Envisioning the 2027 Twins Starting Lineup

[mnfireman]

7 hours ago, JCT66 said:

I don’t understand the Buxton hate, and I really dont know where you came up with your numbers.  
 

here’s a few different numbers for you. Since 2021 Buxton has averaged 93 games per season. He’s also averaged 3.55 WAR. 
 

In any given year about 4 to 5% of MLB players hit 3.55 WAR or better.  That’s about 60 players a year. The QO for 2026 (which represents the average salary of the top 125 players) was ~$22 million. Buxtons salary since signing his extension has averaged $16 million.  
 

Even hurt as much as he has been Buxton has been a huge bargain for the Twins. To say he is a “problem” is just completely wrong. 

Exactly. Buxton is not the problem, the team not having someone to step in when, not if, he is out for an extended period. 

Roster construction overall can be blamed on Falvey, as he left/was fired right before ST, but in-season construction is 100% on Zoll. Carrying a player who does not see the field for weeks at a time is asinine. 

[Woof Bronzer]

20 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

The part being ignored is that Jeffer's wRC+ equates to roughly 15 runs above average.  The net of those two numbers is a good player.

Fair but I'd say the net of those two numbers is 60% of a good player since that's the average amount of games/season he has played for his career.  

[RpR]

6 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

Are you suggesting that two additional runs over the course of the season are important or are you suggesting the measure of 2 additional runs is a matter of opinion.

He would not be worth the money.

[Major League Ready]

31 minutes ago, RpR said:

He would not be worth the money.

I didn't know we were discussing what he might get paid in the future.

[laloesch]

On 8/31/2026 at 8:54 AM, ewen21 said:

Byron Buxton is a problem.  His spot in the lineup is always an unknown.  Who can figure what will happen with the guy?  He has a hot month or so and then he is has a month where he is as bad as he was good and then we start hearing about a variety of ailments.  I am so over it.  He is not as special as this place has made him out to be.   His lifetime OBP is .309, his lifetime average is .248, in 12 seasons with us he has had more than 100 hits twice.  He has a lifetime average of .192 with 2 ours and RISP with 119 Ks in 338 at bats.  He has a lifetime average of .213 close and late with 183 strikeouts in 478 at bats.  That flat out sucks.  He has had so many horrible at bats in high leverage situations over the years.   He makes managing the CF spot on this roster a headache.  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  You cannot have your model player (and the Twins have tried to put him on that pedestal) be a guy who starts in slightly over 50% in the schedule a year.  It is a fools errand.  In the last five seasons he has played 60, 57, 94, 118 and not this year probably just 72 games in CF.  Does anyone expect this to get better in 2027?  The sooner we can move on from him the better.  He isn't a model player.  We cannot have your model player be a guy who averages slightly over 50 games a year.  End of story.

 

I like what I see from Walker Jenkins, but I am STILL waiting for us to someday....somehow........ draft, raise and produce a starting pitcher that puts fans in the stands.  It is a task that seems impossible for this organization execute and achieve.  WIll someone please name a starting pitcher we drafted, developed and saw on the mound at the major league level giving us something remotely resembling AS material?   The last time there was any actual juice behind a pitcher like that was Matt Garza in 2006.  In fact, we can go back over 30 years and he would be the only SP we actually drafted and raised in our system of any note.  That is beyond pathetic!

I disagree that with the return of Lopez, Festa and Abel that this starting staff will be "extremely deep".  They will need to show me something different.  Lopez is a talent but he is coming off Tommy John and has only begun to throw very recently.  What is his timetable for next year?  We do not even know.  Mick Abel has 59 innings of major league experience and has a 5.46 ERA over that time and he is coming off a season ending injury.  We don't even know what he is.   Ditto with David Festa.

 

This team has been a bore for a very long time.  I won't even prognosticate beyond the history these players have provided for us in the major leagues.  Unless this group magically transforms itself this team is a 76 win team.

I think it's depressing how many down votes you got for this post.  To me it's nearly spot on accurate.  Long term Buxton cannot be relied upon to be THE centerfielder for the Twins.  He just can't stay healthy in long enough stretches, and he's proven that year after year throughout his career and the Twins have put him up on a pedestal as a cornerstone of this franchise when he's kinda not.  Perhaps Jenkins can transition into that role and Buxton can shift to a corner outfield spot, but we'll see.   The front office should have called up E-Rod by now.  We need to see what this kid brings to the table and hopefully resolve this musical chair outfield we've been seeing.  

I'm a bit more optimistic about the rotation, but there are still big question marks going forward.  What happens to Joe Ryan?  The Twins aren't going to extend him, are they?  Lopez will take a while to return to form from his second TJ surgery and he's getting older.  I like what Abel brings to the table  as far as stuff goes, but aside from Taj, there's a whole lot of question marks after that.  Festa hasn't proven anything yet and he's had injury issues and was pumped up as a potential big rotation piece before this season.  Matthews has done an okay job but he's not more than a 4th or 5th starter.  

1st base is still a question mark.  Lewis is not gonna stick there and neither is Bell.  The Twins need to find a true 1st base prospect that's major league ready or sign one.  I don't think this team is more than a 75-82ish win team as it currently stands, and that's before they lose Jeffers to free agency. 

[Motherhen]

On 8/31/2026 at 6:05 AM, ewen21 said:

It is an unpopular and yet highly rational stand if you ask me.  We probably should put him out there opening day by default and give him his spot.  I think that at some point we need to let him know he isn't going to be resigned.  Maybe then he would waive the no trade clause and we can put up something at the trade deadline (that is if he isn't on the IL)

Another mention of waiving the no trade is so ridiculous I'm done reading for the day.

[RpR]

53 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

I didn't know we were discussing what he might get paid in the future.

WHAT?

It seems like dollars are what SO MANY posts on this site are about.