St. Paul – No other name is being discussed in the Minnesota Twins’ farm system more than Carson McCusker’s.
The 6’8”, 250 lbs. outfielder’s numbers at Triple-A St. Paul over the first month of the season stand as tall as he does next to every fan aware of what he’s doing. If he hadn’t already had everyone’s attention, he captured it with a multi-homer game. He hit two home runs that sounded like no-doubters off the bat and exit velocities at 108 and 114 MPH to back up their speed of sound.
“I’m just kind of staying within myself, not trying to do too much,” said McCusker on his multi-homer game Tuesday night. “I feel like, early in the year, you’re just trying to put up numbers and trying super hard to do that, instead of just letting it come to you, and I feel like I’m just staying under control right now.”
Letting his numbers come to him has worked tremendously in McCusker’s favor. He’s third in the International League in OPS (1.071) and leads the Saints with a .337/.398/.673 slash line, nine home runs (tied for third in the IL), and 27 RBI (tied for fifth in the league) through just 28 games.
“He’s killing balls right now,” said Saints manager Toby Gardenhire. “Obviously, one of the hottest hitters in Triple-A baseball. Hopefully, he keeps it up because it’s fun to watch.”
“The offense did a great job,” added David Festa, who got the win on the mound for the Saints Tuesday. “McCusker, he’s an absolute beast, and it’s fun to watch.”
He still feels he needs to improve his strikeout and walk numbers, which he has battled throughout his career.
“Obviously, got to cut down the strikeouts, walk more, and just put balls in play,” said McCusker “I think just stick to my approach throughout the whole at-bat instead of coming off it at two strikes, I could definitely work on that, but that’s probably it right there.”
McCusker’s numbers this season are still good. He has a 31.2% strikeout rate and a 7.3% walk rate, both career lows. But the season is still early. From what Gardenhire has seen, McCusker has vastly improved his swings and misses and judgment on the strike zone compared to when he first signed with the Twins organization in 2023.
“He’s doing great. He’s striking out some, but the strikeout numbers are down from a few years ago,” Gardenhire said. “What he’s done, the progression he’s made from a couple of years ago is awesome.”
He’s on the cusp of breaking into the majors with his offensive production. However, McCusker isn’t on Minnesota’s 40-man roster. The Twins would need to make some room for him to join the roster and have, as Twins Daily scribe Greggory T. Masterson puts it, “a Big Dude Who Ding Dongs” as the right-handed corner outfield bat they’ve needed for years.
McCusker is aware of the notoriety he has gained from Twins fans over the last month. After his time with the Twins.TV pregame show before a day game against the White Sox on April 24, fans have been letting him know they want him up with the big league club. While it is out of his control, he appreciates what fans are saying about him.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “Having people rooting for you that you don’t even know is a pretty cool feeling.”
McCusker could be Minnesota’s version of Aaron Judge once he makes it to the Big League roster this season. Still, his swing is reminiscent of Pete Incaviglia, one of the greatest college baseball players ever. McCusker also attended Oklahoma State University, where Incaviglia made his name before debuting with the Texas Rangers without playing in the minors.
Incaviglia coached McCusker in his Indy Ball days before former Twins scout Billy Milos signed him. Like Incaviglia, who led MLB in strikeouts in his rookie season with 185, McCusker still strikes out at a high rate. However, Incaviglia was also a crucial power hitter on the Rangers’ 1986 squad, leading the team with 30 home runs and third in RBI with 88.
McCusker likely won’t see as much playing time as his former coach did during his rookie season in ’86 – Incaviglia played in 153 games that season. But once his name is called up to the majors later this summer, McCusker can keep a strong lineage of OSU hitters alive at the major-league level.
