Cody Christie

Adrian Beltré took a unique path to being a first-ballot Hall of Famer by building his Cooperstown case in his 30s. Can Byron Buxton follow in his footsteps? Image courtesy of Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Last week, Twins fans were rightly focused on Joe Mauer as he narrowly made the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Joining Mauer in the Class of 2024 is another first-ballot selection, Adrian Beltre. No baseball player follows a precise path to being enshrined in Cooperstown, but Beltré’s was unique compared to others because he wasn’t headed to the Hall of Fame as he reached his 30s. Instead, a late-career surge put him among the best third basemen in baseball history. Manny Randhawa wrote at MLB.com about seven players who could see a late-career surge, like Beltré, to make the Hall of Fame. One current Twins player, Carlos Correa, made his list because he is entering his age-29 season and has already built a strong resume. I recently wrote about Correa and what he’d need to do to get back on track for the Hall of Fame. Another player on the Twins turned 30 this winter, and a return greatness could match what Adrian Beltré accomplished later in his career. Age Comparison Beltré through age-29 season: .271/.327/.459 (107 OPS+); 242 HR, 0 All-Star Appearances, 2 Gold Gloves Buxton through age-29 season: .239/.300/.468 (106 OPS+), 115 HR, 1 All-Star Appearance, 1 Gold Glove Beltré debuted with the Dodgers as a 19-year-old after being ranked as one of baseball’s best prospects. His early career was unremarkable before a breakout season in 2004 at age 25, his final year before reaching free agency. In that campaign, he hit .334/.388/.629 (1.017) with 48 home runs, 32 doubles, and 121 RBI. He’d finish a distant second to Barry Bonds for the NL MVP. Following the season, he signed a five-year deal to join the Mariners, where he struggled to replicate his MVP-caliber season. Through his age-29 season, he had been able to stay on the field consistently, but there were inconsistencies in his performance. Buxton debuted at age 21 after being touted as baseball’s top prospect because of his five-tool potential. Injuries and an inconsistent offensive approach marred his time in his 20s. Early in his career, coaches tried to get him to be a prototypical leadoff hitter by slapping or bunting the ball and using his speed to reach base. This approach was incorrect, and the Twins eventually figured this out. Buxton had a four-season stretch from 2019-2022, where he posted a 136 OPS+ but averaged 70 games per season. He showcased short bursts of his full potential, but injuries haven’t allowed him to play at a Hall of Fame level. Peaking In His 30s Beltré went on a stretch in his 30s that few others will match. For nine seasons, he hit .307/.358/.514 (.872) with a 130 OPS+, averaging 32 doubles and 25 home runs per season. He accomplished this while being selected to four All-Star Games, being a perennial top-10 finisher for the MVP, and playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base. Beltré was a workhorse throughout his career, with only one season (2017) where he played fewer than 100 games. Overall, there was a chance he could continue playing into his 40s, but Beltré decided to call it a career. Buxton turned 30 in December, and there is little chance of him landing in Cooperstown, but he has potential for a late-career surge. Injuries have been the biggest hindrance to Buxton’s overall performance, and he seems to be in a good place heading into the 2024 season. At TwinsFest over the weekend, he declared, “I’m back,” when asked about a return to center field. Minnesota plans to have Buxton start around 80 games in center, with his remaining time coming at DH or used as rest days. He has played over 92 games in one big-league season, so this is an aggressive plan to get the most from one of the team’s stars. Beltré was a unicorn that seemed to get better with age. Buxton has improved throughout his career, but his inability to stay healthy has kept him from reaching his full potential. What are realistic expectations for Buxton in his 30s? Can he regularly play in center field? Will he average more than 100 games per season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Jorge Polanco was traded to Seattle, but this can’t be the team’s only offseason move. So, how does his departure impact the team, and what’s coming next? Image courtesy of Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports Jorge Polanco was one of the longest-tenured Twins, so it can be challenging for fans to see him depart. He produced at a high level for most of his career, and is considered by many to be one of the most underrated Twins in the Target Field era. His consistency and switch-hitting ability helped to fill a critical role near the top of the lineup. In all probability, the front office is already working on their next move, so where do the Twins go from here? Lineup Analysis Polanco leaves a hole in the lineup that the Twins can address with in-house options. Edouard Julien is expected to take over the second base duties at the beginning of the year. His defense was below-average at second when he first came up last season, but he worked hard and made huge improvements by the season’s end. The Twins also have Brooks Lee waiting in the wings, but his Triple-A performance could have been better, with a .731 OPS in 38 games. Lee will probably start the year in St. Paul, but should debut in the season’s early months. Kyle Farmer seems to be the biggest beneficiary of Polanco’s absence. His right-handed bat is going to be needed on a more regular basis without Polanco’s switch-hitting abilities. Farmer will likely get starts against tough lefties at second base, while also being a pinch-hit option and defensive replacement in the late innings. So, knowing where the lineup stands, how do the Twins continue to improve for 2024? Free Agent Options The Twins saved just over $5.5 million by shedding Polanco’s salary and getting money from Seattle as part of the deal. Derek Falvey told reporters that the club plans to reallocate those savings into the roster. He also suggested that those upgrades will likely come on the position-player side after acquiring a starter (Anthony DeSclafani( and a reliever (Justin Topa). So, what’s left on the free-agent market? Some of the top-ranked free-agent options are still available (most of them Scott Boras clients), but the Twins didn’t save enough money to target those players. Early in the winter, Falvey admitted the team would evaluate the first base market with questions surrounding Alex Kirilloff’s health. The team has also needed a big right-handed bat for a couple years now. The Twins can go in a few directions with their recently reclaimed payroll flexibility, even if it is a minimal change. Tommy Pham is a name previously linked to the Twins, going back to last year’s trade deadline. He went to the Diamondbacks and was a playoff hero in their World Series run. In 2023, the right-handed slugger posted a 111 OPS+, and his OPS was nearly 20 points higher when facing lefties. He signed a one-year, $6-million deal with the Mets last winter and should get about that much again, based on last year’s performance. There is also an opportunity for the team to explore a pair of reunions from last year. Michael A. Taylor and Donovan