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Minnesota Twins: The 40 Best Players In Team History (No. 16-20)

By Jackson Bruce

Jul 16, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins former player Torii Hunter gives his Twins Hall of Fame speech before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 16, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins former player Torii Hunter gives his Twins Hall of Fame speech before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 2, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A general view at Target Field between the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

No, 20: Corey Koskie (22.2 WAR)

Corey Koskie was productive from the start as the third baseman for the Minnesota Twins. Koskie’s first full season in the big leagues was in 1999, a year where he batted .310 with 11 home runs and 58 runs batted in. His production from then on kept him as the Twins starting third baseman until his departure after the 2004 season.

Koskie’s best season came in 2001, when he broke out for an incredible year of production. He hit .276 with 26 home runs and 103 RBIs. His speed helped him steal 27 bases. He even received some MVP votes in a year where power numbers were through the roof (2001 was a season where seven players hit 49 or more home runs).

He helped the Twins win games.

Most impressive about his 2001 season was his wins above replacement. Koskie racked up 6.3, which was good for seventh in the American League. Koskie’s production that year helped the Twins record their first winning season since 1992.

Koskie’s next three years would see him produce 10.7 wins above replacement. The Twins would make the playoffs in each of those three seasons. Koskie was able to maintain an ability to hit for power and steal bases over those seasons by hitting 54 dingers and stealing 30 bags over that span.

While Koskie never made an All-Star team or won any individual awards, he was still valuable to the winning teams the Twins had from 2001 to 2004. His ability to be a multi-dimensional player helped him rack up wins above replacement and make it this high on the list.

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