Here are 3 key factors in the Twins' late-season slump

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MINNEAPOLIS -- What on earth happened to this team?

In the immediate aftermath of Friday's 7-2 loss to the Orioles that completed the Twins’ stunning collapse out of the playoff picture, a shell-shocked clubhouse didn’t have much in the way of answers, noting that they’d have to reflect and review when the season was over.

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Now that the playoffs aren’t a possibility, Minnesota's offseason will begin later tonight -- so let’s take a first look at what might have gotten them here.

Players running out of steam down the stretch
This downturn began in earnest with the Aug. 18 bullpen blowup in a 6-5 loss to Texas, and here are a sampling of the numbers since then among the team’s youngsters:

Brooks Lee: .174/.197/.304, one homer in 71 PA, 31 wRC+
Jose Miranda: .202/.226/.270, zero homers in 93 PA, 37 wRC+
Royce Lewis: .188/.230/.258, one homer in 139 PA, 37 wRC+
Simeon Woods Richardson: 5.81 ERA in seven starts, 25 strikeouts, 15 walks
Zebby Matthews: 7.16 ERA in eight starts, 38 strikeouts, 11 walks

The offense, as a whole, simply struggled to hit, for the most part. The Twins have been held to four or fewer runs in 23 of their past 29 games entering Sunday’s regular-season finale. Their 140 runs scored since Aug. 18 ranks 24th of 30 teams. Their 29 homers rank 28th, ahead of only the Reds (27) and White Sox (26).

Lee spoke down the stretch on being a young player in the clubhouse learning how to adapt through struggles while being in a playoff chase for the first time. Both Woods Richardson and Lewis alluded to struggles with the length of the season as they played through career-high workloads, with Lewis laying it bare following Friday’s loss.

“I think when you rely on a lot of guys that you probably weren't expecting to for that long, I think for a while there, everyone overachieved and played well, did a very good job,” Lewis said. “I'm not going to speak on anyone else's opinions, but my opinion, I think that some guys, myself, I ran out of gas. I'm trying my best. It's a different grind.”

As to why the offense collectively slumped? They’ll have to reflect in the coming weeks.

Ill-timed injuries
Zooming out, many of the Twins' youngsters were relied upon for major stretches due to the significant injuries to key players in key moments that ultimately dictated the contour lines of the season.

The rookie trio of Woods Richardson, Matthews and David Festa bore a much larger than expected workload because of the injuries to Chris Paddack (right forearm strain) and, most significantly, Joe Ryan (Grade 2 teres major strain), whose innings and consistency were sorely missed down the stretch and contributed to Matthews being rushed to the Majors.

Though Byron Buxton (right hip inflammation) and Carlos Correa (plantar fasciitis in his right heel) ultimately came back strong for the season’s final two weeks, they were both missing when the Twins’ downswing began, leaving both a clubhouse presence void and a lineup void in their wake. Correa hit the shelf on July 20 and Buxton followed on Aug. 15 -- and three days later, the Twins’ slide began.

“I mean, if we have everyone healthy, I think we’re in the playoffs,” Bailey Ober said. “I think Joe Ryan, Carlos, Buxton healthy for a full year, and we have a healthy bullpen, I don’t think this happens.”

Poor pitching acquisitions
There’s no getting around the fact that the Twins dropped their Opening Day payroll by more than $26 million following their breakthrough 2023 season -- and that severely hampered what the front office was able to do in adding to that roster in the offseason.

The Carlos Santana acquisition on a one-year, $5.25 million contract worked out better than anyone could have hoped. On the other hand, the marginal pitching acquisitions necessitated by those budgetary restrictions -- Jay Jackson, Steven Okert, Josh Staumont, Justin Topa and Anthony DeSclafani -- were all non-factors.

Even one or two of that group emerging as options would have mitigated the pitching staff’s issues -- but they went 0-for-5, and the bottom dropped out once Brock Stewart got injured before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic shoulder surgery, Caleb Thielbar (5.32 ERA in 59 appearances, entering Sunday) struggled, and Jorge Alcala started a steep regression (5.96 ERA in 22 second-half appearances) from a successful first half (1.56 ERA in 31 appearances).

The Twins also added only Trevor Richards at the Trade Deadline -- and he didn’t last a month on the roster. Richards was designated for assignment on Aug. 27.