RSS Twins Team Notes

[Minnesota Twins]

Who wants to do a TwinkieTown Movie Night?

There are many different things to write about in the World of Baseballs, or, in bigger terms, the World of Sports. There’s the fact that the boring mega-payroll Dodgers just ousted the fun, also mega-payroll Phillies from the playoffs. (Ben has you covered.) Personally, I think the entire playoff structure is wack, and it should be eight teams, three best-of-7 series, no more, no less. But hey, that’s just, like, my opinion.

There’s been a slew of Stadium Shenanigans, like this hoo-boy piece of turd that the Chicago Ursines NFL team is currently foisting on taxpayers (thanks John for bringing it to my attention). As always, Neil deMause has you covered on those. I’ve been informed by Mr. deMause that his term “vaportecture,” for fancy stadium renderings that bear no relation to any conceivable future reality, is just a few independent uses shy of being eligible for the Oxford English Dictionary. So, how about it, those of you with blogs elsewhere? Wanna use the word “vaportecture” and get it possibly added to the dictionary? Here’s a lovely example that deMause gave us last year, of a proposed HonkyHose stadium:

How pretty! But, if you zoom in:

Oops, that’s not how you spell Chicago!

But I don’t want to write about such things right now, and if you think my writing’s only tolerable as it is, TRUST ME — it’s worse when I’m slogging through it. (Hence basically every game recap in basically every September in years that the Twins are out of it, which since I’ve been around, has been most years.)

So… how about a Movie Night?

There’s a different site that does this — I won’t link to it, it’s a political site, and I don’t expect others here to share my political views. (Except… maybe less money for stadiums, maybe?) But the movies on that site’s Movie Night aren’t necessarily political. Sometimes they are, but it’s most fun when they’re not. Like Jaws, for instance. Everybody had a good time just enjoying their favorite music cues, and pointing out when the robot shark looks good/when it totally looks like a cheesy robot shark, etc. (Also what was the stupidest bit in the original novel.)

Here’s how that works!

It’s a set date at a set time. And everyone cues up the movie at exactly that time, from whatever source they’re using. (Like library DVDs, streaming services, or Internet Archive, etc.) Then people make comments/jokes about the movie. Like “that was cool” or “that is dumb,” or sharing trivia stuff they know about the movie or the actors or the subject, etc.

So… kinda like gamethreads. But for movies.

We could do that here. I’m sure we could all think of many baseball movies, some good, some kinda lousy.

For example, The Jackie Robinson Story is easily available on YouTube, because it’s in the public domain. (A lot of movies for Black audiences ended up in the public domain, since the studios really didn’t give a rip about renewing the copyright… although, my favorite instance of public domain is still the 1963 Hepburn/Grant Charade, which was public domain the day it came out, because some dolt forgot to put the “©” symbol in the credits.)

Just a quick look tells me there are Internet Archive copies of the 1942 The Pride of the Yankees (Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig) and the 1951 Angels in the Outfield (Paul Douglas as a cranky manager who gets nicer via divine intervention… no, it’s not the weather guy Paul Douglas). There’s also the free streamers like Tubi that might have some interesting stuff on them (with commercials, but that’s no different from a gamethread).

And once we start talking about library DVDs, the list expands to basically every baseball movie/sports movie ever made, although we’d need to plan those out a bit more in advance (so people can request them from the library, etc.) And I don’t want to plan out a bunch of Movie Nights in advance if it’s going to be just me typing a bunch of comments by myself. The ideal would be to have at least five people show up.

So… thoughts? Opinions? (And heck, I’m not opposed to doing other inoffensive movies, too, like Charade or The Hitch-Hiker or something free on YouTube like that… I just think baseball movies would be more fun.) With something on YouTube or Internet Archive or the free streamers, people wouldn’t even have to go to the Great Enormous Strain of picking up a library DVD. I mentioned three baseball free ones above; I’m sure there’s more.

And if nobody’s interested, no harm, no foul! It’s not an idea my heart’s set upon. I just enjoy Movie Night at the other site, and I thought we could try it, if anybody likes. I mean, we could also all watch a pretty sunset together, or mascot porn, but I think baseball movies would be better,

(Oh, and OK, you want to know what the stupidest thing in the original novel Jaws was? The Richard Dreyfuss character has an affair with the wife of the Roy Scheider character, and then Scheider hates Dreyfuss, and it’s really a terrible book overall besides about two pages of Shark Facts right at the beginning. Sometimes, it’s best when movies DON’T stick to the book!)

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/scenes-from-an-offseason/49625/who-wants-to-do-a-twinkietown-movie-night

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rival Roundup, Vol. 68

Well, gang, we’re swiftly approaching the stage of Rival Roundup winters where I’ll just have to start making up stories. That’s because with Detroit’s recent elimination from the postseason, all five AL Central teams are in a holding pattern until the league’s offseason can officially start. So while the greater baseball world will be tuning in to tonight’s ALCS, you’ll be reading about how some of our rivals are “not sure yet” about some things, and “undecided” on others.

Enjoy!

• Well, it would be hard to design a more heartbreaking ending for the Detroit Tigers, although the Philadelphia Phillies had just given us a great suggestion. Detroit’s season ended this weekend in a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5, and after the first fourteen innings failed to find a winner, it all came to a final bitter end on old friend Jorge Polanco’s walk-off single in the fifteenth inning.

• For basically anyone outside of Michigan, this is a thrilling development for one of baseball’s biggest underdogs, a long-beleaguered franchise which has only just recently snapped out of a monumental playoff drought. But for Tigers fans, it’s a crushing conclusion to a season that saw them slip back into a Wild Card position, and a Divisional Round result that serves to reinforce their position as a good-not-great seed in the American League.
• With the elimination, the AL Central has wrapped up its contribution to the 2025 postseason. The Tigers will go into the offseason with Alex Cobb, Gleyber Torres, Rafael Montero, Tommy Kahnle, Chris Paddack, and Kyle Finnegan all hitting free agency, with a player option for Jack Flaherty, a mutual option with Paul Sewald, and a club option on Jose Urquidy, which nearly guarantees that they’ll have a different look in 2026.
• The Kansas City Royals are going to grab some new hitting coaches for 2026, the latest team to roll the dice on new voices in the batting cage. Hitting coaches seem to be going the way of relief pitching in terms of perceived performance and volatility of true talent (see: David Popkins falling on the sword for the 2024 Minnesota Twins, only to roll into Yankee Stadium as head man for the Blue Jays and curbstomp New York pitching.) Still, there are always improvements to be made, especially as you get down to the annals of a coaching staff which are actually responsible for adjusting swing mechanics. (Rocco still doesn’t do that.)
• Our friends over at South Side Sox break down the arbitration figures for Chicago’s upcoming offseason. This is always a fun portion of every winter, as most teams — even those whose payrolls will plummet and hands will be tied — still have agency over a few key decisions, the arbitration agreements being one of them. Chicago has just three arb-eligible players on the roster, and one of them will probably get non-tendered without much ceremony.
• The Cleveland Guardians will go into an offseason with David Fry undergoing nasal surgery, Tommy John for Nic Enright, and a lack of clarity on the status of some of their more prominent gamblers. The intention is to retain well-regarded manager Stephen Vogt’s coaching staff.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/49653/rival-roundup-vol-68

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Appreciating Byron Buxton in 2025: A Top Five List

Much like the current theatrical film of the same name, Byron Buxton took Minnesota Twins fans on a big, bold, beautiful journey in 2025. In a year that appalled a large section of the fanbase, Buxton managed to post a season for the ages.

