After the Minnesota Twins as a team and a middle infield found success in 2017, can that duo make our all-time middle infield list?
The Minnesota Twins have built a history that is filled with plenty of success, headlined by World Series victories in 1987 and 1991. Of course, there are plenty of seasons we would like to forget as well. Throughout this series we are exploring something that is hopefully fun to look back on as a Twins fan, the best of each of the position groups through Twins history. The next group up in the series are the middle infielders.
Unfortunately for the past decade or so of Twins baseball, we have often observed some less than stellar middle infields. Several of those middle infields we have experienced have been downright frustrating. A lot of the reason for that frustration begins and ends with the revolving door at shortstop in recent memory. In fact, 2018 may mark the second time since 2005 that the Twins will have the same Opening Day shortstop as they did the previous year. (Please, please baseball gods don’t turn this into a jinx!)
To get the full feel for what that has been like here is the list of opening day shortstops from 2005 through 2017.
The funny and depressing thing about that list is, as a fan there was plenty of hope sold at each player. Some were veterans who were supposed to buy time for some unknown young shortstop to bust through. At other stops, there was a young guy who was supposed to be the hope of the future. Most notably it may have been Jason Bartlett before he was packaged with Matt Garza and sent to Tampa Bay for Delmon Young.
As the Twins now sit with Polanco as the near term answer to the shortstop position next to the slugging Brian Dozier, we can look back at the middle infields of the past with some optimism about what is to come. That is even before thinking of guys like Nick Gordon, Wander Javier, and Royce Lewis who will be providing more hope as they climb through the minors.
As we go through this list, WAR will provide the basis for a lot of decision on where some of these tandems land. There will also be some other evaluations made or else this list could very well be dominated by two or three of the best Twins middle infielders. Lets get started with the duo that landed at number five on our list.
In all honesty, this duo isn’t truly the fifth best Twins middle infield of all-time but in an effort to try to avoid writing about one of the players in the following pairs a second time this is our number five. Of course the performance of the 1987 club helped to get Steve Lombardozzi and Greg Gagne on this list as the Twins finished with a record of 85-77, finished first in the American League West, and won the World Series by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals.
That season shortstop Gagne ended up slashing .265/.310/.430 along with 10 home runs and 28 doubles. Gagne didn’t collect any personal awards for his performance in 1987 but did have a hand in one of the more influential plays of the World Series. Gagne drove in the eventual game-winning run on an infield hit that drove in Tom Brunansky.
Second baseman Lombardozzi didn’t have that impressive of a stat line as he hit .238/.298/.352 8 home runs and 19 doubles. He did although come through with a good line in 6 games during the World Series. Lobardozzi hit .412/.474/.647 a double and drove in 4 runs in that World Series.
So again, this duo may not have been the fifth best or fifth most talented middle infield in Twins history. They certainly made their mark on the 1987 Twins as they marched towards the World Series title. On the way, Gagne had a season WAR of 3.9 and Lombardozzi’s was 1.3 for a combined of 5.2 WAR and fifth on our list.
Just like the whole 2017 season did, putting in this middle infield at number five on this list almost feels like a dream. At the same time, when sitting back and thinking about it and the clouds seem to fade, it makes some real sense.
The high-ranking of this duo finds a solid base with second baseman Brian Dozier. The former All-Star could have very well pushed for that honor once again if it wasn’t for the incredible depth at that position currently in the American League. Dozier slashed .271/.359/.498 and added 34 home runs as the catalyst at the top of the Twins lineup. He was showcased as said catalyst in his first at-bat of the Twins Wild-Card game against the New York Yankees.
While the Twins expected production out of Dozier in 2017, the level of production from Jorge Polanco was quite the pleasant surprise. Polanco was able to hit .256/.313/.410 with 13 home runs and 30 doubles. While not the best of fielding shortstops in the league, Polanco was much better than many anticipated with a defensive WAR of 0.6.
