Matthew Taylor

This makes my head hurt.

Harnisch was probably the better overall player. He has more career WAR than Jones. Threw Jones in there because of his 2000 season when he finished 5th in Cy Young voting. Also because of his ties to the Twins. Harnisch is another example.

The MLB draft is quickly approaching and the Minnesota Twins are slotted to select 27th. In preparing for the much anticipated event, let’s take a look at how the 27th pick in the MLB draft has performed historically.Since the first MLB amateur draft was held in 1965, there have been 55 players selected with the 27th overall pick. Of those 55 players, 56% of them played in the majors. Overall, the number 27 pick in the MLB draft has produced a combined bWAR of 122.8, which ranks as the lowest combined bWAR of any single draft position of the first 30 picks. Further, the number 27 draft position has produced an average of 4.0 bWAR per major leaguer which also ranks last among draft positions in the 1st round. Download attachment: war.png Minnesota Twins and the 27th Overall Pick The Minnesota Twins have twice had the 27th overall pick in the amateur draft. In 1991 the Twins selected first baseman, Scott Stahoviak. Stahoviak joined the Minnesota Twins big league club in 1993, and over his 5-year tenure with the Twins played in 334 games, posting a career .256 batting average with 27 home runs. In 2008 with the 27th pick, the Twins selected right handed pitcher Carlos Gutiérrez. While an intriguing prospect, Gutiérrez struggled as he worked his way through the Twins minor league system, posting a 4.59 ERA in AAA. Gutiérrez never made it to the majors, instead being released to waivers where he was claimed by the Cubs, playing in their minor league system for one season before retiring in 2013. Top 3 Players Drafted with the Number 27 Pick 1. Vida Blue 1969-1986 3.27 career ERA 44.9 career bWAR 6x All-Star, 1971 AL MVP, 1971 AL Cy Young Vida Blue had a long 17-year career in the major leagues, highlighted by his time in the Bay Area where he played nine seasons with the Oakland Athletics (and won three rings) and six seasons with the San Francisco Giants. Blue was consistently a top-flight pitcher during his career, earning 6 all-star bids and 5 top-10 Cy Young finishes. Blue’s best season was in 1971 when he pitched 312 innings and led baseball with a minuscule 1.82 ERA. His performance was enough to win him the AL MVP and Cy Young Award in the same season, a feat that has only been done nine other times in MLB history. 2. Rick Porcello 2009-current 4.36 career ERA 19.7 career bWAR 2016 AL Cy Young Porcello joined the Detroit Tigers in 2009 as a top-25 prospect, expected to form a dynamic pitching duo with teammate Justin Verlander. While Porcello certainly didn’t live up to his top-prospect billing in Detroit, he was a solid pitcher with the Tigers — consistently putting up 170+ IP with an ERA hovering around 4.00. In 2014, Porcello was traded to the Boston Red Sox in a trade centered around Yoenis Céspedes. Porcello peaked in his second year with the Red Sox in 2016 when he won 22 games with a 3.15 ERA and was voted the AL Cy Young winner. Porcello went on to win a World Series with Boston in 2018 before his contract ran out after the 2019 season. Porcello was signed this offseason with the New York Mets. 3. Todd Jones 1993-2008 3.97 career ERA 10.3 career bWAR 1x All-Star Another Tiger, Todd Jones had an astonishingly effective 16-year career as a relief pitcher in the majors. Jones had his best season in 2000 when he saved a league high 42 games with a 3.52 ERA for the Tigers. Jones was voted an American League All-Star and ended the season fifth in Cy Young voting. In his 16 year career, Jones played for 8 different teams, even making a pit stop in Minnesota in 2001 after he was traded for pitcher, Mark Redman. Jones pitched a total of 19.1 innings for the Minnesota Twins, posting a 3.26 ERA and saving two games. What are your thoughts on the history of the 27th pick? Are you confident that the Twins will come away with a difference-maker with their first round selection next week? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The 2010 season will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Minnesota Twins fans, as it was the year that outdoor baseball finally returned to Minnesota. Target Field became home, and the Twins threw quite the housewarming party.We're running a 20-part series in which we look back at each Minnesota Twins season of the 2000s. A rotation of different writers will highlight key moments, unearth forgotten details, and share nostalgic tales from the past two decades leading up to the present. This installment covers the 2010 season. Team Record: 94-68 Finish: 1st Place in AL Central All-Stars: Joe Mauer ( C ), Justin Morneau (1B) Awards: Joe Mauer (Gold Glove & Silver Slugger, C) Ron Gardenhire (AL Manager of the Year), Francisco Liriano (AL Comeback Player of the Year) Playoffs: Lost to NYY 3-0 in ALDS Season Overview This was a special time in Twins history. It marked the team's 50th season since coming to Minnesota, it was the first year of outdoor baseball since 1981, and it was quite the successful campaign on the field. To better dive into the 2010 season for the Minnesota Twins, let’s break things down month by month and follow along with the inaugural journey of the Target Field era Twins. OffseasonIn addition to packing up their things and moving to Target Field, the Twins made plenty of moves to keep busy in the offseason heading into 2010. The first of these was extending the reigning MVP Joe Mauer with an eight-year, $184 million contract in March, making him the highest-paid Twins player in team history. Out of free agency, the Twins signed Orlando Hudson at second and veteran Jim Thome to be their designated hitter. He would go on to hit for an OPS of 1.039 in 2010 and take on a huge leadership role for the Twins. Finally, the Twins parted ways with Carlos Gómez, trading him to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy in efforts to shore up a position of perpetual instability. April/MayThe Twins came out of the gates strong in the opening two months of the 2010 season, providing Twins fans with an entertaining product to go along with their shiny new stadium. By the end of May, the Twins were 31-20, and held a 4 1/2 game lead in the American League Central. On the mound, the Twins were led by Francisco Liriano who bounced back from a dreadful 2009 to show signs of his previous form. With his fastball back up in the mid-90s, Liriano posted a stellar 3.29 ERA through the first two months, highlighted by an April 27th performance against the Tigers where he pitched eight innings, allowing just four hits and striking out 10. June/JulyAfter a hot