Twins win again behind rookie Luke Keaschall and ‘grandpa' Ryan Fitzgerald

New York Times

20 hours ago

MINNEAPOLIS — Since the Minnesota Twins called up Luke Keaschall on April 18, teammates, coaches and media members have made frequent note of his stoic demeanor and matter-of-fact reactions to his non-stop success.
Despite being just 22, no moment has seemed too big. And despite season-ending elbow surgery last August and a broken forearm a week into his big-league career in April, Keaschall is off to one of the greatest starts to a career in Twins history.
Advertisement
Through 12 games, he's hit .415 with a 1.207 OPS and 12 RBIs , reaching base safely in all of them and notching at least one hit in each of the 11 games in which he logged an official at-bat.
Yet while everyone around Keaschall has been marveling at his incredible performance, he's mostly just smiled, kept his head down and acted as if it were normal.
But even he has his limits.
Keaschall had a career-high three in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, the last of which was a two-run walk-off homer to right-center field in the 11th inning. And as he rounded the bases, the emotions finally flowed out of him.
Luke Keaschall #WALKOFF homer!
The @Twins win it in the 11th! pic.twitter.com/zEmFEWVk7C
— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2025
He pointed to the Twins' dugout as he rounded first base, leapt into the air while doing a fist pump as he neared second base, screamed all the way to third base and jumped directly into the celebratory chaos waiting for him at home plate.
And then for good measure, Keaschall bear-hugged and chest-shoved veteran reliever Michael Tonkin, who wriggled out of jams in the 10th and 11th innings to clear the stage for the red-hot rookie's latest heroics.
'I'm usually calm, cool and collected,' Keaschall said, 'but I kind of lost my crap and went crazy. That was probably the most fun game I've ever played.'
It continued a post-trade deadline roll for the Twins that no one saw coming after their fire sale sent 10 players packing, including Carlos Correa and basically the entire bullpen. They've won five of the last seven games, with back-to-back series wins for the first time since the All-Star break.
'We're trying to make things happen out there,' manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'We're trying to win a game by getting guys in spots where they can succeed. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don't. No game is going to be perfect. But the way we're able to work together as a group right now feels good and looks good.'
Advertisement
Keaschall hit .368 with five steals in his first seven games, but a hit-by-pitch on April 25 sidelined him for over three months. He returned on Aug. 5, and has picked up right where he left off and then some, hitting .454 with two homers and 10 RBIs in five games, four of which the Twins have won.
'It's just about believing in the work you've put in, believing you can do it and staying confident,' Keaschall said. 'I was pretty bummed when I broke my forearm. I was doing pretty well at that time and I wanted to keep playing, but sometimes it doesn't go your way. Sometimes you've got to fight through it.'
Sunday's dramatic, mistake-filled, back-and-forth win over the Royals played out in a way that was able to draw big emotions out of even Keaschall.
Tonkin, who was the pitching hero, is a 35-year-old journeyman in his third different stint with the Twins, who originally drafted him out of high school in 2008. He spent much of this season rehabbing a shoulder injury alongside Keaschall at the team's year-round facility in Florida.
'We were on the IL together and he kept me in a good head space the whole time,' Keaschall said. 'So to go out there and watch him just destroy guys on the mound for two straight innings in a high-leverage situation, and then to be able to help him out and get the game-winning hit, was fun.'
Ryan Fitzgerald's first Major League hit is a two-run homer! pic.twitter.com/y8sLsn2A3u
— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2025
Before it became another 'Luke Keaschall Game,' it was shaping up to be the first Ryan Fitzgerald Game, as the 31-year-old journeyman infielder homered in the third inning for his first career MLB hit after nine seasons in the minors. Fitzgerald spent most of the season at Triple-A St. Paul, where he became fast friends with Keaschall.
'(Fitzgerald) is the man,' Keaschall said. 'Finally getting his chance in the big leagues and showing he plays the game super hard, plays the game with his hair on fire. He's been really great to me. One of my best friends down there. It was pretty cool to see.'
Advertisement
Fitzgerald described Keaschall as 'like a little brother to me' and noted that he could tell the prospect was capable of greatness within just a few games of watching him with the Saints.
'I give him a lot of s— behind closed doors,' Fitzgerald said. 'And he calls me his grandpa. Just being around Keasch, I was like, 'Dude … you're going to be playing this game for a long time.''
That certainly seems like a safe assumption at this point, but in the meantime it's remarkable how much of an impact Keaschall has made in a short time. He's set Twins records through the first 12 games of a career for OPS (1.207), times on base (24), RBIs (12), stolen bases (5) and Win Probability Added (1.2).
'Right away, I could tell he's a ball player,' Fitzgerald said. 'It's guys like him that give you energy. That's who you build a team around.'
And the Twins have repeatedly gotten unexpected contributions from unheralded players like Fitzgerald who were added to the roster after 40 percent of the team was traded at the deadline and have taken advantage of what might be their best — and maybe only — chance in the majors.
Fitzgerald knew 'the window was closing' on his big-league dreams this offseason and was pondering an offer from a Mexican League team when the Twins called him in January with the promise of a Triple A roster spot. He didn't even get a spring training invite to major-league camp.
'I've been doing this a long time,' Fitzgerald said. 'Nine seasons in the minor leagues. Not everyone gets to make it this far. I'm just blessed to have the opportunity. This group of guys, too. They cleaned house last week, but it's fun. It's a good group of ball players and I think it's a good brand of baseball.'
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today's puzzle