Let’s take a look at what I consider to be the top five moments of Byron’s ‘25 spectacle. Going chronologically…

1. Walk-off catch​

You know that scene at the end of Superman (1978)—where Christopher Reeve extends his arms and smiles as he soars above the Earth as its protector? That’s what Lord Byron turned into on the night of April 22.

I was sitting just up from 3rd base at Target Field that night and my immediate thought when bat-met-ball was “well, we’re gonna need a B9”—perhaps with a few “colorful metaphors” thrown in. But somehow, Buxton (as always) was there and we all went home happy.

2. The Cycle​

As I’ve mentioned, my Aunt had a formative role in my Twins-loving development via numerous trips to the Metrodome in the 2000s. She now lives out-of-state, so ballpark outings are fewer and farther between. But we happened to sync up on July 12 and saw one of the most exciting moments of my entire Twins fandom.

Somewhat hilariously, I was a little mopey to start this contest as I wasn’t able to see Paul Skenes pitch the night before. But the frown quickly turned upside down when Buxton singled in the first inning, tripled in the 2nd, and doubled in the 3rd. After a measly single (how dare he stoop to such normality!) in the 5th, the next cycle opportunity presented itself in the 7th—and Buck trucked.

Before #25 could even complete the curtain call, compadre Willi Castro went deep on the next pitch—pandemonium at Target Field!

3. Home Run Derby & All Star Game​

For those who recall the early (2015-2018) usage of Byron Buxton, you could be forgiven for being shocked at his participation in a Home Run Derby. At first, he was a beat-the-ball-into-the-ground-and-fly-to-1B type of player, but over the years he developed a natural power stroke.

Of course, to Byron simple participation is never enough—he made it past the first round, out-homering the likes of Matt Olson & Brent Rooker! Seeing Buxton do this in front of his home-state (Georgia) fans was special.

The next night’s main exhibition contest? A double and a run scored. All-star, indeed.

4. “I ain’t going nowhere”​

Imagine—as a competitor—hearing your ownership group sold you out and immediately rendered the last two months of your seasonal livelihood utterly uncompetitive. To boot: some of the individuals traded away may have been close personal friends. Then, you find a microphone in your face asking for your reaction.

Buxton would have been wholly justified in going on an anti-ownership rant. He didn’t. Not only that, he actually re-iterated his desire to remain a member of the Twins organization.

Byron has never seemed like a real vocal leader in terms of “rah rah”—coming across more as a laid-back Southern guy who just loves to play baseball. But via his play, his contracts, or his words, one thing has remained rock-steady: he wants to stay in Minnesota. That’s a form of powerful leadership in and of itself.

5. Final stretch power surge​

By the time September was winding down, the Twins had been playing meaningless baseball for quite some time. No matter to Buck. In his final four games he crushed five hits—4 of them dingers. Battling until the bitter end for this final 2025 tally: 126 G, 542 PA, 97 R, 35 HR, 83 RBI, 24 SB, .264 BA, .878 OPS, 4.9 WAR.

The only other player in the MN Twins 30 HR-20 SB club: #34.

All things—most notably health—considered, this was Byron Buxton’s finest season in a Twins uniform. It certainly seems like he may never wear another. For that—and his extremely enjoyable athletic talent to behold—we can all be thankful from a season that was otherwise a lump of coal.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...le-home-run-derby-all-star-game-staying-in-mn

 

[Minnesota Twins]

North Star Stature Showdown, Season: Hitting may be everything

When running an OOTP tournament, you can’t just start with, y’know, the tournament. (Well, you can, but where’s the fun in that?) Instead, you run a shortened or full season so as to seed the teams organically.

For this one, I chose to run a particularly short 30-game season, figuring that would be enough. When I’ve run past tourneys, there have generally been teams which have emerged as Especially Good or Especially Rubbish.

It almost wasn’t enough this time.

After 30 games of setup, the Short Stories emerged at the top of the standings 16-14, earning home field advantage over the Tall Tales in the tournament. Despite both teams pulling off five-game win streaks across the season, neither ever emerged as dominant over the other.

What did emerge as dominant? Bats. (Note as you continue to read that I had the game’s AI set lineups, depth charts, rotations, and bullpens; however, I will be managing those manually for the tournament proper.)

Both teams featured a lineup keyed by a .410 hitter; unsurprisingly, both were Hall of Famers. Kirby Puckett, the top hitter for the Stories, paired his average with a .679 slugging percentage, and Joe Mauer, best Tales batter, put up a .491 on-base percentage. Puckett and Miguel Sanó each clobbered nine home runs, and Dave Winfield outdid them with 10. All four batters mentioned in this paragraph put up an OPS over 1.000.

The batting standouts didn’t stop at four, though. Walt Bond tied for the season lead with eight doubles, Chuck Knoblauch and Ben Revere each stole 10 bases, and Scott Stahoviak matched for the lead with 25 runs.

Statistical standouts were much harder to find on the pitching side, especially in rotations. Bailey Ober paced starters with a 2.75 ERA with Mike Smithson behind him at 3.54, but every other starter had an ERA above 4.50. Six starters, including the entire Stories rotation, had an ERA of 6.00 or higher, a dreadful showing even with the small five-to-seven start sample size. Even the bullpens weren’t much better, especially for the short crew, who only had two relievers (Ronny Henriquez at 2.77 and Bill Pleis at 3.52) with an ERA under 4.00. Like their starters, the Tales’ relievers shined more statistically—including a 0.00 ERA over six appearances for Michael Tonkin—but it wasn’t enough to get them over the Stories in the standings.

So the series is set up, a seven-game tilt. Given the chaos of these 30 simulated games, I can’t say I have a prediction other than the stars will continue to shine. But it’s seven games, and we all know anything can happen in that short a time.

Well, anything other than injuries and suspensions. I turned those off in Settings.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...ing-may-be-everything-kirby-puckett-joe-mauer

 

[Minnesota Twins]

The robots are coming (to MLB in 2026)

• Robby the Robot
• C3PO & R2D2
• HAL 9000
• The Terminator
• WALL-E
• Lieutenant Commander Data
• Replicants
• Cylons
• Whatever that thing from Rocky IV was

All examples of famous robots.

Joining that list in 2026 will be Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS), pejoratively known as “robot umps”. Site-runner Ben already dove into the ABS details a number of weeks ago so I won’t rehash that, other than to say it is interesting that only batters, pitchers, or catchers—not managers—will be allowed to initiate the challenge protocol. I feel like this may perpetuate some interesting conversations about managerial authority on the matter within clubhouses.

