Lately, things haven't been looking too bright for the Minnesota Twins.

The East coast road trip that many saw as an opportunity for the Twins to assert themselves as a force in the American League didn't go too well. Dropping two of three to the Yankees, splitting with the Blue Jays, and being swept by the ailing Red Sox is hardly something a contending team does on a regular basis. In fact, outside from a three-game sweep of the Tigers, the entire month of May hasn't given the Twins much in terms of wins.

Through the last 13 games, the Twins have won just five games. A few members of the bullpen are well on their way to being demoted or released, and the fan-base appears on the verge of a (mental) breakdown. News flash: There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into this upcoming nine-game home stand. Here are a few:

1. The starting rotation is still producing.

Despite some awful starts, the starting staff has generally been solid this year. In fact, Twins' starting pitchers have garnered eight quality starts in the last 13 games. While a quality start (at least six innings and under three earned runs) isn't the best means of evaluating a pitcher  -- a 4.50 ERA is hardly something to aspire to, anyway -- the 62 quality-start percentage (the MLB average has hung around 48 percent for the past five years) over a rough patch shows that the rotation is hardly the Achille's heel it was made out to be at the start of the season.

2. Offense is showing good plate discipline.

The Twins have drawn a total of 171 walks in 2010, the 3rd-highest mark in the league. In fact, the Twins' team walk percentage -- 10.95 -- is the highest mark since the 1956 Senators. (Yeah, the team that went 59-95. So what?) Minnesota batters have struck out 225 times in 2010, also the 3rd-best in the league. Although the '56 squad is a hearty point to the contrary, when an offense's intangibles are in line, the wins will usually follow.

3. Three games against Milwaukee . . . Then an off-day!

On many levels, the Brewers are a struggling team in one of the worst divisions in baseball. They can't draw a walk, and they are striking out over 21 percent of the time. The Brewers just ended a nine-game losing streak, and their pitchers are getting walloped with a .338 BABIP that will eventually regress. But who's to say this stretch of bad luck won't continue through the next series? Minnesota's starting pitchers have been consistent, but the offense needs a couple of 10-run games to get back on track.

Also: The AL Central is still entirely winnable.

Remember when we thought that Glen Perkins could be a large part of a trade for San Diego closer Heath Bell?

Now, not so much.

Thanks to the emergence of Francisco Liriano, Perkins was forced to begin the season in Triple-A Rochester where the 27-year old would hopefully build up his trade value. Through his first seven starts in the Twins’ minor league system, Perkins is 0-5 with a 10.08 ERA and a 1.988 WHIP.

With a career major-league ERA of 4.73 in 281.2 innings, Perkins is either still hurt or simply forgot how to pitch. Perkins made his last start on Saturday, where he gave up four earned runs in five innings. His ERA actually dropped .64 points.

Perkins hit the shelf late last season with tendonitis in his left shoulder. He missed 23 days on the disabled list, and the Twins’ failure to give Perkins service time during his rehab stint procured a Berlin Wall of ill feelings between the two parties.

Throwing a total of 12 innings in 2009 between Rookie-League and High-A, Perkins amassed an ERA of 2.25. He faced 45 batters, and struck out nine while walking just one. Even if there were still concerns over Perkin’s shoulder, the Twins didn’t seem to be worried.

During Spring Training this year Perkins complained of lower back stiffness, which some dismissed as simply another cry for attention from a whiny pitcher who wasn’t very good in the first place. Could either his left shoulder or lower back be acting up again?

Some cite Perkin’s very high opinion of himself as problematic. Could the sharp drop in production due to injury have impacted Perkin’s confidence, resulting in horrid starts this year in Triple-A? Or is he as cocky as ever, but still hurt?

Either way, there is little chance Perkins sees major-league action with the Twins this season. He is quite a ways down the totem pole in Rochester. If the Twins’ starting rotation suffers a devastating series of injuries, Perkins may not even be the third player called up.

Perkins may be a home-town kid who grew up dreaming of a chance to play for the Twins, but any future major-league success will come with another franchise. For the sake of both the Rochester rotation and Perkin’s career, the Twins need to part ways with the 6’0’’ lefty.

If they don’t, this Perkins Problem may develop into something even more distracting.

It's May 12, and you know what that means! Delmon Young Day!

To read my entry, either scroll below or click here. Directly below this text you will find a widget that will grab all of the tweets mentioning #DelmonYoungDay, which will allow you to keep track of all your Delmon Young reading today. So sit back, savor Delmon Young Day, and enjoy a few stories on the house. You'll find the links below.

Delmon Young is an interesting case-study in elite prospects that take a turn for the worse. In 2003, Delmon Young was considered the best amateur baseball talent in the country. After a successful career at Adolfo Camarillo High School in California, the Tampa Bay Rays decided he was worthy of a $3.7 million signing bonus and the first overall selection in the draft.

