Minnesota Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Shortstop

[Nick Nelson]

Is it an exaggeration to say the entire season hinges on Carlos Correa staying healthy? Yeah, probably. But not by much. The Twins desperately need their star shortstop to shine brightly if they are to fulfill their potential.

Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The impact of a star performer at shortstop is hard to match in baseball. As a case in point: The Twins finished sixth in fWAR at the position last year. Of the five teams ahead of them (KC, NYM, BAL, CIN, LAD), four made the postseason, including the eventual World Series champs. It's fair to say that Bobby Witt Jr. and Francisco Lindor were THE singular differentiators in their teams making the playoffs.

That is the degree of team-lifting potential Carlos Correa brings to the table, and Minnesota is paying handsomely for it: $37 million in the third year of a six-year contract. Correa has shown he can be worth every penny when on the field as starting shortstop. But with his salary inhibiting flexibility for the now-constrained front office, there isn't much in terms of supporting depth at this critical position. 

This team's broader range of outcomes is shaped by Correa's ability to stay on the field – a scary proposition.

TWINS SHORTSTOPS AT A GLANCE

Starter: Carlos Correa
Backup: Brooks Lee
Depth: Willi Castro, Austin Martin
Prospects: Kaelen Culpepper, Kyle DeBarge, Danny De Andrade

Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 6th out of 30
Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 8th out of 30

THE GOOD
On the fateful date he was scratched from the lineup in San Francisco last summer, July 13th, Correa ranked ninth among all major-league players with 3.6 fWAR. He was an All-Star and he might have been in the MVP conversation if there weren't three players, including two shortstops (Witt and Gunnar Henderson), separating themselves from the field in the American League.

Shaking off his injury-rooted struggles from the previous season, Correa was a two-way force in the first half, taking great at-bats and crushing the ball routinely while excelling at short. He was only heating up as the summer unfolded; in the month before landing on the injured list, Correa slashed .344/.417/.635 with eight home runs, 19 RBIs, nine walks and only 12 strikeouts in 25 games. The Twins went 16-9. 

 

Such is the level of impact Correa can offer, and it's why the Twins were willing to hand him a free-agent contract two years ago that blew away their previous record. He's the total package, starring on offense and defense while also drawing rave reviews for his influence off the field and behind the scenes. The number of players who have ever come through the Twins organization with a commensurate combination of talent, leadership and baseball IQ can probably be counted on one hand.

Yes, there is ample reason for concern about his ability to hold up. If Correa never made it back to the field last year after his plantar fasciitis issues surfaced at the All-Star break, that concern would be magnified. But he was able to make it back into the Twins lineup in mid-September, and he played very well upon returning, batting .325 with a .960 OPS and more walks (10) than strikeouts (8) in 11 games. 

Correa's finishing flourish set him into the offseason on the right foot, so to speak, and he spent his winter focusing on developing a maintenance plan to keep the pesky heel afflictions at bay. So far, so good. He reportedly showed up to camp pain-free and was thrust right into exhibition lineups after easing his way into action last spring. 

 

Still 30 years old, Correa remains in his physical prime and he sure looked it while on the field last year. If he's healthy and doing his thing, it's hard to imagine the Twins missing the playoffs unless things really unravel elsewhere. But if Correa is once again unavailable for a large portion of the season, the Twins will be left scrambling.

THE BAD
It's been quite a journey for Carlos Correa and his embattled body. First there were the multiple free-agent contracts rescinded over worries about his ankle that surfaced in medical scans. Then, after finally landing (back) with the Twins, his first season was hampered by a lengthy ordeal with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He rebounded in the first half of 2024, posting peak production up until another extended bout of plantar fasciitis ensued, this time in his right foot.

Numerous significant health concerns hover over Correa as he enters his 30s, all seemingly threatening to become relevant again at any time. I haven't even touched on the back problems that previously plagued him. The risk level is sky-high, and there's not much the Twins can do about it other than prepare for scenarios where Correa gets sidelined. In this regard, the organization seems woefully ill equipped.

Theoretically Correa's top backup is Brooks Lee. He's played shortstop throughout the minors and he made 23 starts there for the Twins as a rookie. Rocco Baldelli seems to trust the 24-year-old at this crucial, difficult position, and with good cause: Lee is a crisp fielder with good instincts and enough arm to make tough throws. The problem is that he's currently penciled in as the starter at second, and also, it's not entirely clear Lee is ready for the big leagues after floundering at the plate last year. He's got his own injury issues to overcome, too.

From there, the depth at shortstop becomes very flimsy. Willi Castro is next in line despite the team making it known they don't really want him playing there, at least not regularly. Late in the offseason, the front office reportedly went shopping for a veteran backup infielder capable of handling short, but ended up pivoting to Ty France at first base instead. That leaves them pretty bare on contingency layers. 

Outside of Lee and Castro, who is even able to step in at shortstop? Austin Martin played the position in college and the minors, but it's hard to believe the Twins would want him playing there in the majors outside of an emergency. Their top prospects at the position are years away. 

THE BOTTOM LINE
Correa has the ability to lift the Twins in a way that few other individual players could possibly equal. On the flip side, C4 going down would have a dramatically negative impact on the team and its outlook; there's no replacing what he can do, and Minnesota is especially vulnerable to his loss based on their roster makeup, which is severely lacking in adept fielders at shortstop.

