Minnesota Twins: The All-Target Field Team (2010-Present)
Target Field became the home of the Minnesota Twins when it opened in 2010. Since then, many players have donned a Twins uniform. Here are the best of them.
In 2010, Target Field officially opened as the home of the Minnesota Twins after decades at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Since then, the Twins have had their ups and downs season after season.
Target Field has been one of MLB’s nicest ballparks since it opened, winning numerous awards and being a place for people all around the midwest to go and see their beloved Twins take on their opponents.
Although they have struggled to play at the level fans became accustomed to at the Metrodome, they have still had quite a few productive players put on the “TC” hat since Target Field opened. There are sure to be more to come.
Fans remember such Twins legends as Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti and Brad Radke playing at the Dome, but Target Field has already has some amazing Twins play on its turf. Joe Mauer is the star that has become the legend of Target Field. Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano are looking to become the next ones.
The Twins have a long history of great players to play for their organization. Target Field has only been around for eight seasons, if you count the current 2017 season. While that is not much time to groom legends, there have been a good amount of memorable players.
All-Time Target Field Team
The All-Time Target Field team is a 25-man roster of the best players to play for the Twins at Target Field. Nine hitters in the starting lineup, four reserves, five starters, six relievers and a closer. These are the players that best represent the first eight years at Target Field.
Behind the Plate and the Infield
Catcher: Joe Mauer (Seasons at Target Field: 2010-Present)
This may be the most clear cut pick of the whole team. Mauer his been the face of the franchise for more than a decade and he carried over his All Star play from the Metrodome to Target Field.
Primarily playing catcher throughout his career, Mauer is now playing first base for the Twins. With a .308 career average to go along with almost 2,000 hits and over 800 RBIs, Mauer is considered not just the best catcher of the Target Field era, but the best in club history.
First Base: Justin Morneau (2010-2013)
Justin Morneau was past his peak production when Target Field opened, but he was still a productive first baseman who could play at an All Star level. In the inaugural season at Target Field, he hit .345 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in just 81 games. He was also selected to play in the All Star Game.
Morneau would go on to hit 36 more home runs at Target Field before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in August of 2013. While not the MVP-caliber player he once was, Morneau was still a fan favorite who just ran into unfortunate concussion issues.
Second Base: Brian Dozier (2012-Present)
Brian Dozier is a second baseman with an incredible amount of pop in his bat. He has been tearing up pitching for years now, hitting double digit home runs each year since 2013. His 42 home runs in 2016 were the most by a Twin in a single season whose name is not Harmon Killebrew.
Dozier made the All Star Game in 2015, hitting a home run in his only at bat. He still patrols the middle of the infield with the Twins while showing off a combination of power at the plate and speed on the base paths. He has slowly made his case as the man in charge as Mauer declines with age.
Shortstop: Eduardo Escobar (2012-Present)
Eduardo Escobar has been a solid shortstop since being acquired in a trade for Francisco Liriano in 2012. He is the first shortstop to spend an extended amount of time at the position since Target Field opened.
While Escobar is not the caliber of shortstop you see in Boston, Cleveland or Houston, he is still a force up the middle. His bat produced 12 home runs in 2015 and 30 plus doubles in two of the past three seasons. Still under the age of 30 and still under club control until 2019, Escobar could be the Twins shortstop that keeps the spot locked up for the near future.
Third Base: Trevor Plouffe (2010-2016)
Trevor Plouffe was a mainstay at the hot corner during his years with the Twins. His ability to hit for power in a lineup not known for towering drives made his a recognizable face at Target Field. He hit 20 home runs in two of his seasons with Minnesota.
Not only could he hit home runs at the plate, but he was able to produce runs. He was able to pick up 80 plus RBIs in two of his season at Target Field and if injuries hadn’t gotten the best of him in 2016 he would’ve done it again. He is currently playing for the Oakland Athletics.