start, the Twins hit a bit of a rough patch in June and July, posting just a 27-26 record over this time span and surrendering their lead in the AL Central. On July 15th, the Twins found themselves 4 1/2 games back of the White Sox, the largest division deficit they would face all season. One contributor to the mid-season swoon was the concussion suffered by Justin Morneau on July 7th in Toronto. At the time of his injury, Morneau was the leading MVP candidate, as he was hitting .345 with 18 homers and a 1.055 OPS. Morneau wouldn’t play another game for the 2010 Twins after suffering the injury, and would never again be quite the same player. Trade DeadlineThe 2010 season featured one of the more infamous deadline deals in team history when the Twins traded away catcher and top-100 prospect Wilson Ramos for Nationals closer Matt Capps. The move was born from general manager Bill Smith's compulsion to install an "established closer" in the absence of Joe Nathan, who went down with Tommy John surgery in the spring. At the time of the trade, Capps was pitching well as the Nationals closer, with a 2.74 ERA and 26 saves in 30 chances. This was an uncharacteristically win-now move for the Twins, who traditionally never traded away top prospects for established veterans. Capps pitched well for the Twins for the remainder of the season, but many still question the short-sighted thinking with the trade, especially given value gap between a top catching prospect and an aging, good-not-great relief pitcher. August/SeptemberAfter a mid-season dip in performance, the Minnesota Twins absolutely dominated the post-deadline portion of their schedule, going 37-22 over the final two months. Heading into August, the Twins were in second place in the American League Central, but when all was said and done Minnesota won the division by six games. A big reason for their success in the Central in 2010 was how much they dominated the White Sox. In 18 games, the Twins went 13-5 against Chicago, accounting for their entire division lead at the end of the season. A mid-September sweeping at U.S. Cellular Field was essentially the nail in the coffin. The Twins ended the season 94-68, earning the No. 2 seed in the American League and an ALDS matchup with (once again) the New York Yankees. OctoberDifferent year, same result for the Twins as they rematched the Yankees in the ALDS, and again were swept 3-0. There was some optimism surrounding this year’s showdown, as the Twins had home-field advantage plus some arm talent, with Liriano and 17-game winner Carl Pavano slated to start Games 1 and 2. Unfortunately for the Twins, David was still no match for Goliath, thanks to powerful New York bats that pushed across six, five and six runs in Games 1, 2 and 3 respectively. An exciting season that ushered in outdoor baseball and a division title once again ended in disappointment at the hands of the Bronx Bombers. Team MVP: Joe Mauer ( C ) Other Contenders: Justin Morneau (1B), Jim Thome (DH), Francisco Liriano (SP), Carl Pavano (SP) The 2010 season was just another year at the office for Mauer, who slashed .327/.402/.469 while nabbing his third Gold Glove and fourth Silver Slugger awards from the catching position. Additionally, Mauer led the Twins in fWAR with 5.7 and hit a career-high 43 doubles. The “what could have been” winner of the Team MVP, though, was Morneau, who trailed Mauer by just 0.7 fWAR for the team lead despite only playing in 81 games. 3 Most Pivotal Games July 18th: Won vs. Chicago White Sox, 7-6 Heading into the final game of a pivotal four-game series against the Chicago White Sox, the Twins found themselves 2 1/2 games back of the division lead. After trailing 6-3 into the bottom of the ninth inning, it was looking apparent that Minnesota would fall and lose more ground to the Sox. The Twins batters had other plans, though, as they put together three walks and three singles to push across four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. The hero? Delmon Young, whose walk-off single scored Nick Punto and Michael Cuddyer to trim the Twins’ divisional deficit to 1 1/2 games. August 17th: Won vs. Chicago White Sox, 7-6 Better known as the Jim Thome Game, Minnesota fans can’t forget the enormity of this contest, and the implications it had on Target Field's legacy and on the 2010 season. Heading into the first of a three-game series against the White Sox, the Twins held a three-game lead in the division. After a Capps blown save in the ninth inning forced extras, Thome came up to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning and blasted the first ever walk-off home run at Target Field. The homer expanded a division lead that Minnesota would not relinquish. October 6th: Lost vs. New York Yankees, 6-4 Game 1 of the ALDS started about as well as anyone could have hoped, as the Twins jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and Liriano was dealing. This was looking like as good of a chance as any for the Twins to finally slay the Yankees. Things flipped in the sixth inning, though, when New York got run-scoring hits from Robinson Canó, Curtis Granderson and Jorge Posada before Mark Teixeira all but ended the game with a two-run blast in the seventh. There’s no telling how differently this series would have played out had the Twins held on to take Game 1. Unforgettable Highlights Joe Mauer's Extension While the Twins made big splashes in the offseason by signing Thome and Hudson and trading for Hardy, the biggest move of the winter was extending Mauer. Prior to the extension, there was plenty of talk about whether the Twins’ front office would have what it took to finally pony up and pay Mauer, or if he would potentially walk and join a team like the Yankees. Alas, the Twins made it happen, with the richest contract for a catcher in major-league history. Whether or not the contract extension was worth it in the end is still debated by many, but the extension was uncharted territory for the Twins’ brass and marked a momentous occasion. At Last, Outdoor Baseball! Thirty-eight thousand, one hundred and forty-five Twins fans packed into Target Field on April 12th to take in the team's first outdoor home game in almost 30 years. Pavano took the mound against Boston and pitched six excellent innings, allowing only one earned run. In the seventh, Jason Kubel hit the first home run in Target Field’s history, and Jon Rauch closed out the game as the Twins beat the Red Sox 5-2. Thome Passes Killebrew On July 3rd, Thome hit two home runs in a losing effort at Target Field against the Tampa Bay Rays. The two homers tied and then propelled him ahead of Harmon Killebrew for 10th on the all-time home run list. Win No. 4,000 Somewhat poetically, the Twins earned their 4,000th win in their 50th season