For the most part, this seems like a good step forward for MLB. As good as umpires have become (more on that momentarily), they are human beings and will understandably miss precise calculations of spheres traveling 90+ mph that often feature tremendous breaking movement, all while the catcher explicitly positions them for the best—though not most accurate—outcome.

But while looking at the tremendous Umpire Scorecard website, I was amazed at what I found—most notably that umpires continue to get more accurate behind the plate.

For those of us who watched baseball in the 1990s, we vividly recall pitchers like Tom Glavine extending outside corner strikes to the point of lunacy—epitomized by the “Livan Hernandez game” of the 1997 postseason.

But by 2015—the first year of Umpire Scorecard data—this had largely been cleaned up:

• 2015 Average Umpire Accuracy: 90.38 %
• 2015 Average Minimum Umpire Accuracy: 84.65%

Amazingly, despite upticks in velocity and breaking ball usage that should make umps’ livelihoods even tougher, those percentages have improved dramatically in the past decade:

• 2025 Average Umpire Accuracy: 94.15%
• 2025 Average Minimum Umpire Accuracy: 89.67%

Like I said, I do still believe ABS will be a nice tool in the toolbox, so to speak, for MLB to push those accuracy rates even higher. The league seems to be slow-playing the entire process, which I also think is smart—measure twice & cut once, as they say.

But in an age where so many occupations—from cinema to the classroom—turn a wary eye towards artificial intelligence, it is important to remember that living, breathing umpires continue to be remarkable arbiters of our great sport. I sincerely hope that ABS provides them a helping hand rather than pushes them off the diamond.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...accuracy-2015-2025-artificial-intelligence-ai

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rival Roundup, Vol. 69: No Title Needed

• We’re not too far from awards season, which means the usual worthy nominees, head-scratching selections, and outright upsets have started to populate the Gold Glove discussion for 2025. Dillon Dingler is one of the catching finalists for the Detroit Tigers; Carlos Santana earns another nom for the Cleveland Guardians after winning the 1B award last season. Bobby Witt, Jr. represents shortstop, with division foes Maikel Garcia (Royals) and Jose Ramirez (Guardians) both nominated at third base. Steven Kwan, Kyle Isbel, and Daniel Schneemann round out the list of prospective winners, at both the outfield and utility positions.
• While the terms are never disclosed by the Detroit Tigers, it is worth noting that the club announced an extension on Monday with manager A.J. Hinch, who has been their skipper since 2020, when he joined the team after the completion of a one-year suspension.
• The other major Detroit extension candidate is Tarik Skubal, if you believe there’s a snowball’s chance that he doesn’t make it to free agency. But those figures might be a little harder to fudge than Hinch’s; recent reporting indicated that the Tigers were more than $200 million apart in numbers when last they chatted.
• We’ve had a steady stream of updates on the potential relocation of the Royals stadium over the last couple years. Here’s the latest, involving a potential site in North Kansas City.
• Kai Correa, previously the Guardians’ field coordinator/strategic director, has been poached by the New York Mets to fill their open bench coach position. One would not expect Correa to take very long to find a managerial role after this, and his name was tossed about during speculation around intra-division candidates to replace Rocco Baldelli.
• Brandon Day over at Bless You Boys has an ALDS post-mortem for Tigers fans after a bit of a roller-coaster season.
• Meanwhile, Royals Review proposes a Byron Buxton acquisition. Uh, okay. They also have a somewhat more measured retrospective of the 2024-25 offseason.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/49750/rival-roundup-vol-69-no-title-needed

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Little Nicky Punto, manager?

According to The Athletic, the Twins have talked to famed SLUGGGRRR Nick Punto about the Twins’ open managerial position. Among various other folks. Punto’s currently an infield coach for the Padres; he’s originally from Southern California. (Oddly, his career OBP and SLG are both .323).

Now, in a way, I don’t really care who they hire as a manager. There’s a few Sparky Andersons and Terry Franconas in baseball history, who really add something to their teams. There’s a few buttheads like Larry Bowa, who detract from their teams. (Billy Martin made a career out of firing teams up for about one season, then making everybody hate him and getting fired.) The vast majority of managers are somewhere in between.

Besides, no matter who “manages” the Twins, the manager will be Derek Falvey. He will tell the manager what formula to use in every situation of every game, and the manager will be expected to follow that formula rigidly.

Basically, whoever manages the Twins, since Falvey took over, is a placeholder to be fired when the team loses, usually because of the roster that Falvey gave it.

So, in a larger sense, it doesn’t matter if the Twins hire Punto, or any of the other candidates they might be interested in, or use a chatbot.

But Punto would be the most fun. Like Bill Parker at OverTheMonster put it, “Following Punto is in turns terribly fun and awesomely infuriating, but it’s never remotely dull.” So: what could we expect with Punto?

First things first: every player is now required to dive into first base. Never mind that this makes you slower getting to first. It feels like you’re FLYING! Flying is fun!

The new clubhouse celebration isn’t some funny hat; it’s Nick Punto coming up behind you and ripping your clothes off. Seriously — one time, when the Twins were celebrating clinching the division, Punto’s wife Natalie accidentally caught hold of his shirt and it came off, and everyone found it funny. So Punto adopted the alter ego “The Shredder” and went around ripping teammates’ shirts off. He’d even do it on plane flights. But did they look as good as this guy?

Did all his teammates like it? Who knows. Maybe that’s the reason for this rule: whenever broadcaster Justin Morneau is interviewing Punto, players are allowed to take a punch at Morneau, miss, and hit Punto instead.

Not managerial-related, but, in Roger Clemens style, all Punto’s kids have names that represent his “G” attributes; Grit, Gristle, Gumption, Guts, and Getting After It.

And of course, we must summon the Blog Ghost of BatGirl (the blog is dead, but the author is not, here’s the webpage for her books), and witness the return of Little Nicky Punto (LNP), Tiny Superhero.

LNP can squeeze into places that others cannot. Here he is saving a nice old lady’s quarter that she dropped in a sidewalk grate:

BatGirl would also write about how Punto’s head was swollen by his ginormous one year, $.325 million contract, with Joe Mauer saying “You f—— call those hits? You just keep dinking the ball and running around the basepaths like your a** is on fire! What do you think you are, a piranha or something?”

And then there’s BatGirl’s Lego version of a benches-clearing brawl, titled “Twins v. Bitch Sox, the Brawl: a Reenactment.” SEE how far Morneau can throw Paul Konerko! Definitely a classic.

The site was lost to the world for awhile, but apparently enough people asked for it back, and so it has returned, in archive-only fashion. Go have a peek sometime during a rain delay or whenever you want something to poke around in. Look down at the lower left-hand side of the front page, and count the number of independent Twins blogs there were! 33 listed! The glory days of blogging, folks. This site got its start because of stuff like BatGirl out there, before everything was written A) by bot or B) by somebody who’s getting $5 for every 5000 page views, the way so many crappy blogs are, now.

Oh, and one more thing manager Nick Punto will bring us; his legendary walkup music. Some players like big-sounding songs; some like songs you can dance to; I remember one Twin had a G-rated version of a song called “Pu**y Poppin’.” So what was Nick Punto’s walkup song?

Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.”

When heck, as Grantland’s Jordan Carr pointed out, Nick Punto already HAD his own song! From a thing called the Minnesota Sports Band. It is, well, unpolished:

There you go. There’s all the reasons that LNP should be the Twins’ manager. If you have reasons against, leave them in the comments. But don’t be surprised if a tiny superhero shows up and wreaks havoc with ya.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/breakfast-baseball/49716/little-nicky-punto-manager

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “Money Buys World Series Appearances” Edition

The Dodgers have punched their ticket to the World Series and await the winner of Game 7 between the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners tonight. Despite having the best record in the majors this season, the Milwaukee Brewers could not overcome the pitching prowess of the Dodgers, with their four starters of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani giving up a combined two earned runs and 35 strikeouts. Ohtani also continued to rewrite the record books, with three homers in addition to his six shutout innings in Game 4 to send the Brewers home.

The ALCS has been a much more back-and-forth affair, with the road team winning the first four games. It’s been more of a slugfest between the two teams, rather than shutdown pitching, with the Mariners hitting 12 homers and the Blue Jays having 10 homers. Game 7 will feature George Kirby pitching at home against Shane Bieber.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• Zach Koenig reminds us all of why Johan Santana probably should be a three-time Cy Young winner (and a Hall of Famer).
• Brandon Brooks checks on the state of the AL Central in the Rival Roundup after no teams made the Championship Series.
• If you’re bored during the offseason, James Fillmore has an idea: How about a movie night?
• Zach Koenig looks back at one of the bright spots of 2025 – Byron Buxton.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• After the trade deadline cleaned out the bullpen, Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage looks at what relievers from St. Paul could fill that void.
• The Twins have started interviewing candidates for their open managerial position, which includes fan favorite Nick Punto. Dan Hayes at The Athletic has more on the search ($).
• Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune evaluates the 2025 Twins’ defense.
• Matthew Leach at MLB.com chronicles how Kaelan Culpepper has developed into a solid hitter in his time in the minors.

In the World of Baseball:

• According to reporter Joon Lee, the Dodgers have already made back the entirety of Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract just from ticket sales, marketing deals, and merchandise.
• Per Jeff Passan and Pete Thamel at ESPN, the San Francisco Giants plan to fill their vacant managerial position with University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitelo. Vitelo led the Volunteers to the College World Series title in 2024, but has never worked in the pros.
• Jomboy breaks down Max Scherzer’s less-than-cordial response to John Schneider’s mound visit in Game 4 of the ALCS.
• Even in a losing effort, the Brewers, and more specifically Sal Frelick, pulled off an 8-6-2 double play that may never be replicated.
• Also, in case you were wondering, the Mariners have $164 million payroll while the Blue Jays have a $225 million payroll. The Mariners rank 15th and the Blue Jays rank 5th in the majors in total payroll.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...e-money-buys-world-series-appearances-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

If I ran the zoo—a return to relevance plan for 2026

“But if I ran the zoo…I’d make a few changes…that’s just what I’d do”

The last two months of the 2025 Twins season produced some of the most painful-to-watch baseball this side of 2011-2014 & 2016—if not the That Which Shall Not Be Named late-1990s.

Assuming that no major reinforcements are on the way, I present to you my five-step plan for playing relevant baseball in 2026.

Step 1: Keep Pablo Days & the Joe Ryan Experience​

• I honestly do not see a path to relevance should one—or especially—both of these star players be salary-dumped (see: Carlos Correa) by the Pohlad ownership group.

Step 2: Lean into SP​

• With Pablo & Joe remaining in the fold, one can dream on them fronting a rotation with Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, & Simeon Woods-Richardson. All of those hurlers should now be past the babying stage, so give them a little more rope. Doesn’t mean they have to go third-time-through every turn or grind through 120 pitches. But when that last out or two is necessary, maybe lean on them a bit instead of a bullpen that will be chewing gum and baling wire for some time.

Step 3: Get serious about defense​

• In keeping with steps 1 & 2, what’s the best way to help a pitching-forward approach? Solid defense. I’m thinking of this more organizationally than player-over-player. Rocco Baldelli’s clubs never seemed all that concerned about defense (flexibility being further up on his totem pole), so perhaps this can be a new managerial-led emphasis.

Step 4: Keep running​

• In Rocco’s defense, he did turn a slog of a team into a well-oiled running machine at the end of ‘25. Let’s continue that approach even with a new skipper. If too many caught-stealings are the result, well then at least it’ll be known that end-of-‘25 was more apathy-driven from opposing clubs. Plus, presumably a defensive-oriented club is going to struggle scoring runs, so plate-touches may need to be manufactured.

Step 5: No more bunting excuses​

• Everyone on a major league roster should be able to drop down a bunt. Many will laugh and think “oh that Zach and his bunting”, but I’m serious. It may not always work out—it may pop up or roll foul. That’s baseball. But I don’t want to hear the old broadcaster refrain of “this guy hasn’t dropped down a sac bunt since playing Pony League ball as a 12-year old”. Everyone needs a basic understanding of how to square.

None of these steps preclude the “usual suspects” of bullpen-building and hitting/power development. But instead of riding slim pen percentages and swinging for the fences to try and override the “little stuff”, I’d like to see this team solid on the fundamentals and then build from there.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...lads-defense-bunting-baserunning-stolen-bases

 

[Minnesota Twins]

North Star Stature Showdown, Game 1: Cottoning on

Turns out Nash played some basketball when not hammering simulated baseballs into space. Who knew? | Malcolm Emmons/Imagn Images

Before looking for a featured image for this writeup, I hadn’t realized Cotton Nash was also a professional basketball player. He only played two seasons, but perhaps that height advantage gives him an edge in Out of the Park as well. (…nah.)

Regardless of what it was, Nash’s home run and Scott Stahoviak’s 3-4 game led the Tall Tales to an easy 11-5 win over the Short Stories to take the opener in the Stature Showdown.

Jackie Collum, the shortest of the Stories’ moundsmen (5’7”), did not make it out of the fourth inning after getting rocked for four in the third. Joe Mauer started a string of four consecutive hits (the fourth a Nash two-run double) that brought home a trio; Nash later capped the frame’s scoring by coming across on a Mike Poepping fly ball.

After the Tales loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, Bobby Castillo entered out of the bullpen and got the final two outs, but he was finally hammered by Tall bats in the sixth. Again, the heart of the order (Mauer, Dave Winfield, Stahoviak, and Nash) set up the scoring, but Walt Bond ended up with the ribbies upon singling a pair home.

Meanwhile, Michael Pineda made rapid work of Story lumber, allowing just four hits and one run across seven innings. The sole run he allowed came on a Quinton McCracken fielder’s choice with the bases loaded.

The top of the eighth saw Nash tag Ronny Henriquez for a solo dinger that barely cleared the right field wall, extending the Tales’ lead to 8-1 and setting things up for the bullpen. The Stories got two runs off Dan Naulty in the eighth and two more off Alex Meyer in the ninth, but they were unable to close the gap—a gap that had widened on Stahoviak’s bases-clearing double in the top of the ninth.