Solano are still on the free agent market, and each makes sense for the team’s needs. Taylor provided insurance for Byron Buxton in center field last season, while having one of his best offensive campaigns. Buxton and the Twins are optimistic about a return to center next season, so the team might rely on internal options. Solano signed late last winter and gave the Twins some versatility off the bench. Minnesota values depth, and these players can add a veteran presence to the roster. More Trades The Twins will also continue to explore further trade possibilities. Veterans like Max Kepler, Christian Vázquez, and Farmer have been rumored to be available. As previously mentioned, Farmer likely has a more prominent role with Polanco’s departure. It also doesn’t seem likely for the club to trade from their catching depth. Vazquez had a poor offensive season, but the team prefers a catching rotation. Ryan Jeffers was great in 2023, but the team isn’t going to let him catch more than about 100 games. This leaves Kepler as the lone veteran option to trade, and the Twins haven’t been satisfied with their offers for him in recent seasons. Minnesota added DeSclafani, a starter, in the Polanco trade, but he isn’t considered a playoff-caliber starter and will slide into the back end of the rotation. Minnesota’s current starting rotation includes Pablo López, Chris Paddack, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and Desclafani. The Twins added Gabriel Gonzalez, a top-100 outfield prospect, in the Polanco trade. One has to wonder if the front office will pivot and trade prospects like Emmanuel Rodriguez or González for a starter. Rodríguez seemed like a potential trade piece at the beginning of the offseason, and those chances might have increased with the team’s recent moves. How will the front office complete the 2024 Twins roster? What’s the team’s next move? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

My list was getting long and I was trying to limit who made the cut. There are certainly other hitters on the fringes, but I also didn't want to have a 1/4 of the 40-man roster considered for this piece. Miranda: 1 Option Remaining Thompson: 2 Options Remaining Larnach: 1 Option Remaining

Teams need depth to survive baseball’s grueling 162-game season. Here are eight players at the back end of the Twins’ 40-man roster and how they can impact the team in 2024. Image courtesy of Kelley L Cox - USA TODAY Sports Like many teams, the Twins have prided themselves on building organization depth to continue contending even when injuries present themselves. The Twins have added multiple players to the 40-man roster this winter, including prospects and waiver claims. Each of these players will be projected to impact the team in different ways. Eight players sit at the back of the pecking order on the 40-man roster, but each might be called upon for an essential role in 2024. Pitchers Jordan Balazovic, RHP Balazovic was one of the team’s top starting pitching prospects before a disastrous Triple-A debut in 2022 with an ERA north of 7.50. Last season, he arrived at spring training early to prove he should make the team, but broke his jaw in an incident at a bar. In 2023, Balazovic combined for 70 innings between Triple-A and the big leagues. He struck out more than a batter per inning in St. Paul, but that rate didn’t translate to the Twins. He’s out of minor-league options, so he must prove he can be a reliable reliever or be placed on waivers. Matt Canterino, RHP Like Balazovic, Canterino was once ranked among the team’s top starting prospects. He is returning from Tommy John surgery this season, and the Twins plan on treating him as a starter. During his professional career, Canterino has dominated on the mound, but injuries have limited him to 85 innings. He seems like a prime candidate to move into a bullpen role, and that might be the easiest way for him to impact the Twins this season. Ryan Jensen, RHP Earlier this winter, the Twins claimed Jensen off waivers from the Marlins. He’s now in his fourth organization but has yet to debut. As a starting pitcher, he was a top-30 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Cubs. His development stalled because of control issues, so he’s now a reliever. Minnesota hopes to get his walk rate under control because he’s shown an ability to strike batters out and to ratchet up his stuff in short bursts. He has two options remaining, so he can bounce back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues. Cole Sands, RHP Sands was projected as a back-of-the-rotation starter earlier in his professional career before transitioning to a relief role. He’s made 26 big-league appearances, with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. His strikeout rate as a reliever is only a hair over 20%, so he must miss more bats to move into a higher-leverage role. He has one option year remaining, so the 2024 campaign will be vital for him to show his long-term value to the Twins. Josh Staumont, RHP Minnesota targeted Staumont earlier this winter, and quickly signed him to a big-league deal for just under $1 million. He is returning from thoracic outlet syndrome, but the Twins believe he can contribute. Staumont has been a dominant reliever for the Royals in recent seasons, so the Twins know him well. He has one option remaining, so he can be sent to the minors if he isn’t fully ready for the start of the season. Josh Winder, RHP Winder has a similar profile to Sands and has one option year remaining. Winder has posted a 4.51 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP in just over 100 big-league innings. He was mainly used as a starter in 2022, when the team struggled with injuries. His strikeout rate has been higher in the minors, so he needs to prove he can attack big-league hitters in 2024. Position Players Yunior Severino, 1B Severino was added to the 40-man roster this offseason after leading the minor leagues in home runs. He’s moved down the defensive spectrum during his professional career, but it’s hard to ignore his numbers from last season. There are multiple players ahead of him on the organizational depth chart, so he will spend most of the season at Triple-A. He will have to hit his way to the big leagues, unless there are a series of injuries to Minnesota’s first base options. Nick Gordon, UTL Gordon was one of the bright spots on the 2022 team, with a 111 OPS+ in 136 games. Many were excited to see what he’d do for an encore in 2023, but his season never got off the ground. Instead, Gordon struggled, with a 34 OPS+ before fracturing his leg on a foul tip. He’s out of minor-league options, so he has to make the team coming out of spring. He will serve in a utility role while getting opportunities to play in center field on days when Byron Buxton is at DH. Which player will have the most significant impact on the Twins in 2024? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