in Minnesota. They checked off this milestone on September 12th against the White Sox in a winning effort by starting pitcher Kevin Slowey. One Detail You Probably Forgot The Twins drafted Matt Fox with a first round pick in the 2004 MLB draft. As a highly touted talent, Fox battled injuries for the early part of his career. Fox reached the Twins as a September call-up in 2010. He made one start for the Twins, pitching 5 2/3 innings while allowing 2 earned runs. Following the start, Fox was designated for assignment, and picked up by the Red Sox where he appeared in three games of relief before being DFA’ed again. He never appeared in the MLB again following his four appearances in the 2010 season. Fun Fact Unsurprisingly, the 2010 season still holds the record as the highest fan attendance in a season in Twins history. Over the course of the season, Target Field brought a total of 3,223,640 fans out to the ballpark. For context, this was about one million more fans than the 2019 season, which posted a total attendance for the season of 2,294,152. ~~~ Previous Installments: The 2000 SeasonThe 2001 SeasonThe 2002 SeasonThe 2003 SeasonThe 2004 SeasonThe 2005 SeasonThe 2006 SeasonThe 2007 SeasonThe 2008 SeasonThe 2009 Season Click here to view the article

Coming off a disappointing season, the 2006 Minnesota Twins looked to get back to their winning ways. They would do just that by notching their third division title in four seasons. It was anything but a typical division-winning season, though.We're running a 20-part series in which we look back at each Minnesota Twins season of the 2000s. A rotation of different writers will highlight key moments, unearth forgotten details, and share nostalgic tales from the past two decades leading up to the present. This installment covers the 2006 season. Team Record: 96-66 Finish: 1st Place in AL Central All-Stars: Johan Santana (SP), Francisco Liriano (SP), and Joe Mauer ( C ) Awards: Justin Morneau (AL MVP; Silver Slugger, 1B), Johan Santana (AL Cy Young), Joe Mauer (Gold Glove, C), Torii Hunter (Gold Glove, CF) Playoffs: Lost to OAK 3-0 in ALDS Season Overview The Minnesota Twins 2006 season started about as poorly as one could have imagined. The team’s rough early going culminated on June 7th, when Justin Morneau was benched for poor performance (.236 BA), the Twins lost to the Seattle Mariners on a walk-off home run, and Minnesota’s record dipped to 25-33, 11 1/2 games back in the AL Central. While June 7th was the lowest point of the season for the Twins, it was also the turning point. Following that walk-off loss, the Twins won 21 of their next 23 games and turned around their year completely. The contrast in numbers from before and after June 7th is staggering. Download attachment: twins06split.png Several different players sparked a historic turnaround for the 2006 Twins. Let’s dive into a few: Justin MorneauDownload attachment: morneau06split.png After getting benched on June 7th, Morneau's season took a complete 180. His first two months went so poorly that Morneau won the MVP award despite not being voted in as an All-Star – just the eighth time in the expansion era that this has happened. Francisco LirianoDownload attachment: liriano06split.png Liriano moved into a starting pitching role for the Twins in the end of May, and by the beginning of June cemented himself as a clear-cut superstar. From his first start on May 19th through July 28th, Liriano pitched like the best player in baseball. Unfortunately, he was sent to the injured list on August 11th with elbow soreness. After attempting to rehab for a month and making one appearance in September, he was tabbed for Tommy John surgery. Thus, one of the most promising young pitching careers of the 2000s was derailed. For my money, Liriano remains the greatest injury-related "what if" in Twins history. Brad RadkeDownload attachment: radke06split.png Radke had an abysmal start to the 2006 season, allowing four or more earned runs in seven of his first eight starts. He managed to turn the tide at the same time as his teammates though, notching quality starts in 10 of 12 starts from June 14th through August 13th. What makes Radke’s midseason turnaround even more impressive is that he did it with a torn labrum, which he dealt with for the entirety of the 2006 season. This ended up being Radke's last rodeo, as he retired following his gritty yet ineffective start in Game 3 of the ALDS in a loss against Oakland. BullpenDownload attachment: bullpen06split.png While the bullpen was great for the entirety of 2006, they really turned it up and were lights-out after June 7th. From June 8th through the end of the season, the Twins’ bullpen led the majors with its ERA, which was more than a half-run better than the second-place team during that time. Leading the way down the stretch for the bullpen was the trio of Dennys Reyes, Joe Nathan and Juan Rincón, who each threw 50+ innings and posted ERAs of 0.89, 1.58 and 2.91 respectively. While these players all turned it on midway through the season, others were more or less phenomenal from start to finish, like Joe Mauer – who became the first AL catcher to win a batting title with his .347 average – and the superstar pitcher I chose as team MVP, who I'll cover shortly.. Other key contributors included: Nick Punto, who took over at third base after the ill-advised Tony Batista experiment fizzled, providing scrappy stability with this .290 average and outstanding defense.Jason Bartlett, who himself unseated an unworthy veteran starter on the left side of the infield (shortstop Juan Castro) and batted .309 in 99 games.Michael Cuddyer, who settled in as a full-time right fielder and finally enjoyed his breakout season with 24 home runs and 109 RBIs. Meanwhile, his neighbor in the outfield Torii Hunter was customarily excellent, with an .831 OPS, 31 homers, 98 RBIs, and another Gold Glove.Boof Bonser, who slotted in as a solid mid-rotation starter and – alongside monster performances from Liriano and Nathan – briefly made the 2003 A.J. Pierzynski trade look like even more of a lopsided steal than it's remembered as today.The incredible turnaround led to the Twins erasing a 10 1/2 game division deficit as late as August 7th, and clinching the Central title on the last day of the regular season, despite not having led the division at any point all year — the first time this has ever happened in MLB history. By winning the AL Central, the Twins avoided another playoff matchup against the first-place Yankees, and instead secured a bid against the third-seeded Oakland Athletics. Despite holding home field advantage, the Twins were swept in three games by the A’s, and the spectacular regular-season turnaround ended in playoff disappointment for Minnesota. Team MVP: