After parting with several coaches, the Minnesota Twins have found their new hitting coach in Baltimore Orioles coach Matt Borgschulte.
Twins Bring On Matt Borgschulte as Hitting Coach
A Familiar Face
Borgschulte brings a familiar face to the Twins. He was the batting coach for the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, the St. Paul Saints, as recently as the 2021 season. The Twins have appointed Borgschulte as their new hitting coach, having spent the past three seasons as the co-hitting coach for the Baltimore Orioles.
Getting to work with talented players Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and the highly touted Jackson Holliday, Borgschulte brings a successful track record of experience with young players. The Twins organization, which has several areas that need improvement, welcomes this new outlook on hitting.
Source:
The #MNTwins are bringing Matt Borgschulte back as a big-league hitting coach.
He spent 2022-24 on the big-league staff with the Orioles, and had been with the Twins in minor-league hitting coach roles between 2018-21.
— Brandon Warne (@brandon_warne) October 14, 2024
Team Batting Average
Many critical players for the Twins struggled to hit for a respectable average, with a few starters hitting under .250. Having low averages from starters such as Royce Lewis (.223) and Ryan Jeffers (.226) is a microcosm of the struggles the team had behind the plate this year.
Working with the Orioles, Borgschulte had a more consistent lineup to work with, with key players hitting above .250. Gunnar Henderson (.281), Ryan Mountcastle (.271), and Ramón Urías (.254) all offered better production for their team.
Increase Power Numbers
The Twins did have some pop in their lineup with Byron Buxton (18 HR, .524 SLG) and Carlos Correa (14 HR, .517 SLG), but others in the lineup failed to produce such power numbers. Max Kepler and José Miranda were more the norm, with each only attaining eight home runs this past season.
The Orioles had stronger power numbers with Henderson (37 HR, .529 SLG), Anthony Santander (44 HR), and Colton Cowser (24 HR). As evidenced by total bases with the Twins having 2,256 compared to the Orioles’ 2,424, a more balanced approach to power in the lineup is exactly what the Twins need to inject more production into their lineup.
Limit Strikeouts
The Twins had several players with high strikeout numbers. Willi Castro had 150 strikeouts, and Edouard Julien had 102 (in just 90 games), which hurt Minnesota’s offense.
The 2024 Orioles weren’t perfect themselves when it came to strikeouts. In fact, as a team, the Twins had fewer strikeouts. Limiting strikeouts must be a point of emphasis for Borgschulte to bring more consistent hitting to the Twins’ lineup.
The Twins clearly need more consistent hitting. Focusing on pitch selection and situational hitting should help reduce strikeouts and improve batting averages across the board.
Photo Credit: © Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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