One of the most significant storylines from Twins Fest weekend was Byron Buxton and his return to center field. How optimistic can fans be about his health? Image courtesy of Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Twins Fest weekend allows fans an opportunity to get up close and personal with the team’s players while also getting excited for the upcoming season. The Twins usually add pieces to the roster before the last weekend in January. Still, this offseason has been relatively quiet, with the club searching for a new television deal and multiple top free agents still unsigned. Fans are searching for other things to get excited about with the team, and Byron Buxton provided that opportunity. Throughout the weekend, Buxton was asked about his health and the possibility of returning to center field in 2024. On Friday night at Twins Fest Live, Buxton was asked about this possibility and said, “Oh yeah. I'm back.” On Saturday, the assembled media continued to probe Buxton with questions regarding his return. He said, “I wouldn’t have said that if I wasn’t sure. … [The] rehab feels money.” Buxton is rehabbing after a year when he was limited to 85 games while playing exclusively as a designated hitter. He attempted a comeback late in the season, including an appearance in center field for the Saints. However, he couldn’t be on the team’s playoff roster until Alex Kirilloff injured himself during the Houston series. Buxton made one pinch-hit appearance and failed to reach base. Overall, he hit .207/.294/.438 (.731) with 17 doubles, one triple, and 17 home runs. There were glimpses of his powerful bat, but the season, for the most part, was a disappointment. Following the team’s elimination, team doctors evaluated Buxton and decided a second knee procedure was needed for him to return to center field. He underwent a procedure to excise the plica, a membrane flap, in his right knee. Derek Falvey told reporters that the team hoped the surgery would alleviate some of the pain Buxton had suffered while dealing with patellar tendinitis throughout the season. It had a much shorter recovery timeline than the knee procedure he had following the 2022 season, so the Twins hoped he could have a fairly regular build-up to the 2024 season. The Twins have been optimistic about Buxton throughout the winter, especially following his first post-operation check-up back in December. At the time, the team said Buxton was doing “really well” with a plan for him to start baseball activities. “(The doctors) felt like he was moving around as well as they had seen him move around in a long time, which was great,” Falvey said at the winter meetings. “He was doing some things that he couldn’t really do last year at different times in terms of how he was moving, so that was good. … Our expectation is that will ramp up really the latter half of this week and into next week, which puts him on a pretty normal schedule from an offseason standpoint in terms of what he’s doing baseball activity-wise. Obviously, we’ll continue to update as we get more running progression pieces to this.” Buxton hasn’t been the most reliable narrator about his health in the past. He is a competitor, and his attitude has always been to push himself to make every play, even at the expense of his body. Buxton isn’t the only one that is pushing the positive narrative surrounding his health. Manager Rocco Baldelli and Falvey have been on record saying they expect Buxton to return to center. The team’s goal is for Buxton to play 80 games in center while splitting time at designated hitter. Minnesota will also rely on other center field options like Willi Castro, Nick Gordon, and Austin Martin. For fans, Buxton returning to center might be a pipe dream, but the Twins are a better team him in center, and he seems on track to meet the team’s goal with spring training on the horizon. Will Buxton play 80 games in center next season? Is he a reliable narrator on his health? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Joe Nathan was one of baseball's best relievers for over a decade. His chances at being elected to Cooperstown improved this week with Billy Wagner falling just short of election, but as Wagner shows, his path won’t be easy. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Professional baseball’s history stretches back about 150 years, and on that scale, the concept of a relief pitcher is relatively new. Bullpen usage has continued to increase in recent years, with varying levels of effectiveness. Elite relievers should stand out even more than their peers. However, relief pitchers continue to be one of the most underrepresented groups in the Hall of Fame, with only eight enshrined players entering the current voting cycle. Billy Wagner's Hall of Fame candidacy will be at the forefront of debate over the next year, since he fell five votes short of election in 2024. He has slowly gained support in recent years, moving from 10% of the vote in 2016 to 68% last year. During the current voting cycle, Wagner was tracking around 80%, so there was still some question about whether or not he’d clear the 75% threshold needed for induction. No player has reached this high a percentage and not been inducted in the next voting cycle. So, why does Wagner deserve to be elected? He is one of the most dominant relievers of all time. Wagner has the highest strikeout rate for any pitcher with at least 900 innings. Using that same innings threshold, Wagner has the lowest opponent batting average (.187 BA) in MLB history. Mariano Rivera is the lone pitcher with a lower ERA and ERA+ since 1920. He also has the sixth-most saves all-time (422), but will likely drop on that list with Kenley Jansen (420) and Craig Kimbrel (417) set to pass him next season. His career was limited in innings, but he was one of the game’s best pitchers and deserves to be in the Hall. Former Twins closer Joe Nathan compares well to Wagner in multiple ways, but his Hall of Fame candidacy was short-lived. In 2022, he first appeared on the ballot and received 17 of 394 votes (4.3%). He fell three votes shy of staying on the ballot and received the most votes of any player who fell off the ballot that voting cycle. It was a crowded year to be on the ballot, because Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling were in their final year of eligibility. Some tough choices needed to be made, with writers being limited to 10 votes per ballot. JAWS is a metric created by Jay Jaffe that attempts to rank players based on their worthiness for the Hall. It takes a player’s career WAR and averages it with their seven-year peak WAR to create a weighted score, designed to help balance the desire we all feel for a Hall of Famer to have been truly great at their best but also demonstrate longevity. For relievers, Jaffe has started including a hybrid version of JAWS, which includes Win Probability Added, because relievers pitch in high-leverage situations for most of their appearances. The top five relievers, according to R-JAWS, had all been inducted into the Hall entering the current voting cycle. Wagner ranked sixth, and Nathan is seventh all-time, with the two players only separated by 0.5 points. JAWS isn’t the only statistic that helps Nathan’s cause, as he ranks well in many other areas. Even though he was 29 when he became a full-time closer, he pitched into his early 40s. Along the way, he was elected to six All-Star teams, finished in the top five of Cy Young voting twice, struck out more than a batter per inning, and finished in the top 5 in saves five times. Nathan also ranks sixth all-time in win probability added among relief pitchers. Overall, he’s eighth in career saves, and he had five seasons with a 1.88 ERA or lower. Some writers have plainly stated that they didn’t vote for Wagner and Nathan because of their poor