Johan Santana (SP) Other Contenders: Justin Morneau (1B), Joe Mauer ©, Joe Nathan (RP), Francisco Liriano (SP) Despite Morneau winning the American League MVP, I believe that Santana was the team MVP. Santana unanimously earned the American League Cy Young award as well as the pitching triple crown, leading the American League in wins (19), strikeouts (245) and ERA (2.77). Santana was worth 6.7 fWAR for the Minnesota Twins, 2.9 wins better than Morneau. While Morneau certainly helped fuel the team's second-half surge, Santana was outstanding all season for the Twins, leading them to a 27-7 record in his starts as the steady force in a rotation that lost its energizing young fireballer to a sudden elbow injury and its elder statesman to a gradually deteriorating shoulder. While Morneau was voted league MVP, there's a pretty strong argument to be made that he was – at best – the Twins' third-most valuable player behind Santana and Mauer. In fact, it's rather difficult to argue otherwise, without a huge over-reliance on stats like HR and RBI, and a belief that production in August is somehow more important than production in April. 3 Most Pivotal Games July 2nd: Won vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 8-0 Heading into this contest, the Twins were riding a nine-game winning streak, with their newly-found “second ace” ready to take the hill. Liriano gave his best game as a Minnesota Twin, and one of the better pitching performances in recent Twins history, tossing eight shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 12 batters. This pushed the Twins' winning streak to 10 games, and fired up a hometown crowd that was really starting to believe in a potential division comeback for the Twins. September 10th: Won vs. Detroit Tigers, 12-1 Minnesota headed into the final game of its final season series against the division-leading Tigers facing a three-game deficit. Drop this game, and the Twins would split the series and fall to four games out. Win the game, and they would take the series 3-1, cutting the division deficit down to two. The Twins left little room for drama, scoring 12 runs and riding an 11-strikeout performance from Santana. October 3rd: Lost vs. Oakland Athletics, 3-2 The Metrodome was rocking in Game 1 of the ALDS as the Twins trotted out Santana, hoping to take a 1-0 series lead. Santana pitched a gem, allowing just two earned runs in eight innings. Unfortunately for the Twins, their offense couldn’t get anything going all game as they managed just two runs on five hits. A two-homer game from Frank Thomas – now tormenting the Twins in a new uniform – proved decisive. While this didn’t end their season, losing Game 1 with their ace on the mound was incredibly deflating for the Twins, and was the beginning of the end for their postseason run. Unforgettable Highlights Loss of a Legend While not a "highlight" by any definition, the 2006 Twins season began with a sad moment in franchise history when, on March 6th, news came out that Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett had died. The season was one filled with memories of Puckett, from tribute videos to jersey patches. Target Field Bill Passes After years of clamoring for a new stadium, Twins fans finally got their wish on May 26th, when Governor Tim Pawlenty signed legislation approving the construction of Target Field in front of the Metrodome crowd. This was a momentous occasion, as outdoor baseball would finally return to Minnesota and any lingering threat of the team's relocation evaporated. Birth of the “Piranhas” A large part of the identity of the mid-2000s Twins teams was the “piranhas” — a term coined by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén in 2006, describing the division rival's propensity for trotting out scrappy players who hit bloop singles, ran out grounders and grinded their way to hits and runs. To (politely) quote the White Sox manager, “Mauer? Fine, yeah, a good hitter, but worry about the little [guys], they’re on base all the time.” Kubel Walks Off Red Sox with a Grand Salami After a pitching duel for the ages that featured Santana and Curt Schilling both spinning eight-inning, one-run gems, the Twins and Red Sox found themselves in an extra-inning marathon. After Boston scored a run in the top of the 12th inning, the Twins proceeded to load the bases in the bottom of the 12th for Jason Kubel, who blasted a walk-off grand slam against Red Sox pitcher Julián Tavárez and won the game for the Twins. Watch the home run and hear the recollection from Kubel in the video below: Going Streaking In a 20-game span from June 11th through July 3rd, the Twins went 19-1. Despite the run of wins, they only gained 2 1/2 games in the division as the Tigers went on a 17-4 run during the same time span. In a rare change of pace, the 2006 AL Central was home to multiple excellent teams playing extremely well and blasting into the postseason. Liriano Outduels Clemens The showdown between Liriano and Houston's Roger Clemens on June 22nd drew much hype – the rookie sensation (5-1 with a 1.50 ERA in six starts since joining the Twins' rotation) facing off against the grizzled all-time pitching great, still remarkably effective at age 43. Clemens allowed two runs on six hits in five innings. Liriano allowed two runs on four hits in eight innings, and took the W. This series-clinching victory sent the league a message: Liriano was for real, and so were the Twins, in the midst of the 19-1 streak cited above. Final Day Drama Heading into the final day of the regular season, the Twins and Tigers were tied for the division lead. Minnesota took care of business by beating the White Sox, 5-1. After their win, the Twins (and their fans) shifted to scoreboard-watching and cheered on the last-place Royals, who completed a series sweep of Detroit in a 12-inning affair. The Royals victory secured a division title for the Twins, their third in four seasons. One Detail You Probably Forgot Following the Royals’ improbable series-ending sweep of the Tigers, which made Minnesota's division championship possible, Hunter sent four bottles of champagne to Kansas City's Mike Sweeney, as a thank you gesture. This was a violation of baseball rules, and the commissioner’s office informed the teams of this, forcing Sweeney to send back the (unopened) bottles of champagne. Fun Fact On May 27th, Rincón entered a game against the Seattle Mariners with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 8th inning. Rincón was able to escape the inning with just one pitch, inducing a triple-play from Kenji Johjima. ~~~ Previous Installments: The 2000 SeasonThe 2001 SeasonThe 2002 SeasonThe 2003 SeasonThe 2004 SeasonThe 2005 Season Click here to view the article

BOOK IT!

Another great one that I considered!