Young signed a major-league contract after three months of negotiations with the Devil Rays, whom he described as "just another club, nothing special." He was clearly self-confident, and had one of the most powerful bats in the draft. Scouts projected him to fit comfortably in Tampa Bay's right-field as soon as 2005, when he would be 20 years old.

The hype surrounding Young was palpable, but the track-record of previous No.1 overall picks wasn't necessarily high. Just look at Bryan Bullington and Matt Bush (but ignore Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, and Joe Mauer as they don't further the point I'm trying to make).

Prior to the 2004 season, Young was ranked by Baseball America as the 3rd-best prospect in baseball. He hit .322/.388/.538 against clearly over-matched Single-A pitchers in 2004. Young jumped up to Double-A in 2005 and Triple-A in 2006 (where he was ranked as baseball's top prospect by BA). When Jonny Gomes underwent surgery in 2006, Young was called upon to play in the remaining 31 games.

Young was hitting home runs and stealing bases like no one's business during his stint in the minor leagues, and he looked like a legitimate 30/30 (HR/SB) threat. The fact that he was striking out an obscene 20 percent of the time was mostly over-looked, after all, Young was hitting the ball 400 feet over the outfield fence!

Playing every single game of the 2007 season with the Rays, Young hit .288/.316/.408 with just 13 home runs and 10 stolen bases. His 127/26 strikeout-to-walk ratio was incredibly problematic, but mostly over-looked. The kid was still young, after all, and he would certainly gain a better understanding of strike zones as he grew older.

Even a trade to Minnesota couldn't bust Young from his ineptitude. In 2009, Young struck out 23.3 percent of the time. He was renowned for whiffing at first pitches, and couldn't draw a walk to save his life. The home runs weren't there anymore, and the stolen bases were sagging, as well. To put the icing on the cake, Young's mother died of pancreatic and liver cancer in the middle of the 2009 season. Young seemed to have lost all motivation, and was playing miserably, as well.

It appeared that the Delmon Young experiment was about as successful as England's invasion of New Orleans in 1814, which is to say it was a complete failure. Shortly following Bonnie Young's death, though, something clicked for Delmon Young.

From July through October of 2009, Young hit .306/.329/.511 with a strikeout percentage of just 16.9. Still horribly high, but a marked improvement, nonetheless. During the offseason prior to the 2010 campaign, Young lost 35 pounds and showed up to start the season a "new player."

His defensive range in the outfield had improved with the lost weight, and through May 10 is hitting .267/.323/.442 with a strikeout percentage of just 11.6. He has just three home runs (though his Isolated Power is way up), but his batting on average on balls in play is just .267, far below the major-league average and even further below his career average.

Are things looking up for the 24-year old Delmon Young? Could he finally be on the verge of becoming a capable outfielder? Dare Twins' fans dream of his potential to be a 30/30 player and regular All-Star over the next few years?

What do you think? Is the resurgence Young has experienced lately been a fluke, or can more be expected of Delmon Young?

Sam Tastad is back with another guest post. Read more of Sam's work here.

The Twins have always had trouble finding a consistent third baseman, and here I will look at the present and future status of who is playing third base  for the Twins:

This year, Nick Punto started the year off at third base. He is currently on the disabled list, but while he played he did fairly well. He hit .269, had seven hits, four runs, three extra base hits, two stolen bases, one walk, and five strikeouts in nine games. That is average, and better than other years. He has started the year off fairly well. Punto is known as Ron Gardenhire's favorite player, and contributes more than just offense. He is an excellent defender, and hustles every game. I say let's give Punto some more starts this year, but if starts to not contribute, sit him or put him in the minors. The Twins do already have a loaded lineup, and don't always need production from him, but it would be nice once in awhile to get a steady player at third base who can hit, play defense, and hustle.

Brendan Harris has been our other option at third base, and has played alright. He has hit .200 with seven hits and runs, one home run, two doubles, four RBIs,  five strikeouts, and seven walks in fifteen games. Harris is also a good defender, decent hustler, and an alright hitter. Harris has played decent for the Twins since being acquired in the Delmon Young trade. He will continue to get time, but if he wants to stay on this team, he'll have to step up and play better.

In the minors, Danny Valencia, Matt Macri, Matt Tolbert, and Luke Hughes. Hughes was just called up for Nick Punto. Everyone of these guys have had some major league experience but Valencia. Valencia, however has some special talent, and it's just a matter of time when the Twins think he's ready to use that in the major leagues.

Valencia is currently in AAA Rochester. He is currently hitting .243, with zero home runs, seven RBIs, and one stolen base. He's played in nineteen games, and gotten 18 hits, and seven runs. He's gotten off to a slow start but he does have potential to be a 15 home run guy. Look for Valencia to warm up, and maybe be called up soon.

