While many Minnesota Twins players are still trying to find their footing in this young season, one man has been an unexpected standout on the mound in the early going. Reliever Cole Sands was arguably the last player to secure a spot on the opening-day roster, but his performance is starting to raise some eyebrows. While his current role may not be as glamorous as a late-inning option or even a back-of-the-rotation starter, the 26-year-old bulk reliever has passed every test.
Minnesota’s bullpen depth was seen as a major asset coming out of spring training, but it’s been tested in the early going. That makes Sands’ glow up even brighter for Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
When he’s been in Triple-A, he’s thrown the ball good. When he’s come to the big leagues previously, we haven’t seen the same version of Cole Sands. Right now, I think we’re just getting the version he’s been when he’s been in St. Paul, the more comfortable version of a guy that is settled in, has his feet under him.
Sands’ performance in the highest minor league level is more good than great: 4.19 ERA across 91 innings pitched at Triple-A. However, Baldelli could be referring to his overall clip in the minor leagues. Sands has a 3.13 ERA in four minor league seasons, with a strong 10.6 K/9 and a usable 2.9 BB/9.
Those figures are great, but they don’t hold a candle to the admittedly small sample size in the big leagues this year. In his three appearances, Sands has a nice 1.69 ERA, a whopping 15 K/9, and only one walk.
It’s a welcome development that Twins fans have seen in recent years. Minnesota’s bullpen picture is filled with former starting pitchers, as is the case with many MLB bullpens. Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Brock Stewart, and Jorge Alcala are now essential arms in Minnesota’s relief corps. Each made their way to their major league debuts as starting pitchers, much like Sands. But the opportunity was there for each to make a name for themselves as relievers at the game’s highest level.
For Sands, the time is now to seize that opportunity just as his teammates have. So what does his manager think about Sands potentially finding higher-leverage opportunities down the line?
The same that it would for any guy that is stepping his game up and performing when his opportunities are in front of him. There is no limit to something like that. If Cole is going to go out there and look the way he’s looked, and he continues to pitch like this, you end up finding yourself in winning games and leverage spots. Really, anything is possible.
Part of what can make Sands stand out among the talented collection of relief arms is his ability to pitch multiple innings in a given outing. At the moment, that looks like mop-up duties if a starting pitcher gets a quick hook. But if he can keep performing the way he has in low-leverage spots, Sands could stretch himself out to a point where he could come in with a lead and lock in multiple innings – something that Baldelli has sought in his bullpens since he was hired.
“He has fit in that role just because he is comfortable going out there two, three and even four ups in a game if you needed him,” Baldelli said. “We build him up probably a little more than some of the other relievers and you need that at times. We’ve used him like that. It just made natural sense.”
That build-up will hopefully pay off big for the 26-year-old, even if that opportunity isn’t imminent. But if he keeps his early success rolling as the season progresses, it could be a good problem for Rocco to have.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead,” Baldelli admitted. “It’s early on. He’s looked great. I want to see more of that and I really do love it when guys force us to make decisions and really force our hand to put them in different positions. He’s in the process of doing that. As of now, I just want him to keep doing what he’s doing.”
