Twins Talk: A Minnesota Twins podcast

John and Ben give their way-too-detailed look at the Twins’ Wild Card Series with the Toronto Blue Jays, including how they’ve found success against Kevin Gausman, a secret plan to take down Yusei Kikuchi, and why the Twins bullpen and lineup are perfectly designed for a series against Toronto. Plus, a look at what Byron Buxton’s potential role could be on the playoff roster, and some very encoura...

The Minnesota Twins are the 2023 AL Central champions! With the division title and playoff seeding all but wrapped up, John and Ben talk about key things to look for from the Twins in the final week, including the tight AL West race. Plus your usual weekly game recap, and a preview of the team’s the Twins could end up facing in the Wild Card round. Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @...

Ben recaps a competitive Twins series with Tampa Bay and a relative handling of the White Sox. Then, with the division title all but wrapped up, he takes a look at the moves that got the Twins to this point and what a potential playoff roster could look like. Plus updates on Byron Buxton, Brock Stewart, and John’s nemesis Chris Paddack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

John recaps the staggering offensive output from the Twins against the Guardians, as well as a solid series win against the Mets at Target Field where Max Kepler narrowly missed adding a grand slam to the team weekly total. Plus, a few updates on some reinforcements to the Twins bullpen and offense! Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @BenJones_5 Follow John: @thejohnke Subscribe where...

Ben does a solo pod breaking down a disappointing Twins series loss to the Guardians and multiple resilient comebacks against the Rangers. He looks ahead to the next week which will give the Twins yet another chance to finish off the Guardians once and for all. Plus, did the Guardians claim all those pitchers just to mess with the Twins?? And who the hell is Andrew Stevenson? Follow us on Twitter:...

Another week is in the books and the Twins have extended their commanding division lead after taking 3 of 4 from the Texas Rangers. John and Ben look at the Twins strategy for the rest of the season, the importance of working in rest for Bailey Ober, how to save the bullpen (Chris Paddack is coming…) and why this next week will define the last month of the season for the Twins. Plus a live reactio...

John and Ben banter about Dallas Keuchel unbelievably taking a perfect game into the 7th inning, Pablo Lopez solidifying his ace status, the young guys leading the lineup to greener pastures, and Byron Buxton’s hopeful return to center field. And of course, a complete recap of the Twins’ games. Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @BenJones_5 Follow John: @thejohnke Subscribe wherever y...

John and Ben are back to recap a weird week of Twins baseball, losing 3 of 4 against the lowly Detroit Tigers while taking 2 of 3 from the red hot Philadelphia Phillies. Plus they talk about Pablo Lopez’s Cy Young candidacy, Emilio Pagán’s surprising reliability, and Dallas Keuchel’s predictable implosion. Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @BenJones_5 Follow John: @thejohnke Subscrib...

John and Ben talk about their experience at Joe Mauer’s Twins Hall of Fame induction ceremony, break down the Twins’ successful week, including a weekend sweep of the Diamondbacks, break down how the young players have revived the offense (with some help from Max Kepler), talk about Joe Ryan’s terrible injury-induced stretch, and openly question why Joey Gallo is still on the team. Follow us on Tw...

After weeks of speculation on potential Trade Deadline additions (or subtractions) the Twins did absolutely nothing. John and Ben break down the Twins baffling lack of moves at the trade deadline, try to piece together the front office’s thinking, and the issue with standing pat when your team has easily fixable holes. Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @BenJones_5 Follow John: @thejo...

A post-ASG break hot streak has put the Twins 5 games above .500. John recaps a week against the Mariners and White Sox. Finally, a quick round of news and injury updates! Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @BenJones_5 Follow John: @thejohnke Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A sweep of the A’s has the Twins back in first place of the AL Central. John and Ben recap a weekend of weird performances versus the dismal A’s and what the Twins can take away from it. Then, they recap the Twins’ draft picks, including who has signed, who has yet to sign, and who likely won’t sign at all, and give their favorite late round picks that could pan out to be future contributors. Fina...

You win some you lose some, sometimes many of them in a row. John and Ben recap The Twins’ up and then down week against the Royals and Orioles and why all of the pressure this season is on Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. Plus they discuss how to keep Edouard Julien in the lineup when Jorge Polanco returns. Then, they break down the Twins’ first two rounds of draft picks, including top pick Walker...

