MINNEAPOLIS — The Miami Marlins (19-22) open a three-game interleague series at Target Field on Tuesday at 7:40 p.m. ET against the Minnesota Twins (18-23). Eury Pérez starts for Miami against Bailey Ober. The Marlins arrive on a two-game winning streak after taking the series from Washington over the weekend behind a 4-3 walk-off Thursday, an 8-7 comeback Saturday on Jakob Marsee’s three-run eighth-inning home run, and a 5-2 Mother’s Day win Sunday behind six innings from Sandy Alcántara. The Twins arrive on a two-game winning streak of their own after taking two of three in Cleveland to close a 4-6 road trip. Both teams are inside the Wild Card conversation. Neither team is more than 2.5 games from third place in their division.
This is the kind of series the August 3 trade deadline turns on.
The Series, At A Glance
- Tuesday May 12 · 7:40 PM ET · Eury Pérez (2-4, 5.01 ERA) vs. Bailey Ober (3-2, 4.19 ERA).
- Wednesday May 13 · 7:40 PM ET · Probable: TBD vs. TBD.
- Thursday May 14 · 1:40 PM ET · Probable: TBD vs. TBD.
Tuesday: Eury Pérez Hunts His Form
Eury Pérez, the 23-year-old right-hander from Santiago, Dominican Republic, makes his eighth start of the 2026 season Tuesday night. The line so far is the line Miami did not sign up for: 2-4 with a 5.01 ERA across 38 innings, 45 strikeouts but 25 walks — the highest BB/9 of his career and the issue Miami is trying to coach him out of. The stuff is back. The command is the work in progress. Last Wednesday at loanDepot park, Eury gave up a 109-mph, 407-foot three-run Pete Alonso home run in the first inning before half the building had sat down, then settled in for four more innings before exiting after five.
Bailey Ober is the matchup. The 30-year-old right-hander listed at 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds is one of the tallest pitchers in baseball, with a sinker-changeup approach and a 4.19 ERA across eight starts. He has been the Twins’ length-eater all year. The Marlins lineup has limited matchup history against him — Trevor Larnach is 1-for-3 with a homer in his Marlins career, but most of the lineup is seeing Ober for the first time.
The Marlins’ Lineup Will Not Stop Producing
Otto Lopez carries a 12-game hitting streak into Target Field, the longest in MLB after Jacob Wilson of the Athletics went hitless against Baltimore over the weekend. Lopez is tied for first in MLB in hits with Ozzie Albies (47). Liam Hicks leads MLB in RBI with 34 after his ninth home run of the season Thursday night against Cade Povich. Xavier Edwards is fifth in MLB in batting average at .328 and the only National League hitter in the top five. None of the three is making more than the league minimum salary of $800,000.
The Marlins also lead Major League Baseball in stolen bases with 48. Marsee has 12 by himself, tied for fifth in the league. Sunday’s win over Washington featured two double-steals in a single inning, the second of which scored Marsee on a Heriberto Hernández two-RBI single off Gus Varland. This is a team that is finding wins in places it did not used to find them.
The Twins — A Roster Built Almost Entirely In America
The Minnesota Twins enter Tuesday with only four players born outside the United States on their 40-man roster. It is one of the lowest international counts on any active roster in Major League Baseball. The Twins’ identity is homegrown American development — drafted American amateurs, MLB-trained, brought up through the minor-league system. Where the Marlins built their lineup through Latin American academies and Rule 5 acquisitions of Canadian and Trinidadian bats, the Twins built theirs through the American draft.
Here are the four international players on Minnesota’s 40-man roster:
?? Victor Caratini — Puerto Rico. The 32-year-old switch-hitting catcher from Coamo, Puerto Rico. Two-way veteran behind the plate, currently splitting time with Ryan Jeffers. In his 10th big-league season.
Minnesota Twins’ Victor Caratini (37) is congratulated after scoring during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Sunday, May 3, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)
?? Luis García — Dominican Republic. The 39-year-old veteran right-handed reliever from Bonao, Dominican Republic. In his 14th MLB season, the elder statesman of the bullpen and the only Twins player with a debut date earlier than 2010.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Luis García throws to the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
?? Kendry Rojas — Cuba. The 23-year-old left-hander, in his first MLB season. The youngest international player on the roster and the only Cuban-born player in the Twins organization.
