What Derek Shelton Emphasizes in Coaching and Managing, and the Lessons He Brings Back from Pittsburgh

[Sherry Cerny]

Image courtesy of John Bonnes

The Twins are going through a major rebuild after a dismal season on the field, which led to the dumping of 11 players at the July trade deadline. In a continuation of that exodus, manager Rocco Baldelli was fired at the end of the season. 

While fans speculated about an internal or familiar face during the search for Baldelli’s replacement, many were not shocked that it turned out to be a familiar face from another floundering team. Derek Shelton comes to the Twins after being fired in the middle of the 2025 season and leaves with a .410 win percentage for his five-plus years as manager of the Pirates. 

But the upside of this acquisition is that Shelton is used to a rebuild. In fact, from 2022 to 2024, his Pittsburgh clubs began making improvements, but they weren’t enough.While Shelton was with the Pirates, the talent shortfall led to a mediocre on-field product. Hopefully, with the Twins’ talent already in place, he can start with a solid team capable of producing immediate results.

A deep dive into his statements about being a coach shows that his first concern is communication from the top down—something the Twins may have lacked in Baldelli’s latter days. Shelton’s approach has always centered on accountability and communication. Following a tough 5-1 loss to Oakland in August 2024, his message was blunt:

“No, we shouldn’t be in better spirits afterwards. We’ve got to get better. This is a situation where we need to focus and we need to get better.”

That was a few bruising years into the project. Right away, though, he made clear the nature of his expectations of players and their responsibilities to one another.

“It is crucial for players to consider how their daily actions affect their teammates,” Shelton said during his first spring training with Pittsburgh in 2020. “The focus should be on helping teammates and thinking about what each individual needs to do to help the team win.”

One major failure of his stint with the Pirates came in the form of trying but not always succeeding that very aspect. When asked Tuesday about what he learned from his sojourn to the Steel City, Shelton had a quick answer, and a plan for how to better execute the ideas he articulated in the past.

“I think the first and probably most important thing is, you have to have conversations, and you have to have the follow-up conversations,” he said. “Because what is heard, what is said and how it’s retained sometimes loses its place, and because of that, you don’t end up getting the best out of the situation or the player.”

Shelton comes across as direct, often unsatisfied, and focused on improvement. He wants players—and even the front office and coaches—to recognize that you can’t be a team unless individual actions impact everyone as a whole; everyone impacts the win or the loss. Shelton seems to recognize that a loss isn't about blame, as much as it is a chance to improve and reflect on being better.

The Twins’ 2025 roster wasn’t short on talent. In fact, they have some of the best prospects in the league, but inconsistency has been a recurring theme. If Shelton's passion and sincerity about accountability are transferable and accepted by the team, could he turn that into success?

In March 2025, after early-season defensive miscues, Shelton asserted (as relayed in an article by AP News’ Will Graves) that the players needed to be involved in the conversation for improvement to take root. 

“Fixing these issues will involve conversations with the players, as these are things the team worked on all spring that need to be cleaned up.” 

Shelton is no stranger to a rebuild. However, the Pirates under Shelton never had the luxury of depth. A front office still in transition left him trying to make progress with limited pieces. He can only work with what he’s got, and the Pirates didn’t give him much. 

The Twins have a stronger farm system, and in Byron Buxton, Pablo López and Joe Ryan, they arguably have more proven stars than Pittsburgh had. Shelton’s experience managing through chaos on the field in Pittsburgh may translate into more success in Minnesota.

Shelton shows that he wants growth and recognizes there is humanity involved, but he is really focused on fundamentals—proper process and everyone being on the same page to achieve the goal. On Dec. 4, 2019, as he came into the Pirates organization, he said,

“We’re going to be very process-driven,” he said. “The fact that we’re 100% aligned—front office, manager, and coaching staff—that’s where it starts.”

If Shelton continues to talk about processes, alignment, and growth, one area the Twins need help with is on-field fundamentals, from situational hitting to aggressive gameplay. That certainly was the focus when he was introduced Tuesday, too.

“There will be more attention to details, more to fundamentals—and that’s not talking about anything that happened before. It’s just talking about the lessons I’ve learned,” he said, when asked about his vision for the team’s play in 2026. “I think we saw in the World Series this year that three little plays and a matter of like three or four inches determined who was gonna win a World Series game, or who was gonna win the World Series. So the focus of that is going to be very important to me. And I think that’s something that I’ve learned over the course of years, that it’s really important—that there’s no detail that’s too small.”

One place where the Twins lack is aggression, on the field, at the plate, on the bases, and from the mound. Shelton has talked a lot about being more aggressive in post-game interviews, and fans would love to see a coach who really breeds that desire and implements a hunger for players to be active in situational hitting and base running. 