playoff performance. They justify their decision through the lens that closers should thrive in pressure-packed environments like the postseason, and both pitchers failed to meet those expectations. Wagner made 14 playoff appearances and posted a 10.03 ERA with a 1.97 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings. Nathan compiled an 8.10 ERA with a 2.20 WHIP in 10 innings. It’s such a small sample size that it seems difficult to hold this against the relievers, but it was one of the reasons Wagner fell short on this year’s ballot. Nathan is one of the game’s all-time great relievers, a significantly underrepresented group in the Hall. Had his ballot not been so crowded, Nathan could have received more initial support, then slowly gained supporters in later years, like Wagner. Now, Nathan will need to wait for the Eras Committee to review his name in the coming years, hoping his résumé meets their criteria. The next scheduled review of players from the Contemporary Era is December of 2025, for inclusion in the Class of 2026. Do you think Nathan can be elected through the Eras Committee? Should he have lasted longer on the ballot? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Twins’ front office has shown a propensity for extreme patience when completing the team’s roster each winter. Baseball’s most well-known agent, Scott Boras, has helped and hurt that strategy over the last three seasons. Image courtesy of © Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports Ask any baseball fan to name a baseball agent, and Scott Boras is likely the first name that comes to mind. Forbes has consistently named him the most powerful agent in sports, including saying that he is in “a league of his own.” At the winter meetings, Boras is the lone agent to hold court with the assembled media to talk about the state of baseball and his clients. He impacts the business side of the game, and it has ramifications felt by teams throughout their planning process. Boras represents multiple Twins players, including Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and top prospect Walker Jenkins. Minnesota’s front office seems to have a solid working relationship with Boras, and that must continue in the years ahead, with prominent young players tied to Boras Corporation. However, his control over the Twins’ finances goes far beyond the players he represents. Boras has impacted the Twins for three consecutive offseasons, in ways that have helped and hurt the team’s long-term plans. Let’s explore his impact and what it has meant to the Twins. 2022 Offseason: Lockout and Correa's Surprise The lockout significantly impacted every team’s offseason plans in 2022. Many top free agents hurried to sign new deals before the lockout stopped the market from moving forward. Some players--including Carlos Correa, one of the top available names--wanted to be patient with the market. It seemed unlikely for the Twins to have an opportunity to sign Correa, but things changed quickly following the lockout. On March 13, the Twins traded Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Ben Rortvedt to the Yankees for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela. For Minnesota, the deal cleaned up the team’s financial commitments by getting Donaldson off the books. With this financial flexibility, the Twins stunned the baseball world and signed Correa to a three-year, $105.3-million deal with opt-out clauses after the contract’s first and second seasons. Boras got Correa the highest average annual value for an infielder, while the Twins’ patience allowed the club to land a superstar. 2023 Offseason: Correa Returns As expected, Correa and Boras opted out of the final two years of his initial contract with the Twins to hit free agency for the second consecutive offseason. The Twins struggled with injuries in 2022, but Correa compiled some of his career's best numbers, including a 138 OPS+. It seemed like he was hitting the market at a perfect time, with multiple big-market teams looking to swoop in and add him to the middle of their lineup. Correa and Boras had a whirlwind offseason. He agreed to terms with the Giants and Mets before having both deals fall apart due to concerns over a 2014 surgery on his lower leg. The Twins kept in contact with Boras and eventually agreed to a six-year, $200-million contract that can max out at $270 million over ten seasons. Minnesota’s patience paid off for the second straight year, and the team’s familiarity with the player and agent helped get a deal done. 2024 Offseason: Waiting is the Hardest Part Correa isn’t on the market again this winter, but Boras is still impacting the Twins. Spring training begins in less than a month, and six of baseball’s top free agents remain unsigned, five of whom are Boras clients. Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Matt Chapman, and J.D. Martinez are waiting to find a new home, and Boras is pulling the strings behind the scenes. So, how does this impact the Twins? Minnesota is likely staying away from the free-agent market. Still, the club has tried to trade some veteran players, including Kyle Farmer, Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler, and Christian Vázquez. Teams interested in trading for these players are likely waiting until the free-agent market dries up, so the Twins are left in a holding pattern until the market develops. Overall, the Twins have been helped by Boras over the last two winters to make two different deals with Correa. Minnesota likely isn’t signing any of the big free agents left on the market this winter, but they also can’t trade players until other teams have a better picture of the holes in their roster not filled through free agency. Has Boras helped or hurt the Twins over the last three offseasons? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

It had become almost clear in recent weeks, but the results were officially announced on Tuesday night. Joe Mauer is a first-ballot member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Joe Mauer received the call that every baseball player dreams of following their retirement. He will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, as part of the Class of 2024. Some Twins fans might be surprised by his support from the baseball writers, but his résumé stacks up with that of the top players in baseball history. Entering Tuesday, Mauer was trending above 83% on the known ballots. Candidates must be listed on 75% or more of the submitted ballots to be inducted. A player can stay on the ballot for up to 10 years if they receive more than 5% of the vote, so it looked as if Mauer would eventually be elected even if he fell short in 2024. Instead, he made it in his first try, and joined some elite company in the process. Mauer slid in at 76.1 percent, behind no-brainer third baseman Adrián Beltré (95.1 percent of voters) and sixth-time candidate Todd Helton (79.7 percent) in clearing the threshold, and the trio will go in alongside Jim Leyland in July. Before Mauer, there had only been two catchers in baseball history to be selected on the first ballot. To many, Johnny Bench is considered the greatest catcher of all time, and he received 96.4% of the vote in 1989. Iván Rodríguez was considered an elite defensive catcher and was named on 76% of the ballots in 2017. Mauer finished behind Bench with his percentage, but it still means