Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Minnesota Twins second baseman Willi Castro went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Athletics. He also collected three RBI and scored twice on the day. The 27-year-old is on a roll right now, hitting safely in his last five games while going 10-for-24 (.417) with six doubles, a home run, six RBI, and five runs scored. The Twins' utility man now has a .272-6-24-43-8 line on the season with a .353 wOBA and 131 wRC+. Castro has also batted leadoff in seven of the last eight games, increasing his fantasy value, while also eligible at 2B, 3B, SS, and OF in Yahoo leagues, making for a quality bench bat that managers can plug in almost anywhere.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis continued his recent power surge in a 6-5 loss to the Oakland A's on Friday. Lewis went 1-for-4 with a solo homer but it wasn't quite enough in the one-run loss to Oakland. The infielder's homer traveled 380 feet with an exit velocity of 98.9 MPH. Lewis has been on an absolute tear at the plate, hitting .368 with 10 homers, 15 runs, and 14 RBI over just 57 at-bats this season. While it would be impossible for Lewis to keep up this pace, he has certainly emerged as one of the most feared hitters in the American League. He is a no-brainer as a starting option in all fantasy formats moving forward.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (neck) is expected to avoid the injured list after leaving Thursday's game early due to neck spasms. Kepler felt his neck tighten up when he was in the on-deck circle in the first inning. He then tried to bunt for a base hit and attempted a head-first slide into first base before being pulled. "It's a little stiff when I look to my right, but the docs and trainers said it's just muscular and it should clear up within a couple days," said Kepler, who will travel with the Twins to Oakland for their upcoming road trip. Fantasy managers will have to check back later to see if Kepler is back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the A's and right-hander Joey Estes. The 31-year-old left-handed hitter remains a decent source of power in deeper fantasy leagues when he's active against right-handed pitching.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson earned his fourth quality start of the season versus the Tampa Bay Rays in a no-decision on Thursday. Woods Richardson tossed six innings and allowed four hits, two runs, two walks and struck out six on the afternoon. The former Top-100 prospect didn't have much hype entering the 2024 season, but he has become a member of the Twins rotation and performed well in the role. He has had some bumps in the road along the way, but overall is 2-1 with a respectable 3.26 ERA in 12 starts. The right-hander doesn't offer enough strikeouts to be a must-roster, but he can still be valuable in deeper mixed and strong streaming option in the right matchups. Woods Richardson is lined up to face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday followed by the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox, giving him three favorable matchups before the All-Star break.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis continued his incredible start to the season by launching his ninth home run of the season on Thursday afternoon. The former number-one overall pick missed a majority of the season with a strained right quadricep he suffered on Opening Day. However, in the small 15-game sample size, he has posted an incredible .377/.452/.925 slash line with 13 RBI and has gone only six games this season without hitting a home run. Lewis has battled injuries all throughout his career and has logged only 85 total games in the majors over the past three seasons. During this span, he has held a .319/.380/.613 line with 26 home runs. The 25-year-old is a top option at the hot corner for the remainder of the season and a valuable asset in dynasty formats.