Last Sunday marked the end of the wildly successful docuseries, The Last Dance, which chronicled the career of Michael Jordan. Earlier today, ESPN announced a new docuseries coming in 2021 highlighting the career of Tom Brady. The Minnesota Twins have several subjects of their own that would make for intriguing docuseries.Below are four ideas for Twins-related docuseries that would be must-watch television every week: Minnesota Made: The Career of Joe Mauer Minnesota born turned Minnesota star, Joe Mauer embodies everything there is about the land of 10,000 lakes. There would be so much to chronicle in a docuseries about Joe Mauer. As a high school athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall, Joe was the only athlete ever selected by USA Today as the High School Player of the Year in two sports. He famously only struck out once in high school, and turned down a Florida State University scholarship to play quarterback in order to be selected first overall by his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins. The docuseries would then highlight the incredible career of Mauer, the six all-star seasons, the 3 batting titles and the MVP. It would detail Mauer’s struggle with injuries, his switch to first base, and end with his touching farewell to Target Field in 2018. The docuseries could lay the foundation for Mauer’s Hall of Fame hopes and talk about the legacy that Mauer will leave behind as one of the greatest Twins players of all time. Mauer is definitely not the most exciting interview or the most infectious personality, but he was in the lives of Minnesotans for so long, that a detail of his life would certainly be a must watch. Katching Kirby: Chronicling the life, death and career of a Twins legend The life and career of Kirby Puckett is one of the most curious of any sports figure that we have ever seen. Standing at just 5-foot-8, Kirby Puckett captured the hearts of Twins fans with his outstanding play, infectious personality and his fearlessness in the big moments. A docuseries about Kirby Puckett would go into detail on his playing career with the Twins. It would detail his ten consecutive all-star appearances, his leadership prowess, and of course his jaw dropping postseason moments. A Kirby docuseries would dive into his glaucoma diagnosis and sudden retirement. Also discussed would be Kirby’s unfortunate domestic assault allegations and his tragic death. The life and career of Kirby Puckett was filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, which would make a docuseries so enthralling. Coming to Minnesota: The Story of the Twins in the 60s Many Minnesota Twins fans today weren’t around for the Minnesota Twins teams of the 1960s, so a docuseries diving into the Minnesota Twins teams of the 1960s would definitely be one that would pique the interest of fans. The docuseries would certainly highlight the franchise moving from Washington to Minnesota and the first season at Metropolitan Stadium. The Minnesota Twins boasted some of the best teams in their history in the 1960s, with the 1965 team making the World Series, the 1967 team adding Rod Carew, and the 1969 team winning 97 games. The docuseries would explore the lives of hall of farmers Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Rod Carew, as well as explore the MVP race of 1965 between Tony Oliva and Zoilo Versalles. While many people weren’t around to watch them live, the 1960s Twins were full of exciting moments, and a docuseries of that decade would be must-see TV. Seven Days in October: A Seven Part Series on the Seven Game ‘91 Classic A few weeks ago I wrote about the top 10 moments of the 1991 World Series, and it truly brought to light just how incredible of a series that was. For my money, the 1991 World Series was the greatest World Series ever played. The ‘91 classic featured three games going into extra innings, three walk off wins, and five games decided by a single run. Similar to how ESPN produced a 30 for 30 called “Four Days in October”, about the Red Sox and Yankees 2004 ALCS matchup, I can envision a seven-part docuseries with each episode documenting a game of the epic Series. An episode about Hrbek pulling Gant off the bag, an episode about Kirby’s catch, an episode about Morris’s 10 inning classic. The series practically writes itself, and I know I would be there for every episode. Which of the docuseries described above would you enjoy watching the most? Which other Twins-related docuseries would be intriguing? Leave a comment below and start the conversation. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Wednesday night marked the finale of the long anticipated “all-winners” season of Survivor. As I was watching last night’s finale, I couldn’t help but think to myself, which current Minnesota Twins player would make the best Survivor contestant? Let's figure it out.If you’re not a Survivor fanatic like I am, let me quickly run through how the smash hit reality show works. The game starts with 18-20 castaways, divided into two tribes. Over the course of 39 days, the players work to provide food, fire and shelter for themselves. Additionally, the players compete in challenges where they can win rewards or immunities. Throughout the 39 days, they players use social and interpersonal skills to form bonds and avoid being voted out by their fellow contestants in a voting ritual called tribal council. The game proceeds until all contestants have been voted out and only one “sole survivor” remains. In order to figure out which Minnesota Twins player would make the best Survivor contestant, we’ll lay out the attributes that the ideal Survivor contestant must possess. These attributes will be laid out in the form of a tribal council. The three worst performing players in each attribute will be voted out in that tribal council. Starting off our “season” of Survivor will be the 18 best current Minnesota Twins players, according to 2019 fWAR. The 18 players will be split into two tribes of 9, the pitchers and the batters. Let’s begin Survivor: Twins at War! Our castaways (18): Josh Donaldson, José Berríos, Max Kepler, Nelson Cruz, Jake Odorizzi, Jorge Polanco, Mitch Garver, Homer Bailey, Miguel Sanó, Byron Buxton, Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, Luis Arráez, Taylor Rogers, Eddie Rosario, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Rich Hill Tribal Council #1 (Batter Tribe): An ideal Survivor contestant must be in good physical condition. Criterion: Sprint speed The physical aspect of Survivor is critical to the success of a contestant. The physical part of the game wins challenges which win reward and immunity challenges that would get our players far in our game. The criterion used to determine physical condition in the case of our game will be sprint speed. The strongest physical players in our game are Byron Buxton (30.3 ft/s) and Jorge Polanco (28.2). In Survivor, it’s typically the weakest players who get voted out first. In Survivor: Twins at War, the weakest players who the batter tribe will vote out will be Nelson Cruz (25.3), Josh Donaldson (25.8), and Mitch Garver (26.3). Nelson, Josh, Mitch...the tribe has spoken. Remaining castaways (15): José Berríos, Max Kepler, Jake Odorizzi, Jorge Polanco, Homer Bailey, Miguel Sanó, Byron Buxton, Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, Luis Arráez, Taylor Rogers, Eddie