The Tales’ Game 1 win sets them up with an early advantage as they send Mike Smithson to the mound for the sequel; Lee Stange will counter for the Stories.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...on-cotton-nash-scott-stahoviak-michael-pineda

 

[Minnesota Twins]

The Chicago White Sox did what the Minnesota Twins couldn’t in 2005

In the summer of 2010, I was walking through the gargantuan Miller Park AmFam Field parking lot with my aunt. While navigating the rows of tailgaters leading up to the House That Selig Built, we were approached by a guy in a Chicago White Sox jersey. Why a South Sider was present for a Twins vs Brewers clash: unclear.

Anyway, he was a chatty fella and though I don’t recall the exact verbiage, he said something akin to “you guys beat us at the Metrodome all those years—but we got it done when it mattered”. I was almost physically ill.

For all the hitless nights and Bret Boone-induced trauma of 2005, there is one final—and intensely depressing—reckoning for Twins fans: the one year the Pale Hose slipped by the Twinkies and into the postseason, they hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy.

I don’t want to sell the Sox short—they were a 99-63 AL Central steamroller in ‘05 that could swing with the best of ‘em and were surprisingly deep pitching-wise. They swept fellow footwear Boston—no repeat magic in Beantown—in the ALDS & only dropped a single game to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALCS.

Their World Series opponent: the clearly-inferior (yet sneakily dangerous) 89-73-1 Houston Astros.

Though 11 games behind St. Louis for the NL Central crown in ‘05, the ‘Stros took out the Redbirds in the NLCS. Two Killer B’s—Lance Berkman & Craig Biggio—remained, bolstered by uncommonly strong offensive seasons from Morgan Ensberg & Jason Lane. A rotation fronted by Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte, and Roger Clemens—and a bullpen anchored by dominant closer Brad Lidge—was also nothing to sneeze at.

It mattered little against Ozzie Guillen’s gentlemen…

• Game 1: The only normal game of this series—Jermaine Dye & Joe Crede went deep & Jose Contreras was solid on the bump.
• Game 2: Houston tied the game off Sox closer Bobby Jenks (RIP)—but then the unlikeliest guy on the roster to hit a walk-off home run did exactly that.

• Game 3: Tied 5-5 after the requisite nine, this one went to the 14th—5 hours & 41 minutes in all—before a ChiSox homer (Geoff Blum) & bases-loaded walk (Chris Widger) allowed Damaso Marte to slam the door.
• Game 4: Goose-egged through seven innings, Freddy Garcia vs Brandon Backe had Jack Morris vs John Smoltz vibes. But in T8, Dye delivered Willie Harris to the dish with an RBI single off Lidge. It would prove all that was needed:

In an extreme rarity for me, I have no memories of watching any of this World Series. Perhaps I boycotted out of revulsion at the Sox sealing what the Twins could not. Maybe starting my sophomore year at college and having Survey of Calculus & Intercultural Communication Theory on my plate had something to do with it.

Either way, I still cringe a bit at that ‘05 Chicago championship. For as solid and exciting as the ‘02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘06, & ‘09 Twins seasons were, their biggest nemesis only needed a single postseason to nab the ultimate prize.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...go-white-sox-world-series-2005-houston-astros

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “Managerial Rumors” Edition

Game 3 of the World Series is tonight, with the series shifting to Los Angeles tied 1-1. Meanwhile, rumors abound regarding the Twins’ open manager position, with the top four candidates identified as Derek Shelton, James Rowson, Ryan Flaherty, and Scott Servais.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• Zach Koenig reviews the 2005 World Series.
• Zach also goes over his master plan if “He Ran the Zoo”.
• Matt Monitto provides his next update on his Out of the Park playthrough with the tallest and shortest players in Twins history.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune reviews the questions that face the Twins this offseason.
• Matthew Trueblood at Twins Daily explains why the Twins will benefit from the automated ball-strike system in 2026.
• Dan Hayes and Britt Ghiroli at The Athletic have more information on the names the Twins are considering for the manager position. ($)

In the World of Baseball:

• A couple more manager positions have been filled, with old friend Kurt Suzuki taking over the Angels’ clubhouse and Craig Albernaz named as the Orioles’ manager.
• Turns out former Twins hitting coach David Popkins is finding success with Toronto this season. Mitch Bannon at The Athletic has more on how he’s helped the Blue Jays reach the World Series. ($)
• Michael Clair at MLB.com examines how the Dodgers have attracted numerous Japanese stars over the past few years.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/49793/monday-morning-minnesota-the-managerial-rumors-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Greatest Twins Moments & Performances: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 1)

Two offseasons ago, Twinkie Town christened the top Minnesota Twins players of all time. Last year, we looked at franchise ephemera & eccentricity—from managers to broadcasters to an honorable Judge (not Aaron).

This baseball-less period, I’ll be spearheading an accounting of the greatest Twins moments & performances from 1961-Present. As a fanbase, we need some positivity at the moment.

Important Note: It would be easy to load this list with ‘87 & ‘91 World Series moments—and those will certainly be strongly represented. But considering I’ll pass the big 4-0 during this poll’s duration and my World Series memory is my Dad telling me about Kirby’s heroics before taking me to kindergarten, there are two entire generations of fans whose favorite moments may not have occurred in October. So, this won’t be all ‘87/’91.

The first five moments are pretty “chalk”, so let’s dive right in…

The last out of the first title (1987)​

• “Bouncing ball to Gaetti—throws to Hrbek—and the Twins are baseball’s world champions!”, per Herb Carneal. For the first time in franchise history, Minnesota was on top of the MLB heap.

Puckett’s Pinnacle (1991)​

• In the must-win Game 6 of the ‘91 World Series, Kirby Puckett literally said and figuratively embodied his “Get on my back, boys!” pregame preach. First, he plucked one off the plexiglass. Then, his walk-off home run assured fans “we’ll see ya tomorrow night!”. “Touch ‘em all!”, indeed!

Welcome home AL champs (1987)​

• After defeating the Detroit Tigers to claim American League superiority in ‘87, MN returned to the Twin Cities to a full Metrodome crowd. Not for Game 1 of the subsequent World Series—but for a “welcome home” rally. Yes, that’s right—Twins fans turned out in force simply to show (and vocalize) their appreciation for the first AL champion Twins squad since 1965.

Black Jack goes the distance (1991)​

• One could argue that Jack Morris’ 10-inning Game 7 shutout in the ‘91 World Series was the single greatest pitching performance in postseason history. 126 pitches, 7 H, 2 BB, 8 K over 10 IP to give the Twins their second championship in five seasons.

Game 163 (2009)​

• For a certain cohort of Twins fans, this is the single greatest game in franchise history. Orlando Cabrera’s HR—Joe Nathan’s double play—Metrodome magic—clutch Casilla. This bonus baseball contest to clinch the AL Central had it all.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...eries-kirby-puckett-jack-morris-2009-game-163

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins to Hire Derek Shelton as Manager

According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, among many others, the Twins will announce Derek Shelton as their manager for the 2026 season. The team is likely waiting until the conclusion of the World Series to make the move official, as MLB asks teams to withhold substantial news until after the Fall Classic.

