4 years agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Kenta Maeda has been named the team's Opening Day starter. The news isn't too surprising, as Maeda has been masterful this spring, with his latest gem coming on Sunday against the Red Sox- he twirled four shutout innings while striking out five batters and walking just one. The veteran starter seemed to surpass Jose Berrios as the team's ace in his first year in Minnesota, as he increased his strikeout and groundball rates to career-highs while slicing his walk rate in half. His track record suggests he won't maintain a sub-3.00 ERA, though his conscious effort to throw more off-speed stuff kept hitters guessing in 2020- and seems to be a sustainable formula in 2021.--Tim Capurso
Source: Phil Miller