Minnesota Twins: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the Minnesota Twins set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the Minnesota Twins
No club used more batting orders than Minnesota in 2025: 156 in 162 games, the most in the league, after 156 in 2023 and 154 in 2024. Their most common exact lineup was used only 2 times. Byron Buxton led off most often (93 games).
Several left-handed hitters started far less often against left-handed starters: Trevor Larnach started 92% of games against right-handers and 42% against left-handers, Matt Wallner 66% against 36%, and Kody Clemens 64% against 33%. Larnach was also the most frequent DH (78 starts). Ryan Jeffers made the most starts at catcher, 80, just short of half the games. Joe Ryan led the rotation with 30 starts.
Where the Minnesota Twins ranked in 2025
| Minnesota Twins | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 70 | 81.0 | 27 |
| Different batting orders | 156 | 135.9 | 1 |
| Same order as previous game | 1.9% | 4.8% | T-22 |
| Most uses of one order | 2 | 4.8 | T-29 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 70% | 75% | 20 |
| Players in the lineup | 24 | 24.4 | T-14 |
| Games vs LHP | 36 | 42.6 | T-25 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 3.0 | 3.6 | 25 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 1.8 | 2.0 | 21 |
| Starting pitchers | 16 | 13.2 | T-6 |
| Top-five starters' share | 72% | 76% | T-21 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 25% | 31% | 25 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 8% | 5% | 6 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 49% | 58% | 21 |
| Players at DH | 9 | 10.7 | T-18 |
| Top DH's share | 48% | 51% | 15 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 87–75 | 124 / 38 | 156 | 21 | 10 |
| 2024 | 82–80 | 116 / 46 | 154 | 21 | 10 |
| 2025 | 70–92 | 126 / 36 | 156 | 24 | 16 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Christian Vazquez (91) | Ryan Jeffers (81) | Ryan Jeffers (80) |
| 1B | Donovan Solano (64) | Carlos Santana (139) | Ty France (91) |
| 2B | Edouard Julien (66) | Edouard Julien (71) | Luke Keaschall (41) |
| 3B | Royce Lewis (48) | Jose Miranda (74) | Royce Lewis (92) |
| SS | Carlos Correa (134) | Carlos Correa (84) | Carlos Correa (91) |
| LF | Matt Wallner (37) | Trevor Larnach (47) | Harrison Bader (57) |
| CF | Michael Taylor (110) | Byron Buxton (87) | Byron Buxton (118) |
| RF | Max Kepler (110) | Max Kepler (88) | Matt Wallner (81) |
| DH | Byron Buxton (80) | Trevor Larnach (49) | Trevor Larnach (78) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 31 | 13–18 | 4 | 29 | 7 | – |
| May | 26 | 18–8 | 5 | 24 | 6 | Carson McCusker, Royce Lewis |
| June | 27 | 9–18 | 7 | 27 | 8 | none |
| July | 24 | 11–13 | 4 | 23 | 7 | none |
| August | 28 | 11–17 | 7 | 27 | 10 | Alan Roden, Austin Martin, James Outman, Ryan Fitzgerald |
| September | 26 | 8–18 | 9 | 26 | 7 | Jhonny Pereda |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Byron Buxton (93); 2. Trevor Larnach (41); 3. Trevor Larnach (26); 4. Carlos Correa (30); 5. Ty France (26); 6. Brooks Lee (25); 7. Royce Lewis (36); 8. Harrison Bader (27); 9. Christian Vazquez (53).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Christian Vazquez (60) | 4 | 75% |
| 1B | Kody Clemens (47) | 5 | 34% |
| 2B | Kody Clemens (34) | 8 | 54% |
| 3B | Brooks Lee (32) | 6 | 39% |
| SS | Brooks Lee (64) | 4 | 19% |
| LF | Willi Castro (28) | 8 | 57% |
| CF | Harrison Bader (17) | 6 | 31% |
| RF | Trevor Larnach (36) | 8 | 48% |
| DH | Ryan Jeffers (26) | 9 | 70% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 3.0 | 4.6 | 1.4 |
| Left-handed | 1.8 | 5.8 | 1.4 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Larnach | left-handed | 92% (116) | 42% (15) |
| Kody Clemens | left-handed | 64% (81) | 33% (12) |
| Matt Wallner | left-handed | 66% (83) | 36% (13) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Ryan | RHP | 30 | March 29, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 7 |
| Bailey Ober | RHP | 27 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 25, 2025 | 5 | 9 |
| Simeon Woods Richardson | RHP | 22 | April 1, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Chris Paddack | RHP | 21 | March 31, 2025 | July 23, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Zebby Matthews | RHP | 16 | May 18, 2025 | Sept. 23, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Pablo Lopez | RHP | 14 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 19, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| David Festa | RHP | 10 | April 11, 2025 | July 21, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Taj Bradley | RHP | 6 | Aug. 24, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Rest before start | Minnesota Twins | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 25% | 31% |
| 5 days | 47% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 21% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 8% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 49% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 44 | 45% | 44% |
| All other games | 118 | 51% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Larnach | 78 | 48% |
| Ryan Jeffers | 26 | 16% |
| Matt Wallner | 15 | 9% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used only 2 times (club average 4.8).
Lineup 1 (2 times, last on March 30, 2025): 1. Matt Wallner RF, 2. Carlos Correa SS, 3. Byron Buxton CF, 4. Trevor Larnach DH, 5. Ryan Jeffers C, 6. Ty France 1B, 7. Willi Castro 2B, 8. Jose Miranda 3B, 9. Harrison Bader LF.
Lineup 2 (2 times, last on April 23, 2025): 1. Edouard Julien DH, 2. Byron Buxton CF, 3. Luke Keaschall 2B, 4. Trevor Larnach RF, 5. Carlos Correa SS, 6. Ty France 1B, 7. Ryan Jeffers C, 8. Brooks Lee 3B, 9. Harrison Bader LF.
Lineup 3 (2 times, last on May 14, 2025): 1. Byron Buxton CF, 2. Trevor Larnach DH, 3. Ty France 1B, 4. Brooks Lee 2B, 5. Carlos Correa SS, 6. Willi Castro RF, 7. Royce Lewis 3B, 8. Harrison Bader LF, 9. Christian Vazquez C.
Top nine vs RHP (4/126): Brooks Lee, Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Edouard Julien, Harrison Bader, Luke Keaschall, Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Larnach, Ty France.
Top nine vs LHP (2/36): Brooks Lee, Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Christian Vazquez, Harrison Bader, Jonah Bride, Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Larnach, Ty France.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.