So by all accounts, the 2026 Minnesota Twins did not succeed. They surprised everybody by coasting in third for the majority of the year, had great performances and a nice array of strong players, DIDN'T SELL AT THE DEADLINE, and even bought, but...they're not a playoff team, and the road for them to get there was always gonna be relatively steep. The Iowa loss was the first crack in the armor, and they never recovered. So despite the buying, and the curation of a decent team, this isn't gonna lead to anything immediate.
Unless immediate success was not the point. They got some disposable pieces at the deadline but one of them, Dean Kremer, is not disposable and could stay with the team as a starting option going forward. Jeff Hoffman's also on a multi-year deal and is here til 2027. Joe Ryan and Josh Bell both have mutual options, and while Ryan will probably decline [unless he really feels they're on the precipice], Bell might stick around considering he can play DH everyday and seems to have gotten his power hitting groove back. Minter's leaving in free agency but maybe he comes back on a relatively cheap deal. The big pieces of this team are not leaving yet. Buxton, Larnach, Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, Ober and Caratini are all sticking around. Maybe this team can still develop if enough of the core remains, and could compete sooner than later.
I'm not the only person realizing this. The Twins, in the last month, have called up a lot of really strong prospects that could play a huge role in the team as early as last year. Kaelen Culpepper is the highest-profile one, he's stepped in at SS and is hitting .286 with 3 homers and 11 RBIs in 29 games. Walker Jenkins just came up, and while he's not hitting all that well yet, he's 21 and capable of great things, so perhaps it takes more immediate MLB development. They just brought Emmanuel Rodriguez up yesterday and he responded with a towering homer immediately, so that's very good news. Plus both Mike Paredes and Mick Abel will be back next year in full force, and Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall and Royce Lewis will continue leveling up towards where they should be.
That's the thing that the Twins realized before a lot of people this year: they're way closer than you might think. Going into this year, they were very much a 'what do they have left' team. They gave away a lot of big pieces, sold high last deadline and didn't seem committed to competing, but the young core was just building, and arguably did a ton more to inherit the team than the Tigers' and Royals' this summer. Maybe they vie for the division lead next year, and try and take down Cleveland in a waning period. It's sort of within reach.
If there is Spring Training next year, I might go and catch some games. My uncle lives near where the Twins play, and I always enjoy checking out the facility. I am wondering what the feel is gonna be. If there will be optimism, or if it'll be a stab in the dark like this year. That's a fascinating thought for 2027.
Coming Tonight: He was leading in the Rookie of the Year conversations. Then he got hurt. He's come back in time to try to help his team make one last, possibly futile, postseason push.
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