he has the second-highest percentage for any first-ballot catcher in history. Mauer also becomes the latest pledge of the fraternity of Hall of Fame players from St. Paul, MN. He joins Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, and Jack Morris in the halls of Cooperstown. Molitor and Winfield were both first-ballot selections, while Morris had to wait to be elected by the Veterans Committee. It’s incredible to have three first-ballot Hall of Fame members from the same city, and even rarer that they could all wear a Twins uniform during their prestigious careers. Mauer and the rest of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2024 class will be inducted in a ceremony on July 21, 2024, in Cooperstown, New York. For fans planning on attending, planning your trip well in advance is best. Cooperstown is a tough place to get to, and you must fly into a neighboring city and drive the rest of the way. That being said, a large contingent of Twins Territory will likely be on hand to support the hometown star. Congratulations to Mauer and his family on a tremendous career. Twins fans were lucky to watch him play in his hometown for his entire career. Now, he will be immortalized in Cooperstown, and one has to think that a statue outside Target Field will be coming in the years ahead. What’s your favorite Mauer memory? Will you be making the trek to Cooperstown this summer? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

With the 2024 season on the horizon, many national top prospect lists are starting to be revealed. So, which Twins prospects have the best tools? Image courtesy of William Parmeter (Jenkins), Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (Lee, Martin) MLB Pipeline recently surveyed baseball executives to discover which prospects had the best tools in various categories. Twins names littered the rankings, but that fails to give a complete picture of the organization. Below is a list of some of the top categories and Twins prospects battling for the organization's top spot. Best Hitter: Brooks Lee vs. Walker Jenkins Minnesota’s top two prospects provide different offensive skill sets. Lee has been touted for his hitting ability since the Twins drafted him in 2022. He can spray the ball to all fields and takes a professional approach at the plate. Jenkins is one of the best prospects to come through the Twins organization in quite some time, and has a tremendously high ceiling. His professional track record is limited at this point, so that’s why Lee gets the nod. However, Jenkins could be in the running for baseball’s top prospect with a solid 2024 campaign. Battle Winner: Lee Best Pitching Prospect: Marco Raya vs. David Festa There are different ways to evaluate the top two pitching prospects in the Twins organization. Raya was selected by the Twins in the 2020 MLB Draft out of high school in Texas, and the team has been cautious with his workload while also being aggressive with his promotions. He has a high ceiling, but the Twins haven’t allowed him to show he can handle a starter's workload. Festa pitched at Double and Triple A last season, with 119 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings. Fans will probably see him pitch for the Twins next season, but his ceiling is limited to a mid-rotation starter. Raya wins the battle for now. Battle Winner: Raya Best Defensive Prospect: Noah Miller vs. Noah Cardenas Following the 2023 season, Miller was selected as the best defensive shortstop in the minor leagues and awarded a Gold Glove. Last season, he handled 446 chances, helped turn 54 double plays, and finished with 295 assists in 107 games for High-A Cedar Rapids, posting a .984 fielding percentage. Cardenas is tremendous behind the plate, with all the skills to make it to the big leagues as a catcher. He’s known for working well with pitching staffs and has the receiving skills and throwing arm to control the running game. Catcher might be the most important defensive position, and Cardenas is one of the best in the minor leagues. Miller wins the battle for now, but this is a tight race. It'll only matter if either can hit as they climb the ladder. Battle Winner: Miller Best Baseball IQ: Brooks Lee vs. Noah Miller Lee could have been a first-round pick out of high school, but he told teams he wanted to play college ball for his father at Cal Poly. Lee has grown up around baseball, which made him an intriguing prospect when he fell to the Twins with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. His baseball acumen has allowed him to stick at shortstop this far into his professional career, when many believed he’d be forced to another position. Miller is also smart on both sides of the ball, but his baseball IQ showcases itself on the defensive side. He’s smooth to the ball and makes plays that few others can make. Lee wins the battle because he has more experience and is closer to the big leagues. Battle Winner: Lee Most Underrated Prospect: Marco Raya vs. Simeon Woods Richardson vs. Austin Martin Raya was one of the names mentioned in the MiLB piece, which shows how other organizations view him. If he can put it all together, he has the stuff to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. Woods Richardson is coming off a rough year at Triple A. Still, he was significantly younger than the competition at that level, and St. Paul has been a favorable hitting environment. He’s a prime bounce-back candidate in 2024, and can put himself back in the team’s long-term plans. Martin missed time with an elbow injury last season, but now the Twins might need him to take on a more regular role in 2024. He won’t show up on any top-100 lists, but Martin has the potential to be a future All-Star. Battle Winner: Woods Richardson Breakout Prospect: Walker Jenkins vs. Brooks Lee Lee and Jenkins are on opposite ends of the prospect pipeline, but fans will watch each player closely in 2024. The Twins will have Lee begin the year at Triple A, but he could make his debut by midseason. Depending on when he debuts, Lee can perform well enough to be in the conversation for AL Rookie of the Year. There is no reason to rush Jenkins, but his performance might dictate an aggressive approach. It’s certainly possible for him to spend the first couple months at Low-A Fort Myers, move to High-A Cedar Rapids for most of the season, and end the year at Double-A Wichita for the playoffs. If things work out that way, he will be among baseball’s top five prospects. Battle Winner: Jenkins Do you agree with the battle winners? Who else should have made the list? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

