Ryan Jeffers Sees Resilience as the Twins’ Biggest Takeaway After Series Win Over Braves

Ryan Jeffers didn’t need much time to identify what stood out about the Minnesota Twins’ latest win.

It wasn’t the way they jumped on the Braves early or the fact that they had just taken a series from one of the better teams in baseball. For Jeffers, the more important part was what happened after the Twins had just been swept by Philadelphia.

“We settle in and we trust ourselves,” Jeffers said via Twins TV after Tuesday’s 4-1 win over Atlanta. “We come out here and play good baseball and stick with what we do well.”

That response has become increasingly familiar around the Twins, and manager Derek Shelton acknowledged afterward that resilience has almost become an overused word inside the clubhouse. At the same time, he has a hard time finding a better one for what his team has continued to show.

Minnesota had been frustrated by Sunday’s loss to the Phillies, a game Shelton said left him particularly angry. Two days later, the Twins had moved on and were putting together one of their cleaner performances against Atlanta.

“I think the culture that we have of our group — nothing ever gets them too high, too low,” Shelton said, via Twins TV. “The fact that they were able to bounce back, especially after the Sunday game ... is probably the thing that I’m most proud of.”

Jeffers was part of that response in a fairly important way.

After doubling in the first inning, he came back in the eighth with Kaelen Culpepper and Byron Buxton aboard and the Twins looking for some breathing room. Jeffers drove both home with a double, opening up a three-run lead.

His explanation for the at-bat was simple: with two runners who could score from first, he knew a ball into the gap could change the inning.

That kind of situation also explains why Jeffers spent so much time talking about the team's approach rather than his own performance.

“It’s just being relentless,” he said. “Just going one pitch at a time.”

The Twins have had plenty of reasons this season to lose sight of that. Instead, they have continued to lean on the idea Shelton described as “hunting the good” and playing all 27 outs, even when a previous game or series leaves them frustrated.

They also have veteran voices helping reinforce that mindset.

Jeffers pointed to Josh Bell, who opened Tuesday’s game with a 434-foot two-run homer and has remained one of Minnesota’s most productive hitters. Bell’s value, Jeffers said, extends well beyond what he does at the plate.

“The leadership he provides in the clubhouse and the mentorship that he can provide all of us is huge,” Jeffers said. “It’s invaluable to what we’re doing this year.”

That stability mattered again Tuesday. Zebby Matthews gave Minnesota 5 2/3 strong innings before handing the game to a bullpen that Shelton credited for shutting things down once again.

For a team that had just come off a disappointing series, that was the larger point Jeffers wanted to leave with.

The Twins didn't need to pretend Sunday never happened. They simply had to make sure it didn't follow them into Tuesday.

So far, that has been one of the more consistent parts of this team.