2012 Season
After dominating the AL Central between 2000 and 2010, winning six division titles, the Twins have rather fallen into the shadows in recent years. They got off to an awful start, falling back 10-24 and were never able to recover, just avoiding the ignominy of losing 100 games with a 66-96 record which left them last in the division. Joe Mauer put up another big season, hitting .319 with a .416 OBP and new signing Josh Willingham had the best year of his career, putting up a .260/.366/.524 triple-slash with 35 dingers. On the mound, the Twins struggled once again, trading the inconsistent Liriano midway through the season. Their best pitcher was probably left-hander Scott Diamond who recorded a 3.54 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 173 innings. Overall, it was a disappointing year for the Twins, but no less so than was expected.
Off-Season Moves
IN: Kevin Correia, Vance Worley, Mike Pelfrey, Trevor May, Alex Meyer
OUT: Denard Span, Ben Revere, Matt Capps, Alexi Casilla
Overview: The Twins are never likely to make a huge splash in the free agent pool, and they went about their business quietly this off-season. Span had been a solid lead-off hitter, but they were able to acquire prospect Alex Meyer in the trade, so it made sense from a baseball standpoint. Ben Revere was also traded, in return for Worley and May which helps their rotation now and gives them another standout pitching prospect. Overall, there were some patch-up acquisitions for the rotation and a couple of trades that were probably always going to happen. It's possible Mauer gets traded at some stage before the deadline, but as 'Mr. Minnesota', he's earned a place in the fans hearts. Overall grade: 3/10.
| Projected Opening Day Line-up | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Projected stat line (OBP/SLG/WAR) |
| CF | Aaron Hicks | .317/.358/1.8 |
| 2B | Brian Dozier | .300/.372/1.0 |
| C | Joe Mauer | .407/.452/4.4 |
| LF | Josh Willingham | .354/.479/2.3 |
| 1B | Justin Morneau | .348/.459/1.3 |
| RF | Chris Parmelee | .274/.359/0.5 |
| DH | Ryan Doumit | .328/.449/0.2 |
| 3B | Trevor Plouffe | .302/.444/1.0 |
| SS | Pedro Florimon | .306/.343/0.3 |
| Projected rotation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Player | Projected stat line (IP/ERA/WAR) |
| 1 | Vance Worley | 113/4.06/2.0 |
| 2 | Kevin Correia | 176/4.09/1.1 |
| 3 | Mike Pelfrey | 106/4.83/0.9 |
| 4 | Liam Hendriks | 113/3.82/0.8 |
| 5 | Scott Diamond | 196/4.41/2.2 |
Position Players
The best player in the line-up is left-handed catcher Joe Mauer. Mauer is a constant threat for the batting title, with great strikeout rates and an innate ability to make hard, line drive contact. He couples this with elite plate discipline to possess OBP's that go to .400 and beyond. The 28 home run power from 2009 may never return, but he's still a superb player. Aaron Hicks has secured the starting center field and lead-off job after a stellar spring, and whilst he has excellent tools in the outfield, and enough patience to sustain a decent OBP he may need adjustment after making a two-grade jump from AA. Brian Dozier struggled a lot in his rookie season, with a .234/.271/.332 triple-slash, and if he wants to retain a spot atop the line-up he'll need to improve all three stat lines.
Justin Morneau was able to stay healthy for most of the 2012 season, which was a nice surprise, but was unable to rediscover his pre-2011 form. The 19 home runs were below his usual standard, and both the average and OBP was lower than we have come to expect. Morneau might bounce back this season, and at age 31 he still has plenty of time to do so. Chris Parmelee has struggled for consistent playing time over the past couple of seasons, but he's shown in the minors that he can hit for a decent average and draw enough walks to be productive even if the bat isn't hot. There's not a lot of power or speed, but he is a reasonable enough fill-in for the Twins. Ryan Doumit put up a handy .275/.320/.461 triple-slash last season with good power at 18 homers, and he allows Mauer a day at DH or first base. He won't compete for an MVP award any time soon, but he's an important cog. Trevor Plouffe showed off his considerable power in 2012, with 24 homers, but the .301 OBP is cause for concern. Overall, this is a line-up that relies a lot on the production of Mauer, Willingham and Morneau, so if they all click it could be potent, but guys like Plouffe and Parmelee will need to step up otherwise. Overall grade: 4/10.
Pitching
The Twins acquired Worley as part of the Ben Revere trade, and it appears he will be their opening day starter. After his excellent 2011 campaign, Worley regressed a little last season with a 4.20 ERA and 1.51 WHIP, but he still strikes out a lot of hitters and should be helped out by the spacious confines of Target Field. Kevin Correia had a solid 2012 season in Pittsburgh, with a 4.21 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 171 innings. He doesn't have great strikeout stuff, but he should chew up some innings for the Twins without hurting them. Mike Pelfrey made just three starts with the Mets last season before having season ending Tommy John surgery, but the 6 foot 7 right-hander will look to go back to an ERA in the mid-3's. Liam Hendriks struggled with the Twins in 2012, giving up 17 home runs in 85 innings and if he can't find his form he may find the more consistent Cole de Vries taking his spot.
When Matt Capps went down with a shoulder injury, Glen Perkins filled the role of closer, and did so admirably, saving 16 games with a 2.56 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Jared Burton also filled in with some saves, and his sparkling 2.18 ERA and 0.92 WHIP owe much to a heavy fastball that limited opponents to a .228 batting average. Josh Roenicke arrives in Minnesota after two seasons with the Rockies, and will look to improve upon his 2-win 2012 season. Casey Fien impressed in the second half of 2012, with a 2.06 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 35 innings, walking just nine hitters, and he'll become a more integral part of the bullpen this season. Other than that, the bullpen was a disappointment, as part of an overall staff that simply doesn't have enough strikeout stuff. The cavernous dimensions of Target Field will help them to a certain extent, but I don't see an ace who can miss bats and win 15 games this year. Overall grade: 2/10.
Prospects
If there is one thing for Twins fans to be optimistic about, it's the farm system. The Twins are stacked with top talent at all levels, thanks to several seasons of wise trading, drafting and developing. The biggest prospect is power hitting third baseman Miguel Sano. He has shown flashes of excellent approach at the plate, with good discipline that allows him to tap into monstrous power. Having only reached single-A last season, he still has some growing to do, but he should be a key cog in the future Twins line-ups. The Twins are loaded with center field prospects, from the aforementioned Aaron Hicks to 2012 draftee Byron Buxton who has stacks of speed but needs to improve his raw hitting. For 2013, the other impact player looks set to be right-hander Kyle Gibson who will be recuperating after Tommy John but still has elite stuff. In several seasons time, this healthy system will start to reap benefits on the field, and the Twins need to continue this 'build for the future' strategy this season. Overall grade: 9/10.
Overview
The Twins were the worst team in the worst division in baseball last season, although that makes them sound worse than they really are. The line-up lacks any star sluggers beyond Joe Mauer, with little depth on the infield. The rotation will once more be a problem area for the Twins, and unless some of the younger players hit their peak earlier than expected it looks set to be another long season in Minnesota. The fans can console themselves with the knowledge, however, that the farm is stacked, and success may not be too far away.
Prediction: 65-97
Gif to Watch
A bizarre moment occurred in a Rangers-Twins game in Arlington last season, when a huge clap of thunder sent players running for their lives. If you haven't seen the clip with sound I suggest you seek it out, the reactions of batter, catcher and base-runner are particularly amusing.
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