One season doesn’t define a Hall of Fame career. For Joe Mauer, his 2009 season was one of the best in history for a catcher. What made that season so special, and how did he fare from month to month? Image courtesy of Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports The 2009 season was a crossroads for Joe Mauer. His years of team control were quickly dwindling, and fans had seen this story play out in the not-so-distant past. Torii Hunter left via free agency, and the front office felt forced to trade Johan Santana before his team control ran out. Mauer was under contract (on the first, now-forgotten extension he signed with the team) for 2009 and 2010, but the risk that the team would feel compelled to move him between those two campaigns loomed. That’s when a final season of Metrodome Magic pushed him to a career-best year. Mauer’s season failed to get off to a perfect start, as he missed the month of April with a back injury. However, he claimed the injury and minor rehab might have been a “blessing in disguise.” He was forced to do more core work on his abdominal muscles, which might have helped his in-season performance. “In April, I couldn’t watch a whole lot of the games,” he told reporters after the season. “I’d watch for a little bit and I’d get so frustrated that I wasn’t out there.” Mauer turned that frustration into an MVP campaign when he returned to the field. May (28 Games) Stat Line: .414/.500/.838, 7 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 19 BB, 16 K Best Game (May 23): 3-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB, 0.26 WPA No player can win an MVP in his first month of the season, but Mauer gave it his best shot. Memorably, he hit a home run on his first swing of the season and never looked back. May would be the only month wherein he hit double-digit home runs, and it was one of three months in which he had more walks than strikeouts. In the middle of the month, he had a 20-game on-base streak, which included a 14-game hit streak. His hot start to the season earned him the AL Player of the Month, and it was just the first step toward his MVP. June (26 Games) Stat Line: .353/.407/.490, 5 2B, 3 HR, 10 BB, 12 K Best Game (June 2): 3-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, R, BB, 0.23 WPA Mauer’s power numbers cooled off significantly when the calendar turned to June. However, he continued to hit for average and post an extraordinary OBP. Mauer had multiple hits in nine of his 26 starts, and two of his three home runs came at the Metrodome. His best game of the month included one of his most significant home runs. Minnesota needed all of Mauer’s hits to beat Cleveland 4-3. The Guardians scored three runs in the final three innings to make it close, but Joe Nathan closed the door in the ninth. July Stat Line: .309/.377/.468, 3 2B, 4 HR, 11 BB, 15 K Best Game (July 23): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, 0.26 WPA July was Mauer’s worst month at the plate, but he still posted a batting average north of .300 and an .846 OPS. He was selected as the starting catcher for the American League All-Star team, and manager Joe Maddon penciled him into the third spot in the lineup. Mauer tied the game with a double in the fifth inning off Chad Billingsley. He finished the game 1-for-3 with a double, a run, and an RBI. August Stat Line: .391/.449/.652, 6 2B, 8 HR, 12 BB, 9 K Best Game (August 13): 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, R, BB, 0.31 WPA Mauer found his power swing again, as he posted an OPS of 1.100 or higher for the first time since May. He got the month off to a hot start with a 15-game hitting streak from August 2-18, and he stretched that to a 20-game on-base streak. His game against the Royals on August 13 was his highest WPA for the entire season, but the Twins ended up losing the game 5-4. Mauer was in the driver’s seat for his third batting title and was on a record-breaking pace for a catcher. September/October (32 games) Stat Line: .354/.471/.487, 9 2B, 2 HR, 24 BB, 11 K Best Game (September 14): 3-for-3, R, BB, 0.18 WPA Other teams feared Mauer and his bat in September, especially with the Twins hunting for a division title. Opposing pitchers were very careful pitching to him, and he drew a season-high 24 walks in the month, including six intentional passes. Justin Morneau suffered a season-ending back injury on September 12, and Mauer hit .378 for the remainder of the season. Minnesota and Detroit tied for the AL Central title, setting up an epic Game 163 at the Metrodome. Mauer went 2-for-4 in the game, and reached base four times in six plate appearances. It was a perfect ending to his MVP campaign, with the Twins winning in 12 innings. Mauer’s 2009 season was one of the best for a catcher, and the accolades started rolling in following the season. According to FanGraphs, Mauer accumulated the fifth-highest WAR total of any catcher in MLB history and the highest amount for any AL backstop. He set a major-league record for highest batting average by a catcher and won his third batting title--also a backstop record. He also became the first repeat batting champion in nearly a decade (Nomar Garciaparra, 1999-2000). Mauer finished the season with more walks (76) than strikeouts (63), a feat becoming even rarer in the modern game. Mauer finished one vote shy of being a unanimous MVP, with Miguel Cabrera, the fourth-place finisher, receiving the other first-place vote. New York’s Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter finished in second and third place. He was the second catcher in 33 years to win the AL MVP, and no catcher has finished first over the last 14 seasons. Mauer was a once-in-a-generation player, and his 2009 season was his magnum opus. What do you remember about Mauer’s MVP season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Twins fans have rightfully given attention to Joe Mauer on the current Hall of Fame ballot, but another fan favorite continues to garner support. Torii Hunter’s resume is divided into two distinct parts, which make his case tougher to evaluate. Image courtesy of Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports Voters for the National Baseball Hall of Fame use a variety of criteria to decide on a candidate's worthiness for Cooperstown. Sometimes, players compile substantial offensive numbers over a lengthy career, making it easy to compare to other Hall of Fame members. The defensive side of the ball has been more challenging to evaluate. Elite defenders like Ozzie Smith and Ivan Rodriguez have been elected, while other defensive stars still need to garner more support. Torii Hunter’s resume spans parts of 19 big league seasons, but he was a very different player at the beginning of his career compared to the end. These stark differences make it harder to evaluate his overall career performance, making it difficult for voters to give him support. In 2021, Hunter first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot and received 9.6% of the vote. The following year, he nearly fell off the ballot with a crowded field from the steroid era, but he earned just over the minimum of 5%. Last year, the ballot was less crowded, and he jumped back to 6.9%. He is tracking below 5% on the 2024 ballot but has previously done well on the non-public ballots. Hunter’s early career was defined by elite defense and athleticism in center field. From 2001-2009, he won nine straight Gold Gloves while being a human highlight reel at one of baseball’s most demanding positions. Only three center fielders, including Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Andruw Jones, have more Gold Gloves. His defense separates him from many other center fielders, putting a permanent stamp on his legacy. The Metrodome was filled with many quirks, making it challenging for defenders to have consistent success. The centerfield wall was a bag with some unforgiving poles holding it in place. Running into those poles caused injuries to multiple defenders, including Hunter. He continued to track down fly balls with little regard for his safety. The infamous baggy also stretched into the gap, which made for some unique