Twins Land in the Middle of the Pack in Latest Franchise Rankings

[Cody Christie]

Every franchise wants to believe it has been among baseball’s elite over the last quarter-century. A new set of rankings from The Athletic attempts to answer that question by putting a number on sustained success across Major League Baseball.

Each year, the publication releases its MLB Franchise Rankings, measuring how teams have performed over the last 25 seasons. The system rewards postseason success while also accounting for division titles and long stretches of losing seasons. It is designed to measure consistency rather than simply rewarding a single championship window.

The Athletic’s formula, adapted from Bob Sturm’s football system, fits baseball’s postseason: nine points for a World Series win, six for runner-up, three for losing in the Championship Series, two for Division Series, one for Wild Card loss. Additional adjustments include a point for division titles and a deduction for consecutive 90-loss seasons.

Unlike many rankings that focus on recent performance, this system does not give extra weight to the most recent seasons. The goal is to capture the entire 25-year stretch from 2001 through today and determine which franchises have consistently found ways to stay competitive.

Twins Land at No. 14
Minnesota ranked 14th overall with 25 total points over the 25-year period. That position places them in the top half of baseball but just barely, reflecting a franchise that has experienced bursts of success mixed with frustrating postseason outcomes.

Within the American League, only six teams ranked higher than Minnesota. The teams ahead of the Twins include the New York Yankees at second overall, the Boston Red Sox at fourth, and the Houston Astros at fifth. Those franchises have combined for multiple championships and deep playoff runs during the ranking period. A few more familiar American League rivals also finished ahead of Minnesota. The Cleveland Guardians ranked tenth, the Texas Rangers placed eleventh, and the Los Angeles Angels came in twelfth.

For Twins fans, the ranking feels both fair and frustrating. Minnesota has been competitive in several stretches over the last two decades, but postseason success has been harder to come by. A few deeper October runs could have pushed the franchise comfortably into the top ten.

A Steady Climb in Recent Years
Even though the Twins sit in the middle of the pack today, the trend line has been moving in the right direction. The franchise ranked 14th in 2025 with 24 points. In 2024, Minnesota ranked 15th overall with 22 points. The year before that, they were down at 17th with 19 points. Just a short time ago, the franchise was much closer to the bottom half of baseball.

The biggest jump came between 2022 and 2023. In the 2022 rankings, the Twins placed 22nd with only 11 points. At that point, the organization was still feeling the impact of several losing seasons and limited postseason success during the ranking window. Since then, the club has slowly climbed back toward the middle of the league. It is not a dramatic rise, but it shows that recent competitive seasons have helped stabilize Minnesota’s standing.

What Comes Next
While the recent climb is encouraging, these rankings may soon be challenging for the Twins. The system uses a rolling 25-year window, so Minnesota’s best seasons from the early 2000s will eventually drop out. When those years fall off, the Twins could lose points that now keep them mid-standings. The team will need new postseason appearances and division titles to maintain or boost its position.

Fortunately for Minnesota, the path to those points might not be overly complicated. The American League Central has frequently been one of baseball’s most competitive but unpredictable divisions. No team has completely dominated the division in recent seasons, leaving opportunities for a club that gets hot at the right time.

For now, the latest rankings paint a clear picture of the franchise over the last quarter-century. The Twins have not been among baseball’s true powerhouses, but they also have not fallen into the category of long-term struggling organizations. Instead, Minnesota sits right where the numbers say it belongs. Solid, competitive, and still searching for the October breakthrough that could change the entire conversation.

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[Linus]

Seems like an inaccurate ranking considering the Twins have played in a weak division for a while. 

[MesaTwinsFan]

Someone refresh my memory I agree with most of the ratings but the ANGELS. MIKE TROUT must be the greatest player ever.. sure Ohtani raises them some but what did they ever really do

[chpettit19]

4 hours ago, MesaTwinsFan said:

Someone refresh my memory I agree with most of the ratings but the ANGELS. MIKE TROUT must be the greatest player ever.. sure Ohtani raises them some but what did they ever really do

Won a World Series. The rankings are just a tally of things like playoff appearances, division titles, and World Series wins over the last 25 years. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani play no factor in it. They're ranked 28th for the last decade, but the World Series win boosts them a lot as they were good the 15 years before this last decade.

[Brandon]

I don't see the rankings but I bet the Twins and. Angels are pretty close in the standings.  There are probably 5-8 teams bunched up from 10-18 or so rankings meaning a break or two and the standings look very different for the teams in the middle.  If the Twins win a World Series in one of those years or beat the Yankees in two of the playoffs series, I bet the Twins are ranked around 10 or even 9