At the end of the season, Dozier was able to earn his first career Gold Glove and even received some MVP consideration and finished 11th in that process. Polanco turned in the best season according to WAR by any Twins shortstop at a 2.1 WAR since Nick Punto’s 2.4 in 2008. Polanco’s 2.1 WAR combined with Dozier’s 4.4 WAR put the duo at a total 6.5 WAR helping them to be placed at the fourth spot in our all-time middle infield rankings.
The 1979 Minnesota Twins would have appeared much more successful if they played in the current era of baseball with their just above .500 record of 82-80. In 1979 they finished fourth in the American League West and went home to watch the Baltimore Orioles represent the AL and lose to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
During the 1979 season Roy Smalley, who is currently most familiar with most fans for his role covering Twins television games, was the Twins regular shortstop. The switch-hitter turned in one of his best seasons as he slashed .271/.353/.441, 24 home runs, and 28 doubles. Smalley was rewarded through his performance with is first and only All-Star appearance as well as some inclusion in MVP voting.
Second baseman Rob Wilfong also turned in a career year in 1979. He hit .313/.352/.458, 9 home runs, and 22 doubles. The left-hander also had an OPS of .810 and lead the league in sacrifice hits at 25. In today’s game, sacrifices aren’t viewed as positively as they were in the 1979 MLB so this is certainly a great part of his resume based on the era he played in.
As mentioned both of these middle infielders had career years. Wilfong ended the season with a WAR of 3.1, a full 2.0 WAR better than his next best season according to WAR over his career. While Smalley gained the most attention he ever had, his WAR of 4.3 was the second best of his career behind his 5.9 WAR in 1978. That puts this third middle infield group on this list at a combined 7.4 WAR.
It is just amazing how continually an overall team can perform poorly, but a position group can perform well. The 1995 Twins and their middle infield give us another example of that. That 1995 team went 56-88 and finished 5th in the American League Central.
In 1995, second baseman Chuck Knoblauch had his best season up to that point in his career. He hit .333/.424/.487, 11 home runs, 34 doubles, 8 triples, and 46 stolen bases. Knoblauch’s season performance earned him his first Silver Slugger award as well as attention in the MVP race.
Pat Meares formed the other side of the infield in 1995. By many accounts it was Meares’ best season as a pro where he was able to slash .269/.311/.431. He also added 12 home runs, 19 doubles and 10 stolen bases.
This combination of Knoblauch and Meares really could have made this list twice with their 1997 season being very good as well. Meares recorded his best season according to WAR in 1995 with a WAR of 2.8. Knoblauch saw his best season according to WAR (8.6) 1996 when he also led the league in triples. 1995 was still very solid for Knoblauch as well with his WAR of 6.4. Knoblauch’s 1996 season remains the Twins leading single-season WAR for a middle infielder.
It is Meares’ and Knoblauch’s combined WAR of 9.5 in1995 that helps them finish second on our list.
In 1969 the Minnesota Twins finished in first place in the American League West with a record of 97-65. The Twins didn’t do well as they advanced into the postseason as they were swept in the first round 3-0 by the Baltimore Orioles, but the season was still an overall success. And certainly, our next middle infield duo contributed greatly to that success.
It should be no shock to see Rod Carew on this list. In 1969, Carew was in his third season and continued to be a very good baseball player. He slashed .332/.386/.467 and hit 8 home runs and 30 doubles. Carew also made his third consecutive All-Star game, finished tenth in MVP voting, and his .332 average made him the American League Batting Champion.
Next to Carew was newly acquired shortstop Leo Cardenas. In his first season with the Twins, Cardenas hit .280/.353/.388 10 home runs and 24 doubles. A good part of his contribution to the Twins infield was his defense exhibited by a defensive WAR of 2.9 during that 1969 season.
Overall for the season, Cardenas put together his career best in season-long WAR at 5.1. Carew, on the other hand, had several other better seasons according to WAR. Which really almost put some other tandems he was a part of in the running for this list.
After looking at the middle infields over Twins history, Carew’s 5.6 WAR combined with Cardenas’ 5.1 for a combined 10.7 WAR in 1969 is the top combined WAR by a middle infield duo in Twins history, placing them at the top of our list for best Twins middle infield ever.
