Who is the Face of the Minnesota Twins?

Yesterday, I was trying to answer that question for myself. So I decided to run a poll over on Twitter, and it stirred up a lot of debate among Twins fans.

https://twitter.com/AndrewThares/status/1126213276721983489

With that being said, let’s take a look at the case for some of the leading

candidates.

Jose Berrios

In an organization that has been looking for a true ace of the pitching staff ever since Johan Santana was traded to the New York Mets, Jose Berrios is the guy many have turned to to take that role. In his first few years in the big leagues, Jose Berrios hasn’t disappointed. Ever since getting called up for good in 2017, Berrios has pitched nearly 400 innings, with an ERA of 3.68, a K/9 of 9.02 and a BB/9 of just 2.69. The soon to be 25-year old is just now entering the prime of his career and could serve as the Twins ace for many years to come.

Eddie Rosario

Eddie Rosario has broken out as a star over the past two plus seasons for the Twins. In 2017 he hit 27 home runs and followed that up with a team leading 24 home runs in 2018. So far in 2019, Rosario is leading the American League with 13 home runs. Additionally, Rosario inspires many Twins fans with his hustle and big arm, that have given us their fair share of both highlight reel plays, and moments where you scratch your head wondering what was Rosie thinking.

Byron Buxton

Speaking of highlight reel plays, is there another Twins player in recent memory that has given us more of those than Byron Buxton? They say that two thirds of the Earth is covered by water, and the other third is covered by Byron Buxton. In every year since Statcast has tracked player sprint speed, Byron Buxton has ranked 1st in all of Major League Baseball. It might seem weird that a hitter with a career wRC+ of 78 might be considered the face of a franchise, but that just shows how special he is in the outfield and on the base paths.

Willians Astudillo

Ever since his call-up to the bigs last summer, Willians Astudillo has become a bit of a cult hero to not only Minnesota Twins fans, but to baseball fans across America. In just 150 career plate appearances, Astudillo has already collected 49 hits, an fWAR of 1.1, and has played every position on the field except shortstop, including an innings worth of work on the mound. His unique style of never strikeout and never walk has brought a refreshing pace to a game that has seen those two things spike in recent years. La Tortuga, may you keep bringing baseball fans countless amounts of joy for many years to come.

Nelson Cruz

This might be one that most Twins fans scoff at given that he was just signed to the team this offseason, but when you consider who the face of a franchise is, it is the player most fans from other teams think of when they think of that team, and on a national level, Nelson Cruz is easily the most prominent player on the Minnesota Twins. It might be hard to make a case for Cruz other than that, but if you were to poll non-Twins fans on this question, I think a lot of them might say Nelson Cruz, simply because they don’t know who a lot of the guys on the Twins roster are… yet.

Jorge Polanco

When talking about the face of the franchise, you can’t leave out the guy who has probably been the best player when he is actually on the field over the past few seasons. The 80-game suspension to start 2018 hurt some of his production, and consequently some of his case for the face of the Twins, but there is no denying how great of a player Polanco has been ever since he broke out in the later half of 2017. Polanco might just be the long-term answer to the ever-revolving door that is the Minnesota Twins shortstop position.

Royce Lewis

It might seem weird to include a player that is still in the minor leagues on this list, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to make a case. Just look at what’s happened with the Toronto Blue Jays. Ever since Josh Donaldson was traded last summer, you could make a case that Vlad Guerrero Jr. has been the face of their organization, and with Guerrero, Fernando Tatis Jr., Eloy Jimenez, and Nick Senzel all being in the Majors, it won’t be long until Royce Lewis might be considered the consensus top overall prospect in baseball. Additionally, the last guy the Twins took with the 1st overall pick in the draft held this title for quite some time. Could it soon be time for Lewis to take over the throne?

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine

While neither is a player, one would be remised not to include Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine on this list. Ever since they were hired after the 2016 season, they have been the focal point of many Twins related discussions. At the time of their hire the Twins were coming off having the worst record in baseball, and had a 407-565 record over the previous six seasons. In their time in charge, the Twins have a 186-173 record, and have helped vault the Twins farm system into one of the Top 10 systems in baseball.

Rocco Baldelli

Lastly, we need to take a look at the Twins manager who has help revitalize this Twins team. Sure, offseason additions of Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop, Martin Perez, Marwin Gonzalez and Blake Parker have played a role, but we can’t overlook the job Baldelli has done in getting the most out of his young players early on in the season. Baldelli brings an added dimension of youth and openness to change that is a refreshing pace to Twins managers of the past. If the Twins keep playing the way they have been, Baldelli might be in line to be named manager of the year in just his first season as an MLB manager.

As we can see, there is a long list of names for potential candidates to be the face of the Minnesota Twins. Arguments can be made for a number of guys, and there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on who it is at the moment. Maybe some will rise from the ranks and establish themselves on the Mount Rushmore of Minnesota Twins. Or maybe we will just continue having a team of solid players who all contribute to the long-term success of the organization.

Let us know who you think is the face of the Minnesota Twins in the comment section down below.