Minnesota Twins Defense Trending Toward Worst in Recent Team History, and Worst in Baseball

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Defense has always been one of baseball’s most difficult elements to quantify, but that reality has changed dramatically in recent years. With the introduction and continued refinement of Statcast, teams and fans alike now have access to advanced metrics that provide a clearer picture of what is happening on the field. The Statcast Era, spanning (for the purposes of their defensive numbers, Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value) 2018 through 2026, provides a meaningful sample to evaluate how the Minnesota Twins have performed defensively over time.

Across those nine seasons, the Twins have experienced both highs and lows in the field. Their best defensive performances came during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. The 2021 club led the way. Fielding Run Value had them as 21 runs better than an average team, mainly due to standout performances: Andrelton Simmons contributed 16 OAA at shortstop, while Max Kepler and Byron Buxton added 8 and 7, respectively, in the outfield. In the shortened 2020 season, the Twins posted 7 FRV, led by Buxton in center field and by versatile contributions from Marwin Gonzalez, Jake Cave, and Ehire Adrianza in various positions.

At the other end of the spectrum sits the 2025 season, which marked Minnesota’s worst defensive showing of the Statcast era. The team combined for -22 FRV, with several players struggling significantly. Edouard Julien posted -8 Outs Above Average, while Willi Castro finished at -6. Trevor Larnach, Brooks Lee, and Matt Wallner each contributed -4 OAA. (Yes, OAA and FRV are on different scales, but directionally, you can see how so many defenders collecting fewer outs than expected led to the team preventing fewer runs.) Notably, half of the 10 worst defenders from that roster are no longer in the organization, including Julien, Castro, Jose Miranda, Carlos Correa, and Carson McCusker.

Despite that turnover, the early signs in 2026 suggest the problem has not been solved. Through 10 games, Minnesota is already tied for the worst FRV in baseball, at -7. While it's a small sample, the underlying issues look familiar. The left side of the infield has been particularly problematic, with Royce Lewis posting -4 Outs Above Average at third base and Brooks Lee at -2 while handling shortstop duties.

Lewis showed legitimate progress defensively last season and finished with a positive mark, offering some hope that his current struggles could be temporary. Lee, however, remains a more complicated situation. He graded as one of the team’s weakest defenders a year ago, but the Twins have committed to giving him extended run at shortstop. At this point, the metrics suggest he's stretched beyond his defensive capabilities at the position.

The lack of clear alternatives only complicates matters. At Triple-A, Kaelen Culpepper is one of the more intriguing internal options. He has shown some improvement at shortstop, but evaluators still view him as a below-average defender there. His arm strength could make him a better fit at third base in the long term, but he can’t play shortstop and third base at the same time.

Other potential reinforcements include minor-league veterans like Orlando Arcia and Ryan Kreidler. Both offer experience, but neither profiles as a meaningful defensive upgrade. In other words, there is no obvious solution waiting in the wings.

That reality leaves the Twins in a difficult position. Defensive struggles can compound quickly, putting additional pressure on pitching staffs and forcing lineups to play from behind consistently. While it's far too early to draw definitive conclusions, the trends are concerning, especially when viewed alongside last season’s results.

If these issues persist, the 2026 Twins may find themselves cementing a place in franchise history for all the wrong reasons. In an era where run prevention is increasingly driven by data and defensive precision, Minnesota’s inability to convert balls in play into outs could define its season.

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What has stood out about the team’s defense so far? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[DJL44]

How many fewer innings will the starters throw because the defense gives away outs?

[FlyingFinn]

Several of us have said this winter, 'this roster makeup doesn't make sense with a bullpen that needs a great defense and an offense that is mostly filled with guys who don't hit a lot of homers that is also slow footed.' 

[Linus]

The interesting thing is these same players that are deficient defensively are not very good offensively either. A lot of this is the result of Falveys drafting strategy early in his tenure. They seemed to seek out the best bat they could find without regard for defense or speed. Now when you look at our lineup there are just a lot of slow, poor defenders who never developed into difference makings bats either. 

[Nshore]

Falvey not only resigned, he ran away from the scene of a crime.

[Major League Ready]

There is hope because their top prospects happen to play 3 of their 4 weakest defensive positions.  That being SS and the two corner OF spots.  They still need to come up with a 1B solution.  Perhaps Mendez or Gonzalez can fill that role in time.     

[tony&rodney]

56 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

How many fewer innings will the starters throw because the defense gives away outs?

My best guess is 1 inning per game based on what we have seen to date. Ryan last night was a great example.

The pitchers are hurt by making efforts to increase their K-rates, which adds to pitch counts. 

[jkcarew]

Not sure the baserunning hasn’t given up more outs than the defense. It will be exciting to see which proves to be worse over the coarse of the season.

[CRF]

Yeah...there ain't no gold gloves on this team other than Buck. 

[RpR]

If Culpepper comes up , it will be for his bat, Not his glove at Short Stop.

[DJL44]

11 minutes ago, CRF said:

Yeah...there ain't no gold gloves on this team other than Buck. 

His gold glove days are in the past.

[shimrod]

51 minutes ago, Linus said:

They seemed to seek out the best bat they could find without regard for defense or speed. Now when you look at our lineup there are just a lot of slow, poor defenders who never developed into difference makings bats either. 

Who'd a thunk the athleticism that allows a player to be a good defender also contributes to hitting? 

The higher you rise through professional baseball the harder it gets to keep up with the pitching talent. Lots of good high school / college bats hit their ceiling at the high minors or MLB. The quick twitch athletic ability and hand/eye coordination that allow a player to become a plus defender are also of benefit matching up with top tier pitchers. 

