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The Minnesota Timberwolves are off to an inauspicious start. Following a historic collapse last season, they've posted an 8-15 record to start the 2025 campaign. Rocco Baldelli knows he could be out of a job if his team doesn't improve.
“When you sign up to manage and coach or play, you sign up for anything,” Baldelli told the Athletic on Tuesday. “There’s nothing easy about it, there’s nothing pleasant about playing baseball below the level of your own expectation. You can just never quit going forward. You just have to continue productively in the direction of playing winning baseball. … It’s all part of it. Never think things can’t get more challenging. Things can, and the league doesn’t slow down. You have to speed up and get it going.”
The Twins held a 70-53 record midway through last August and were in prime position to qualify for the postseason. However, a 12-27 close to the season left them at home on their couches come playoff time.
Despite an altered spring training system, their struggles have carried over to this season.
Rocco Baldelli staying positive amid Twins' struggles to open season
Minnesota has been unable to overcome injuries to key contributors such as starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and, more recently, second baseman Willi Castro. The Twins' offense ranks towards the bottom of the league, with 79 runs scored (26th) and a .620 team OPS (28th). While their pitching has been more effective, posting a 3.93 ERA (14th), they rank towards the bottom of the league with a .979 fielding percentage.
Baldelli has an impressive resume, leading the Twins to three American League Central titles in six seasons as manager. While Minnesota's poor start is cause for concern, he's maintaining a level-headed approach as he attempts to steer his team back towards success.
“Every time you are going good in this game, you feel like you can do no wrong,” Baldelli said. “And every time things are not going well, you think you can do no right. In reality, none of that is true — and this is why we hold to the truths and the work and the very productive things we know about our game and paths to move forward to play great baseball.
“Our guys just need to go out and just play confidently, play well… You never get to a point in the season, really unless you’re in the last week or two of a particular season, where you start calling games ‘must-wins.’ That’s not what is going on. But coming together, playing good overall, competitive, winning-type of games in baseball, that’s where we are at right now.”
