Blame Game: Who Gets the Most Blame for the Twins’ Poor Start?

Minnesota’s start to the season has been frustrating for all parties involved, including fans, players, and coaches. After their first playoff series win in two decades, the team seemed to be riding a wave of momentum. Instead, the club is near the bottom of the AL Central, considered one of baseball’s worst divisions. So, let’s sift through the organization and decide who (or what) deserves the most blame for the team’s underwhelming April.

5. The Schedule
Minnesota had a brutal stretch to start the year, including series versus three division winners from last year (Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee). The Twins ended up going 2-6 versus those teams, including being outscored 22-to-9 by the Orioles in a three-game sweep. At Target Field, the team has also struggled to find ways to win consistently, which is rare even in poor seasons for the Twins. The schedule has been challenging to start the year, but the team has to play the games in front of them, and wins have been left on the table. 

4. The Front Office
Derek Falvey and company were put in a tough spot this season, with holes to fill on the roster, while also being given an ultimatum from ownership to cut payroll by $30 million. The front office used patience and creativity to build a roster that preseason projections had atop the AL Central. Trading Jorge Polanco, one of the team’s longest-tenured players, was a tough decision, but the team needed the financial flexibility to make other moves. Carlos Santana and Manuel Margot have failed to meet expectations, but the team rebuilt the bullpen into a strength. It looks like the front office’s biggest mistake was not adding more starting pitching depth. However, that might not have been possible with the team’s payroll cut. 

3. The Coaching Staff
Last week, Ted wondered if it was time for the Twins to shuffle the coaching staff. Rudy Hernandez, David Popkins, and Derek Shoman are the three coaches charged with working with Twins hitters and developing the team’s offensive approach. So far this season, the team's approach hasn't been successful, and there were similar signs last season. Minnesota struggled offensively through the first half of 2023, to the point where the veterans held a player’s only meeting to clear the air. In the second half, the Twins had one of the AL’s best offenses, propelled by a trio of rookies. Unfortunately, Royce Lewis is on the IL, and Matt Wallner has been demoted to Triple-A. There isn’t another set of rookies on the horizon to save the team this year. 

2. The Ownership
Payroll was the talk of the Twins offseason, because there were multiple layers to the team dropping a higher percentage of payroll than all but one AL rival (the Angels). Minnesota had a young core to their roster, which comes at a lower cost, and the team’s television situation was in flux. Eventually, the team renewed their deal with Diamond Sports, and some hoped it would allow the team to spend more. It never happened. A higher payroll could have allowed the Twins to add more depth to the starting rotation or find better veteran options than Santana and Margot. Target Field has been sparsely populated to begin the year, and owners have no one to blame but themselves.

1. The Bats
At some point, Twins players need to look in the mirror and be responsible for the on-field results. Minnesota’s offensive production has been near the bottom of the league for the entire season. Even when batters get on base, the team folds under the pressure of finding a way for them to score. Entering play on Tuesday, the Twins ranked last in MLB in nearly every category, with runners in scoring position. In 176 at-bats, Minnesota hit .142/.229/.244, with a 61-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Only two teams have an OPS below .600 with runners in scoring position: the Twins and the White Sox. It’s time to figure out how to score runs consistently, so the pitching staff has less pressure to put zeros on the board.

How would you assign blame? Who is too high or too low? Add your rankings in the comments.