Sources: Derek Shelton will be introduced as the #MNTwins manager next week. @JonHeyman on it first.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) October 29, 2025

Shelton has a history with the organization, serving as the Twins’ bench coach in 2018 under Paul Molitor and 2019 under his predecessor Rocco Baldelli. Shelton was selected from a group of finalists including former Twin and current Yankee hitting coach James Rowson, former Minnesota infielder Nick Punto, and ex-Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais.

Shelton was the manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020 until he was fired 6 weeks into the 2025 season after another dreadful start. While that may seem discouraging for Twins fans, most of a manager’s work goes on behind the scenes and the Pirates’ ownership situation makes the Pohlads look like a godsend in comparison. His familiarity with the Twins franchise and processes likely gave him an advantage on the competition.

Additionally, while Shelton is a “retread” for an organization seemingly in need of a fresh voice, it’s worth noting that only a single current Twin (Byron Buxton) was coached by Shelton in his previous stint. He has a positive reputation around the league and was a candidate for top bench coach positions if the Twins had gone in a different direction.

The last remaining organizational block to fall is the staff around Shelton. Assistant coach contracts are typically not made public, so it’s unclear who among the 2025 staff remains under contract for next season and who Shelton, Derek Falvey, and the Twins will want to retain. Pete Maki has done an admiral job since being thrust into the pitching coach role after Wes Johnson’s shocking departure in the middle of the 2023 season. Additionally, Hank Conger is a rising name in coaching circles and is likely on the inside track for a head job of his own in the near future. Base coaches Tommy Watkins and Ramon Borrego have both been with the Twins for over 20 years between their playing and coaching careers, and are likely to remain with the organization in some capacity.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-news/49818/twins-to-hire-derek-shelton-as-manager

 

[Minnesota Twins]

North Star Stature Showdown, Game 2: Short pitchers got no reason

Many a Mauer knock this game. | SPX / Diamond Images / Getty Images

I’ve already mentioned that I am short (5’3”). On that account, you might assume that I cannot stand the Randy Newman song “Short People,” but it is one of my favorite songs:

The song is a brilliant satire against bigotry, using exaggerated stereotypes of the short to point out the ridiculousness of hate against any subgroup of humans. Of course, people thought Newman actually hated the underheighted. (In a similar vein, “I Love L.A.” is making fun of the shallowness of Los Angeles, and people took it as a straight praise of the city. Satire is lost on far too many.)

But in the case of Game 2 of the North Star Stature Showdown, the Tall Tales were happy to have short people ‘round here, clobbering the Stories to a 22-13 victory and 2-0 series lead.

Despite an early 3-1 lead from the short crew, the tall gents hammered Lee Stange in the third, taking the lead on a Gene Larkin grand slam (immediately followed by a Cotton Nash homer), before breaking the game open in the fourth. Against Stange and Danny McDevitt, the Tales sent 14 to the plate, a Dave Winfield three-run home run (that would have been a grand slam were it not for a wild pitch during the at-bat) setting the tone for the inning. By the time McDevitt got out of the inning, the Tales had scored eight runs and were up 14-3.

Before the Stories scored another run, the Tales put up another crooked number with a six-spot in the sixth. After they got three runs off Eddie Bane and loaded the bases, the Stories brought in Bill Pleis from the bullpen; Terry Jorgensen promptly cleared the bags with a double, making the score 20-3.

Only once they were down 17 did the short batsmen revive, finally knocking Mike Smithson from the game. Thanks to a few more hits off Aaron Slegers, they doubled their own score before lighting up the 6’10” reliever in the seventh, scoring six runs (doubling their score again!) highlighted by Ben Revere’s three-run triple.

The Tales also scored a pair of runs in the seventh, an inning that included Joe Mauer’s fifth hit of the game, and the late offensive effort was not enough for the Stories. The home team added a run in the ninth, but Slegers got Jarvis Brown to fly out to end the game, producing this box score line for Slegers: 3.2 IP, 12 hits, eight runs (all earned), one walk, one strikeout… one save.

The Short Stories now have to try to save the series on the road, and they have their best chance to do so with Sonny Gray taking the hill in Game 3 against Bailey Ober.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...-pitchers-got-no-reason-joe-mauer-gene-larkin

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Will Derek Shelton get the first year boost of recent Twins skippers?

The Minnesota Twins announced Derek Shelton as manager yesterday. So, it’s a good time to look at the last four MN baseball skippers and see how they fared in Year 1. Surprisingly, the results have been almost exclusively positive in my lifetime (1985+)…

Tom Kelly​

• Previous Season (1986): 71-91 (full disclosure: TK coached the ‘86 squad to a 12-11 finish). The Twins had not made the playoffs since 1970.
• First Full Season (1987): 85-77; won the World Series.

Ron Gardenhire​

• Previous Season (2001): 85-77. The Twins had not made the playoffs since 1991.
• First Season (2002): 94-67. Won AL Central title and advanced to ALCS.

Paul Molitor​

• Previous Season (2014): 70-92. Four consecutive 92+ loss seasons in a row.
• First Season (2015): 83-79. Competed for a Wild Card postseason berth until the season’s final weekend.

Rocco Baldelli​

• Previous Season (2018): 78-84.
• First Season (2019): 101-61. Won AL Central title with second-best record in franchise history.

The four newest Twins managers all produced instant success from the dugout’s top step.

Of course, one could argue that TK, Gardy, & Molly all inherited a youthful nucleus of talent, while Rocco had the rabbit ball in ‘19. Shelton will have a collection of spare parts and an ownership group that likely wants to remove the engine & transmission. But perhaps the Beginner’s Luck will continue in 2026.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...aldelli-paul-molitor-ron-gardenhire-tom-kelly

 

[Minnesota Twins]

TwinkieTown Movie Night next Friday!

So, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, there’s another site (mostly a political one) that does a Movie Night every Saturday. No, we all don’t go to see Rocky Horror together, although it did play at the Grandview in Saint Paul last night; I didn’t go, because I wasn’t sure if there would be anybody squirting water during the rainstorm scene, as is good and proper. There WAS a live version some years ago where audiences were encouraged to participate in the customary rituals, and it had retired news anchor Don Shelby in it:

Here’s the way this works. You play the movie on yer TV. (If you have a smart TV, this should be pretty easy; if you don’t, but you have a PlayStation or XBox, that works as a smart TV by itself. I’ve got a dumb TV hooked up to a PlayStation and Blu-Ray player.)

We all start the movie at 7 PM (just like a baseball game!) and make comments during the movie. Comments like “this part is cool” or “this person is kinda weird-looking” or “um, there’s a boom mike in the shot,” anything goes, so long as you’re basically cool to others.

I’ve been participating in this on the other website for a little over a year, and it’s generally really fun, unless the movie either A) is really dull or B) is a depressing bummer.