The Outfield and Designated Hitter
Left Field: Josh Willingham (2012-2014)
Josh Willingham started his tenure in the Twin Cities with a bang. In 2012, his first year with the Twins, he hit 35 home runs and drove in 110 runs on his way to winning a Silver Slugger. With his .260 average to go along with the power numbers, his season was well-rounded at the plate.
Things fell off for Willingham after his first year, only hitting 26 more home runs the next one plus seasons he played with the Twins. He played only 179 more games with spotty results during the last of his time in Minnesota, but his first season was enough to put him on this list.
Center Field: Denard Span (2010-2012)
Denard Span was one of the speediest players to put on a Twins uniform during his time with the club. In his three seasons at Target Field, span stole 49 bases in 351 games. He also put up a league 10th best WAR with 5.0 in 2012.
He had 19 triples in the three years he played for the Twins while they played at Target Field, as well. Since departing from Minnesota, Span has played for Washington and San Francisco, where he currently plays today.
Right Field: Michael Cuddyer (2010-2011)
Michael Cuddyer was a fan favorite in Minnesota for years, mostly before Target Field opened. He did, however, make his first All Star team in 2011 during a season where he his .284 with 20 home runs and had 70 RBIs. Cuddyer was also an elite defender, posting fielding percentages hovering around .990 consistently.
Cuddyer would only play two years at Target Field before signing with the Rockies after his 2011 All Star campaign. He would make an All Star team with Colorado before injuries got the best of him. He retired in 2015, and will be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame this August.
Designated Hitter: Jim Thome (2010-2011)
Jim Thome was one of the most feared hitters of his generation during his playing days. During his time with the Twins, he was still a feared slugger who could hit the ball over the fence at Target Field at a monster rate. In 2010, he hit .283 with 25 home runs in just 108 games.
In 2011, he hit his 600th career home run just an inning after he hit his 599th. He did so while wearing a Twins uniform, something no one has done before. Although he played most of his career in other uniforms, his biggest moment happened with the Twins.
Starting Pitchers
Phil Hughes (2014-Present)
Phil Hughes has played well with the Twins, for the most part, since coming to Minnesota as a free agent in 2014. In his Twins debut season, he posted a 16-10 record with a 3.52 ERA which helped him finish 7th in Cy Young voting. He has started the current campaign with a slick 3-1 record.
Overall, Hughes is 31-27 as a member of the Twins, even with his rough 1-7 season last season. With Twins pitching being iffy during the Target Field era, Hughes has done a pretty fine job. If he stays healthy, he is very effective and he is showing it this season.
Ervin Santana (2015-Present)
Ervin Santana’s time in Minnesota has had its ups and downs, but he has managed to find himself on top recently. His start to 2017 is bringing back flashes of a different Twins pitcher with the same last name, Johan Santana, and it has helped Minnesota start on the right foot. He is currently 4-0 with a 0.77 ERA in four starts, along with 26 strikeouts.
To date, Santana is 18-16 overall in 52 starts in a Twins uniform. In his first two seasons in the Twin Cities, Santana posted ERAs of 4.00 and 3.38 respectively. If this season stays true, Santana will be in the running for the Cy Young, which could make him the first Twins pitcher to win it since the other Santana.
Scott Baker (2010-2011)
Scott Baker played only two years at Target Field, although he had many other good years at the Metrodome, but his two years were good ones. During those two seasons, Baker pitched to the tune of a 20-15 record and 271 strikeouts in 52 appearances (50 starts). In 2011, his ERA was an impressive 3.14.
Unfortunately in 2012, while on rehab assignment with the Ft. Myers Miracle, Baker injured his elbow after throwing just eleven pitches. He would miss the rest of the season due to Tommy John surgery, ending his time in Minnesota. He would only win three more games the rest of his career.
Carl Pavano (2010-2012)
Carl Pavano pitched well to start his time at Target Field, going 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA in 32 starts. More impressive was the 221 innings he pitched to go along with a league-leading seven complete games. Pavano was a workhorse in 2012, and it would end up catching up to him the next two seasons.
After his awesome first season at the next ballpark, Pavano would pitch an incredible 222 innings in 2011 before making only eleven starts in 2012. He would never pitch again after 2012 in the majors. His two seasons of 220 plus innings were impressive, and should not be forgotten.
