Despite the hot start by the Minnesota Twins, chatter still remains that they should trade some major pieces and rebuild their program.
A year ago, the Minnesota Twins had every reason to think about stripping their team down and rebuilding by trading away their key pieces. They finished 59-103, the worst record in baseball, and had really only one positive sign all season long, the year by Brian Dozier.
Here we are, a year later, and the Twins have seemed to flip the script a bit. They are not at the bottom of the league, they are actually leading the AL Central as of now. There are many bright spots to their season as well. Miguel Sano is playing like an MVP, Ervin Santana looks like a CY Young winner and Byron Buxton seems to be getting more comfortable at the major league level.
Yet, critics still believe that the Twins would be best off rebuilding. Trade speculation remains around Dozier and won’t leave Ervin Santana alone. Let me just say this – STOP with the rebuilding talk.
First of all, the main reason the Twins shouldn’t even consider rebuilding in 2017 is the success they’ve found as a team thus far. At this point in 2016, the Twins were 8-26. Right now, Minnesota is 19-15.
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The record aside, the Minnesota Twins have passed the eye test this year. Therefore, they actually look good. They’re hitting the ball hard, pitching well (at times) and winning ball games in solid fashion. The inconsistency is still there for the Twins, but that’s to be expected with a young team. All in all, the inconsistency has yet to really hurt them yet.
The last, and maybe top, reason to not sell if you’re the Twins is the players you possess. Hence, the following players:
Ervin Santana
I mean, the dude is 34 years old and look at these stats. He is 6-1 with 1.50 ERA, 41 strikeouts to 21 walks. Now, I get it. He’s not getting any younger, and a contender may be willing to give up a lot for one good playoff push out of Santana.
But what’s to say we won’t get one good playoff push out of him? Also, he could be extremely valuable in mentoring our young pitchers, especially Jose Berrios, who he seems to be getting along with very well. Speaking of Berrios…
Jose Berrios
Look, I get it. It was just one start, but it was a dang good one. Consequently, there is reason to be excited about this kid. He hasn’t had a start like that in his major league career. The success he found in the minors cultivated with his first MLB start, he gives the Twins a lot to smile about.
Miguel Sano
His stats are off the charts right now. He has a slash line of .297/.439/.667 with 10 home-runs and 30 RBI’s. If he can cut down on the strikeouts, he could seriously be looking at an AL MVP award.
Byron Buxton
Okay, so Buck hasn’t been hitting the best, but he has improved at the plate. He’s improved quite a bit actually. His fielding ability alone is reason to be hopeful. If he can be a legit .200 hitter, it would be worth it to have him out in the field. He may be the best fielding outfielder in the game.
Next: Twins Heading in the Right Direction in Power Rankings
In conclusion, this Minnesota Twins team has a lot of talent. Yes, maybe enough to make a playoff push and maybe more. They’re improvements from 2016 are stifling and they just seem to be getting better as the year progresses. Finally, as they say, don’t mess with success.