It’s no fun if nobody participates, though — just like GameThreads are no fun when the Twins stink and I’m the only one making comments.

So we’ll be trying this for a few weeks, and see if it works out, or if anybody wants to suggest a few changes.

Here’s the schedule:

November 7: The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)

The version 42 with Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford is pretty good; so’s the original, with Robinson as himself. Free on YouTube and Internet Archive.

November 14: Long Gone (1987)

TV movie about a fictional last-place minor-league team. I’ve never seen this, but it’s also free on YouTube. The Wiki page says “it’s the best baseball movie most of you never saw.”

November 21: Angels in the Outfield (1951)

A mean, cussy manager learns to be nicer, with the help of some divine intervention and a very-lovely Janet Leigh. This is free on Internet Archive. Spanish subtitles you can’t turn off, but they won’t hurt you.

November 28: Bull Durham (1987)

About a experienced catcher and experienced groupie who teach a young pitcher a thing or two. Written/directed by Ron Shelton, no relation to Twins manager Derek Shelton… but Ron DID play on a team with Derek’s dad. It’s available on Bezos Prime, but also on free streamers Plex, Pluto, Roku, and Tubi (with commercials, I’d imagine). It’s on the free library streamer Kanopy, and on library DVD.

So, that’s the lineup, for now. Two YouTubers, one Internet Archive, one that’s available on multiple platforms.

I’m open to suggestions like changing the regular day/time, and of course any movie suggestions. Free ones are best, but I’m not opposed to ones we’d all have to go get the library DVDs for. Any baseball movie counts; I’d say we can also do movies about other sports, too. I haven’t seen Hoosiers in a zillion years.

I’ll put the posts up at 6 PM, with appropriate links where there’s a YouTube or Internet Archive version available. And I’ll try to have a few facts about the making of the movie for you. Showtime, again, starts at 7 PM.

If people like it, I’ll extend the schedule out further. If not, well, these are all movies I don’t mind watching again. Except if Long Gone really stinks, then I’m coming for the bum who suggested it! (I’m sure it’ll be better than some of the Saturday movies we watched at the other site. Creature From the Black Lagoon was… really, pretty bad. Neat monster suit design by Millicent Patrick; Ricou Browning wore the suit underwater, sometimes holding his breath while swimming for up to four minutes at a time while wearing a big rubber monster suit! But the movie was… booooring.)

So, join us next Friday, if you like! Make some popcorn! Or drink beer! Or both, or neither! It’s up to you!

I’d like to leave you with a movie to watch, but it’s Halloween, and there aren’t any baseball horror movies. Not any good ones, anyways — there’s been some cheapo slasher films. So instead, I’ll give you the silliest horror-rock song I’ve ever heard, “D.O.A.,” by Fort Worth metal band Bloodrock:

Yes, it is eight minutes long. It is told in the first person, by a guy who’s just experienced a mid-air plane collision. He’s describing falling to the ground, his body parts missing, corpses all around him, etc. It was actually a mild hit, reaching #36 in the charts. 1971 was a weird year.

I heard this two years ago, driving to rehab therapy a few weeks after breaking the s**t out of my arm. At like, 6:30 in the morning, and it was dark & snowing outside, and since it was the first snow dusting of the season, cars were crashing, you could hear ambulances in the distance.

It was perfect.

See you next week for the Jackie Robinson movie!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/book-club/49837/twinkietown-movie-night-next-friday

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rival Roundup, Vol. 70: Willis or Won’tis

The 2025 baseball season will officially end tonight! With the improbable, Dodger-centric finish to Game 6, the series is knotted up at three apiece, which means this evening’s contest will be the final game of a very interesting ‘25 campaign. It’s the first Game 7 since 2019, a rare taste of November baseball, and a sober reminder that it feels like Twins baseball ended three months ago.

All eyes are on Toronto tonight, but it doesn’t mean we can’t find a few regional nuggets to invest our interest into. Come, invest with me. Give me your attention money.

• Longtime Cleveland Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis will be returning for at least one more season. His reputation speaks for itself — five Cy Young winners have pitched under him, and he’s been the head of the Guardian pitching factory since joining the big-league club for his second time in 2017. At 64 years old, and with little left to prove in the realm of major-league coaching, Willis has taken over the Terry Francona-esque role of legendary coach suiting up on a year-by-year basis, but has confirmed his involvement for another season working alongside hot young thing, Stephen Vogt.
• The baseball gods demand a sacrifice, which is why the Orioles hired away Cleveland’s number-two guy to be their new skipper in return.

The Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a deal to hire Craig Albernaz as manager, sources tell ESPN. Albernaz, 42, was previously associate manager with Cleveland and was a widely sought-after candidate for open managerial jobs. He joins a O's team coming off a 75-87 season.

— Jeff Passan (@jeffpasan.bsky.social) 2025-10-27T01:47:35.793Z

• The Chicago White Sox don’t have much in the pot at the moment — they are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2005 World Series run, and lightly lamenting the ACL surgery for first baseman Tim Elko.
• A fella going by the name of Keith Beauregard has been dismissed as hitting coach of the Detroit Tigers; he goes the way of David Popkins, maybe. It remains to be seen whether Beauregard will immediately take another job and usher that offense directly to the World Series. BUT, I DIGRESS!!!
• The Detroit front office also adds a man from the North Side, with Alex Smith gaining entry to an “executive position in the front office”. Evidently, Smith had been the Cubs’ “Strategy Coach,” and had worked alongside now-POBO Scott Harris in Chicago from 2015-2019.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/49845/rival-roundup-vol-70-willis-or-wontis

 

[Minnesota Twins]

MLB 2025-2026 Offseason Calendar: Key Dates to Know

After rallying to win games six and seven and becoming the first repeat champions since the 2000s Yankees, the baseball world is out to take down the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. The work begins now in the offseason.

It’s still unclear what the Minnesota Twins plan to do this offseason. They have the core talent and financial flexibility to compete for a playoff spot again in a weak division, but Derek Falvey and Co. may opt to go a different route after back-to-back disappointing seasons in the wake of 2023’s achievements. There’s also the Pohlad factor as both managing owner Joe Pohlad and Derek Falvey have been non-committal on a payroll figure for 2026. Whatever route the Twins choose, it’s bound to be an eventful offseason.

November 6: Free Agency Begins​

Technically, free agency is already underway, but players aren’t eligible to sign with new teams until November 6th. Players on the 40-man roster are also eligible to be traded again. Players and teams with contract options must also make those decisions by this deadline.

Twins Players Impacted: Justin Topa ($2M club option for 2026)

• Topa carries a $2M club option with a $225K buyout if the option is declined. With Topa projected to make around $1.75M in arbitration anyway, it’s likely the Twins pick up Topa’s option to keep his veteran presence in an inexperienced bullpen.

November 10-13: GM Meetings​

There won’t be as much player movement in these initial gatherings as in the Winter Meetings in December, but the groundwork for future moves is often laid here. Regardless, this is around when the dominoes begin to fall and teams start to zone in on their targets for this offseason.