Rosario, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Rich Hill Tribal Council #2 (Pitcher Tribe): An ideal Survivor contestant must have good luck. Criterion: HR/FB% While many parts of Survivor have to do with skill, there is still a large part of Survivor that is luck. Whether it’s the randomness of a hidden immunity idol or a timely tribe swap, luck plays a huge factor in who advances in the game. The criterion used in Survivor: Twins at War will be for the pitchers tribe and will be HR/FB%. HR/FB ratio is typically a good determinant of which pitchers are lucky. A low HR/FB % means that a large number of fly balls that a pitcher surrendered stayed in the ballpark, which is typically determined more by luck than skill. In our game of Survivor, the lucky will advance. The luckiest contestants on the pitcher tribe in 2019 were Jake Odorizzi and José Berríos who posted an 8.80 and and 12 HR/FB% respectively. Our unluckiest contestants, and the next players voted out will be Rich Hill (22.2), Tyler Duffey (16.3) and Taylor Rogers (15.4). Rich, Tyler, Taylor...the tribe has spoken. Remaining castaways (12): José Berríos, Max Kepler, Jake Odorizzi, Jorge Polanco, Homer Bailey, Miguel Sanó, Byron Buxton, Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, Luis Arráez, Eddie Rosario, Trevor May Tribal Council #3 (Batter Tribe): An ideal Survivor contestant must be patient. Criteria: Pitches per plate appearance Another essential attribute that an ideal survivor contestant must possess is patience. In Survivor, one can’t play too hard too fast or they will be seen as a threat. As a result, players need to be patient and wait until the perfect time to make a big move. In Survivor: Twins at War, patience will be determined by pitches per plate appearance. The strongest remaining players on our batter tribe that possess this quality are Miguel Sanó (4.34) and Luis Arráez (4.06). The least patient remaining players on the batter tribe and who will be voted out will be Byron Buxton (3.5), Eddie Rosario (3.51) and Max Kepler (3.62). Byron, Eddie, Max...the tribe has spoken. Remaining castaways (9): José Berríos, Jake Odorizzi, Jorge Polanco, Homer Bailey, Miguel Sanó, Kenta Maeda, Michael Pineda, Luis Arráez, Trevor May Tribal Council #4 (Pitcher Tribe): An ideal Survivor contestant must be versatile. Criteria: # of pitches in arsenal In the game of Survivor, players can’t play with just one style of play but must be versatile in how they play the game. Players need to be honest, sly, trustworthy and deceiving all at the same time. In the Twins at War, versatility will be determined by the number of pitches in the arsenal of our pitcher tribe. Trevor May, Homer Bailey and Kenta Maeda each are versatile with 5 pitches in their arsenal, while Michael Pineda, José Berríos and Jake Odorizzi lack versatility with just 4 pitches in their arsenal. Michael, José, Jake...the tribe has spoken. Remaining castaways (6): Jorge Polanco, Homer Bailey, Miguel Sanó, Kenta Maeda, Luis Arráez, Trevor May Tribal Council #5 (Merged Tribes): An ideal Survivor contestant must have experience. Criteria: Service time Survivor just had an all-winners season of Survivor and it was the best-played season in Survivor history. The season showed that experience absolutely matters in Survivor. In order to measure experience in Twins Survivor, we will use service time. Homer Bailey is the leader in this department with 11 years of experience while Arráez (.121), Polanco (3.024), and Maeda (4) all fall short. Luis, Jorge, Kenta...the tribe has spoken. Remaining castaways (3): Homer Bailey, Miguel Sanó, Trevor May Final Tribal Council: An ideal Survivor contestant must be able to make social connections. Criterion: Career number of teammates More than anything else, Survivor is a social game. In the game of survivor, a player must be able to make strong connections with the players in his tribe and succeed at forming bonds with as many different players as he can. In the Twins at War, this will be determined by the career number of teammates that a player has had. The remaining player who has connected with the most players in his career will be able to make the most connections and garner the most jury votes en route to a Survivor victory. In 3rd place is Miguel Sanó who has made 140 career connections. In 2nd place is Trevor May who has made 141 career connections. And with 368 career connections, your winner of Survivor: Twins at War is……….Homer Bailey! Congratulations, Homer! What do you think about how Survivor: Twins at War played out? Do you think Homer Bailey would make for the best Survivor contestant? Leave a comment and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

While the NFL draft sets a fire underneath sports fans everywhere tonight, let’s keep with the draft theme and look back at the Minnesota Twins' draft history. As NFL fans are ranking football prospects, I took to the diamond and ranked the Twins' draft classes of the 2000s.The Twins’ amateur draft classes of the 2000s provided a piranha, a major trade chip, a proven closer, a five-year lead off man, a future hall of famer (hopefully), and plenty of duds in between. Here are how the Twins draft classes from the 2000s stack up, ranked from worst class to best. The rankings will look at the entire career of a player, not just his tenure with the Twins. 10. 2007 Notable draftee(s): Ben Revere Draft class combined WAR: 7.9 The 2007 amateur draft class for the Minnesota Twins only provided one player who would go on to play in the major leagues, Ben Revere. Revere played three seasons with the Twins, peaking in 2012 when he provided 2.8 WAR, thanks in large part to his 40 stolen bases. Revere never lived up to his draft stock or his top-100 draft prospect status, and as the only thing to show for the 2007 draft, puts this class at the bottom of our rankings. 9. 2000 Notable draftee(s): Jason Kubel Draft class combined WAR: 1.8 After a 63-97 record in 1999, the Twins had the second overall pick in the 2000 draft, after five-time All-Star, Adrián González, was taken first overall. At number two, the Twins took pitcher Adam Johnson, who appeared in nine games in his major league career. One of the bigger draft flops in baseball history. The lone bright spot of the 2000 MLB draft was Jason Kubel, who the Twins took in the 12th round. Kubel had a 10-year MLB career, peaking in 2009 when he posted a .907 OPS for the 87-win Twins. 7. 2006 Notable draftee(s): Chris Parmelee, Jeff Manship, Danny Valencia, Anthony Slama Draft class combined WAR: 4.3 While the 2006 draft class provided some notable names that got playing time for the Minnesota Twins, many of these players were below-average that only got playing time because they were on terrible mid-2010s Twins teams. The bright spot for the draft class was Danny Valencia who was a 19th-round draft selection. Valencia finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 for the Twins. Valencia was later traded to the Red Sox, and went on to have an admirable 8-year big league career. 8. 2003 Notable draftee(s): Scott Baker Draft class combined WAR: 13.9 Similar to 2007, the 2003 draft class for the Twins only provided one major league player in Scott Baker. While never an All-Star, Baker was a solid starting pitcher for the late 2000s Twins, posting a 4.15 ERA in seven seasons with the Twins. Baker was the starting pitcher in Game 163 against the Tigers and provided a really strong performance that put the Twins in a position to win the 2009 AL Central division. 