Celestino's progression making big difference

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When Gilberto Celestino first arrived in the Majors last season as a 22-year-old with minimal Triple-A experience, he certainly looked it. He looked overwhelmed at times in center field as the Twins desperately tried to cover for a rash of injuries, and he hit only .136/.177/.288 in 23 games as a stopgap option while the team healed up.

But when a guy comes up to the big leagues for the first time, it’s easy to forget that kind of context, because, really, all that matters at this level is production.

Celestino has been one of the club’s top prospects for a reason since his arrival from the Astros’ organization in the 2018 trade that sent Ryan Pressly to Houston, and he has played far more like it this year, as an important right-handed hitter who has provided capable defense and a much-improved bat in center field, particularly significant this season due to the persistent troubles with Byron Buxton’s knee.

That improvement was clearer than ever on Friday, when Celestino helped to pave the way for the Twins’ winning homestand with a clutch, two-out, bases-clearing double off the wall in right-center against the Giants that fueled a six-run inning that broke the seal following a long run of situational futility from the offense.

“I would say that’s probably one of the best individual swings, most impactful individual swings that I’ve seen from Celly ever,” manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday. “I think it’s a great moment for him, but it also shows you another glimpse of the things that he’s capable of.”

Celestino’s evolution and improvement has been apparent even to the naked eye in the contours of his season. Opposing pitchers challenged him with plenty of pitches outside, and he just went with them, poking single after single to the opposite field. Then, they adjusted back by pounding him on the inner half -- and he’s had to adjust to that, too, with a different kind of swing that has led to some more power.

All the while, he’s looked much more in his element in all phases of the game -- and, remember, too, that he’s only 23 years old, learning on the fly.

“He's a different player this year,” Baldelli said. “His play in the outfield, his offensive production and the types of at-bats he's having at the Major League level are, far and away, clear of what we saw last year. He's definitely still young. He's definitely and always has been younger than probably most people think of him as.”

"I think the power is there, but as I get older, I'll keep developing that tool,” Celestino said. “I think the key for me is taking quality at-bats and looking for the pitches that I want to actually drive. That will happen eventually. It'll happen naturally."