Honorable Mentions
1969 Twins (97-65): In 1969, the Twins finished with fourth-best record in club history, Harmon Killebrew won MVP and sent four players to the All-Star Game. In the end, however, it wouldn’t matter, as the team was stamped out in the first round of the playoffs in three straight games by the Baltimore Orioles.
2004 Twins (92-70): This team, also known as the last Twins team to win a playoff game, featured Johan Santana in the middle of his prime. Santana won the Cy Young and had arguably the best season of his career, finishing within one win of the Pitching Triple Crown and 6th in MVP voting. The team eventually lost in the American League Division Series to the Yankees in 4 games.
2010 Twins (94-68): Coming off of Joe Mauer‘s MVP season, the Twins were considered favorites to win the World Series. Those dreams were never realized and though Ron Gardenhire won Manager of the Year and the Twins featured two all-stars, the team was swept out of the playoffs by the Yankees once again.