Top 25 Twins Daily Most-Viewed Articles of 2023: Part 1 (21-25)

[Seth Stohs]

It's hard to believe that we are just days away from 2024. It's always fun to look back at which stories at Twins Daily that were clicked on the most. It's often surprising to see what type of article fits that bill. Enjoy the list and feel free to discuss each topic. 

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

2023 began with the saga of Carlos Correa. Expectations were reduced, but there was an excitement. The front office stayed busy in free agency and in the trade market. And then the season began, and while there were ups and downs, the Twins led the division much of the year and returned to the top spot. More important, they won a playoff game and a playoff series which, maybe you had heard it had been awhile. But looking back at 2023 through which articles you clicked into most frequently is always fun.  

#25  The Case to Bring Back Miguel Sano 
by Jeremy Nygaard
Jan 16

The first entry in our Top 25 came from the first month of the calendar. Miguel Sano missed most of the 2022 season with injuries, so it was a no-brainer to turn down his option and let him become a free agent. While it may not have been a very popular idea among most Twins fans, there certainly was a case to bring him back at a reduced, incentive-laden contract. While Sano ultimately may not have met the extremely high expectations that came with his controversial amateur career. It would have been nearly impossible to do so. However, Sano did have some great years with the Twins and some not-so-good years. He struck out a lot, but he hit a lot of home runs and was certainly intimidating in the batter’s box through most of his career. Ultimately, Sano didn’t sign with anyone in 2023, he is playing in the Dominican Winter League right now and appears to be in very good shape. Don’t be surprised if someone gives him another opportunity in 2024, and then don’t be surprised if he takes full advantage of it. I hope he does. 

#24 Twins Announce Promotional Schedule and Ticket Deals for 2023 Season 
by Melissa Berman
Jan 18 

When the Twins locked up Carlos Correa to a six-year, $200 million contract, there was a ton of excitement around the Twins. The Twins released their promotional schedule and some really exciting ticket sales opportunities. Hopefully the Twins will announce some similar ticket offers in the coming weeks. 

#23 Joey Gallo’s Last Stand 
by Cody Christie
Aug 7

Eyes rolled when the Twins signed Joey Gallo to a one-year, $11 million contract last December. That signing came shortly after the Twins and their fans thought that Correa had signed elsewhere. While he had a bad 2022 season, he was an All Star in 2021. He had won Gold Gloves. There were certainly plenty of reasons to think that he could return to some semblance of that 2021 and earlier player. In fact, in April, he had three doubles, a triple, and seven home runs in just 65 plate appearances. However, after the calendar changed to May, Gallo really struggled. He hit around .160, took some walks and hit some homers when he actually made contact. Gallo was solid defensively in the outfield and at first base. Despite the struggles, there were never reports of him being disruptive or anything but a supportive teammate. His final appearance with the Twins came on September 5th. 

#22 The Natural: Brooks Lee is Special, and the Twins Know It.  
by Nick Nelson
Mar 2 

The excitement around 2022 first-round draft pick Brooks Lee was palpable in spring training. Some called him the top college hitter in that draft, he was impressive in his professional debut late in 2022, even hitting .423 for the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge in six games (2 regular season, 4 playoff games). Early in spring, he got a lot of playing time in big-league games and made a strong impression on manager Rocco Baldelli. He also earned some compliments from Carlos Correa. “Man, that kind is a stud! I really, really, really like this kid. I’m very high on him. Don’t be surprised if we see him up this year. He’s very, very good, man. Everybody I talk to about him, it’s high praise. I don’t get impressed very easily. That was definitely a great pick by the Twins.” Lee didn’t get to the big leagues in 2023, but he ended the season at Triple-A. He was also named the winner of the Twins Minor League Player of the Year award. 

#21 The Twins Forgotten Center Fielder 
by Cody Pirkl
Jan 29

When Gilberto Celestino was first called up to the Minnesota Twins in April of 2021, all involved knew that he wasn’t ready. He had only a handful of games above A-ball. He struggled that year. He made some strides in 2022. Last offseason, the Twins added Michael A. Taylor to be the Buxton insurance in center field. That proved to be a wise move. The hope was Celestino could finally just get a few months of everyday playing time in St. Paul and let him develop his immense talent. Unfortunately, he broke his thumb early in spring training and missed a lot of time. The Twins DFAd Celestino very late in the 2023 season. He went unclaimed, but days later, he was able to become a free agent. He has since signed a minor-league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We will be back tomorrow with the next group of five. Feel free to discuss this group and any updates to this group from the time the articles were written. 

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[nclahammer]

I love these looks back, great reads Seth.  Curious to see what Brooks Lee can do this season and where he fits in with the plans for the Minnesota Twins.  I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I would offer Miguel Sano a minor league deal (although I believe another team may offer him more.)

[Johnny Ringo]

23 hours ago, nclahammer said:

I love these looks back, great reads Seth.  Curious to see what Brooks Lee can do this season and where he fits in with the plans for the Minnesota Twins.  I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I would offer Miguel Sano a minor league deal (although I believe another team may offer him more.)

If his name was anything else, I might agree. But there is too much pain and history here over squandered opportunity. Sometimes you just need to divide up the albums and move on. 

Great job as always Seth.  With the proliferation of sports streaming (you can watch squirt hockey for goodness sakes), is there any thought to the Twins streaming more minor league games? The technology is so darn cheap now.  College kids would probably do it free for the experience. And let's face it, free and cheap are the FO's two favorite words. :)