Derek Shelton, Paul Skenes, and the Next Wave of Twins Stars

[Cody Christie]

 

The Minnesota Twins appear set to bring a familiar face back into the fold, as multiple reports indicate Derek Shelton is expected to be named the team’s next manager. Shelton, who previously served as the Twins’ bench coach under Rocco Baldelli, has spent the last six seasons managing the Pittsburgh Pirates. While his win-loss record in Pittsburgh may not jump off the page, his reputation for player development and leadership has earned him another opportunity to guide a major league club.

Shelton’s tenure with the Pirates was defined by the steady climb of a young roster learning to compete at the game’s highest level. The brightest example of his impact came in 2024, when top overall pick Paul Skenes burst onto the scene and instantly became one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

Getting the Most Out of a Phenom
When Skenes debuted for the Pirates, the hype surrounding him was almost impossible to live up to. A former No. 1 overall pick and college superstar, Skenes carried the expectations of a franchise desperate for an ace. Under Shelton’s leadership, he met those expectations and shattered them.

During his rookie season, Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 170 batters across 133 innings. He was even better in 2025, leading the NL in ERA (1.97), ERA+ (217), FIP (2.36), WHIP (0.948), and HR/9 (0.5).  His combination of overpowering stuff and unwavering composure helped him become the front-runner for the 2025 National League Cy Young Award. Shelton’s approach was a key part of that success. He managed Skenes’ workload carefully, never pushing him too far too fast, and allowed the young right-hander to find his own rhythm within the structure of a big-league routine.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a rookie that poised,” Shelton said at last year’s MLB Winter Meetings. “To see the lack of emotion, I think right now if you call Paul Skenes, he’s ready for the season to start.”

That poise became Skenes’ calling card, and Shelton deserves credit for helping him navigate the pressure of being the face of a rebuilding franchise. On a Pirates team that often struggled to provide run support or defensive consistency, Skenes remained the club’s constant. Even during losing streaks, his preparation and demeanor reflected the calm leadership Shelton preached.

Leadership Through Adversity
Shelton’s record with the Pirates sits at 306-440, but those numbers tell only part of the story. He took over in November 2019 during a full-scale franchise reset led by owner Bob Nutting. The first three years were grueling, with the club winning less than 40 percent of its games, including back-to-back 100-loss seasons. Yet, by 2023, there were clear signs of progress. Pittsburgh won 76 games and briefly flirted with playoff contention before a late-season slide. 

When Skenes arrived the following spring, the team’s energy changed. Shelton fostered a clubhouse culture that emphasized accountability and preparation, traits that became essential for a rookie handling enormous expectations. Even when the offense faltered in 2025 and the Pirates fell out of contention early, players continued to praise Shelton’s steadiness.

When he was dismissed earlier this year, Skenes summed up the clubhouse sentiment perfectly. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t shocked,” he said. “Someone’s got to be held accountable, and unfortunately right now, it’s him. That’s just kind of how it goes, but I don’t know that it fixes the root of the issue, which is we need to play better.”

Those words carried weight coming from a player Shelton had mentored so closely. They reflected mutual respect and the type of bond that can only form between a player and a manager who share a singular goal: maximizing potential.

Returning to Minnesota with a Familiar Mission
Now, Shelton is poised to bring that developmental mindset back to Minnesota. His first stint with the Twins helped shape Baldelli’s early success, particularly in building cohesive communication across a diverse roster. This time, the challenge will be different. The Twins are shifting toward a younger core, and Shelton’s ability to guide emerging stars could prove invaluable.

The organization’s top prospect, Walker Jenkins, isn’t far from his major league debut. Like Skenes, he will arrive with considerable expectations as a potential franchise cornerstone. Shelton’s experience managing a phenom through that type of pressure should serve him well. He knows how to balance patience with performance, and he understands the importance of nurturing both the physical and mental aspects of a young player’s transition to the big leagues.

