Minnesota Twins Players Project Update: Torii Hunter & A Pair of 2010s Role Players

[Brandon Glick]

A huge new influx of players have been added to the Twins Players Project in recent weeks. Let's review some of the more notable entries.

What is the Players Project? It's a community-driven, wiki-style project that focuses on Twins players of all stripes. It's open to all Twins Daily users and we've had contributions for current players, past players, and players who never even made the major leagues but played in the Twins farm system. Create your favorite player today!

In this update, we'll be focusing on a group of players with vastly different legacies in Minnesota. All of the players here were written up by @William Malone and edited by @Brock Beauchamp, but it's important to note the incredible contributions from the entire community. The Twins Players Project is now up to nearly 170 entries thanks to everyone's hard work! Be sure to take a peek using the link above or the button below and feel free to add your favorite player!

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Torii Hunter is one of the best players in modern Twins history, with a long list of accolades that includes numerous team MVP and community awards, nine Gold Gloves, and five All-Star selections. He had multiple top-15 AL MVP finishes with the Twins, including a sixth-place finish in 2002. That year was the first of three consecutive AL Central titles for Hunter and the Twins, and the outfielder led the team in RBIs in both of the latter seasons, including his first career 100 RBI season in 2003.

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Mike Pelfrey was a risky free agent signing in 2013 following a Tommy John surgery that knocked him out for nearly all of the previous season, and injury troubles found him again in 2014, However, that year was sandwiched between two solid seasons as an innings-eater in the Twins' rotation, including a dominant ten-game stretch in 2015 when he stepped into the rotation for a suspended Ervin Santana and authored an 8-2 record and 1.89 ERA.

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In the three-year stretch from 2016-18, the Twins' OPS leaders were Brian Dozier, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sanó, and Jake Cave. Do you know who ranked fifth on that list? Robbie Grossman (.771 OPS) was a bright spot on one of the worst teams in modern franchise history in 2016, eventually becoming a middle-of-the-order staple on the rapid turnaround squad in 2017. He is the only player here that is still active.

Thanks again to all who have been contributing to the project — please stop by the Players Project by hitting the button below! The Minnesota Twins Players Project is open to all Twins Daily users. If you're a Twins history buff or just want to dive into the background of your favorite player, come on board!

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