So yes, all things considered, it's not too big of a leap to say that the realistic upside of this Twins team hinges fundamentally on Correa and his health. No pressure or anything.

Share your thoughts on the outlook at shortstop below and check out the rest of our Position Analysis series:

• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Catcher
• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: First Base
• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Second Base
• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Third Base

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[Doctor Gast]

Correa has so many more intangibles that WAR doesn't figure in that make Correa so valuable to the Twins, so when he is missing there's a big hole. Correa also knows how important his body is to where he takes special care in conditioning. He has figured out his plantar fascilitisis, where he uses special cushions & treatment so I expect he'll be playing more this season. I'm thankful for Lee's glove but I'm concerned with his hitting & chronic back problems. I'm glad we have Castro, but I hope he doesn't have to play there too much & Martin? IDK if any of our SS prospects will stick at SS or make it to MLB. I hope Culpepper can be a Correa type SS. We lack true SS prospects. 

But IMO SS will be a dominating force this season as it needs to be. Whenever Correa needs to move off SS then we'll have a problem.

[Whitey333]

Great article.  I agree with your analysis of Correa.  He has a great history and he's now with an organization that sanders to the oft injured.  What could possibly go wrong?

[Blyleven2011]

Correa is  a great shortstop  with a strong arm and fun to watch those amazing plays he makes  ...

That said , one player cannot carry a team to the playoffs , the remainder of the team has to step up ( nine players per game and then the bench  ) ...

The good  , bad  and the ugly , we don't know if he can stay off the IL list all season ...

[LambchoP]

I think it is very fair to say a major part of the Twins success this year hinges on Correa. He's our highest paid player by far at 37 mil, he's arguably our best hitter and he's definitely our best defender in the infield. Keeping him healthy throughout the year is paramount. I'm more worried about his backup Lee being ready for the majors. His defense should play at 2nd, SS and 3rd, but his bat needs to be better than it was last year. I think unless he really looks great this spring, he could use some time at St Paul. Either way, he needs to play everyday to get into a rhythm.

[Eris]

Agree with the article that only Correa and Lee provide MLB quality defense at SS. I think Lee’s downward slide in hitting last season was due to his back injury. 

[Fatbat]

C4 is in his prime so if the injury bug is gone, he could have his best season! He is the key to a deep run in the playoffs in’25/26/27!! We need him to be on the field for 150+ games. 
Going forward, he will continue to mentor the kids and could become a Minnesota treasure. The greatest Twins SS of all time is his to take if he leads us to the WS once or twice while he is here. 

2025 is going to be his prove it year! 

[rdehring]

Thanks for another outstanding report, Nick.

My wish for the Twins in 2025 is 150-135-120.  That's 150 games for Correa, 135 for Lewis and 120 for Buxton.  Should that happen, the Twins will be playing a lot of baseball come mid-to-late October.

[Fatbat]

37 minutes ago, rdehring said:

Thanks for another outstanding report, Nick.

My wish for the Twins in 2025 is 150-135-120.  That's 150 games for Correa, 135 for Lewis and 120 for Buxton.  Should that happen, the Twins will be playing a lot of baseball come mid-to-late October.

160/150/140. Raise your expectations!

[tony&rodney]

The Twins entire season does hinge on Correa. He is the only shortstop they have at this time. Castro and Lee can play shortstop in much the same manner as Julien plays second base, they are ok. The difference is that a shortstop is more involved in  team defense.

[mikelink45]

The intangible I see as the extra significance in Correa is that he will play between two of our highest rated assets - Lewis and Lee and he can mentor and work with them.  Imagine if all three played at the top of their potential.

[LA Vikes Fan]

Good article, but I wonder if Lee really is "penciled in" as the starting 2B. He didn't hit last year and hasn't hit in ST. I do think he'll be a long term above average starter in MLB (not a star), but he may not yet be ready. We do have decent 2B options in Castro and Julien. I think Lee stays if he's the starter and because he can back up SS, but if he doesn't win a starting job it makes a lot more sense to send him to AAA as the starting SS playing every day than to play 3 days a week at the MLB level. That gives us some real SS depth if Correa gets hurt again.   

If we really look at it there is a competition for two position player spots - Buxton, Bader, Larnach, Wallner, France, Correa, Castro, Miranda, Lewis, Jeffers and Vasquez are locks unless they get hurt. The Twins could go with Lee at 2B, and a competition between Julien (2B/1B), Gaspar (2B/C), and Martin (5th OF) for the last spot. If, on the other hand, the team decides to go with Castro or Julien at 2B, then I think Lee goes to AAA and they keep either Gaspar or Martin.   I think the Twins want Lee to win the 2B job but he needs to show he can hit MLB pitching and as of yet he hasn't. 

[Riverbrian]

Lee will be the wild card in this discussion. 

Does he break camp as the top dog at 2B or start in AAA playing SS? 

 

[USNMCPO]

If the Twins get down to starting Martin at SS it is going to be really ugly.

[bean5302]

I'd expect Correa will play at least 135 games this year. Injuries happen, but Correa's been more durable than he's given credit for around these parts.

Depth is probably not a problem. Castro, Lewis and Holland (AAA) have the tools necessary to play SS. The biggest question is whether or not Holland's bat shows up again this year. Can he hit at the MLB level well enough to replace Castro as a super utility/backup shortstop?