Glen Perkins

[William Malone]

Glen Weston Perkins was born on March 2, 1983 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Minnesota Twins selected him with the 22nd overall pick in 2004 out of the University of Minnesota. He rose quickly through the minors, making his Major League debut as a September call-up in 2006. Perkins pitched well enough down the stretch to earn a spot in the Twins playoff bullpen that fall, making one relief appearance in game three of the 2006 ALDS against the Oakland Athletics. Baseball America ranked Perkins as their 66th best prospect ahead of the 2007 season.

A shoulder strain limited Perkins to just 48.0 innings between the Majors and minors in 2007. He made the Opening Day roster as a relief pitcher, but was shut down in late May. He began pitching minor league games in late July, and was eventually recalled to the Twins in September. His ERA was 3.14 in 28.2 big league innings that season.

Minnesota traded Johan Santana and Matt Garza the following off-season, opening up a spot in the rotation for Perkins. He made 26 starts in 2008, going 12-4 with a 4.41 ERA. His month of August was especially strong, giving the Twins eight shutout innings on two occasions. One of those games was against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who won 100 games that season. The other came against the New York Yankees. He returned to the Twins rotation in 2009, but was limited to just 17 starts due to elbow inflammation. Perkins began the 2010 season in Triple-A, struggling with a 5.81 ERA across 26 starts in Rochester. He was called up during September roster expansion to work out of the Twins bullpen.

2011 was a breakout year for Perkins in a full time relief role. He had a 2.48 ERA in 65 games with the Twins, making him one of very few bright spots for a 99 loss team. For his efforts, Perkins won the Joseph W. Haynes Award (Twins Best Pitcher) and Charles O. Johnson Award (Most Improved Twins Player). He became the closer midway through the 2012 season, going 16-for-20 in save chances after replacing Matt Capps. His ERA for the season was 2.56 in a career high 70 appearances.

As the full time closer, Perkins made three consecutive All-Star teams in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He had a career year in 2013, saving 36 games with a 2.30 ERA and a 0.926 WHIP. Perkins recorded the save in the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field, finishing that season with a 3.65 ERA and 34 saves. He was a perfect 28-for-28 on save chances entering the All-Star break in 2015, owning a 1.21 ERA and 0.830 WHIP. Minnesota was also in a playoff race for the first time since 2010, but things fell apart for the team and Perkins. He posted a 7.32 after the break, losing the closer role to deadline accusation Kevin Jepsen. The Twins ultimately fell three games short of the second wild card spot.

Perkins was expected to have his closer role back in 2016, but he appeared in just two games before heading to the disabled list. It was later revealed that he needed season ending rotator cuff surgery. He began the 2017 season on the disabled list while still recovering from the surgery, and didn't return until August after a few setbacks occurred. Perkins appeared in only eight games that season, most of them coming in lower leverage relief situations. His contract option was declined by the team, making Perkins a free agent. He announced his retirement on January 24, 2018.

Fox Sports North hired Perkins as a pregame and post game analyst in 2019. He began occasional work as a color commentator starting in 2023, and will continue that role in 2025 with the Twins in their inaugural season on TwinsTV.

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