John and Ben recap the Twins week which is hopefully (hopefully!) a turning point for the team. They discuss the Twins’ intense players-only meeting after getting swept by the Braves, the depressing state of the bullpen after the Brock Stewart injury, and how important it was to take 2 of 3 from the Orioles. Then, they talk about Royce Lewis’ latest trip to the injured list and why Jose Miranda wo...

John and Ben recap a winning week for the Twins against the Red Sox and Tigers, Buxton and Correa showing signs of life, Joe Ryan’s All-Star case, Bailey Ober’s reliability, and why more people aren’t talking about Jhoan Duran. Then, they discuss why the only way for the team to improve is internal development from the hitters, and why that may not happen this season. Finally, they debate potentia...

The Twins are back at .500, but somehow still in the division lead. John and Ben chat about getting dominated by the Rays and nearly sweeping the Blue Jays, before Emilio Pagan predictably imploded. Then, the guys discuss whether the AL Central is the worst division in the league, and why the Twins have squandered a chance to easily run away with the division early. Plus a discussion on the Twins’...

With injuries to Buxton, Correa, Gallo, Larnach, Kirilloff, and now Royce Lewis, the Twins have been running out the St. Paul Saints lineup this week, but still managed to get a series win against the Astros and split one with the Guardians. John and Ben go through all the highs and lows of the week, including a couple record-breaking outings by closer Jhoan Duran. Then, the guys discuss whether o...

Twins top prospect Royce Lewis is set to make his 2023 Twins debut today after recovering from last year’s ACL tear. Will he provide the spark that the offense so desperately needs? Plus the usual recap of the week’s games, and a discussion about why exactly the Twins have been struggling to hit the last few weeks. Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @BenJones_5 Follow John: @thejohnke...

The umps may have screwed the Twins out of some wins, but their approach with the bases loaded has still been concerning. John and Ben recap the Twins week with series losses to the Dodgers and Angels and the offense letting down some stellar pitching performances. Then the guys look at the Twins new string of injuries and what they could mean for the team long term, including maybe just giving By...

A winning week means a winning pod. The Twins’ bats came to life and destroyed some Cubbie pitching to cap off series wins over the Padres and Cubs. The guys talk about what they liked from the Twins this week, what they didn’t, and whether the offensive burst is sustainable. Plus Ben is proven correct in his season-long obsession with getting Alex Kirilloff back in the lineup. Then, the guys talk...

John recaps the week for the Twins, as they faced off against the White Sox and the Guardians. Other topics include offensive inconsistency, injury developments, and why we should be excited about Alex Kirillof. Follow us on Twitter: @TwinsTalkPod Follow Ben: @BenJones_5 Follow John: @thejohnke Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Twins beat the Yankees in the regular season series for the first time since 2001! John and Ben discuss the significance of that for the Twins and the importance of stacking up wins against the lowly Royals. Topics include: first grade, the year 2001, Buck Bombs, Beef Stew, and offensive force Max Kepler. Then, the guys look at how losing Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle for a long stretch will imp...

The bats have gone silent, but the guys are back to make some noise. John and Ben recap last week’s Twins games and why there’s still plenty of time for the bats to turn things around after a rough start. Then they look at Pablo Lopez’s new extension and what it means for the Twins, as well as Alex Kirilloff’s torrid rehab assignment. Topics include: Fenway weirdness, bullpen management, and the T...

With a series win against the Chicago White Sox and a split with the Yankees in New York, it’s time to take the Twins seriously as contenders. Ben and John share their major takeaways from the week, including some big offensive showings despite running out a Triple-A lineup for most of the week. Topics include: Pablo Lopez’s brilliance, a 9-run first inning in New York, Kenta Maeda’s health, and r...

A series win against the reigning World Series champions? Maybe the Twins are good after all. Ben and John recap the first full week of the 2023 Twins season and talk about how the starting pitching is carrying the team so far. Topics include: Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez’s new sweepers, a Kyle Farmer walk off, Sonny Gray’s dominant start, and way-too-early overreactions (spoiler alert: Trevor Larnach...