Matt Macri and Matt Tolbert are also having slow starts to the 2010 season. They are hitting .231, and .244, respectively. Both are good fill in guys, and have times where they have big games. I wouldn't be surprised to see one of their names called up this year.

Luke Hughes is currently in the majors, and has played in seven games, batting .286 with one home run. He doing a good job, but hasn't played much. Harris has gotten much of the playing time in Punto's absence. Hughes will look though to be in the future conversation at third base.

There you have it, a look at the present and future third base situation for your Minnesota Twins!

Originally published at TwinsMVB.com.

The season may still be young, but several players in the Twins’ minor league organization are certainly off to a great start. Here is a quick look at five of these players:

Bobby Lanigan, RH-SP, Ft. Myers Miracle

Lanigan, a third-round selection of the Twins in the 2008 draft, is off to a great start in his first full year of High-A ball. Through 22.1 innings this season, Lanigan has compiled a 0.81 ERA along with a 0.896 WHIP. He is striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings, and has walked just four.

Opponents are hitting just .198 off Lanigan, and the 22-year-old righty has a 1.30 groundout/flyout ratio. Lanigan is known for his outstanding slider, and could move up to Double-A as soon as one of the New Britain starts promoted to Rochester.

Liam Hendriks, RH-SP, Beloit Snappers

Hendriks, while just 20 years of age, has been off to a very impressive start through 22 innings in Beloit. With a 0.41 ERA, Hendriks has given up just one earned run while striking out 26 and walking just two. His WHIP is 0.409, and he has been incredibly dominant through his first four starts.

Hendriks has had excellent control throughout his three minor-league seasons, and has a 1.50 groundout/flyout ratio this season. He could fight for a job in Fort Myers when the first round of promotions begins.

Rene Tosoni, OF, New Britain Rock Cats

Tosoni has done a great job in his attempts to convince the Twins’ brass that he can hit left-handed pitching. With a combined line of .351/.413/.526 through his first 64 plate appearances, Tosoni is hitting .375/.474/.438 against south-paws. He has a total of six extra-base hits so far this year, and could potentially be a September call-up to the major-leagues.

Tosoni probably doesn’t have the range to play center field, but he has a cannon of an arm and will fit nicely in a corner outfield position. If he keeps raking opposing pitchers at his current clip, there is no reason why he can’t be playing in Rochester in a few months.

I haven't written too much lately, have I? Honestly, there hasn't really been much to write about, other than how great the Twins have been playing. That's hardly an excuse, though, is it?

Truth be told, I've been having trouble to find time to actually sit down and hammer out my thoughts. Free time is hard to come by with the school year winding down and final exams looming larger every day, along with a part-time gig at the local paper. While most days are now spent at the newsroom, most of my evenings and nights are spent studying. To be honest, I really don't see that changing until summer arrives.

For those (two) of you who enjoy my writing, feel free to check out the Green Valley News' sports page every Wednesday and Sunday for my baseball column. Tomorrow's column is already online, and it focuses on the Ryan Howard signing. The premise: Howard obviously won't be worth $25 million in 2016, but he may age more gracefully that some think.

So, while you may have to wait a few weeks until I am able to return to full-time posting duties, please check out this excellent review of Target Field over at Stadium Journey. It's well worth the read! Also, be sure to leave your own reviews and ratings on the page.

Originally written for the Green Valley News and published here.

Providing fresh air, a beautiful skyline view, and seats that actually face the field, the Minnesota Twins have given their fans a much-anticipated treat that was a long time coming. Target Field lives up to its incredible hype, and is certainly one of the better ballparks in Major League Baseball.

I had the opportunity to attend two games in Target Field this past
week, and came away speechless. I've never seen a Twins' game outside of the cavernous Metrodome, which was originally built for a football team. With recycled air, obstructed views, and seats that faced left field, the Metrodome was a stadium, not a ballpark.

Target Field was built for baseball. Surrounded by native Minnesota limestone, Target Field occupies one million square feet in downtown Minneapolis. Compared to the Metrodome, Target Field is the Taj Mahal of ballparks.

One of the first things noticed when walking into the ballpark is the wide concourse. Nearly twice as wide as the Metrodome’s, the concourse in Target Field stretches all the way around the stadium. Although there are fewer seats in Target Field, there are more aisles than in the Metrodome, which makes getting to your seat much easier.

The $517 million stadium also includes the 4th-largest video scoreboard in the league, and nine times bigger than the scoreboard in the Metrodome. It’s amazing how crisp and clear the Target Field video scoreboard is. Possessing 1,080 lines of resolution and 4.4 trillion shades of color, you can almost measure Joe Mauer’s sideburns with yardsticks.