That relentless push for improvement (sometimes to the point of frustration) may be the jolt Minnesota needs. The Twins don’t require a rebuild; they need refinement, aggression, and sharper execution. When Shelton said, “It’s time to win,” it was a message meant for Pittsburgh. But it fits Minnesota perfectly now.

Shelton arrives in Minnesota not as a first-time manager, but as a leader shaped by mistakes, pressure, and growth. The Pirates never gave him the roster to showcase his full potential. The Twins might.

If his communication, accountability, and culture-first mindset take root, Minnesota may finally see what Shelton can do when talent and vision align.

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[old nurse]

Gosh, is this the same Shelty as Nick Heard? Seems so different.  Attention to details, teamwork, aggressiveness are all personality traits.  It might be interesting to see who is gone after the first year. Some players will have to change the personality ot have their team changed 

[old nurse]

When he talked of communication I can only think that it involves what he tells players to do and them not completely doing it. He sees that he might have to be a lot more forceful. That is a change in culture 

[Russ]

I wish him well, but a lot needs to change (will anything change ?) to accomplish anything.  Shelton was a safe choice with his familiarity with the organization and probably at a lesser salary than the other "contenders".  What is the sales pitch for tickets in 2026?

[h2oface]

“The Twins’ 2025 roster wasn’t short on talent. In fact, they have some of the best prospects in the league, but inconsistency has been a recurring theme.”

What seems to be consistent, year to year to year, is over estimation of the Twins’ talent. Seems to be continuing in this article. Results say everything. The rest is all content. 

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

I wish him well, but a lot needs to change (will anything change ?) to accomplish anything.  Shelton was a safe choice with his familiarity with the organization and probably at a lesser salary than the other "contenders".  What is the sales pitch for tickets in 2026?

" Twins Baseball. No other MLB team is close."

[Maybebaby]

Falvey is a joke and the joke is on us....he knows how to build a pitching staff huh....right and I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you.

[DMcQ]

5 hours ago, Russ said:

I wish him well, but a lot needs to change (will anything change ?) to accomplish anything.  Shelton was a safe choice with his familiarity with the organization and probably at a lesser salary than the other "contenders".  What is the sales pitch for tickets in 2026?

Great comments, especially the lesser salary part. I, like you, wonder if anything will really change. All we can do is hope, and wait and see!

 

[IndianaTwin]

9 hours ago, old nurse said:

Gosh, is this the same Shelty as Nick Heard? Seems so different.  Attention to details, teamwork, aggressiveness are all personality traits.  It might be interesting to see who is gone after the first year. Some players will have to change the personality ot have their team changed 

I’d encourage listening to the press conference. I don’t know if @Sherry Cerny was there, but this captures some of the things I heard in the recording. The quote about conversations and follow-up conversations  was a comment that stood out to me as well. 

[In My La Z boy]

9 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

I’d encourage listening to the press conference. I don’t know if @Sherry Cerny was there, but this captures some of the things I heard in the recording. The quote about conversations and follow-up conversations  was a comment that stood out to me as well. 

I've been wondering what Buxton's opinion is of this hire? I'm also wondering/hoping Byron is the source with the inside scoop on which teammates are the negative influencers? Whatever team we're left with next spring, it will be built around Buxton. 

[IndianaTwin]

7 hours ago, In My La Z boy said:

I've been wondering what Buxton's opinion is of this hire? I'm also wondering/hoping Byron is the source with the inside scoop on which teammates are the negative influencers? Whatever team we're left with next spring, it will be built around Buxton. 

Whatever one thinks about Falvey's decisions, I've always gotten the sense that one of his strengths is communication with players (which is completely different than communication with the public). I'm guessing Falvey found ways to at least hear from Buxton (and perhaps Lopez or other key players as well) along the way.

Players talk -- I wouldn't be at all surprised if as part of the process, Falvey had a conversation with Buxton along the way that said, "Hey Byron, here's some guys we've talked to. Any vibes you've picked up from other players that we should be aware of?" It's not veto power by any stretch, but it's part of not setting a manager up for failure by not getting buy-in from key team leaders.

[Cris E]

21 hours ago, old nurse said:

Gosh, is this the same Shelty as Nick Heard? Seems so different.  Attention to details, teamwork, aggressiveness are all personality traits.  It might be interesting to see who is gone after the first year. Some players will have to change the personality ot have their team changed 

There are plenty of Pirates fans who were tired of the sloppy play, the separate rules for stars and the "players' manager" attitude that Shelton displayed. He's saying a lot of nice things now just as he did on March 31 in the clip above, but he's the first to start walking this walk.  Hawkins in the bullpen might be able to help with the bad cop role, but fundamentals are a top down attitude that has to be stressed all year. 

