This Minnesota reliever has been a bright spot during a dark time for Twins baseball
While it feels like there are only negatives to take away from the Twins’ 2025 season, there are still some positives regarding the team, including the emergence of Cole Sands.
Cole Sands has emerged as dominant high-leverage reliever for Twins
Sands started the season on the right foot, posting a 2.89 ERA in 28 innings through June 8. He ran into trouble in June, however, allowing 10 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings.
But since then, Sands has arguably been the Twins’ best reliever who did not get traded.
Since July, Sands has a 2.73 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 32 strikeouts, six walks and five holds in 26 1/3 innings. Sands pitched in late-game situations plenty of times before the trade deadline, but has seen an increase in high-leverage situations ever since the Twins got rid of nearly their entire bullpen.
Expect Cole Sands to be one of the Twins’ most counted-on relievers in 2026
Sands, 28, has always had strong stuff, but he has finally been able to use it for good results at the major-league level over the past couple of seasons.
He had an excellent season in 2024, posting a 3.28 ERA (2.68 FIP) with a 29.1% strikeout rate and 4.1% walk rate.
Although he has had a strong 2025 season, Sands’s stats this year have been overall slightly worse than in 2024; he has a 3.84 ERA (3.35 FIP) with a 23.1% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate this season.
Still, overall great numbers, which have mainly been hurt due to Sands’s poor performance in June.
One thing Sands has done more often than last year is induce more ground balls, as he has a 44.2% ground ball rate this year compared to a 36.7% ground ball rate last season.
Sands has been successful using a five-pitch mix that includes a mid-90s four-seamer (27.5%), high-80s cutter (25.0%), high-80s split-finger (21.2%), low-80s curveball (17.4%) and mid-90s sinker (9.0%).
If the Twins want to be competitive in 2026, rebuilding their bullpen, which ranks 24th in bullpen ERA (4.55) this season, is necessary.
There are many internal options in the minor leagues, and likely some relatively affordable relievers on the 2025-26 free-agent market, but one thing the Twins likely can already count on is Sands playing a significant role in the bullpen next season.
