In most instances, a former first-round draft pick coming off the best season of their young career would garner significant attention. But it feels like Trevor Larnach is flying under the radar.
The outfielder was a steady presence for the Minnesota Twins in 2024 and ended up being one of the only bright spots in the lineup through their late-season collapse. Still, whether it’s from playing second fiddle to superstar hitters like Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton or because other younger names are emerging in the outfield picture, the 28-year-old slugger hasn’t received the same publicity as his teammates.
So what gives?
Larnach had a strong campaign, improving as the year went on. His first half was respectable. He hit .249/.312/.426 while popping nine home runs. But Larnach hit a new gear once the calendar flipped to July, which propelled his overall offensive contribution at the expense of some in-game power. Though he only hit six more home runs after that point, Larnach hit .272/.368/.443, which was roughly 34% better than the league average, according to wRC+.
He was their third-best hitter in the second half, trailing only Matt Wallner and Buxton, who played half as many games in that span.
Larnach was better or more available than the marquee names like Correa and Royce Lewis. Better than All-Star Willi Castro. And he is worlds better than his right-handed counterparts in the outfield, Austin Martin and Manny Margot.
The best part of Larnach’s development? His numbers under the hood suggest it isn’t a fluke, and he’s made tangible progress with each MLB campaign.
He’s seen significant improvement in various metrics surrounding exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and general damage when he makes contact.
Larnach made linear progress in these fields every year until 2024, when some regressed slightly while raising his overall offensive profile. There are still strengths in his batting profile, but the slight decrease in these numbers made way for improvement in other areas, such as expected batting average, improved whiff percentage, and strikeout rate.
Rocco Baldelli took note of Larnach’s improvements in recent years, especially what he was able to accomplish last season.
“He filled a great spot in our group last year,” Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com‘s Bill Ladson last week. “He was someone from the left side of the plate that would put the ball in play when we needed him to.
“[Larnach] does a little bit of everything. He hits the ball hard. He can put some balls in the seats, which is still something that you’re looking for from your team. But he had a nice change of approach in the way he took to his pregame work, what he was trying to accomplish. He saw the ball really deep on a regular basis and he benefited from it.”
That’s notable praise from the skipper, especially as the club tries to establish a new standard for early season and pregame work for his players. There’s been a more concerted effort to get as many players participating in team workouts in spring training and a mental shift so that it isn’t viewed as simply “business as usual” for this Twins club that faded considerably in the later part of last season.
So maybe the club is seeking that same mentality on a club-wide level as they try to establish healthier habits to stay productive throughout the upcoming season. It worked for Larnach, and he’s grateful for the process that led him there.
“I believed in myself. I always wanted it, prayed and grinded for it. I wanted to play well in the big leagues at the highest level,” Larnach said. “Being sent down wasn’t the first time. It was part of the business. I got used to it by now. I’ve been up and down, in and out. You learn from it.”
Twins fans can keep overlooking the 2018 former first-round pick, with a solid prospect pedigree and a limited role on the big league club until last year. However, he might force his way onto everyone’s radar should he continue to ascend as an MLB regular.
