Minnesota Twins: Top 5 Greatest Teams in Franchise History
The Minnesota Twins have had some really good teams since their move from Washington in 1961. Let’s highlight the top 5 Minnesota teams.
In 1961, the Washington Senators moved to Minneapolis and became the team we know and love, the Minnesota Twins. Since their move, the Twins have had plenty of great teams. Let’s focus on the Minnesota teams solely as we highlight the top 5 teams in franchise history.
Since the first season in 1961, the Twins have made the playoffs 11 times. They have been to 3 World Series’, winning 2 of them. They have also had one 100+ win season and one 100+ loss season, which was last year.
We will take into consideration a lot of different things to make this list, wins and playoff outcomes being number one. We will also take into consideration the talent of each roster. Without further ado, let’s get this ball rolling.
5. 1970 Minnesota Twins (98 – 64)
The 1970 Minnesota Twins were a solid team led by 31 year old Tony Oliva and 34 year old Harmon Killebrew, managed by Bill Rigney. At this time, the Twins were still in the AL West, along with 5 other teams.
Minnesota finished the season at the top of the AL West. They did it with solid pitching and some veteran bats. While Killebrew and Oliva were nearing the end of their respective careers, one young star by the name of Rod Carew was rising to the occasion.
Killebrew had a slash line of .271/.411/.546 with 41 home-runs and 113 RBI’s, putting together another spectacular season.
Oliva had a slash line of .325/.364/.514 with 23 home-runs and 107 RBI’s, one of the best of his careers.
Carew had a slash line of .366/.407/.524 with 4 home-runs and 28 RBI’s in only 191 at-bats coming off the bench.
Entering the post-season as the favorites to take home the World Series, the 1970 Minnesota Twins went home disappointed. Unfortunately, they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS, ending their year early.
4. 2002 Minnesota Twins (94 – 67)
The 2002 Minnesota Twins were a relatively young team to find the great success that they did. None of their starters were over the age of 30. They were led by some familiar names, though: Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones and David Ortiz.
They finished atop the American League Central with a .584 winning percentage. While they definitely had a solid offense, their defense was what made this team so special. From solid pitching by Johan Santana to Gold Glove catches by Torii Hunter, this was a very fun team to watch.
Torii Hunter had a slash line of .289/.334/.524 with 29 home-runs and 94 RBI’s to go along with a Gold Glove in center field.
Jacque Jones had a slash line of .300/.341/.511 with 27 home-runs and 85 RBI’s, leading the team with the best batting average.
David Ortiz has a slash line of .272/.339/.500 with 20 home-runs and 75 RBI’s as the designated hitter.
Unfortunately, the Twins came up short in the playoffs once again. They lost a 7-game series to the Anaheim Angels, 4-1, to end their year prematurely.
3. 1965 Minnesota Twins (102 – 60)
The 1965 Minnesota Twins boast a lot of well-known names, and had the most regular season wins in Minnesota Twins’ history with 102. They were led by Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva and Bob Allison.
Along with the names above creating a strong offense, Mudcat Grant led a strong pitching staff to an MLB-leading .630 winning percentage. They finished as the team with the best record in the MLB at the end of the season.
Harmon Killebrew had a slash line of .269/.384/.501 with 25 home-runs and 75 RBI’s, even though he began the season coming off the bench.
Tony Oliva had a slash line of .321/.378/.491 with 16 home-runs and 98 RBI’s, leading the team in batting average.
Bob Allison had a slash line of .233/.342/.445 with 23 home-runs and 78 RBI’s, one of the best seasons of his career.
This Twins team made it to the World Series in 1965 and faced off with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The series was tied heading into game 7, the decisive game, and the Dodgers topped the Twins 2-0 behind a beautiful performance by one of the all-time great pitchers, Sandy Koufax.
2. 1987 Minnesota Twins (85 – 77)
The 1987 Minnesota Twins were one of the biggest surprise teams in franchise history. Despite a rather average regular season, the Twins came through in the playoffs. But more on that later.
This team was led by two of the all-time greatest Twins’ players Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek. They were very well balanced, though, as their pitching rotation was fantastic also. Their pitching rotation was led by Frank Viola.
Kirby Puckett had a slash line of .332/.367/.534 with 28 home-runs and 99 RBI’s, leading the team in batting average and on-base percentage.
Kent Hrbek had a slash line of .285/.389/.545 with 34 home-runs and 90 RBI’s, leading the team in home-runs.
Frank Viola went 17-10 with a 2.90 ERA. He also averaged 7 strikeouts per 9 innings compared to only 2.4 walks per 9 innings.
This was the first time the city of Minneapolis saw a World Series win as the 1987 Twins ended the year as World Series champs. Again, despite an average season, they were stellar in the World Series in a 4-3 series win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
1. 1991 Minnesota Twins (95 – 67)
The 1991 Minnesota Twins boasted a very similar line-up to the 1987 squad, when it comes to top-notch players at least. Led by Kent Hrbek and Kirby Puckett, the Twins were once again favored to have another World Series type season.
Unlike the 1987 squad, the 1991 team had a much better regular season, totaling up 10 more wins than in ’87. Along with the two super-stars mentioned above, Chili Davis was a great addition at the designated hitter spot.
Kent Hrbek had a slash line of .284/.373/.461 with 20 home-runs and 89 RBI’s, putting together another great season.
Kirby Puckett had a slash line of .319/.352/.460 with 15 home-runs and 89 RBI’s, leading the team in batting average.
Chili Davis had a slash line of .277/.385/.507 with 29 home-runs and 93 RBI’s, leading the team in home-runs.
For the second time since their move to Minnesota, the Twins won the world series. This one was in 1991. They finished as the top team in the MLB in the regular season and again in the postseason, topping the Atlanta Braves in the World Series in 7 games.
Next: The Minnesota Twins All-Time Dream Team
The history of the Minnesota Twins, while not as great as a lot of franchises, is dense with talented players and multiple playoff visits. Hopefully the Twins can soon match what they did in 1987 and again in 1991.