Gimme Five: How Are Twins Daily Users Feeling About the Team?

[Cody Christie]

Opening Day offers the hope of a new season and an opportunity for fans to put last year’s Twins collapse in the rearview mirror. So, how are Twins Daily users feeling about five key questions at the dawn of a new baseball year?

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Recently, Twins Daily unveiled a new polling feature that allows fans the opportunity to have their voice heard. It's a customizable tool we'll use to monitor the pulse of Twins Territory. There will be some permanent questions, like, “Is Rocco Baldelli doing a good job?” Twins Daily writers can review the data any time to see if it’s trending up, down, or neutral. 

From the reader's perspective, a user can vote once a day, because your opinion on the topic might change from one game to the next. Some of these polls will be embedded into articles, so you can read about a topic and then cast a vote. It’s a fun, interactive way for the writers and users to gather data and have meaningful conversations throughout the season. 

So, let’s dive into some of the first questions on the site to see how fans feel about the team.

Will Byron Buxton play 100 games or more?
Yes: 92 votes (54.1%)
No: 78 votes (45.9%)
Fans are optimistic that Buxton will play at least 100 games for the second consecutive season, a feat he has yet to accomplish in his big-league career. There are reasons to be optimistic, since Buxton was able to have a relatively healthy winter (without any surgeries or rehab from in-season injuries) for the first time in years. Minnesota brought in Harrison Bader as Buxton insurance in center field, and the team will continue to find ways to get him consistent rest. He’s shown the ability to be a game-changing player, so the Twins need him on the field and producing in the season’s most important games. 

Will Carlos Correa play 130 games or more?
Yes: 57 (34.5%)
No: 108 (65.5%)
For Correa, 130 games is a high bar to clear, especially with the plantar fasciitis issues that have plagued him the last two seasons. That being said, From 2021-23, Correa averaged 140 games played per season. Last season was his first full season without reaching the 130-game plateau since 2021. Twins fans will remember Correa’s poor performance in 2023, when he posted a 94 OPS+, but he managed to play 135 games despite his injury clearly impacting his performance. The 130-game total might be challenging for him to reach if the Twins want to keep him fresh for the whole season, especially as he enters his 30s. 

Will Royce Lewis play 90 games or more?
Yes: 183 (28.4%)
No: 485 (72.6%)
Lewis’s recent injury shows how the Twins Daily polling feature can be used in real time. During the first two days of the poll, 32 users cast a vote. However, 375 users voted on the topic over the next two days. The Twins have not given a timetable on the hamstring injury he suffered during spring training. He has yet to begin baseball activities as the club waits for the swelling to go down in his left leg. Last season, Lewis played a career-high 82 games but missed time with multiple injuries. At this point, 90 games might be a long shot in 2025. 

How Many Wins Will the 2025 Twins Have?
Less than 70: 6 (2.3%)
71-75: 15 (5.8%)
76-80: 43 (16.7%)
81-85: 66 (25.7%)
86-90: 89 (34.6%)
91-95: 27 (10.5%)
96+: 11 (4.3%)
Last season, the Twins finished with an 82-80 record that matched their Pythagorean expectation. Many projection systems have the Twins predicted to finish near the top of the AL Central. However, the division is also predicted to be a close race, with multiple teams in the 80-win range. Minnesota made minimal moves this winter due to owner-imposed payroll limitations. On paper, the Twins are about as good as last year, which makes them a contending team in the AL Central. 

Will the Twins Make the Postseason?
Yes: 93 (61.2%) 
No: 59 (38.8%)
Twins Daily users believe the team will win between 81-90 games, which should be enough to push the team into the playoffs. Many projection systems don’t view a dominant team in the American League, making it even more critical to qualify for the postseason. The league’s playoff format allows a team to catch fire and win the pennant. Minnesota has a strong pitching group, depth in the minors, and a hunger to forget last season’s collapse. Let’s hope there will be more October baseball at Target Field. 

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What questions do you want to see in the next Twins Daily poll? How do you feel about these five poll questions? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Karbo]

The polls are a good idea. Now the season finally starts, and we can read actual news rather than so much fluff. Go Twins!