defensive plays. Hunter also had to deal with the Metrodome’s turf, which was sometimes unforgiving. His ability to track down balls in the gap made videos like the one below look like he was moving in fast forward. He could use his raw athleticism to track down balls in the outfield, but his bat took time to develop. His offensive value rose when his defensive value declined with age. In his first three full seasons, he averaged an 87 OPS+, and the Twins continued to use him because his defense was strong. Over his final four seasons, he hit .279/.335/.467 with a 114 OPS+, including five seasons with an OPS+ of 123 or higher. Hunter became a five-time All-Star, and those appearances stretched from the 2002 season in Minnesota to the 2013 campaign in Detroit. Offensively, Hunter accumulated numbers that appeal to traditional Hall of Fame voters. He had over 2,400 hits, more than 350 homers, and fell just shy of 200 stolen bases. Both of his Silver Slugger awards came after he turned 33 years old. He received MVP votes in five different seasons over more than a decade. His highest finish was the 2002 season when he finished sixth and helped the Twins avoid contraction by making it to the ALCS. Hunter was a vocal leader on many Twins teams, including four division titles in five years. Overall, Hunter fits into the category of good but not great players in MLB history. In recent years, the standards to get into the Hall of Fame have changed with the Veterans Committee elected players like Harold Baines. Other former Twins have benefited from this, too, with Jack Morris, Tony Olivia, and Jim Kaat being elected through this committee. Hunter isn’t likely to garner enough support to be elected by the baseball writers, but there may be a way for him to get to Cooperstown through the Veterans Committee. Do you believe Hunter deserves to be inducted into Cooperstown? Will he see a rise in his vote percentages in the years ahead? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Minnesota’s front office has made no secret that veteran players are on the trade block, but nothing has come to fruition this winter. With spring training a month away, will the Twins head to Fort Myers with the current roster? Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Minnesota’s television future is still in the air, but Amazon invested over $100 million in Diamond Sports Group earlier this week. This influx of money might allow the Twins to sign a one-year pact to return to Bally Sports North for the 2024 season, before MLB takes over a more significant role in broadcasting for 2025. There are still no guarantees regarding how much money the Twins will make from television revenue next season, and many teams, like Minnesota, have been hesitant to spend money without a long-term revenue source. During the Winter Meetings, Derek Falvey talked about the Twins looking to clear salary space by trading veteran players like Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, Kyle Farmer, or Christian Vázquez. The team hasn’t made any significant moves, and little has changed with the team’s roster since I wrote an initial roster projection over one month ago. Minnesota has held firm in its trade demands for veteran players in the past, so one has to wonder if the roster might be set for the start of spring training in less than a month. That quartet of veteran players can help the Twins win next season, and it only makes sense for the club to move one of them if it improves the team. Falvey has shown extreme patience in the past to wait out the free-agent market and add players, even after spring training has begun. It can be frustrating for fans to wait for the team to make moves, but the current roster is already favored to win the division without making another move. A 47-Year-Old Reliever? Fernando Rodney pitched for the Twins in 2018, when he was a 41-year-old, and hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2019. Yesterday at the Athletic, Sam Blum wrote about Rodney continuing to pitch in Mexico, hoping to get another opportunity at the MLB level. During his career, he has earned over 320 saves, been elected to three All-Star Games, and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019. According to Rodney, he can still hit the low-to-mid 90s with his fastball, which might be enough to get a shot with another MLB team. His best pitch is his changeup, which doesn’t take a lot of velocity to be effective. Other pitchers have appeared in games in their upper 40s, including Jamie Moyer (49) and Phil Niekro (48). He continues to walk batters at a high rate, which might be the only thing holding him back from reaching his ultimate goal. Big League Camp Invites KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reports that the Twins are inviting 1B/DH Aaron Sabato and C Pat Winkel to big-league camp, after both finished last season at Double-A Wichita. Minnesota selected Sabato with their first-round pick in 2020, out of the University of North Carolina. Last season, he hit .221/.329/.430 (.759) with 19 doubles and 12 home runs before posting a .905 OPS in the Arizona Fall League. The Twins selected Winkel in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, from the University of Connecticut. In 88 games last year, he hit .266/.362/.424 (.787) with 16 doubles and 10 home runs. The Twins will make other invite announcements in the coming weeks. What other players will get invited to camp? Should the Twins try to add Rodney? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Catching is baseball’s most demanding defensive position, so teams can struggle to find a two-way player. Ryan Jeffers has excelled on both sides of the ball, but do national outlets underrate him? Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports Pitchers and catchers will begin reporting to spring training complexes next month, and that can get fans thinking about the possibilities associated with a season’s new beginning. Twins fans can hope that Ryan Jeffers will build off his solid 2023 campaign and continue establishing himself as one of baseball’s best catchers. MLB Network creates an annual list of the Top 10 Players Right Now at every position. Ironically, though, in these lists, the voters tend to evaluate the long-term track record of a player versus more recent performance. For instance, Carlos Correa continues to rank in their top 10 for shortstops, even after his disastrous 2023 season. Jeffers failed to crack their top 10 list, so let’s examine his case. Pro: OPS+ Jeffers led all catchers in baseball (who had at least 250 at-bats) with a 134 OPS+. That total means his offensive output was 34 percent better than the league average, after adjusting for the mix of ballparks in which he played. Catchers typically take a beating behind the plate, which can impact their hitting performance. The Twins drafted Jeffers as a bat-first catcher from college, and he continued to gain confidence throughout last season. Jeffers raised his OPS from .778 in the first half to .928 in the second half, thanks to 10 home runs and seven doubles in 45 games. Pro: WAR According to FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, Jeffers finished eighth in WAR among catchers. The only AL catchers with a higher WAR total were Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman (bWAR, fWAR) and Texas’s Jonah Heim (fWAR). Jeffers’s 