Twins Announce ALDS Roster

The Twins on Friday morning announced their 25-man roster for their American League Division Series date with the Yankees, which is slated to begin tonight when right-hander Jose Berrios faces off with Yankees lefty James Paxton in New York. Here’s the full roster for what figures to be a slugfest between the top two home-run-hitting clubs in MLB history:

Right-handed pitchers

• Jose Berrios (Game 1 starter)
• Randy Dobnak
• Tyler Duffey
• Kyle Gibson
• Brusdar Graterol
• Zack Littell
• Trevor May
• Jake Odorizzi
• Sergio Romo
• Cody Stashak

Left-handed pitchers

• Taylor Rogers
• Devin Smeltzer

Catchers

• Jason Castro
• Mitch Garver

Infielders

• Ehire Adrianza
• Luis Arraez
• C.J. Cron
• Jorge Polanco
• Miguel Sano
• Jonathan Schoop

Outfielders

• Jake Cave
• Marwin Gonzalez
• Max Kepler
• Eddie Rosario

Designated Hitter

• Nelson Cruz

It’s notable that each of Arraez, Adrianza and Gonzalez and Kepler is active. All four dealt with late injuries, with Arraez in particular emerging as a question mark following an ankle sprain on the penultimate day of the regular season. The rookie is far from a household name, but he hit .334/.399/.439 with more walks (36) than strikeouts (29) in 366 plate appearances this season and should see plenty of at-bats this series if he’s 100 percent.

The Twins somewhat quietly boasted a formidable bullpen down the stretch. Duffey allowed only two runs after the trade deadline (in his final outing of the year), cementing himself as the top setup option to Rogers. May enjoyed a strong finish to the year, as did the veteran Romo, acquired in a deadline swap. Littell, a former Yankees prospect, posted a 0.88 ERA in his final 30 2/3 innings following a June recall to the big leagues. He’ll be joined by rookies Stashak, Smeltzer and Graterol, the latter of whom is the organization’s top pitching prospect.

While carrying four rookie relievers may surprise some, it’s Dobnak’s inclusion that is perhaps the unlikeliest development. The 24-year-old signed out of independent ball as an undrafted free agent two years ago and skyrocketed through Minnesota’s system, posting a 1.59 ERA in 28 1/3 innings following his MLB debut in 2019. He not only claimed a roster spot but has emerged as a likely starting option alongside Berrios and Odorizzi. That’s both a testament to his ascension and a reminder that Michael Pineda is serving a 60-game suspension.

The most notable absence for the Twins is left-hander Martin Perez, who made 29 starts and three relief appearances for the Twins this season after signing as a free agent. His omission from the roster doesn’t necessarily mean that the Twins plan to decline his $7.5MM option for the 2020 season, but it’s also not a ringing vote of confidence in the veteran southpaw.