Minnesota Twins’ Kendry Rojas pitches in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
?? Yoendrys Gómez — Venezuela. The 26-year-old right-hander from Guigue, Carabobo, on the active roster. Fourth-year MLB player who came from the Yankees system before landing in Minnesota.
Minnesota Twins’ Yoendrys Gomez, right, celebrates with catcher Ryan Jeffers, left, after the Twins defeated the Cleveland Guardians in a baseball game in Cleveland, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Pablo López, the Twins’ Venezuelan ace, is on the 60-day injured list with a season-ending injury. He is the highest-profile international player on the franchise but will not appear in this series.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez throws during a spring training baseball workout in Fort Myers, Fla., Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The Twins Have Six Black Players. Most Teams Don’t.”
Per MLB’s April 2026 diversity report, the Minnesota Twins had six Black players on their Opening Day roster — including two Black starting pitchers. That total is one of the highest in Major League Baseball in a year when only 6.8 percent of all MLB players on Opening Day rosters were Black, a number that itself represented the first back-to-back annual increase in Black representation in more than two decades. The Twins, alongside the St. Louis Cardinals (Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II), are part of a small group of midsize-market teams driving the league’s recent climb. Five major-market franchises — the Cubs, Giants, Red Sox, Padres, and Pirates — did not have a single Black player on their Opening Day rosters.
The Twins’ two Black starting pitchers:
Taj Bradley — the 25-year-old right-hander, currently on the 15-day injured list with right pectoral inflammation, was set to be the rotation’s most dynamic young arm. Strikeout-heavy approach, mid-90s fastball, the kind of arm baseball’s developmental pipeline was built to produce.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Taj Bradley celebrates after striking out Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Simeon Woods Richardson — the 25-year-old right-hander, fifth-year MLB player, fourth of those years in Minnesota. The Twins’ #5 starter and a piece they have developed since acquiring him from the Mets-Blue Jays system.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson (24) in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Buxton Joined Aaron Judge On Team USA’s 2026 WBC Outfield
The most prominent of those six Twins is Byron Buxton, the 32-year-old center fielder from Baxley, Georgia. Buxton made his World Baseball Classic debut at the 2026 tournament after years of injury-shortened seasons cost him earlier opportunities. He joined Aaron Judge, Corbin Carroll, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the Team USA outfield. Manager Mark DeRosa singled him out at the roster announcement: “It’s time for the world to see [Buxton]. He used to work out with us as a young kid and kind of watched him become a star. He’s been nicked up by injuries. He’s healthy now. He just hit 35 jacks. It’s kind of time for the world to see him run around in center field, in my opinion.”
United States right fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates Brice Turang, left, and Byron Buxton, center, after their win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Buxton was not the only Twin on the Team USA roster. Joe Ryan, the 30-year-old right-hander, made the Team USA pitching staff alongside Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal, Logan Webb, and the rest of the rotation. Ryan threw three innings in pool play and made the quarterfinal roster. He is currently 2026’s longest active Twins starter and the staff’s veteran arm with Pablo López on the IL.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
For an organization that is one of the most American-rostered in the sport, the Twins sent more high-profile names to Team USA than the AL Central average. Two Team USA players on a 26-man roster is real WBC representation in a year when Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., and Bryce Harper carried most of the national-tournament wattage.
The Twins Coaching Staff: International Where The Roster Is Not
The Twins’ coaching staff carries more of the franchise’s international identity than the active roster does. Mark Hallberg, the bench coach, is one of the few South African-born coaches in Major League Baseball. Pitching staff and field coordination flow through Venezuelan-born Luis Ramirez (assistant pitching coach) and Dominican-born Rayden Sierra (assistant hitting coach). Third base coach Ramon Borrego and bullpen catcher Anderson De La Rosa are both Venezuelan. It is a reflection of where the franchise scouts and develops, even when its active roster does not yet reflect that.
This is not how most contending teams are built in 2026, and that itself is part of the story. The Twins’ identity is homegrown American development — Buxton, Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Taj Bradley, Simeon Woods Richardson, Joe Ryan, Cole Sands — all American-born, most drafted by the franchise. Where the Marlins built their lineup through Latin American academies and Rule 5 acquisitions of Canadian and Trinidadian bats, the Twins built theirs through American amateur drafts and player development pipelines.