If Shelton can replicate even a fraction of the success he helped Skenes achieve, the Twins could be entering an exciting new chapter. A return to familiar surroundings, combined with a proven track record of getting the most out of elite talent, makes Shelton a fitting choice to lead Minnesota’s next wave of stars.

What stands out most about the relationship between Shelton and Skenes? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

 

 

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[farmerguychris]

As Skenes has demonstrated - the players on the roster matter more than who the manager is.  Until ownership spends the money, and the FO selects the right players - it won't matter who the manager is.  

[Sjoski]

"Next Wave of Stars"?

Twinkle, twinkle, little stars — the Twins keep saying here they are. Up above the league so bright… until August comes and dims their light.

[KirbyDome89]

Sticking with this transitive property nonsense, the Twins should've backed up the truck for Dave Roberts. Walker Jenkins is one manager away from being the next Ohtani....

[mikelink45]

Skenes, Misiorowski, Tresavage, Sasaki - we see rookies come up and shine, the Twins prospects struggle and we are still waiting for Festa, and Mathews to reach into their potential.  Our pitching pipeline is getting to be an old meme - when do we get the rookie who shines right away?  Can Shelton change that?  Isn't it the pitching coach that determines the strategy?

[The Great Hambino]

So he gets no blame for the wholesale failure of the lineup but credit for the success of a single generational pitching talent?  I'm not buying it.

This write-up glosses over the fact that the Pirates played considerably better once he was fired to a degree that the interim manager was given the job permanently.

Steadiness when things are spiraling out of control isn't necessarily a positive.  The dog saying "everything is fine!" while the house burns down around him is also showing steadiness.  Fine line between steadiness and complacency.  This hire feels like it's on the wrong side of that line.

I get that someone has to write the positive-spin article, but this one kinda strains credulity for me

[sweetmusicviola16]

So Skenes developed into a star under Shelton. What about the long list of prospects that failed to under him? If we're going to start out the article lauding his reputation for player development then lets have the full disclosure. I hope he has some kind of formula that he works here, but the history doesn't back it up.

[dxpavelka]

Careful.  You almost sound positive.  

[jmlease1]

16 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

So he gets no blame for the wholesale failure of the lineup but credit for the success of a single generational pitching talent?  I'm not buying it.

This write-up glosses over the fact that the Pirates played considerably better once he was fired to a degree that the interim manager was given the job permanently.

Steadiness when things are spiraling out of control isn't necessarily a positive.  The dog saying "everything is fine!" while the house burns down around him is also showing steadiness.  Fine line between steadiness and complacency.  This hire feels like it's on the wrong side of that line.

I get that someone has to write the positive-spin article, but this one kinda strains credulity for me

Were they really all that much better? They were 13 games out of first when Shelton was fired, and finished the season 26 games back. They won 6 out of 8 at the end of the season to fluff the record a bit. They did a little better under Don Kelly, but it's not like he transformed them or anything once the yoke of Shelton was removed.

I don't think crediting Shelton for the success of a generational talent makes a great deal of sense, but he didn't mess him up.

Is it Shelton's fault they only had 1 hitter on the whole team who wasn't below average? 

[FlyingFinn]

It's probably a rebuilding job which takes too long and he gets fired and the next manager gets all the glory. But the expectations are very low. Thus, to make the playoffs in the next two years with this team would be a major feather in Shelton's cap. A miracle World Series win and most on TD will forget the negatives they typed in October 2025. Nobody thinks the overall talent is there for the playoffs to happen soon.

[EGFTShaw]

1 hour ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Sticking with this transitive property nonsense, the Twins should've backed up the truck for Dave Roberts. Walker Jenkins is one manager away from being the next Ohtani....

Or the Nat's former manager Martinez, and the analogy is Walker Jenkins is one manager from being the next Juan Soto.

Any others?

[The Great Hambino]

21 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

Were they really all that much better? They were 13 games out of first when Shelton was fired, and finished the season 26 games back. They won 6 out of 8 at the end of the season to fluff the record a bit. They did a little better under Don Kelly, but it's not like he transformed them or anything once the yoke of Shelton was removed.