Francisco Liriano (2010-2012)
Francisco Liriano was electric when he first came up to the Twins prior to the opening of Target Field. In the first year at the current stadium he went 14-10 with a 3.62 ERA in 31 starts. He also struck out 201 batters in 191.2 innings.
The next two seasons were not as friendly, as he posted a record of 12-20 with an ERA over five. He would be traded to the White Sox in 2012 in the trade that acquired Eduardo Escobar. He would revive his career later in Pittsburgh and currently pitches for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Bullpen
Middle Relievers:
Brian Duensing (2010-2015) Key Stat: 135 games pitched from 2013 to 2014.
Ryan Pressly (2013-Present) Key Stat: Career ERA of 3.75 in 183 appearances.
Casey Fien (2012-2016) Key Stat: Pitched in 73 games in both 2013 and 2014, 62 games in 2015.
Caleb Thielbar (2013-2015) Key Stat: Posted a 2.74 ERA in 109 appearances with the Twins.
Set Up Men
These two pitchers have pitched well in many roles in relief for the Twins, having done set up time and closer duties successfully.
Jon Rauch (2010)
Jon Rauch pitched just one season at Target Field, but he made an impact. Rauch, the tallest player in MLB history at 6 feet 11 inches tall, converted 21 saves in 25 chances while closing for the Twins. He would appear in 59 total games that season.
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His time as the closer came to an end after the acquisition of Matt Capps, but he was able to pitch effectively as a long reliever and set up man. After his time in Minnesota, he would play three more MLB seasons with three teams.
Brandon Kintzler (2016-Present)
Brandon Kintzler came to the Twins in 2016, after spending six seasons in Milwaukee. In his first season in Minnesota, Kintzler pitched in 54 games, putting up at 3.15 ERA and converting 17 saves. This season, he was able to step into the closer role full time.
So far in 2017, Kintzler has pitched in nine games and converted five saves. He has yet to give up a run in 9.1 innings pitched, and has only given up four hits. His season has started off nicely, and Twins fans would be delighted if it continued.
Closer: Glen Perkins (2010-Present)
Glen Perkins has been a mainstay in the Twins bullpen throughout their time at Target Field. Since becoming the closer, he has converted 120 saves since 2011. In three straight seasons, Perkins saved 30 or more games. He was an All Star in each of those seasons.
Since his last All Star season in 2015, Perkins has battled injuries that have limited him to just two games. He is currently on the 60-day disabled list, but will hopefully be back in June of this year.
The Reserves
Catcher: Kurt Suzuki (2014-2016)
Kurt Suzuki was a defensive catcher the Twins needed as Joe Mauer moved positions. In 2014, Suzuki made the All Star team, playing in front of the home crowd at Target Field. In 2015, he had the third best fielding percentage among catchers with a slick .997 mark.
Corner Infielder: Miguel Sano (2015-Present)
Miguel Sano may be a young rising star for the Twins, but his impact is already being felt. In just 217 games, Sano has 48 home runs and 134 RBIs. In 2015, he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and in 2016 hit 25 home runs and drove in 66 runs.
This season, he is batting .286 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 21 games. He has also walked a league-leading 18 times. With only being 23 years old, Sano still has a high ceiling and will surely be a mainstay in the Twins lineup.
Middle Infielder: Alexi Casilla (2010-2012)
Alexi Casilla flashed speed on the bases while with the Twins. He swiped 42 bases in his three seasons. His stolen base percentage was 2nd on that team with a 95.46% mark. Casilla also had great range in the field. His speed made up for his lack of power, and he fit in well with Ron Gardenhire’s small ball style.
Outfielder: Delmon Young (2010-2011)
Delmon Young played one plus seasons at Target Field, but he was productive throughout that time. In 2010, Young batted .298 with 21 home runs and 112 RBIs while finishing tenth in the American League MVP voting. That season was, arguably, one of the best individual offensive seasons Target Field has seen since it opened.