It appears the Twins may have learned their lesson and adjusted the last couple drafts but it will take a while to work the legacy prospects out of the system. Another deadline fire sale may add some more of the athletic prospects the Twins should have been drafting all along. 

[PatPfund]

Sorry, but there are clear solutions internally. You could call up Culpepper, who would be an improvement on defense, and likely add speed and hitting to the lineup as well. Maybe he is "below average" defensively, but we know Lee is WELL below that. (Maybe send Lee down in that setup; he could use a hitting reset, then come back as the utility guy.) You could also cut Outman (not because he is 0-12 this year, but because he's been bad for years), and DFA Larnach (who won't get claimed at his pay, but we could always hope) or Clemens, call up Roden and Emma, and buy a 1B glove for Wallner, which would add needed offense, and give the OF a major defensive boost. It might also give us a solution at 1B (can't see how it would worse, and Wallner would be a massive target with legitimate 1B pop).

[Road trip]

The Twins defense is bad, to be sure, almost everywhere on the diamond.  And yet an equally large problem is the offense.  They just can't score runs with any consistency.

Just look at shortstop production.  The best defender at SS in 2025 was Bobby Witt, at 18 runs prevented above average for the year (per Baseball Savant).  That makes Witt worth 19 runs more than Brooks Lee on defense (Lee was -1 last year).

But look at their respective offensive production...  it's a chasm, far more than the 19 runs worth of difference.  Heck, Witt's offensive value over Lee might be worth more than 19 runs in a month!

And you can do this all over the diamond, save for CF if Buxton stays healthy and has a good year.  Even for traditional offense-first positions like LF and 1B the Twins roster players that are below average hitters.

It's gonna be a long year..

[ashbury]

51 minutes ago, shimrod said:

Who'd a thunk the athleticism that allows a player to be a good defender also contributes to hitting? 

Nelson Cruz says hi.  Meanwhile Ryan Kreidler weeps quietly in the AAA clubhouse.

Remember the old adage, "when you shake the Baseball Tree, about 10 gloves out fall for every bat."  That saying would not have stood the test of time if the same things that make a good defender also contributed directly to hitting well.

[RpR]

59 minutes ago, PatPfund said:

 buy a 1B glove for Wallner, which would add needed offense, and give the OF a major defensive boost. It might also give us a solution at 1B (can't see how it would worse, and Wallner would be a massive target with legitimate 1B pop).

It could be better only in fantasy world.

[garn from vancouver]

"The interesting thing is these same players that are deficient defensively are not very good offensively either"

royce has been coming around but lee is trending to be off the charts very soon - and if gray is given much more rope they may sacrifice his bat and keep him at short as he's looked pretty good thus far. caratini's arm isn't going to hold anyone on base so expect lots of stolen bases when he's behind the plate. outman in centre has been, thus far, a very bad idea. 

it's a long way to september. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

This is true and it's depressing.

[GopherMike]

A tiny bit hyperbolic through 10 games.........But I get that's where everyone is right now.

I think we are likely looking at a battle between atrocious and 'just bad', especially on the left side. I also agree there likely aren't any obvious solutions that don't have other tradeoffs at the moment. 

The difference between this season being bad or mediocre is probably figuring out one of the bullpen or the defense. I have more optimism in the bullpen, when I'm feeling optimistic. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

Agree overall, but not sure why you say Kreidler would not be an upgrade on defense. I think the opposite is true - Kreidler would be a HUGE defensive upgrade at SS. The problem is that he just can't hit water if he fell out of a boat. We could send Lee down to work on his bat and call up Kreidler to give the pitching staff a quality defensive SS. The cost is 4 automatic outs a game - kind of like playing Outman except you get defense from Kreidler in addition to the golden sombrero. And 4 automatic outs are really only about half an out more than we get from Lee.  

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, jkcarew said:

Not sure the baserunning hasn’t given up more outs than the defense. It will be exciting to see which proves to be worse over the coarse of the season.

Im betting on the defense.

[Whitey333]

OMG Why all the doom and gloomy?  Because that is exactly what it is doom and gloom.

[Blyleven2011]

The early results from this year are no different than 2024-25 , we are weakest at defense and offense  , pitching took a step or two backwards this year  ....

Game about to start tonight , can Bradley pitch us to a win ?

 

[twinstalker]

Yeah, this is the worst defense I can remember, and on top of that, this is the slowest team I've ever seen.  Somehow I keep cheering for them each night!

[mluebker]

This doesn’t happen by accident, it happens because the recent iterations of the Twins have tried to build a strong offense with little regard for defense. Too much nostalgia for the Bomba Squad, maybe.

The result is a roster full of guys who have little idea what to do with a glove, too many of whom have also not lived up to the hype about their hitting skills.

So except for Buxton and Jeffers, it’s a roster with too many underachieving hitters who aren’t getting on base or scoring runs who then give away outs and runs when they take the field. The best you can say is they’re consistent (just not at anything that wins games).

[tony&rodney]

We have to give some credit to Ryan Jeffers. He hasn't exactly been a very good catcher in his career. This year we can see that he is working very hard at catching the ball in a firm manner and his challenges have been timely. The blocking and throwing are still suspect but he seems to have put a strong effort towards making pitchers feel comfortable and that holds worth.

I'm a fan of players recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and making efforts to put themsleves into good situations by eliminating mental errors and reducing the impact of their weak points. 

[David Maro]

You can talk all the numbers you want,plus this or minus that Lee is not a SS. Watching him play is bad,he reacts after the ball is past him and when he does make a play in the hole he's too slow to 1st. And with Keashall at 2nd the pitcher is going to have to field their position better or the hits will just keep on coming.