Command Of Strike Zone Defines Twins’ Luke Keaschall
Luke Keaschall spent three years in college, but the Twins still want him to brush up on his math skills. They’re trying to teach him how much more 150 is than 70.
“He might be the hardest worker in the entire organization. Sometimes we’ve had to back him off, because he’ll just grind away all day in the weight room,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said.
“One thing we always have to emphasize to college guys is how much different it is to play 150 games, and how they need to consider the load they put on their bodies through a long season. It’s not easy.”
Keaschall makes a lot of things look easy. Things like getting on base.
The 21-year-old second baseman, drafted in the second round out of Arizona State last summer, posted a .414 on-base percentage during his introduction to pro ball in 2023.
Keaschall opened the 2024 season with .438 OBP for High-A Cedar Rapids in April. That’s after an overall .432 OBP during three years in college, two at San Francisco and one at ASU.
“His command of the strike zone is beyond what you would expect for his age,” Falvey said. “He squares the ball up really well, but it’s impressive to see how unwilling he is to expand the zone.”
He’s willing to expand his versatility, though. Keaschall played every infield position in college, and the Twins are trying him in center field, too. They envision a super-utility player, whose bat keeps him in the lineup on a daily basis.
Keaschall became a power hitter with the Sun Devils, finishing third in the Pacific-12 Conference with 18 home runs last year, and that’s a trait that intrigues the Twins.
“We didn’t project him as a more than average power, but he’s got the athleticism, the bat-to-ball (skills), and the strength to exceed that profile,” Falvey said. “Plus he’s got a work ethic that you’d never bet against.”
