Miranda, Gordon leading Twins' youth movement

MINNEAPOLIS -- In all of the discourse surrounding the American League Central this season, so much has been made of the relative youth of the Cleveland roster -- so it might have flown under the radar a bit that the Twins also have one of the youngest lineups in baseball this season.

Amid the decimation of an injury-plagued outfield and the loss of Miguel Sanó for the vast majority of the season, the Twins have had to lean heavily on their young players -- and they’ve stepped up in a big way. That’s why the Minnesota lineup felt as deep and productive as ever Saturday at Target Field, where Jose Miranda and Nick Gordon continued their recent hot streaks as part of a convincing 7-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

“We've had some of our younger players really step into roles where they're producing, no matter where you put them,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.

According to Baseball-Reference, the Twins are tied with the Blue Jays and D-backs for the third-youngest lineup in the Majors, per weighted average age. It helps to lengthen the lineup when Miranda (24 years old) and Gordon (26) have hit the way they have of late, with Miranda continuing a stellar rookie campaign with a double and homer Saturday, and Gordon contributing a pair of singles, a walk, and two runs scored.

Four Twins batters contributed multiple hits against Toronto starter Mitch White and a caravan of five relievers -- and that’s how the Twins maintained relentless pressure on the Blue Jays throughout the game, as opposed to other performances this season in which they’ve perhaps landed a big inning before falling silent later in the game.

This level of production was anticipated from Miranda, who was ranked as high as the No. 3 prospect in the organization entering the season after he was named the Twins’ Minor League Player of the Year in ‘21 for his performance in Double-A and Triple-A.

When it comes to Gordon, though, this season has been a real treat for both the player himself and for the teammates to see his emergence, with his 2-for-3 performance with a steal Saturday raising his OPS to .773, nearly identical to that of Carlos Correa (.774) and above those of other key contributors like Jorge Polanco (.765) and Max Kepler (.725).

It’s been a long, arduous path for Gordon to get here, with the utility man having overcome chronic gastrointestinal issues and COVID-19 that hampered him for years on end until last season, when he finally worked out the medical problems and got to a point where he recovered his normal appetite and added bulk and strength to his wiry frame.

The former first-round pick always felt like he could hit the ball with authority, but his body simply refused to cooperate. He entered camp at 153 pounds last season after just having left the hospital, he said, and is now up to around 180 pounds -- and that’s made all the difference.

“I've definitely felt like I've always had strength enough to be able to drive the ball,” Gordon said. “I didn't think I was necessarily a power hitter or anything like that. But, you know, just growing with time, playing more, and actually being in the big leagues and not being sick and being able to play, things like that, I feel like then it starts to come.”

You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the skinny Gordon, but he ranks in the Majors’ 88th percentile in average exit velocity, and an even more outstanding 94th percentile in hard-hit rate. Essentially, he hits the ball hard at an elite level.

At first, Gordon’s value to the roster seemed like it would mostly come from his ability to play all around the infield and even flex to the outfield -- but with the Twins’ outfield as injured as it is, Gordon has had to assume an everyday outfield role. He has produced every bit like a starter, going 14-for-27 (.519) with six doubles and a homer since July 27.

“It’s been very rewarding for all of us, because he works hard and he’s a good player, he’s a good teammate, he’s a good person,” Baldelli said. “He doesn’t just want to be here, he wants to put in the work to be here and contribute here as a really good Major League player. Watching him go through that progression has been fantastic.”