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Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Top 10 Teams in Franchise History

By Otto Johnson

FORT MYERS, FL - MARCH 24: Catcher Joe Mauer #7 of the Minnesota Twins congratulates Justin Morneau #33 after his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at Hammond Stadium on March 24, 2013 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
FORT MYERS, FL - MARCH 24: Catcher Joe Mauer #7 of the Minnesota Twins congratulates Justin Morneau #33 after his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at Hammond Stadium on March 24, 2013 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /
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ANAHEIM, CA – 1988: Frank Viola #16 of the Minnesota Twins pitches during an MLB game against the California Angels circa 1988 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Tim DeFrisco/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – 1988: Frank Viola #16 of the Minnesota Twins pitches during an MLB game against the California Angels circa 1988 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Tim DeFrisco/Getty Images) /

5. 1987 Minnesota Twins (85-77)

What? The Twins’ title-winning team is only #5?? It’s true. The Twins team that was pure magic in the postseason would have been in third place in almost any other division. The group had an OK regular season because they were just an OK team. The roster was filled with good, but not great players who played really well together at the right time.

Outside of Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, and Kent Hrbek, no player on the team had all that great of a season, and only Puckett made the All-Star team. Viola was dominant, going 17-10, Hrbek had the second-best season of his career and Kirby was Kirby, hitting .332 and 28 homers. No other Twin had a batting average over .275 (Tom Brunansky and Gary Gaetti combined for 63 home runs, which deserves mention).

That being said, nothing can ever take away the run that brought Minnesota its first professional title. The team was deeper than any other team in the league, with almost every single player on the roster making key contributions. With a seven-game series to rival any in recent memory, the team won a hard-fought game seven to make every Minnesotan jump for joy, and that alone brings this group up to No. 5.

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