The Minnesota Twins return to Target Field on Saturday, July 25, hosting the Athletics in a 7:10 PM ET first pitch. Oakland sends right-hander Mason Barnett to the mound for this one, while the Twins have yet to announce a probable starter of their own. It is a mid-summer home date with real standings implications — the kind of game Minnesota needs to treat as a must-win if it wants to stay relevant in a competitive AL Central race. Coverage is available on Twins.TV Presented by Progressive and WCCO 830 AM.
Pitching Matchup: Mason Barnett Takes the Ball for Oakland
The Athletics will hand the ball to Mason Barnett, a young arm still carving out his footing at the big-league level. Specific ERA and win-loss data for Barnett are unavailable entering this start, which makes scouting him something of a live exercise. Young pitchers with limited track records can be wildly unpredictable — they can dominate or get rocked — and Minnesota's lineup will need to stay disciplined early, work counts, and see what Barnett brings before committing at the plate.
On the Twins' side, Minnesota has not named a starter as of this writing. That is worth watching. Whether the club goes with an established arm, a bulk opener, or a piggyback situation will shape how the dugout manages the middle innings. Keep an eye on any pregame announcement before first pitch.
Keys to Watch for Minnesota
- Identify Barnett early: With limited publicly available data on the Athletics starter, Twins hitters should look to work deep counts in the first two innings and force him to show his full arsenal before expanding the strike zone.
- Home-field execution: Target Field crowds can energize this roster. Minnesota playing at home is an advantage the Twins should lean into, particularly in close, late-game situations where crowd noise matters.
- Bullpen management: Without a confirmed starter, the Twins' pitching staff construction for this game becomes a key subplot. Manager Rocco Baldelli's bullpen decisions could determine the outcome as much as anything happening in the lineup.
- Run support: The Athletics have shown the ability to keep games low-scoring. Minnesota needs its offense to manufacture runs early and not wait around for the three-run homer to bail them out.
Prediction
This is a winnable game at home for Minnesota. The Twins have the venue advantage, and facing a pitcher whose numbers are not yet well established at this level creates opportunity for a patient, professional lineup to do damage. The unknown on Minnesota's pitching side introduces some variance, but lean Twins at Target Field. Call it a 5-3 Minnesota win in a competitive but controlled game where the home side does enough damage in the middle innings to hold off Oakland late.