I don't think crediting Shelton for the success of a generational talent makes a great deal of sense, but he didn't mess him up.

Is it Shelton's fault they only had 1 hitter on the whole team who wasn't below average? 

If the whole point of the article is to point to him being "a fitting choice to lead Minnesota’s next wave of stars" (direct quote from the conclusion) and none of his young hitters developed at the major league level, then yeah, he deserves some of the blame.  Not all of it or even most of it, but nothing to indicate that he has the skillset that is being claimed or that he should be receiving any sort of positive marks from it.

[TwinsAlmostWin]

1 hour ago, Sjoski said:

"Next Wave of Stars"?

Twinkle, twinkle, little stars — the Twins keep saying here they are. Up above the league so bright… until August comes and dims their light.

....Twinkle, Twins, little star - how I've wondered where you are for the last 30 years and counting. 

[KirbyDome89]

18 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

So he gets no blame for the wholesale failure of the lineup but credit for the success of a single generational pitching talent?  I'm not buying it.

This write-up glosses over the fact that the Pirates played considerably better once he was fired to a degree that the interim manager was given the job permanently.

Steadiness when things are spiraling out of control isn't necessarily a positive.  The dog saying "everything is fine!" while the house burns down around him is also showing steadiness.  Fine line between steadiness and complacency.  This hire feels like it's on the wrong side of that line.

I get that someone has to write the positive-spin article, but this one kinda strains credulity for me

Cherry picking individual results is pointless. Using somebody like Skenes is another level of ridiculousness. 

That said, Pittsburgh is a dysfunctional ****hole of an org. I have a hard time assigning success (or blame) for the W/L record, development (or lack thereof) ect. 

[farmerguychris]

3 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Cherry picking individual results is pointless. Using somebody like Skenes is another level of ridiculousness. 

That said, Pittsburgh is a dysfunctional ****hole of an org. I have a hard time assigning success (or blame) for the W/L record, development (or lack thereof) ect. 

Agreed - Pittsburgh is an even worse environment than the Twins will be for him.  Also agree that holding the manager accountable for player development is a stretch.  The manager in 2025 isn't out there teaching people how to hit or pitch - thats what his position coaches are for.

BUT - One serious question about player development.  Will Shelton be allowed to pick his own position coaches, or will they be assigned to him by the Front Office? I fear the latter, but doubt we'll ever really find out who makes the final decisions on who will be the ones actually selected to develop the future 'stars' of the Twins.

[laloesch]

9 minutes ago, farmerguychris said:

Agreed - Pittsburgh is an even worse environment than the Twins will be for him.  Also agree that holding the manager accountable for player development is a stretch. 

Maybe only marginally better.  I still don't think the Twins are done cutting salary.  You wait, Lopez is next to be shipped out after the world series is over with.

[Dave Borton]

Cody said
 

Quote

He managed Skenes’s workload carefully, never pushing him too far too fast, and allowed the young right-hander to find his own rhythm within the structure of a big-league routine...

Watched Skenes warmup one evening. Water bag, football and reverse throws. Wonder where he picked up those ideas.

 

 

[gil4]

Quote

...has earned him another opportunity to guide a major-league club.

has earned him another opportunity to guide a AAAA club.

[dex8425]

2 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Skenes, Misiorowski, Tresavage, Sasaki - we see rookies come up and shine, the Twins prospects struggle and we are still waiting for Festa, and Mathews to reach into their potential.  Our pitching pipeline is getting to be an old meme - when do we get the rookie who shines right away?  Can Shelton change that?  Isn't it the pitching coach that determines the strategy?

To be fair, all of those guys were viewed as "can't miss" top prospects, first round pick type pitchers. The Twins don't draft pitchers high, for whatever reason. Charlee Soto and Chase Petty were later first round picks but high schoolers, and they turned Chase Petty into 2 yrs of Sonny Gray, so probably a good return there. I guess we'll see how Riley Quick pans out. 

