Baseball is back! The Minnesota Twins are opening their 2025 regular season Thursday, weather permitting, with an afternoon game against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
There isn't much turnover from last year's Twins team that struggled down the stretch to finish out of the playoff picture. The Twins were heading straight for another playoff appearance through August but injuries derailed them over the season's last month.
Back for more in 2025 are veterans like Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, one of baseball's best pitching staffs and that is led by Thursday's opening day starter Pablo Lopez.
"I do continue to feel more comfortable with like, where to start certain pitches, realizing that because I'm already moved, pitches that I'm trying to go to my arm's side, I don't have to like change my side too much because I'm already kind of in the black or things like that," Lopez says about his new approach in 2025.
There are also some youngsters expected to contribute more like Matt Walner of Forest Lake, Minnesota, and some versatilty from guys like Jose Miranda.
"Yeah, it feels great you know," Miranda says about the season's start. "Everyone's on a good page, everyone is happy. We got a great team, a great group of guys, a bunch of veterans and young guys. So it's great."
A year ago the Twins lost Royce Lewis to an injury on opening day. That won't happen Thursday, because Lewis is already on the injured list with a leg injury hampering the core of the Twins' lineup early in the season. Joining him on the IL to start the year is infielder Brooks Lee, and pitcher Brock Stewart.
That makes it all the more important to pitch well, something it seems the Twins are ready to do in 2025.
"My goal is to grab the ball every fifth or sixth day and ride with it," says Chris Paddack, who is penciled in to be the fourth starter. "And turn the page after my start day and prep and get ready for the next one. Doing everything I can in-between start days for what my body needs. Nutrition, sleep, recovery and being able to get on the mound."
Another young player the Twins are hoping solidifies the infield is Edouard Julien who is going to see some time at first base along with newly signed free agent Ty France. But Julien says he's worked hard on the defensive side of playing first base.
"The footwork to get on the bag is pretty easy, but it's after that to kinda react to where the throw is and to move your feet towards the the better part of the bag," he says. "So that's the only thing I gotta get used to but it's going pretty well so far."
The Twins will need all of it to come together in one of baseball's most competitive divisions, with Cleveland, Kansas City and Detroit all coming off postseason appearances in 2024 and looking to repeat that success in '25.
The Twins and Cardinals can be heard on 830 WCCO, 102.9 FM, and on the Audacy App (in-market restrictions apply). Pregame will begin at 2:30 p.m. from St. Louis with first pitch just after 3:00.