November 18: Roster Protection Deadline​

By the 18th, MLB teams will have to add players to the 40-man roster if they want to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. The Twins have quite a few interesting players who could be added before the deadline.

40-Man Locks

• Gabriel Gonzalez, OF
• Hendry Mendez, OF/1B
• Connor Prielipp, SP
• Andrew Morris, SP
• Kendry Rojas, SP/RP

Coin Toss

• Kyler Fedko, OF/1B
• Kala’i Rosario, OF
• Andy Lugo, UTIL
• Cory Lewis, SP
• CJ Culpepper, SP

Other Notable R5 Eligible Players

• Ricardo Olivar, C
• Aaron Sabato, 1B
• Tanner Schobel, SS
• Danny De Andrade, SS
• Jose Olivares, SP
• Darren Bowen, SP
• Alejandro Hidalgo, SP

The Twins currently only have 2 open 40-man roster spots, but can easily create 5-7 more by non-tendering/DFA-ing players like Genesis Cabrera, Thomas Hatch, Michael Tonkin, and Jose Miranda.

November 21: Non-tender Deadline​

Speaking of non-tendering, teams must decide whether to offer contracts to their arbitration-eligible and pre-arb players by this date. You don’t have to agree to a specific contract, just tender a contract with the final figure to be decided at a future date either via negotiation or the arbitration process. There’s typically of flurry of deals around this date for teams that prefer not to settle salaries in court. The Twins announced deals with all of their arbitration-eligible players on the deadline last year.

Arbitration-Eligible Twins

All estimates are via MLB Trade Rumors.

• Genesis Cabrera: $1.4M (non-tender candidate)
• Ryan Jeffers: $6.6M
• Justin Topa (only if contract option declined): $1.7M
• Michael Tonkin: $1.4M (non-tender candidate)
• Bailey Ober: $4.6M
• Joe Ryan: $5.8M
• Trevor Larnach: $4.7M (non-tender candidate)
• Royce Lewis: $3M
• Anthony Misiewicz: $1.1M (non-tender candidate)
• Cole Sands: $1.3M

December 7-10: Winter Meetings​

Everyone gather ‘round the robust kingdom of Orlando, FL and get those checkbooks out. The busiest week of the offseason will undoubtedly bring a slew of moves, particularly from higher profile free agents. Teams that miss out on the big ticket players will start moving to the trade market, meaning this could be where we start hearing rumors about Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, and Ryan Jeffers, among others.

December 9: MLB Draft Lottery​

The Twins have been the beneficiaries of lottery luck in the past, allowing them to jump up the rankings and draft Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee over the past three years. This season, they’ll hope lady luck is in their favor again.

All teams that miss the playoffs are eligible for the lottery with the worst teams having the best chance of landing the top pick in the draft. Thanks to CBA-regulated competitive balance measures, the Rockies, Nationals, and Angels are all ineligible for top 10 picks, giving the Twins the second-best odds to land the #1 pick in the 2026 draft, trailing only the Chicago White Sox. You can see the full lottery odds below.

White Sox (.370) — 27.73%
Twins (.432) — 22.18%
Pirates (.438) — 16.81%
Orioles (.463) — 9.24%
A’s (.469) — 6.55%
Braves (.469) — 4.54%
Rays (.475) — 3.03%
Cardinals (.481) — 2.35%
Marlins (.488) — 1.85%
D-backs (.494) — 1.51%
Rangers (.500) — 1.34%
Giants (.500) — 1.01%
Royals (.506) — 0.84%
Mets (.512) — 0.67%
Astros (.537) — 0.34%
Rockies (.265) — ineligible
Nationals (.407) — ineligible
Angels (.444) — ineligible

December 10: Rule 5 Draft​

Players eligible who weren’t protected by the previous deadline will be entered into the Rule 5 draft. Each team will have the opportunity to select unprotected players in reverse standings order, with the draft continuing until no players are selected in a round. Anyone selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the 26-man roster for the duration of the 2026 season or be offered back to the original organization. The Rule 5 draft marks the end of the Winter Meetings

January 15: International Signing Period Begins​

Everyone’s favorite 16-year-old Dominican prospects are once again eligible to sign with teams. Most of the top prospects have already agreed with their future teams by the time the period opens, but every once in a while a renowned Japanese or Korean prospect will force themselves to the US ahead of their expected timeline and throw a wrench in teams’ plans. (See: Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki)

Other Notable Dates​

• November 10-13: award winners announced
• November 18-20: Owners meetings in NYC. Commissioner Rob Manfred typically speaks to the press and reveals how much he hates baseball.
• December 7: Veterans Committee Hall of Fame announcement
• December 15: Closing of 2025 international signing period
• January 21: BBWAA Hall of Fame announcement
• February 11: pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training
• March 5-17: 2026 World Baseball Classic
• March 25: Opening Night for Yankees @ Giants
• March 26: Opening Day for everyone else

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...025-2026-offseason-calendar-key-dates-to-know

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Greatest Twins Moments & Performances: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 2)

Results​

• R1: Jack Morris 1991 Game 7 Shutout

George Strait once crooned “you’ve got to have an ace in the hole”. Well, in the winner-take-all Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, the Twins’ ace was a Black Jack.

A ten-inning shutout of the Atlanta Braves for St. Paul’s own Jack Morris just might be the single greatest postseason pitching performance of all time. As such, little surprise to see it atop this list.

The newbie: An unlikely clinching after a ferocious comeback.

The last out of the first title (1987)​

• “Bouncing ball to Gaetti—throws to Hrbek—and the Twins are baseball’s world champions!”, per Herb Carneal. For the first time in franchise history, Minnesota was on top of the MLB heap.

Puckett’s Pinnacle (1991)​

• In the must-win Game 6 of the ‘91 World Series, Kirby Puckett literally said and figuratively embodied his “Get on my back, boys!” pregame preach. First, he plucked one off the plexiglass. Then, his walk-off home run assured fans “we’ll see ya tomorrow night!”. “Touch ‘em all!”, indeed!

Welcome home AL champs (1987)​

• After defeating the Detroit Tigers to claim American League superiority in ‘87, MN returned to the Twin Cities to a full Metrodome crowd. Not for Game 1 of the subsequent World Series—but for a “welcome home” rally. Yes, that’s right—Twins fans turned out in force simply to show (and vocalize) their appreciation for the first AL champion Twins squad since 1965.

Game 163 (2009)​

• For a certain cohort of Twins fans, this is the single greatest game in franchise history. Orlando Cabrera’s HR—Joe Nathan’s double play—Metrodome magic—clutch Casilla. This bonus baseball contest to clinch the AL Central had it all.

Last Day Division Title (2006)​

• On 8/6/06, the Twins were 10.5 GB the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central top spot. Going into Game 162? Tied with the striped cats. After the Twins polished off the Chicago White Sox on the season’s final day, the entire Metrodome crowd stuck around to watch the Tigers lose to the Kansas City Royals on the Jumbotron scoreboard—triggering a celebration as massive as it was unlikely for the Smell ‘Em & Piranha Crew.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...t-metrodome-2009-game-163-2006-division-title