Once you find your seat and settle in for the game, though, the beautiful Minneapolis skyline will take your breath away. From my seat in Section 219, I saw the IDS and Capella Towers, the 33 South Sixth, and even caught a glimpse of the old Foshay Tower. It truly was a magnificent sight, and was a constant, albeit welcome, distraction from the game.

The first game I attended was last Wednesday night, when the Twins were hosting Cleveland. Francisco Liriano shut out the Indians over eight innings, and Minnesota came away with a 6-0 win, which was very fun to see. The game-time temperature was 59 degrees, though, and a slight breeze made for a very chilly evening for anyone visiting from Arizona. Luckily, the Twins had their fans from the southern states covered with heat lamps located all around the main concourse.

There will certainly be a few rain and snow cancellations in Target Field’s future, but no more than Detroit’s Comercia Park or Boston’s Fenway Park. April and September in Minnesota will certainly be cold, but the summer months in Target Field will be absolutely perfect for baseball.

MLB is doing their part to help ease the chilly evenings by scheduling a ton of afternoon games in the first few months of Target Field’s existence. The Minnesota sun, however, was in full force on the Thursday afternoon game I attended. I hardly needed a sweater, and almost wished I had worn shorts. Weather should not be a major concern for the Twins.

Good ‘ol fashioned Midwest hospitality was certainly on display throughout the two games I attended. When purchasing the obligatory “Twins Big Dog,” the attendant had me take a few chugs of my beverage before topping me off again. It may just be a few free ounces of Pepsi to some, but it was a warm welcome to Target Field for me.

One of my main memories of the Metrodome was getting blown out of the doors after the game due to the pressure difference. This was also symbolic of the Metrodome’s after-game policy: Get out as soon as you can. After the Thursday afternoon game I attended in Target Field, my dad and I wondered around for at least an hour. We explored, among other things, the Metropolitan Club, which housed a few remnants of the old Metropolitan Stadium. We were never asked to exit the ballpark following the game, and got as much value as we could out of our $32 tickets.

Although I’m sure I uttered, “Nick Punto would’ve made that play,” no fewer than three times, I came away from my Target Field experience very satisfied and thoroughly impressed.

Outdoor baseball is certainly a sweet thing, and Target Field makes the experience even sweeter.

The Twins dropped the third game in their series against the Kansas City Royals this afternoon, and I've heard plenty of people complaining about the team's performance. So far this season the big, bases-clearing doubles in key situations just haven't happened. The team is hitting an OPS of just .695 with runners in scoring position, and plenty of fans are getting upset.

Today, I'll give you just one image that should clear things up. The blue squares represent each of the last 50 years, the green square is where the Twins currently sit. If the past half century is any indication, Minnesota will be fine. Should the hits keep coming, the team's performance with runners in scoring position will dramatically improve. If it doesn't -- if the team continues to strike out with the bases loaded -- this will be a truly historic team.

Back for a second week is Sam Tastad. You can read more of Sam Tastad's work here.

This past week, the Minnesota Twins opened Target Field going 2-1 against the Red Sox. The Twins won their first series in Target Field, and looked like a real contender in the new park. At Target Field this past week, Carl Pavano got the parks' first win, Jon Raunch the first save, and Jason Kubel the first home run in the regular season at Target Field. Target Field has looked like a great place for baseball, and the Twins are showing that they love the place, and really feel at home in the new ballpark.

At this point in the season, the Twins are currently 7-3, and off to a great start. The pitching is what has really been impressive to me. Carl Pavano, an MLB veteran, has completely lit up teams with his magic pitching so far. Francisco Liriano got banged up his first start, but looked flawless in his second start. Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, and Kevin Slowey have showed signs of a competitive nature, and have looked good in each of their two starts. The bullpen has been really good, especially Jon Rauch. He is a perfect 5-for-5 in save opportunities, and is working his closer magic. The rest of the bullpen has shown that they can hold leads, too, and can help lead this team to victory, as well.

The offense has worked magically, too. Joe Mauer, the hometown boy in Minnesota, has looked like the reigning MVP, and is hitting the ball well with a .353 batting average. Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, and Michael Cuddyer are showing great signs of hitting and are leading this team to victories. They all have great swings, and bursts of power. JJ Hardy, a new acquisition for the Twins, has most impressed me. He has played great defense, and has hit the ball extremely well. Nick Punto, Ron Gardenhire's favorite player, has actually shown his value to the team. He has shown the team with hustle, defense, and even hitting, that he can be counted on this year.

As you can see, I have been really impressed with the Twins this season, and their ability to win games. They have shown great teamwork, and have been fun to watch. I hope they keep this up the rest of the season.