Gray Sonny and Kenta Maeda make their last visit to Minnesota Twins
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72906554/1478774428.0.jpg)
It was famously observed by Jerry Seinfeld that sports fans tend to support laundry over people. Because of this, it’s occasionally necessary to pause and pay tribute to the Minnesota Twins alumni who have passed on. Here are some remarks regarding Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda:
Gray Sonny
To be honest, there were moments when Sonny’s actions could irritate people. For example, he would insist on pitching deeper in competitions even though his resume did not support that claim. Or his sporadic outbursts of insanity that would untrack a masterpiece right away.
But the numbers would always be there when it mattered most. Even though Gray only pitched 119.2 innings in 2022, he was seventh on the team in bWAR. this previous season? With this stellar line—32 GS, 8-8, 184 IP, 2.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 0.4 HR/9—first in team bWAR. Although the lack of double-digit victories was somewhat surprising, Gray and Pablo Lopez were co-ace players by all other measures. He was chosen for the AL All-Star team and came in second place in the AL Cy Young voting to Gerrit Cole.
Although I doubt that he will continue to enjoy such a career renaissance with the St. Louis Cardinals, I also doubt that the Twins will replace his numbers in their “24” starting staff.
Maeda Kenta
In 2020 (11 GS, 6-1, 66.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 0.75 WHIP), Maeda had one outstanding short-sample season and was the best Twin to toe the rubber since Johan Santana’s prime. King Kenta would have won the Cy Young trophy if Shane Bieber hadn’t hit a similarly spectacular ’20.
Regrettably, inconsistency resulted in injury (2021) and Tommy John surgery (2022), which meant 2022 was lost. Following his return in 2023, Kenta had a slow start and continued experiencing strange events. In 104.1 IP, he did record a respectable 1.17 WHIP and 102 ERA+.
It was unexpected that he signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Tigers at the age of 35. Yet when healthy, he has consistently been a reliable—and occasionally outstanding—pitcher and has shown himself to be a leader in the Twins’ clubhouse.
Conclusion
The Cincinnati Reds have added Emilio Pagan to their roster as of the time this post was submitted. One the one hand, with 69.1 innings pitched, 144 ERA+, and 0.952 WHIP, Pagan was among the Twins’ best relievers in ’23. However, his MN resume for His Dark Materials will always state 2022. Even though I will truly miss Gray & Maeda, I can move on from Pagan because I will never be able to fully trust him, no matter how many positive experiences—or seasons—he had.