The Marlins — Eleven WBC Participants And A Lineup From Eight Countries
The Marlins sent eleven players to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, one of the deeper contingents in the sport and the largest in the NL East. The team taking the field at Target Field on Tuesday is built across eight countries:
- ?? Sandy Alcántara (Dominican Republic) — Cy Young ’22, six innings of two-run ball on Mother’s Day Sunday, 4-0 lifetime vs. Washington
- ?? Eury Pérez (Dominican Republic) — Tuesday’s starter, post-Tommy John return year, the 23-year-old 6-foot-8 right-hander chasing his form
- ?? Otto Lopez (Panama-born, Canada at WBC) — 12-game hit streak, tied for 1st in MLB hits
- ?? Liam Hicks (Canada at WBC) — MLB RBI leader at 34
- ?? Xavier Edwards (Trinidad and Tobago) — 5th in MLB batting average at .328, the only NL hitter in the top five
- ?? Owen Caissie (Canada at WBC) — corner outfielder, acquired from the Cubs in the Edward Cabrera trade
- ?? Jakob Marsee (Italy at WBC) — three-run game-winning homer Saturday, 12 stolen bases (tied 5th in MLB)
- ?? Javier Sanoja (Venezuela at WBC) — utility infielder, hitting .301
- ?? Jared Serna (Mexico at WBC) — 40-man depth
- ?? Ian Lewis (Great Britain at WBC) — 40-man depth
- ?? Michael Petersen (Great Britain at WBC) — active bullpen, struggled in the ninth inning Saturday before John King got the save
- ?? Yiddi Cappe (Cuba at WBC) — Triple-A Jacksonville
- ?? Heriberto Hernández (Dominican Republic) — recall after Pauley demotion, two-RBI single Sunday
- ?? Agustín Ramírez (Dominican Republic at WBC) — currently at Triple-A Jacksonville
The Marlins’ coaching staff also includes Pedro Guerrero (Dominican Republic, hitting coach), Carson Vitale (Canada, bench coach), and Tanner Garrison (Canada, bullpen catcher). The international identity is not aspirational. It is the active engine of the team’s offensive numbers in 2026.
What’s Actually At Stake
The Marlins are 19-22. The Twins are 18-23. Miami is four games out of the third Wild Card spot in the National League. Minnesota is 1.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot in the American League and 2.5 games out of the AL Central division lead — itself a measure of how flat the division has become, with the Tigers, Royals, Guardians, and White Sox all within striking distance.
The AL Central is the definition of parity in 2026. The division leader has a sub-.600 record. The fifth-place Twins are within striking distance of the top spot. Every game one of these clubs banks now is a game off the deficit and a vote for keeping their veterans through the August 3 deadline. Every game they lose pushes them toward selling. The Twins have Buxton ($15 million player option for 2027), Pablo López on the IL, Josh Bell on a one-year deal, Taylor Rogers in his contract year. The Marlins have Sandy Alcántara on every July rumor list and Max Meyer as the controllable trade chip nobody is yet talking about. Both clubs are making decisions in May about what their July looks like.
How To Watch
- Tuesday May 12 · 7:40 PM ET · Eury Pérez vs. Bailey Ober · Target Field, Minneapolis
- Wednesday May 13 · 7:40 PM ET · Probables TBD
- Thursday May 14 · 1:40 PM ET · Probables TBD
- TV: Marlins.TV (Miami) · Twins.TV Presented by Progressive / FOX9+KMSP (Minnesota) · MLB.TV nationally
- Radio: WQAM 104.3 · WAQI 710 AM (Spanish) · TIBN / WCCO 830 (Minnesota)
The Closing Note
This is two teams that look very different built around the same calculation. The Twins draft American kids and develop them through MLB’s youth pipelines. The Marlins scout Latin America, trade for Canadians, and sign Trinidadian bats off the waiver wire. Both rosters have spent the first six weeks of the season producing more wins than the payroll math suggested they should. Both are now staring at the same deadline math: bank enough wins by the end of July to keep the core together, or start dealing pieces for the next contention window.
Three games at Target Field this week is a small but real referendum. Eury Pérez against a tall right-hander Tuesday. The Marlins’ top-five MLB offense against a quietly steady Twins rotation. Two teams in the same Wild Card pocket trying to climb out before the calendar makes the climbing harder. First pitch is at 7:40.
— MT