I agree with@old nurse above when he points out that Nick got a very different vibe from that presser. But I push back a bit on claims that all those nice ideals come from the players. They are not personality traits, but team traits that guys buy into. "If this is what we do then that's what I have to do."  It's the sort of thing that redd*ss players in the dugout enforce. The manager sets that tone and its success depends on how well it's executed and if enough guys buy in.   

EDIT: Here's a comment from a Pirates blogger:  https://rumbunter.com/twins-are-about-to-learn-the-hard-derek-shelton-truth-that-crushed-pirates-hope

This one is even rougher:  https://operations-lab.com/blog/derek-sheltons-pirates-tenure-a-1761864040686

 

[The Great Hambino]

38 minutes ago, Cris E said:

There are plenty of Pirates fans who were tired of the sloppy play, the separate rules for stars and the "players' manager" attitude that Shelton displayed. He's saying a lot of nice things now just as he did on March 31 in the clip above, but he's the first to start walking this walk.  Hawkins in the bullpen might be able to help with the bad cop role, but fundamentals are a top down attitude that has to be stressed all year. 

I agree with@old nurse above when he points out that Nick got a very different vibe from that presser. But I push back a bit on claims that all those nice ideals come from the players. They are not personality traits, but team traits that guys buy into. "If this is what we do then that's what I have to do."  It's the sort of thing that redd*ss players in the dugout enforce. The manager sets that tone and its success depends on how well it's executed and if enough guys buy in.   

EDIT: Here's a comment from a Pirates blogger:  https://rumbunter.com/twins-are-about-to-learn-the-hard-derek-shelton-truth-that-crushed-pirates-hope

This one is even rougher:  https://operations-lab.com/blog/derek-sheltons-pirates-tenure-a-1761864040686

 

Sheesh, tell us how you really feel, Rum Bunter:

"Pirates fans eventually realized that Shelton’s greatest flaw wasn’t strategy, but rather accountability. Under his leadership, poor fundamentals, base running blunders and defensive lapses became routine. He rarely called out mistakes publicly or benched repeat offenders. It created a culture where mediocrity festered. Even talented players stagnated because the standard never rose. For a Twins club that prides itself on development and discipline, this could be a rude awakening."

That all sure sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?

Hopefully these were the things he was reflecting on during his micro-sabbatical. 

[Western SD Fan]

@Sherry Cerny

BREAKING:  According to MLB.com, a source is saying that LaTroy Hawkins is expected to be hired as Shelton's bullpen coach.  I think this was something we had hoped for in an earlier thread this week.

Familiar face returns: LaTroy Hawkins to be Twins' new bullpen coach (source)

Edited November 7, 2025 by Western SD Fan
added to @ the author

[old nurse]

4 hours ago, Cris E said:

There are plenty of Pirates fans who were tired of the sloppy play, the separate rules for stars and the "players' manager" attitude that Shelton displayed. He's saying a lot of nice things now just as he did on March 31 in the clip above, but he's the first to start walking this walk.  Hawkins in the bullpen might be able to help with the bad cop role, but fundamentals are a top down attitude that has to be stressed all year. 

I agree with@old nurse above when he points out that Nick got a very different vibe from that presser. But I push back a bit on claims that all those nice ideals come from the players. They are not personality traits, but team traits that guys buy into. "If this is what we do then that's what I have to do."  It's the sort of thing that redd*ss players in the dugout enforce. The manager sets that tone and its success depends on how well it's executed and if enough guys buy in.   

EDIT: Here's a comment from a Pirates blogger:  https://rumbunter.com/twins-are-about-to-learn-the-hard-derek-shelton-truth-that-crushed-pirates-hope

This one is even rougher:  https://operations-lab.com/blog/derek-sheltons-pirates-tenure-a-1761864040686

 

Bloggers as a source of information is like trusting the National Enquirer’s story on the three headed lady 

[Craig Arko]

Just now, old nurse said:

Bloggers as a source of information is like trusting the National Enquirer’s story on the three headed lady 

That would include this entire site.

[IndianaTwin]

44 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Bloggers as a source of information is like trusting the National Enquirer’s story on the three headed lady 

I had a boss like this once. 

[old nurse]

25 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

I had a boss like this once. 

I have had many 2 faced managers 

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Craig Arko said:

That would include this entire site.

Axe grinding brings clicks. Some of the people here that were more journalistic now do podcast.