Matthews, Festa, Varland, Ober, Ohl, were all later round picks, not really fair to compare them to #1 overall pick Paul Skenes.  

[mikelink45]

11 minutes ago, dex8425 said:

To be fair, all of those guys were viewed as "can't miss" top prospects, first round pick type pitchers. The Twins don't draft pitchers high, for whatever reason. Charlee Soto and Chase Petty were later first round picks but high schoolers, and they turned Chase Petty into 2 yrs of Sonny Gray, so probably a good return there. I guess we'll see how Riley Quick pans out. 

Matthews, Festa, Varland, Ober, Ohl, were all later round picks, not really fair to compare them to #1 overall pick Paul Skenes.  

That might be true, but the comparison isn't between them - it is about the draft strategy of Falvey and the Twins overall = here are the first round picks since Buxton:

2012	José Berríos	Right-handed pitcher	Papa Juan High School (Bayamón, Puerto Rico)	32§[s]	[65]
2012	Luke Bard	Right-handed pitcher	Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia)	42§[t]	[65]
2013	Kohl Stewart	Right-handed pitcher	St. Pius X High School (Houston, Texas)	4	[66]
2014	Nick Gordon	Shortstop	Olympia High School (Orlando, Florida)	5	[67]
2015	Tyler Jay	Left-handed pitcher	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, Illinois)	6	[68]
2016	Alex Kirilloff	Outfielder	Plum High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)	15	[69]
2017	Royce Lewis	Shortstop	JSerra Catholic High School (San Juan Capistrano, California)	1	[70]
2017	Brent Rooker	Outfielder	Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Mississippi)	35
2018	Trevor Larnach	Outfielder	Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon)	20	[71]
2019	Keoni Cavaco	Shortstop	Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, California)	13	[72]
2020	Aaron Sabato	First baseman	University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)	27	[73]
2021	Chase Petty	Right-handed pitcher	Mainland Regional High School (Linwood, New Jersey)	26	[74]
2021	Noah Miller	Shortstop	Ozaukee High School (Fredonia, Wisconsin)	36§[s]	[74]
2022	Brooks Lee	Shortstop	Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, California)	8
2023	Walker Jenkins	Outfielder	South Brunswick High School (Southport, North Carolina)	5
2023	Charlee Soto	Right-Handed pitcher	Reborn Christian Academy (Kissimmee, Florida)	34§[s]
2024	Kaelen Culpepper	Shortstop	Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)	20
2025	Marek Houston	Shortstop	Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)	16
2025	Riley Quick	Right-Handed pitcher	University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

[luckylager]

Definitely not an exciting pick, but no sense bitchin' about it. Shelton seems to be well thought of by his players and it appears he never had the pieces available to put together a winning season in Pitt.  He does seem like a good baseball guy.  

Hopefully, he is allowed the freedom to select a good coaching staff with a few old schoolers who are not total analytic geeks in the mix. Twins seem to lack grit (and a bullpen) but those things can be fixed.  Maybe, he will be allowed to fix them. Who knows? I'm not super optimistic anything good can happen with this team.  

[darin617]

4 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Sticking with this transitive property nonsense, the Twins should've backed up the truck for Dave Roberts. Walker Jenkins is one manager away from being the next Ohtani....

I didn't know Jenkins also pitched. What a plus...

[DocBauer]

A less than inspiring hire. I really wanted someone who would bring a different perspective to the team, and the organization as a whole.

But to be fair, as I pointed out in a different OP, Shelton's 2yrs with the Twins doesn't exactly make him a Twins "lifer", nepotism hire. And being a Pirates manager and having a failing record shouldn't condem him either. 

But I also don't believe pointing out that he somehow assisted a generational talent in his transition to MLB offers up some great positivity either.

