Taj Bradley’s early performance for the Minnesota Twins has caught the eye, despite the team’s slow start to the 2026 season. The Twins have an unfortunate 1-3 start, but Bradley’s start was a positive takeaway. It came during the Twins’ lone win of the season against Baltimore.
Increased Velocity on Display
The velocity Bradley showcased was the main talking point from his first start. His fastball averaged 97.4 mph, a full mile per hour faster than last season’s average of 96.2 mph. He reached a top speed of 99.6 mph, the fastest pitch from a Twins starting pitcher in the Statcast era. Bradley has previously thrown over 100 mph twice while with Tampa Bay.
Despite having 74 career big league starts, Bradley is still relatively young, having turned 25 on March 20th.
Breaking Ball Success
Despite the velocity of Bradley’s fastball, it has been a below-average pitch for him. Last season, his four-seam fastball had a run value of minus-five. He has found more success with his breaking pitches. His curveball held batters to an opposing batting average of .082 last season, alongside a 37.6 whiff rate. Bradley’s split-finger was also above-average last season, albeit not as elite as his curveball.
A Potential Breakout Season?
The improved performance of Bradley’s fastball in 2026 suggests a breakout season could be on the cards. In his first outing, he generated a 30 percent whiff rate on his four-seamer. For context, the average MLB whiff rate on four-seam fastballs is around ten percent.
- Royce Lewis already has a pair of homers
- Joe Ryan looked to have maybe the best velocity of his career
- Bradley’s split-finger had the highest whiff rate out of all his pitches on Saturday, with a whiff rate of 63.6%
Split-Finger Dominance
Bradley’s split-finger looked very effective in Baltimore. He threw it 27 times, and the Orioles did not record a hit off it. It’s his preferred option against left-handed hitters, with 21 of the split-fingers thrown against lefties. Bradley’s split-finger had the highest whiff rate out of all his pitches, with a whiff rate of 63.6%.
A breakout season could be on the horizon for Bradley in 2026.