2026 Twins Defense

[stringer bell]

Most everyone that has paid attention to the Minnesota Twins in the 2020s sees a team that is weak defensively. I agree with that assessment and really don't have all the answers to make the Twins a good defensive team. I do want to quantify just how bad they are in the field and compare it with the rest of MLB. Using information that is free online, I have reviewed several metrics. My principal sources are The Fielding Bible and Fangraphs, with Fangraphs incorporating data from Statcast.

Here are some team rankings; the Twins are 28th in Defensive Runs Saved with -8 in their first 41 games this year. They rank 15th in Fielding Run Value and 21st in Outs Above Average (-3). While these metrics don't line up perfectly, players rated very good to elite  usually are pretty much the same and there is agreement on who the very best defensive teams are (Cubs, Red Sox and Dodgers). So it is with individuals. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bobby Witt Jr. and Luis Arraez stand out no matter which metric is used.

Among the Twins, the three players who have positive ratings across the board are Kody Clemens, Trevor Larnach and Austin Martin. Byron Buxton is rated as neutral  except for a +2 Outs Above Average. It is also clear who the Twins worst defenders at their positions are--Brooks Lee and Matt Wallner are in the lowest quartile for their positions. The Fielding Bible breaks out Defensive Runs Saved by position and the Twins -8 Defensive Runs Saved is basically covered by shortstop and right field, shortstop is -5 and right field is -7. An aside, Dan Hayes is reporting that Lee's DRS has stabilized. I believe it has actually gone down from -5 to -4.

While the Twins rate quite a ways down in The Fielding Bible's DRS list, they are only a couple of runs from moving up four or five spots. The #23 Rockies are five runs better and four other teams are within two runs of the Twins -8 mark. Eight runs in 41 games is about a run surrendered a week (actually five games). The Twins don't have a lot of good defenders beside the three or four listed as above average. Both catchers, Lewis and Keaschall are below average, but close to neutral. It would seem that removing one of the guys who is weighing the team ranking down. Having a guy with +2 DRS in right field over the first 41 games would flip the Twins to positive territory.

Overall, it wouldn't take much to put the Twins in the middle of defenses in the major leagues. It would be nice if the Twins had a potential Gold Glover at each position, but that isn't the case for any team. Removing bad fielders should be a priority, especially if there is a good fielder to replace them. (Clemens over Bell?) I don't think the Twins are hopeless on defense or that they don't care, but they've been willing to sacrifice defense for offense at many positions.