138 wRC+ was tied with former Twins catcher Mitch Garver for the top backstop total, but Garver only started 27 games behind the plate last season. Some catchers provide value on one side of the ball or the other, but Jeffers has shown the ability to help the Twins both offensively and defensively. Con: Defensive Numbers Dropped After signing with the Twins, Jeffers renewed his focus on his defensive abilities, because his college didn’t have a coach to work with catchers. He has become known as a strong framer, as his framing ranked in the 70th percentile or higher during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Last year, his framing dropped to the 25th percentile, and he cost the Twins 8 runs as a framer, according to Statcast. His Blocks Above Average and Caught Stealing Above Average were in the 25th percentile or lower. However, his pop time improved from the 44th percentile in 2022 to the 59th percentile last season. Con: Fell Short of 350 Plate Appearances Jeffers is the only catcher in the top 10 for WAR who didn’t appear in more than 100 games. His 335 plate appearances ranked 28th among catchers, including a handful of appearances as the team's designated hitter. Minnesota has valued a two-catcher rotation, because the team feels like it allows both catchers to perform at a high level. The Twins have discussed trading Christian Vázquez this winter, which could allow Jeffers to become a more regular catcher. The rigors of catching would impact his performance on both sides of the ball. He’s also dealt with injuries in the past, and the team needs him to stay healthy to stay in contention. How Can Jeffers Become a Top-10 Catcher? Jeffers must accomplish various things in 2024 to enter the top-10 catcher rankings. MLB Network’s voters tend to like players who consistently perform from one year to the next, and Jeffers doesn’t fit that mold yet. His offensive numbers were excellent last season, but he could have provided even more value on the defensive side. The Twins could use Jeffers more regularly behind the plate, but as previously mentioned, that could negatively affect his performance. Do you believe Jeffers is underrated? Can he become a top-5 catcher in Minnesota’s two-catcher system? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Carlos Correa had a nightmare season in 2023, but fans can hope he is past his plantar fasciitis injury. Can he get back on track for a future induction into Cooperstown? Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Joe Mauer is in his first year of eligibility for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and Twins fans have monitored the votes as the writers have slowly revealed them. He has a strong chance to be selected on the first ballot. However, even if he falls short during the current voting cycle, he will almost assuredly be elected next year. Mauer would join a strong contingent of former Twins players in the Hall of Fame, including Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven, and Kirby Puckett. So, who will be the next Twins Hall of Fame electee following Mauer? MLB.com’s Mike Petriello attempted to identify how many potential Hall of Famers fans will see play in 2024. For the piece, he identified 40 names, which is a nice round number, but it leaves some room at the edges for other candidates. In his piece, he tiers the players into different categories, including no-doubters; veterans who are well on their way; Shohei Ohtani; and young players on the way. No Twins player cracked his top 40, with the most obvious omission being Carlos Correa. Correa won’t turn 30 until next September, and has already accumulated more than 40 WAR for his career. This total puts him ahead of other players on the top-40 list who are older than him, including Trea Turner and Alex Bregman. Obviously, 2023 was tough, and his 1.4 WAR was lower than in any other season, even the shortened 2020 campaign. Correa is still in the prime of his career, and Twins fans certainly hope he has some big seasons left in the tank. Correa’s résumé already includes many items voters prefer when checking a player’s name on the ballot. He was the first overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2015, was selected to multiple All-Star teams, won the 2021 Platinum Glove, and has enjoyed extensive playoff success. It’s certainly the start of a Hall of Fame career, but he will need to continue to produce on both sides of the ball. Jay Jaffe created the JAWS system to measure a player’s worthiness for the Hall of Fame. He averages a player's total WAR with their seven-year peak WAR to get a score that balances longevity with peak greatness. JAWS allows fans to compare players from different eras, while also establishing a quantitative baseline for Hall induction. Correa enters the 2024 season with the 36th-highest JAWS total among shortstops (39.4). There have been 23 Hall of Famers elected at shortstop, and their average JAWS is 55.4, but there are some outliers on the high end (Honus Wagner, 98.2 JAWS) and low end, with some players elected from the Negro Leagues. Jimmy Rollins is an interesting comp for Correa at this point in his career. According to JAWS, Rollins ranks only two spots ahead of Correa and is currently on the Hall of Fame ballot. He is in his third year of eligibility and has slowly gained support, going from 9.4% in 2022 to 12.9% in 2023. Currently, he sits above 14% on the ballots that have been revealed. That’s a long way from the 75% needed for induction, but it shows the level Correa has already achieved, with all of his 30s left for him to continue adding to his résumé. Historically, there are milestones a player can reach to make his Hall of Fame candidacy an almost automatic success. Some of those markers are 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, or a .300+ batting average. Correa passed 1,000 hits for his career last season, and finished the campaign with 1,051. He has averaged 135 hits per season with the Twins, so it's out of the question that he'll reach 3,000 hits, but 2,000 might be plausible. Home runs and a high batting average (at least by broad historical standards) also aren’t part of Correa’s repertoire. He enters next season with 173 home runs and a .272 batting average. Voters will likely need to consider Correa’s defensive numbers to paint a complete picture of his Cooperstown case. Players see a natural decline in the WAR total through aging in the second half of their careers. There will also be a time when Correa can no longer handle the rigors of shortstop, and will be forced to move to a different defensive position. Other Hall of Fame players have shifted from shortstop to third base to continue providing value while moving down the defensive spectrum. It will also be interesting to see how voters treat players associated with the Astros' cheating scandal. Carlos Beltrán, a player on that team, seemed like a lock for Cooperstown, but he finished last year's balloting at 46.5%. Correa will be able to watch how voters treat players like Beltrán and José Altuve before he gets to the ballot. Correa wouldn’t be a Hall of Famer if his career ended today, but his résumé certainly ranks among the top 40 players currently playing. Do you think Correa will have a strong Hall of Fame case at the conclusion of his career? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article