or coach how Correa operates in a span where he’s one of baseball’s best hitters compared to the rest of the season and they’ll say it’s the same.
The ability to maintain an even-keeled approach in good times and bad is a great trait Correa possesses. Along with a high baseball IQ and superior skill set, his nature made Correa worthy of a mega contract ahead of the 2023 season.
“Borderline nothing different,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He doesn’t react differently. He shows up with basically the exact same mentality, conducts himself all day long the same way.”
Need proof? Let’s review the 2023 season.
Correa was hurt most of the season, playing with plantar fasciitis from mid-May on that impacted his swing. No matter how much he struggled to hit, in a year when he produced some of the worst numbers of his career, Correa never let on.
Same goes for now.
“People ask me, like right now, they ask me, ‘How does it feel?’” Correa said. “It’s the same if I go 0-for-4. I try my best every day. I put in the work every day. … Whatever happens on the field is just results.”
Who made Carlos Correa mad? 🤯🤯🤯#MNTwins #MLB #WeBelieveInTC pic.twitter.com/EezC25vAol
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) June 16, 2024
Twins’ deadline priority should be starting pitcher
I like the potential for the starting rotation the Twins have assembled. Everybody in the group can put forth really good days. But there’s been too much inconsistency in the team’s first 72 games, and the Twins would greatly benefit from adding one more starter.
It should be an arm that could pitch in the middle to the upper half of the rotation.
Advertisement
Chris Paddack’s outing Sunday night was full of hard contact. While Bailey Ober was outstanding in the opener and his stuff has been sharper of late, he’s still had five starts in which he’s allowed four earned runs or more this season.
Louie Varland has been very good in two recent performances, including a good showing in relief Sunday, but his first four starts merited him an April trip to Triple-A St. Paul. Rookie Simeon Woods Richardson also has been good, but young pitchers are bound to have hiccups.
With the offense and the bullpen assembled, one more good starting pitcher could make a huge difference in how far the team goes this season. If the Twins can stay healthy — and that’s a big if — they have staying power.
The Twins might be only in the middle of the pack when it comes to farm system rankings, but the farm certainly has the star power required to complete a blockbuster. Their system includes five of MLB.com’s top 100 prospects. Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee are both top-15 talents, and Emmanuel Rodriguez is rated 31st.
Any deal would be painful, as we’ve seen over the last few years. But this group is exactly the kind in which the front office and ownership should invest.
Fun never stops
We’ve mentioned it before, but these Twins excel at celebrating.
During the current homestand, Twins players introduced a Prince-themed home run vest/hat/guitar combination when the team honored the legend Friday night, an outfit that replaces last year’s home run fishing vest.
Earlier in the week, Pablo López — who created the Prince homer celebration — also introduced the Wheel of Fortune, in which the best position player and pitcher of each game are selected after wins. Those players then square off in a Rock, Paper, Scissors contest for a chance to spin the wheel and win a prize. López won a portable fire pit after earning a victory in Wednesday’s rout of the Colorado Rockies.
Post-HR mood 😛 pic.twitter.com/AsFe4dNUGH
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 17, 2024
While the team still takes Polaroid photos after every victory, there have been no recent sightings of the Artist Formerly Known as The Rally Sausage.
But this clubhouse is full of familiar players who like each other and seem to have handled the ups and downs of this wild season well.
All of it is silly. All of it is perfect for maintaining a good vibe over 162 games.
Advertisement
“I love everything,” Lewis said. “I love the whole getup. Lot better than the sausage. It’s a good one. The Prince jacket has got a lot of hits in it.”
Oh, and López was quick to point out to a reporter how many home runs had been hit since the Prince getup — and “Let’s Go Crazy” — were introduced (the answer is eight).
(Photo of Royce Lewis celebrating his first-inning home run with Carlos Correa as Willi Castro watches: Adam Bettcher / Getty Images)