6. 2008 Notable draftee(s): Aaron Hicks, Michael Tonkin Draft class combined WAR: 10.7 While Michael Tonkin provided some average relief for the awful Twins teams from 2013-2016, first-rounder Aaron Hicks was the main piece from the 2008 draft class. Hicks really struggled in his three years in Minnesota, posting a .201 BA in 538 plate appearances. Since getting traded to the Yankees, though, Hicks has really blossomed into a good baseball player. In 2018, Hicks received MVP votes after posting a .833 OPS, and has provided great defense in center field, lest we forget his in the 10th inning against the Twins last season. Did the Twins give up on Hicks too early? 5. 2005 Notable draftee(s): Matt Garza, Kein Slowey, Brian Duensing, Alex Burnett Draft class combined WAR: 23.5 In the first round of the 2005 draft, the Twins drafted Matt Garza who had a 12-year MLB career, and was the main piece in the blockbuster trade in 2007 which brought Delmon Young to Minnesota. In addition to Garza, second-rounder, Kevin Slowey, pitched five seasons with the Twins, posting a 4.66 ERA over that time. In the third round the Twins nabbed starter-turned-reliever, Brian Duensing, as well as reliever Alex Burnett in the 12th round. 4. 2004 Notable draftee(s): Trevor Plouffe, Glen Perkins, Anthony Swarzak, Matt Tolbert Draft class combined WAR: 21.9 After a pretty weak six draft classes at the bottom of our list, the Twins picked up some pretty solid players through the amateur draft in our top four, starting with 2004. Trevor Plouffe had a seven-year career with the Minnesota Twins before going on to play with Oakland, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. In addition the Twins picked up Perkins who turned in some outstanding years in the Twins bullpen, as well as Swarzak who put together a 10-year career along with piranha, Matt Tolbert. 3. 2009 Notable draftee(s): Kyle Gibson, Chris Herrmann, Brian Dozier Draft class combined WAR: 32.4 While Kyle Gibson never lived up to the first-round expectations that were placed on him, he still proved to be a solid pitcher who provided value to a Twins club in his seven-year tenure on the team. Gibson peaked in 2018 when he threw 196.2 innings, with a 118 ERA+ and 3.3 WAR. The real gem from the 2009 draft, though, came in the eighth round when the Twins selected Brian Dozier. In his seven years with the Twins, Doz hit 166 home runs and stands as one of the best Twins second basemen of all time, and thanks to joining the Nationals now has a championship ring. 2. 2002 Notable draftee(s): Denard Span, Jesse Crain, Pat Neshek Draft class combined WAR: 51.3 The 2002 draft class for the Twins stands out as the only draft class that provided three players who have exceeded 10 career WAR in Span, Crain and Neshek. In his 11-year baseball career, Denard Span has a career .281 batting average and was the lead-off man and center fielder for some really good Twins teams in the late 2000s. Crain was also a really good relief pitcher, with a career 143 ERA+ as well as one of the strangest RP seasons of all time. Submarine pitcher, Pat Neshek, ended his career as a two-time All-Star with a 2.82 career ERA in 13 seasons. 1. 2001 Notable draftee(s): Joe Mauer, José Morales, Nick Blackburn Draft class combined WAR: 59.6 The best Twins draft class of the 2000s was 2001 when the Twins drafted none other than Joe Mauer with the first overall pick. A six-time All-Star, MVP, multi-Gold Glover, Mauer provided 55.3 career WAR and stands as one of the best Twins players of all time. Although the Twins drafted Morales and Blackburn who had tenures with the Twins, the only thing that matters from the 2001 draft was Joe Mauer, and he alone earns the number one spot on the draft class rankings. How would you rank the Twins’ draft classes from the 2000s? Would you have them in a different order? How do you think the Twins fared in their drafts overall? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

In the event of a cancelled season, arbitration eligible players will receive the same salary in 2021 as they were due in 2020. With a salary of just $7.75M, I would bet that the Twins hang onto Rosario. With the cancelled season, I can’t imagine that the Twins will feel comfortable tossing Larnach/Rooker in as the starting OF. Especially with Marwin walking, the Twins could certainly stand to hang onto Rosario in his last arbitration season. IMO, a cancelled season only increases the likelihood that Eddie remains a Twin.

This was a lot of fun. Nice job, Matt!

It's definitely a strong argument, and your point is very well taken. For me it was hard to not put a Game 7 walk-off as #1, though. It's only happened four times in the modern era.

Commonly referred to as the greatest Series ever played, the 1991 World Series was full of great moments. From extra inning games, to walk-off hits, to controversial calls, to complete game shutouts, the ‘91 Series was no short on drama. There were ten moments, though, that stood above the rest.Here are the top 10 moments from the 1991 World Series, ranked in descending order of drama and excitement: 10. Game 3 - Chili’s pinch hit home run ties the game Even though it was in a losing effort, Chili Davis’s home run in Game 3 was monumental at the time. The home run for Davis came in the eighth inning when the Twins were down 4-2. Pitching for the Braves was closer Alejandro Peña who was 13-for-13 in save opportunities since being acquired by the Braves earlier that season. Chili was called upon to pinch hit for the pitcher spot (universal DH please) and blasted a two-run shot to tie the game and eventually force extra innings. 9. Game 2 - Chili homers off Glavine Chili Davis hit two home runs in the 1991 World Series and both of them proved to be big ones. His first home run of the Series came in the second inning of Game 2 where he hit a homer off of Cy Young Award winner, Tom Glavine. While the Davis home run didn’t come late in the game or win the game, it was huge given the opposing pitcher and the opportunity to set the tone in Game 2. 8. Game 1 - Gagne’s three-run Shot The 1991 World Series started off as a nail biter in Game 1. Through 4 1/2 innings, the Twins were just up 1-0, however that all changed in the bottom of the fifth inning when Greg Gagne stepped up to the plate with two-runners on and knocked a three-run shot. This put the Twins up 4-0 and the Twins never looked back in taking a 1-0 series lead. 7. Game 2 - Leius’s eighth innning bomb secures win After Chili Davis’s first inning home run off of Glavine, the Twins only managed one more hit off of Tom Glavine up to the eighth innning. In a 2-2 tie game, Scott Leius took the first pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning and hit it over the left field fence to give the Twins a 3-2 lead and secure a 2-0 series lead for the Twins. 6. Game 2 - Hrbek “pulls Gant off the bag” In “the tag heard ‘round the world”, Kent Hrbek fielded a Kevin Tapani throw and placed a tag on Gant’s leg, getting tangled with him in the process. Gant and Braves’ first base coach pleaded with the first base umpire that he was pulled off the bag. For the rest of this series and to this day, Hrbek remains hated by Braves fans. Did he pull Gant off the bag, though? Let’s ask the man himself:

