With new life as leadoff man, Correa leading the way for Twins

SEATTLE — Thursday’s suffocating effort from Seattle right-hander George Kirby however, this street journey to open the second half has provided far more of what the Twins had hoped to see from their offense: discerning at-bats, the power to drive the ball, a willingness to make use of the entire subject.

And till Kirby and the Mariners blanked the Twins, 5-0, within the collection finale, the offense had picked up, plating 5 or extra runs in six consecutive video games for the primary time for the reason that finish of April to spur a 5-2 street journey that helped the Twins regain and keep first place within the American League Central.

A lot of that success has come from children — together with the red-hot Edouard Julien and Alex Kirilloff — and a resurgent Max Kepler. However it actually begins on the high with a surging Carlos Correawho sat out Thursday’s recreation however has lastly discovered some consistency on the plate by turning into an on a regular basis leadoff hitter for the primary time in his profession.

“I feel simply [manager] Rocco [Baldelli] placing me within the leadoff spot gave me a brand new perspective,” Correa mentioned. “As a substitute of attempting to go deep on each pitch, it was, ‘Put the barrel on the ball and let one thing occur.’ That is been permitting me to get on base and permitting me to have higher outcomes. Credit score to Rocco for placing me in that spot. It modified my mentality.”

After mechanical tweaks, strategy tweaks and every little thing in between in an effort to show round a .212/.287/.403 begin in his first 71 video games — which coincided with continued underperformance from the Minnesota offense — that bump up the order may lastly have accomplished the trick.

As a substitute of feeling the strain to be one of many crew’s major run-producers by driving the ball, Correa took it upon himself to suppose like a leadoff hitter, specializing in making it to first base by spraying line drives and simplifying. Since his transfer to the highest of the order on June 30, Correa is hitting .312/.382/.443 for an .825 OPSwith a 28.6% line-drive price that has practically doubled his 17.6% line-drive price earlier than the transfer.

“He doesn’t have to attempt to carry the ball, ever — he actually doesn’t,” Baldelli mentioned. “He’s all the time had his success, and continues to have success at this second, with simply these shorter, extra compact, direct strokes.”

On the one hand, Correa has lastly discovered some semblance of consistency amid one of many worst statistical seasons of his profession. However however, the Twins didn’t convey Correa again on a six-year, $200 million deal for him to be a twig hitter on the high of a lineup, with the hopes that the likes of Julien, Kirilloff and Donovan Solano will drive him in.

However Correa felt that he wasn’t serving to the crew as a lot as he might whereas in his funk, and though he isn’t utilizing the ability component of his appreciable skillset for now, he’s all proper with that, as a result of he’s contributing to the offense extra constantly.

“As a leadoff man now, I am simply attempting to be on base for the blokes behind me,” he mentioned. “That is how I really feel like I’ll assist the crew win ballgames transferring ahead. The mentality is totally different, however on the similar time, it is simply attempting to catch the ball on the barrel. … I suppose if you’re hitting two, three [in the lineup]I used to be simply attempting to go deep each at-bat.”

And Correa’s struggles weren’t simply going to vanish in a single day; it is a course of, he says, of simply discovering some consistency, to which he’ll finally add extra of the ability component again.

“Simply bought to attempt to construct some consistency, which I used to be not in a position to do within the first half,” he mentioned. “Put some good video games collectively, put some good weeks collectively, after which the arrogance is increase and you can begin lifting the ball. It is a course of, however I do not plan to be a slap hitter.”

However for now, with leadoff man Correa setting the tone for the productive children behind him, the Twins appear to lastly have discovered one thing that works — they usually’ll take it.

“It units a tone,” Baldelli mentioned. “It form of fashions what we want to see from a whole lot of our guys. … It’s simpler to hold that over if you see somebody doing constantly.”