New Boston Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis, who was a finalist for the same job with the Twins last offseason, said Minnesota's pitching success is due to trust in secondary pitches.
Beyond fastballs, Willis sees the Twins pitchers believing in their breaking balls and change-ups. Before Monday's games, Minnesota ranked 20th in major league baseball with a 4.05 earned-run average, more than half a run better than the 29th-ranked ERA Minesota had the past two seasons.
"I think there is a big confidence in secondary stuff," Willis said. "Obviously, they are still using their fastballs. The changing of speeds is so crucial to keeping hitters off balance.