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When one thinks about what has plagued the Minnesota Twins in the dog days of this season, a few things immediately come to mind: the bats have gone cold at the worst possible time, and the bullpen has crumbled in late innings. But there's another key area that’s often overlooked—defense. Over the past two months, the Twins' fielding has become a glaring weakness, contributing just as much to their potential playoff collapse as any other issue.
For the first four months of the season, the Twins boasted one of the league’s best defenses. Ranked comfortably in the top third of the MLB, Minnesota seemed to lock down the field behind their starters, turning hits into outs and runs into saves. But in August and September, the gloves fell apart. The team posted a combined -15 Outs Above Average (OAA) during that span, slipping to a lowly 27th in August and 25th in September.
This is a stunning regression for a team that was so strong in the field to begin the year. But why such a steep drop-off?
The simple answer lies in injuries. Defensive stalwarts Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, two Gold Glove-caliber defenders, have both missed significant time over the past couple of months. When healthy, Buxton is a game-changer in center field, covering more ground than almost anyone in baseball. Correa, meanwhile, is a vacuum at shortstop, turning would-be hits into routine outs.
Without them, the Twins were forced to scramble.
In Buxton’s absence, Minnesota has deployed a revolving door of replacements in center field, none of whom come close to matching his elite defensive skill set. Austin Martin, Manuel Margot, and Willi Castro have all tried to fill the void, with Castro taking on most of the load in September. While these players offer their own strengths, defensive consistency hasn’t been one of them, and the drop-off in the outfield has been evident.
Similarly, Correa’s injury woes forced Willi Castro to cover shortstop for most of August. As a utility player, Castro is versatile but isn’t built for an everyday role at one of the most demanding positions on the field. The domino effect saw José Miranda thrown into the hot corner more frequently—and his defense struggled mightily, both because he's not a standout at third base, and even more so because he himself is banged up right now.
At second base, Edouard Julien has also contributed to the team’s defensive woes. Julien had looked promising when called up earlier in the season, showing major strides at the position and even bolstering the Twins' middle infield. However, his play has taken a sharp decline in recent weeks. From August through September, Julien posted -6 Outs Above Average, a disappointing figure for a player who showed so much potential. His struggles have turned second base into another weak point in the defense, compounding the team’s issues.
Corner outfield has not been safe from defensive miscues, either. With Max Kepler on the injured list, the Twins lost another Gold Glove-caliber defender and have replaced him with Matt Wallner, a fellow left-hander who has a cannon for an arm, but doesn't range as well in right field or manage its carom quite the way Max does.
We’d be remiss not to mention the defensive impact from an unexpected area—pitcher fielding. Last year, Twins' pitchers combined for 7 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). This year, that number has flipped to -8, a drop that’s been quietly costing the team runs. Pitcher defense is tricky to evaluate since it’s a secondary responsibility, but it’s notable that Twins pitchers made big plays last year that they simply aren’t making this season. It's a small but telling part of the defensive puzzle that has broken down across the board.
When we talk about Buxton and Correa, the conversation often centers around their bats—how much their absence hurts the lineup, their offensive production, and the impact of missing those big, clutch hits. But the reality is that their gloves have been just as important, if not more so, to the Twins’ overall success. This team was built on elite run prevention, and much of that was predicated on the reliability of Buxton and Correa at the two most important positions on the diamond.
With both of them out, the Twins have had to shuffle through players who aren’t capable of providing the same level of defensive security. And while the bats have indeed gone silent at times, the missing gloves have hurt just as much, contributing to the slump and leaving the pitching staff with less support than they had earlier in the season.
As the Twins head into the final stretch, teetering on the edge of missing the playoffs entirely, the focus will likely remain on the struggles of the lineup and bullpen. But don’t be fooled—fielding is playing a significant role in this team’s collapse. If Minnesota is going to turn things around and salvage their season, it won’t just be the bats and arms that need to step up. The gloves are going to have to find a way to rebound, too.
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