With the right baserunners, Rocco Baldelli says Twins will be aggressive

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — The throw from Austin Barnes short-hopped Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas, but it wouldn't have mattered. Willi Castro already was touching second base, his head-first slide easily beating the ball Tuesday night, his second stolen base of the night.

And just like that, the Twins were out of last place.

Yes, it's OK to laugh at those slow-poke Colorado Rockies, because for one of the rare interludes over the past six seasons, the Twins aren't the most gun-shy base-stealing team in the big leagues. Castro added another steal Wednesday, giving the Twins an assemblage of 16 successful steals in 2023, or two more than those tortoises in Denver.

And while that's fewer than one-third of the total of MLB-leading Pirates, it's also true that the Twins have stolen more bases than any team but Tampa Bay this week, more than all but six other teams this month — and Rocco Baldelli believes there are more to come.

"When we have the right baserunners on base, in opportunities where it makes sense to go be aggressive and run, we're going to do that," Baldelli said. "With the right guys, we're going to do some things."

That's a change in style, however meager thus far, for what has been the least-aggressive base-stealing team in baseball over the past six years. Since 2018, the Twins have stolen only 197 bases, while no other American League team has fewer than 300. They have ranked among the bottom five base-stealing teams in every season of that span, and dead last in three of them.

Baldelli predicted during spring training that, given the increased athleticism of Minnesota's roster, "we're going to be playing the game with some different pace" and would look for ways to play more aggressively. Whether that has happened is debatable, but the manager has become more willing to take risks on the bases with, as he emphasizes, "the right guys."

"Buck was flying all around the field today. He was moving great. He looked confident," Baldelli said Tuesday, after Buxton's first two-steal game since 2018. "He creates so much disturbance when he's on the base paths and when he's making things happen like that. It was like the runnin', gunnin' Twins."

Well, a runnin', gunnin' trio, anyway. Castro, Taylor and Buxton have combined for 15 of the Twins' 16 steals, and only Castro has been caught this season, twice. Jorge Polanco was successful on his lone try this year, though with a lingering knee injury and now hamstring injury that could put him on the injured list Friday, he doesn't figure to be running much.

Four other Twins are 0-for-1 on the bases — proof that Baldelli's plan to limit running to that trio is a smart one.

Which is fine with Castro.

"I love it. That's part of my abilities," said the utility player whose playing time figures to grow now that Nick Gordon will be sidelined with a fractured shin he suffered Wednesday. "I just need to go out there and get some bases, be aggressive and get some good jumps. That's my game."

"Those guys do a good job of putting pressure on pitchers," especially with new rules limiting pick-off throws. "There's no guarantee that stuff like that, being aggressive like that, is going to work. But when it does, it's really helpful."

And hopeful, especially in Buxton's case. Limiting him to a designated hitter role has kept him from using his speed on defense, but he's still plenty fast, he pointed out.