Minnesota Twins: The 40 Best Players In Team History (No. 16-20)
Wins Above Replacement has become a powerful stat to measure the value of a player. Here are the all-time best Minnesota Twins based on WAR (numbers 16-20).
The Minnesota Twins have had some good players in their history. From Hall of Famers to fan favorites, there are plenty of big names that have come through to play in the Twins Cities. In an effort to figure out who is the best Twins player of all-time, we have taken a look at the Twins career leaders in Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
WAR is a sabermetric tool to help determine the overall value of a baseball player. It is a way to calculate a player’s total contribution to the team, which shows how truly valuable they are. Position player WAR is complex to calculate, as is pitching WAR.
Without all of the calculations, the concept is fairly simple. Position player WAR is meant to show how many more games the team wins with that certain player in the lineup instead of his replacement. The same concept roles into pitching. It is meant to reflect how many more wins that pitcher is responsible for during innings they pitch compared to someone else.
With that said, the 40 players on this list have the best WAR numbers during their Twins careers. Only their WAR during their time with the Twins is included. So that means there is no David Ortiz, Carlos Gomez or anyone else that had more success elsewhere. This list is strictly who was the best in a Twins uniform.
The next five (numbers 16-20) will begin with one of the best to man the hot corner in a Twins uniform.
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.
No. 19: Justin Morneau (23.3 WAR)
Justin Morneau was, at one point, one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the game. He could hit for both average and power during his best years. He hit 30 or more home runs and batted .300 or better in three seasons..
Morneau teamed up with Joe Mauer to create one of the most feared tandems in the league. In 2006, Morneau won the American League MVP and picked up his first Silver Slugger award. He would make the All-Star team each of the next four seasons from 2007 to 2010.
His best season, according to wins above replacement, was in 2010. Oddly enough, that was a season where he only played 81 games. He had his best single season WAR total, which was 4.7. That year, in half of a season of work, Morneau batted .345 with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. If not for a concussion and its symptoms, Morneau may have had the best year of his career.
Injuries effected him.
After that season, Morneau would never be the same. He could not stay healthy in 2011, playing only 69 games. His power production was never the same, never hitting more than 19 in a season again. He would eventually be traded in 2013.
Morneau’s career was off to an amazing start, putting up seven All-Star type seasons. He was an American League MVP and four-time All-Star that led the Twins as a franchise-type player. While injuries cut his prime short, Morneau will be remembered as one of the best to play for the Twins.
No 18: Dave Goltz (24.6 WAR)
Dave Goltz was a breed of pitcher we may never see again. He went the distance on a regular basis, throwing double digit complete games in five straight seasons. He was an absolute workhorse, pitching incredible amounts of innings for Minnesota, making him incredibly valuable.
Goltz pitched over 200 innings in a season in five straight campaigns from 1975 to 1979. His career high was 303 innings pitched in 1977, a year in which he had a 20-11 record and a 3.36 ERA. He recorded his second best WAR total in 1977 with 5.7.
His best season, according to wins above replacement, was in 1978 when he recorded 6.6. That year he went 15-10 with a 2.49 ERA in 220.1 innings of work. His WAR ranked seventh in the American League. That would be one of his last good seasons, pitching one last season with the Twins before slowly fizzling out with the Dodgers and Angels.
One of the best in Twins history.
Goltz holds top ten places in a few pitching categories in Twins history. He is sixth in wins (96), tenth in ERA (3.48), sixth in games started (215), third in complete games (80), fourth in shutouts (11), sixth in innings pitched (1,638.0) and eighth in strikeouts (887). That is quite the laundry list of achievements in a Twins uniform.
Goltz pitched well, pitched often and pitched deep into games for the Twins. He is one of the best in their history in almost every major pitching category. His WAR is an indication of his value, and wrapping that in with his other numbers makes him one of the most valuable pitchers in Twins history.
No. 17: Cesar Tovar (25.8 WAR)
Cesar Tovar earned the nickname “Mr. Versatility” over his time in Minnesota for good reason. He played every position at least once over his career. In fact, he played every position on the field in one game. Tovar was known for his speed and his ability to be a valuable asset anywhere on the diamond.
Tovar played well year in and year out for the Twins over the span of eight seasons from 1965 to 1972. While never making an All-Star team, he received American League Most Valuable Player votes in five straight seasons from 1967 to 1971. His highest finish in the MVP race was seventh.
Tovar stole 30 or more bases three times, maxing out at a career-high of 45 in 1969. He led the AL in triples in 1970 with 13. He would make his mark in the Twins record books in both categories, as he is third in Twins history in stolen bases and seventh in team history in triples.
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His best season, according to wins above replacement, was 1968 when he had 4.8. The next season he recorded a slightly less 4.6. He had three or more wins above replacement in six of his eight seasons with the Twins, showing he was a valuable part of the team.
Tovar’s combination of versatility and speed helped the Twins win ballgames with him in the lineup. His WAR numbers are reflective of that. He may not have been the most decorated of players, but he was sure valuable.
No. 16: Torii Hunter (26.4 WAR)
There’s never been a human highlight reel like Torii Hunter during his first stint with the Minnesota Twins. He won seven of his nine Gold Glove Awards during his time in Minnesota. He also was named to two All-Star squads while he was a Twin. While defense was a big part of that, his offense made him a complete player.
Hunter hit 214 home runs as a Twin, good for fifth on the Twins all-time list. He hit 20 or more home runs in seven seasons with the Twins, including 31 in 2006. His last season, in 2015, featured 22 homers. While his offense was great, and his defense was exciting, he could also steal bases.
He stole over 20 bases three separate times and is fifth in Twins history with 128 career swipes. With all of the different assets to his game, it is no wonder Hunter racked up so many wins above replacement.
He recorded 3.1 or more wins above replacement every season from 2001 to 2007. His best year, according to WAR, in a Twins uniform came in 2001 when he racked up 4.7. His value to the Twins was unmatched for many years, and it showed with his individual accolades and the success of the team.
Hunter was enshrined in the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2016, and it was well-deserved. His incredible combination of power, speed and defensive prowess made him one of the best all-around talents during his playing days. His value is shown in the wins he helped the Twins get.