Metrodome Magic was on full display today, as Dan Gladden’s walk-off single finished off a 3-run comeback for the Twins in the 9th inning to complete an opening-series sweep of the Oakland Athletics. The Twins are now off to a 3-0 start, their best start to a season since 1973.Twins 5, Oakland 4 | Box Score Portugal: 5.2 IP, 7H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 5 K Home Runs: Hrbek (1) Multi-hit Games: Brunansky (3-for-4), Gagne (2-for-3) Top 3 WPA: Gladden .449, Smalley .289, Brunansky .177 Chart via Fangraphs Download attachment: Screen Shot 2020-04-08 at 8.12.40 PM.png When the Minnesota Twins traded for Dan Gladden (career .282 BA) this offseason, they knew they were getting a guy who could put his bat on the ball. His bat-to-ball skills were needed in the bottom of the 9th inning when he was called upon to pinch hit for Tom Nieto with the bases loaded. After getting ahead of the count 2-0, Gladden got a high fastball from reliever Jay Howell, and was able to drive it for a 2-RBI, walk off single, a welcomed first impression to his new base. The Twins got on the board early in today’s afternoon affair when Kent Hrbek hit a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning off of starting pitcher, Chris Codiroli. Later in the inning, the Twins pushed across another run when designated hitter, Roy Smalley, scored off of a Codiroli wild pitch to take a 2-0 lead. The A’s were quick to respond as they took advantage of Minnesota starter, Mark Portugal’s, control issues and scored two runs in the third and two runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead over the Twins. Portugal struggled through 5.2 innings, allowing 7 hits, 5 walks, and 4 runs. Kelly voiced disappointment in his starting pitcher after the game saying, “Mark’s certainly got the equipment to be a good pitcher, but he’s got to get together a little bit”. Lucky for the Twins, reliever Juan Berenguer picked up the slack that Portugal left, pitching three shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. Kelly praised his reliever following the game stating, “He did a super job”. Berenguer’s super performance kept the Minnesota Twins in the game and allowed them to get to the bottom of the 9th inning with a shot at a comeback. Following a leadoff groundout by Kent Hrbek, the Minnesota Twins recorded consecutive hits from Gary Gaetti (double), Tom Brunansky (RBI single), and Roy Smalley (double), to put the Twins in a position to win the game. After electing to intentionally walk Mark Salas, and bringing in pinch hitter Dan Gladden, the newly acquired outfielder was able to come through when it mattered most by hitting a 2-RBI single and completing the comeback. The win capped off an opening series sweep of the Oakland Athletics and brought the Twins record to a 3-0, their best start to a season in nearly 15 years. Although Gladden was the hero in a dramatic win, he was sure to stay even-keel afterward. In a postgame interview with Star Tribune’s Dennis Bracken, Gladden said, “When you get real high, it’s a long way to fall down. That’s just something you learn in this game.” MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Awesome!

Since moving to Minnesota and becoming the Twins in 1961, the Minnesota Twins have produced five American League MVP winners. How do those five MVP seasons rank and who had the best MVP season in Twins history?5. Justin Morneau | 2006 .321/.375/.559 (.934 OPS/140 OPS+)34 HR130 RBI4.3 bWAROn June 7 of the 2006 season, Justin Morneau was benched by Ron Gardenhire for a game against the Seattle Mariners after he had started the season with a .236 batting average. From that day forward, Morneau batted .362 with 23 home runs and 92 RBI. Because of his slow start to the season, Morneau wasn’t even named an American League All-Star in 2006, yet was crowned MVP when all was said and done. The MVP voting in Morneau’s award-winning season was extremely close, as he edged out Derek Jeter by only 14 points, and only received three more first place votes than Jeter. Morneau had an excellent season at the plate, but because of his slow start to the season and his play at a less vital defensive position, Morneau’s MVP in 2006 comes up fifth in the ranking of Twins MVP seasons. 4. Zoilo Versalles | 1965 .273/.319/.462 (.781 OPS/115 OPS+)19 HR77 RBI7.2 bWARZoilo Versalles missed out on being a unanimous choice for MVP in 1965 after losing out on one first place vote to fellow teammate, and fellow Cuban, Tony Oliva. Versalles didn’t have the traditional MVP season as he only posted an OPS of .781 and drove in just 77 RBI. Versalles contributed all over the place in his MVP season, though, leading the league in runs, doubles, triples and total bases. Where Versalles really secured the MVP, though, was in the field where he won a Gold Glove from the shortstop position. Versalles will always be an interesting discussion piece in Minnesota Twins history, and his MVP season of 1965 ranks fourth in the discussion of all-time MVP seasons for the Twins. 3. Harmon Killebrew | 1969 .276/.427/.584 (1.011 OPS/177 OPS+)49 HR140 RBI6.2 bWARThe greatest player to ever don a Minnesota Twins jersey, Killebrew had the best season of his career in 1969 when he set career highs in home runs, RBI, and on-base percentage. Each of those three categories led Major League Baseball in 1969 and each of them still hold as team records for the Minnesota Twins. Killebrew helped lead the Minnesota Twins to an AL West title with a 97-65 record, but comes in third place due to his performance in the field. After having played majority of the decade at first base, Killebrew played 105 games at third base in 1969 and struggled, with a TZR of -12. 2. Rod Carew | 1977 .388/.449/.570 (1.019 OPS/178 OPS+)14 HR100 RBI9.7 bWARCarew’s 1977 season still stands as one of the greatest pure hitting seasons we’ve ever seen in baseball, as evidenced by his .388 batting average, the second highest batting average in the integration era of baseball (1947-present). Additionally in 1977, Carew led baseball in runs, hits, triples and OPS. After finishing in the top-10 in MVP voting the previous four seasons, Carew finally pushed through in ‘77 with a 70% award share. Carew was held back from the number one position in our rankings because of playing first base as well as his performance coming on a 1977 Twins team that finished fourth in the AL West and missed out on the playoffs. 1. Joe Mauer | 2009 .365/.444/.587 (1.031 OPS/171 OPS+)28 HR96 RBI7.8 bWARThe number one ranked MVP season in Minnesota Twins history is Joe Mauer’s MVP from 2009. The 2009 season for Mauer featured him earning a third batting title, as well as setting career highs in hits, home runs, RBI, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, and total bases. Mauer’s 2009 season remains the best OPS season in Minnesota Twins history, and to top it off he won a Gold Glove as the best defensive catcher in baseball. Getting top flight performance in offense and defense from the most important defensive position in baseball is enough to warrant the top spot as the best MVP season in Minnesota Twins history. Additionally, Mauer led the Minnesota Twins to an 87-76 record and an American League Central division title. How would you rank the five MVP seasons in Minnesota Twins history? Do you agree that Joe Mauer has the best single season in team history? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article