He is a "safe" hire for Falvey to have someone in place he knows, trusts, and will carry out his vision of what the Twins should be going forward. But it is interesting that he's a friend of Rocco and they both spent time in the Rays system. I really wonder how much of a different "voice" Shelton will have?

HOPEFULLY Falvey has a new vision of the Twins that includes better fundamentals, and better athletes with more speed on the team without dismissing power. Changes in draft strategy the last couple of years may be indicating some of these changes are slowly taking place.

My hope is Shelton gets control over most of his staff. As a long time hitting instructor...seemingly with more talent on hand and arriving soon than he had with Pittsburgh...does he have quality coaches in mind? That could be important as he himself isn't going to be doing much instructing. 

But while, as a manger, he has the ability, along with his coaches, to help dictate how things are done, it still comes down to payroll and Falvey's roster construction. 

It's still up to Falvey and his lieutenants to make smart moves and put together the best roster. But HOPEFULLY, he will allow his new manager the ability to put together the best STAFF he can to work with, tweak, coach, and develop the players on hand and the top prospects about to debut.

[old nurse]

5 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Skenes, Misiorowski, Tresavage, Sasaki - we see rookies come up and shine, the Twins prospects struggle and we are still waiting for Festa, and Mathews to reach into their potential.  Our pitching pipeline is getting to be an old meme - when do we get the rookie who shines right away?  Can Shelton change that?  Isn't it the pitching coach that determines the strategy?

SWR had a better ERA this year than Misiorowski or Sasaki this year so shining might not be what you think it is.  Lewis came up and shined upon arrival, but an injury and forgetfulness happen. 

[Nshore]

Trey Yesavage began 2025 in the lowest level of the minors.  The BlueJays aggressively promoted him so that now he's performing brilliantly on the brightest stage in baseball - the World Series.  That would never, ever.....ever happen with the cautious Twins.  What can Shelton do to change that culture?

[FlyingFinn]

1 hour ago, Nshore said:

Trey Yesavage began 2025 in the lowest level of the minors.  The BlueJays aggressively promoted him so that now he's performing brilliantly on the brightest stage in baseball - the World Series.  That would never, ever.....ever happen with the cautious Twins.  What can Shelton do to change that culture?

And yet when I suggested being aggressive and starting Culpepper at SS and Jenkins in the OF for the 2026 Twins, most of the TD responses were not to rush them (especially aimed at Culpepper).

[KirbyDome89]

6 hours ago, farmerguychris said:

Agreed - Pittsburgh is an even worse environment than the Twins will be for him.  Also agree that holding the manager accountable for player development is a stretch.  The manager in 2025 isn't out there teaching people how to hit or pitch - thats what his position coaches are for.

BUT - One serious question about player development.  Will Shelton be allowed to pick his own position coaches, or will they be assigned to him by the Front Office? I fear the latter, but doubt we'll ever really find out who makes the final decisions on who will be the ones actually selected to develop the future 'stars' of the Twins.

I think whomever Shelton would choose would be lock step with not only himself, but also with Falvey & Co. so in that sense I unfortunately don't think it really matters. 

[gman]

Unfortunately for Pirates fans I doubt that Skenes will ever lead them anywhere. What ever high points he reaches will be with New York (2), Boston, or Los Angeles. So unless the 27 season. brings real changes to team payroll to balance up the game, Skenes won't bring playoff wins to Pittsburg, Shelton won't bring winning seasons to the Twins and we will continue to see the same half dozen teams dominate the playoffs in baseball.

[Nashvilletwin]

I’m not too familiar with the Pirates.  Could someone please point out the position players Shelton and his staff developed into above average major leaguers during his time there?  Since this is the biggest need within the Twins organization at the moment, there must be a robust record of his successes.

[purplesoldier4u]

10 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Sticking with this transitive property nonsense, the Twins should've backed up the truck for Dave Roberts. Walker Jenkins is one manager away from being the next Ohtani....

Huh? Dave Roberts may be the most overrated manager of the decade! I would guess almost any other MLB manager would leave their respective job to manage the Dodgers!