Twins Video
The graphic below from MLB.com makes for an interesting exercise, as it didn't focus on payroll but rather the production each player provided (bWAR) and how each team acquired that player. We see that free agency played a relatively large role in constructing the NL playoff teams, whereas AL teams are generally more likely to be internally developed.
That said, based on the size of each section within each teams bar chart you can pretty easily decipher the big market teams with seemingly an endless amount of payroll (Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies) versus the smaller market clubs that rely more heavily on homegrown talent (Brewers, Tigers, Royals). Like it or not, the Twins fit the latter group which places an added emphasis on their ability to identify and develop talented players via the draft or international free agency.
So, how were the 2024 Minnesota Twins built?
As noted above, the data collected is a player bWAR based on projected postseason rosters. I included the following players for the Twins calculations:
Position Players (13): Christian Vázquez, Ryan Jeffers, Carlos Santana, Jose Miranda, Brooks Lee, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer, and Austin Martin
Pitchers (13): Pablo López, Bailey Ober, David Festa, Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands, Caleb Thielbar, Justin Topa, Louie Varland, Ronny Henriquez, Michael Tonkin, Jorge Alcalá, and Zebby Matthews
Grouping the players was mostly straightforward, but I did divide Durán, Alcalá, and Martin’s bWARs evenly between trade/waiver and homegrown since each spent multiple years in the Twins Minor League system. You could argue that Simeon Woods Richardson should have made the roster but he was pretty bad down the stretch and just seemed out of gas so I opted for an actual reliever. Additionally, while Larnach, Miranda, and Wallner didn't play in the last series of the year and were each placed on the 10-day IL, I still wanted to include them in this exercise to have a more realistic picture of how the 2024 Minnesota Twins were built.
Unsurprisingly, the largest section of the Twins bar chart comes from homegrown talent and, more specifically, the draft. Due to Max Kepler’s injury, none of the 63.64% homegrown bWAR came via International Free Agency. The next biggest section is the Free Agent group (26.52%) of Correa, Santana, Castro, Vázquez, and Thielbar followed by the “Trade/Waiver” group (9.85%).
The Twins have always been an organization who has relied on a strong farm system to keep them competitive and relevant. One way or another, the players in the farm system help contribute to the major-league roster through their actual production once they reach the Bigs, or through their perceived value on the trade market if a team looks to bolster their MLB roster.
And sometimes they do both, as is the case with former Twins utility Luis Arraez. The Twins signed Arraez via International Free Agency, helped him develop into the first Twins batting champion since Joe Mauer, and then flipped him for Pablo López. While López isn’t a homegrown talent by definition, it was the Twins ability to identify and develop homegrown talent that eventually brought him to the Twins.
This breakdown just further demonstrates the importance of being able to identify and develop talent to create a sustainable product at the big league level. Yes, making splashy trades and signing big name free agents is fun and is a route to success for some, we have to be realistic and remember that's not how the Twins have nor will find success.
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now