Minnesota Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Shortstop

The impact of a star performer at shortstop is hard to match in baseball. As a case in point: The Twins finished sixth in fWAR at the position last year. Of the five teams ahead of them (KC, NYM, BAL, CIN, LAD), four made the postseason, including the eventual World Series champs. It's fair to say that Bobby Witt Jr. and Francisco Lindor were THE singular differentiators in their teams making the playoffs.

That is the degree of team-lifting potential Carlos Correa brings to the table, and Minnesota is paying handsomely for it: $37 million in the third year of a six-year contract. Correa has shown he can be worth every penny when on the field as starting shortstop. But with his salary inhibiting flexibility for the now-constrained front office, there isn't much in terms of supporting depth at this critical position. 

This team's broader range of outcomes is shaped by Correa's ability to stay on the field – a scary proposition.

TWINS SHORTSTOPS AT A GLANCE

Starter: Carlos Correa
Backup: Brooks Lee
Depth: Willi Castro, Austin Martin
Prospects: Kaelen Culpepper, Kyle DeBarge, Danny De Andrade

Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 6th out of 30
Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 8th out of 30

THE GOOD
On the fateful date he was scratched from the lineup in San Francisco last summer, July 13th, Correa ranked ninth among all major-league players with 3.6 fWAR. He was an All-Star and he might have been in the MVP conversation if there weren't three players, including two shortstops (Witt and Gunnar Henderson), separating themselves from the field in the American League.

Shaking off his injury-rooted struggles from the previous season, Correa was a two-way force in the first half, taking great at-bats and crushing the ball routinely while excelling at short. He was only heating up as the summer unfolded; in the month before landing on the injured list, Correa slashed .344/.417/.635 with eight home runs, 19 RBIs, nine walks and only 12 strikeouts in 25 games. The Twins went 16-9. 

Such is the level of impact Correa can offer, and it's why the Twins were willing to hand him a free-agent contract two years ago that blew away their previous record. He's the total package, starring on offense and defense while also drawing rave reviews for his influence off the field and behind the scenes. The number of players who have ever come through the Twins organization with a commensurate combination of talent, leadership and baseball IQ can probably be counted on one hand.

Yes, there is ample reason for concern about his ability to hold up. If Correa never made it back to the field last year after his plantar fasciitis issues surfaced at the All-Star break, that concern would be magnified. But he was able to make it back into the Twins lineup in mid-September, and he played very well upon returning, batting .325 with a .960 OPS and more walks (10) than strikeouts (8) in 11 games. 

Correa's finishing flourish set him into the offseason on the right foot, so to speak, and he spent his winter focusing on developing a maintenance plan to keep the pesky heel afflictions at bay. So far, so good. He reportedly showed up to camp pain-free and was thrust right into exhibition lineups after easing his way into action last spring. 

Still 30 years old, Correa remains in his physical prime and he sure looked it while on the field last year. If he's healthy and doing his thing, it's hard to imagine the Twins missing the playoffs unless things really unravel elsewhere. But if Correa is once again unavailable for a large portion of the season, the Twins will be left scrambling.

THE BAD
It's been quite a journey for Carlos Correa and his embattled body. First there were the multiple free-agent contracts rescinded over worries about his ankle that surfaced in medical scans. Then, after finally landing (back) with the Twins, his first season was hampered by a lengthy ordeal with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He rebounded in the first half of 2024, posting peak production up until another extended bout of plantar fasciitis ensued, this time in his right foot.

Numerous significant health concerns hover over Correa as he enters his 30s, all seemingly threatening to become relevant again at any time. I haven't even touched on the back problems that previously plagued him. The risk level is sky-high, and there's not much the Twins can do about it other than prepare for scenarios where Correa gets sidelined. In this regard, the organization seems woefully ill equipped.

Theoretically Correa's top backup is Brooks Lee. He's played shortstop throughout the minors and he made 23 starts there for the Twins as a rookie. Rocco Baldelli seems to trust the 24-year-old at this crucial, difficult position, and with good cause: Lee is a crisp fielder with good instincts and enough arm to make tough throws. The problem is that he's currently penciled in as the starter at second, and also, it's not entirely clear Lee is ready for the big leagues after floundering at the plate last year. He's got his own injury issues to overcome, too.

From there, the depth at shortstop becomes very flimsy. Willi Castro is next in line despite the team making it known they don't really want him playing there, at least not regularly. Late in the offseason, the front office reportedly went shopping for a veteran backup infielder capable of handling short, but ended up pivoting to Ty France at first base instead. That leaves them pretty bare on contingency layers. 

Outside of Lee and Castro, who is even able to step in at shortstop? Austin Martin played the position in college and the minors, but it's hard to believe the Twins would want him playing there in the majors outside of an emergency. Their top prospects at the position are years away. 

THE BOTTOM LINE
Correa has the ability to lift the Twins in a way that few other individual players could possibly equal. On the flip side, C4 going down would have a dramatically negative impact on the team and its outlook; there's no replacing what he can do, and Minnesota is especially vulnerable to his loss based on their roster makeup, which is severely lacking in adept fielders at shortstop.

So yes, all things considered, it's not too big of a leap to say that the realistic upside of this Twins team hinges fundamentally on Correa and his health. No pressure or anything.

Share your thoughts on the outlook at shortstop below and check out the rest of our Position Analysis series:

• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Catcher
• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: First Base
• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Second Base
• Twins 2025 Position Analysis: Third Base