[whitsbrain]

Is there a reason for great optimism when the first three questions in this article are related to injury predictions of the top 3 position players?!?  

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Poll of the day could be fun.  Serious and not so serious questions.

With health being the biggest hurdle for this team, it should be no surprise it is a bulk of the current conversation.

[olerud]

Horseshit not good they're soft!

[twinstalker]

Nearly 50% are insane.  The hitting is so, so bad.  The pitching, while a strength, is overrated in the pen.  These five names alone make you wonder if you're watching a major league team: Dobnak, Keirsey, Topa, Gasper, Julien.  With Twins bats never being ready for the regular season, there's a decent chance this is not only bad but boring.  I subscribed monthly, just in case.

That all said, Go Twins!

[Patzky]

37 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Poll of the day could be fun.  Serious and not so serious questions.

With health being the biggest hurdle for this team, it should be no surprise it is a bulk of the current conversation.

I'm optimistically cautious, one step below cautiously optimistic. Anyway we don't have to wait much longer for the answers to start coming. 

[shimrod]

Question suggestion. Are optimistic Twins fans delusional? 

[terrydactyls]

1 hour ago, olerud said:

Horseshit not good they're soft!

I agree.  Horseshit is not good.  Even as a garden fertilizer, it has to composted or else it will burn your plants.

[LastOnePicked]

There are a lot of fans here who deserve a great season. Let's hope the Twins give it to them, and they can all gloat over us pessimists in October. That'd be great.

If the pitching's good, that's half the battle. If the new hitting coach is better, that's possibly the other half. It's not impossible. It's just improbable.

4th in the Central. But hoping to be wrong.

[Jocko87]

21 folks have the under on 75.  6 under 70. 🤔

There are question marks, sure, but it's a good reminder how stuck on negative a good percentage of Minnesota fans are.

Also appreciate some very high optimism folks over 90+. 

[shimrod]

7 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

how stuck on negative a good percentage of Minnesota fans are.

We call them as we see them....

[1985Fan]

Too many ifs to be more than cautiously optimistic. Pitching on paper is good, IF the same guys can duplicate last year AND stay healthy. What are the chances that happens?! I expect health issues and poor performance from some of the starters that will test the depth. 
The hitting side of things can’t get much worse than last August-September. It can only get better. Worst case, if it’s the same as during last year’s collapse and the pitching is worse, we’ll get to see the highly rated prospects play. 

[T.O.]

3 hours ago, olerud said:

Horseshit not good they're soft!

Agreed. Horseshit is at it's most disagreeable when it is soft.

[T.O.]

If we can't be optimistic on day one when can we be?

 

[Mark G]

How about taking a poll in TD as to how many of us are actually going to go to a game this year?  That might be the ultimate indication of how we feel about the team.  🙄

[jkcarew]

How Are Twins Daily Users Feeling About the Team?
 

It’s complicated.

[terrydactyls]

1 hour ago, Mark G said:

How about taking a poll in TD as to how many of us are actually going to go to a game this year?  That might be the ultimate indication of how we feel about the team.  🙄

Not me for sure!!!  Of course, I live in Maine.

[shimrod]

Off to a great start. MLB.TV technical issues. Other games work so it's apparently just the Twins. 

 

[darwin22]

Count me in the pessimistic club.  Yes, only 1 game  (L) in, but when your top 3 hitters go 0-12, I don't see a lot of optimism moving forward.  Not only was the top of the lineup bad, but our situational hitting (RISP) was again abysmal...1-8 today.  This is a 4th place club.  I just don't see anything resembling a playoff contending team...especially is ANY of our top 3 SPs have an extended DL stint.  

[LeatherAntenna]

Sadly agree.  Nothing much impressive today, looked like August and September 2024 baseball.

[Peter]

I support the the twins no matter what win or lose!!! Ruins day when they lose but I love them no matter what and schedule everything around them and other Minnesota teams as well sports! Please don’t make this toxic like Facebook!!! Go twins!!! Looking forward to another action packed winning division championship season!