2020 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Lineup Prediction
With Spring Training well under way, we predict the Minnesota Twins 2020 opening day lineup.
The Minnesota Twins are by no means the same team they were under Terry Ryan. One season from setting the home run record, they look prepared to play deep into October. After bolstering one of the best development staffs in baseball, the new regime under Derek Falvey and Thad Levine look to compete with the top teams for a long time to come. We’ll go over lineup prediction for this record-breaking offense on opening day.
Top of the order:
1. Luis Arraez (Bats: L, Second Base)
Luis Arraez makes the most sense for the top spot in the order. The Venezuelan native came out of nowhere last season to take the second spot by storm. His .334/.399/.439 slash line looks like your average leadoff hitter, and he should fit in this spot the foreseeable future. His ability to get on base and offer tough at bats for opposing pitchers should give extreme value for the Twins for years to come.
His defense did struggle last year, posting -8 DRS at second base. Look at that number to improve this year as he continues to adjust to the majors. He will be be able to focus on one position instead of being a utility man who should improve his defense as well.
2. Jorge Polanco (Bats: S, Shortstop)
Jorge Polanco burst on to the scene last year in his first full season since 2017. After signing a multi-year extension with the Twins before the 2019 season, he quickly made it look like the deal of the century. He was the workhorse for the Twins last year and finished 13th in AL MVP voting. Polanco plays like your average second baseman, but is playing shortstop due to necessity. Thankfully, his value comes from his bat and not his defense.
He posted a .295/.356/.485 slash line last season over a career-high 153 games. He will look to improve that line this year by getting some more rest thanks to the Twins’ depth. The switch hitter should be able to get on base and hit in Arraez and our No. 9 hitter whenever possible.
3. Nelson Cruz (Bats: R, Designated Hitter)
Nelson Cruz is the man who seems to only get better with age. He will turn 40 years old this season, but doesn’t look like he’s slowing down any time soon. The designated hitter had his team option picked up this offseason after posting a 1.031 OPS last year. Until Cruz proves otherwise, he will likely stay in this spot for the foreseeable future. He had a .311/.392/.639 slash line along with 41 home runs last season. If you want to get out to a hot start by hitting the top two guys in, Cruz is the man to turn to.
The Big Bats
4. Josh Donaldson (Bats: R, Third Base)
Josh Donaldson signed the biggest free agent contract in Minnesota Twins history last offseason. The deal, signed for 4 years, $92 million (with a 5th year option that could make it $100 million) ensures Donaldson will play a big role in the lineup going forward. He started making his impact known right away, training with Royce Lewis (who has a similar leg kick to Donaldson) and hanging around his batting cage sessions, asking questions and talking to Lewis.
The former MVP put together a .259/.379/.521 slash line in 2019 with 37 home runs. He looks like an ideal cleanup guy who can also get on base for the deep lineup to bring him home. Don’t be surprised if he sees the highest run total of his career this year.
5. Max Kepler (Batts L, Right Field)
In addition to Polanco, the Falvey-Levine combo also signed Max Kepler to a long-term extension with the Twins ahead of the 2019 season. With the new three batter minimum rule, it is important to mix our lefties up in our lineup. This leaves us with a choice between Kepler or Rosario in the five-hole.
Kepler, who broke out hitting 36 home runs last season with a .252/.336/.519 slash line in 134 games, looks like the better option of the two, and a staple in our lineup for a long time. You can read more about why he will dominate this year in Otto Johnson’s article found here.
6. Miguel Sano (Bats: R, First Baseman)
Miguel Sano showed up to Spring Training in the best shape of his career.. He looks fully committed to the Twins and his move to first base after signing an extension this off-season. He missed the first part of the season recovering from a freak injury that caused a large cut on his leg. He came back to hit a .247/.346/.576 slash line with 34 home runs in only 105 games.
What makes this even more impressive is that he adjusted his swing mid-season, causing his numbers to slump for about a month in the middle of the year. Sano would slide into a 4/5 spot on most teams, but because of the team’s depth, he’ll slide into the 6 spot this season.
The Bottom of the Order
7. Mitch Garver (Bats: R, Catcher)
Mitch Garver had a breakout season last year, showing that he is not only a starting catcher, but one of the best catchers in the entire league. Garver played in only 93 games thanks to Rocco Baldelli’s emphasis on getting his catchers a lot of rest. This rest system worked well for Garver, as he hit a home run in a third of the games he played. His .273/.365/.630 slash line with 31 home runs, 16 doubles, and a .995 OPS, was one of the best offensive seasons by a catcher in the history of major league baseball.
The Twin’s starting backstop also greatly improved his defense, moving from one of the worst in baseball to one of the best. Garver may regress some this season, but he should still be considered one of the best catchers in the league.
8. Eddie Rosario (Bats: L, Left Field)
Eddie Rosario has likely reached his ceiling as a Twins’ player. He struggled a little in 2019, before having to listen to trade rumors during the off-season. With some of the Twins’ top outfield prospects like Kirilloff and Larnach almost MLB ready and the duo of Jake Cave and Marwin Gonzalez both capable of starting in left field for periods of time, he could be expendable this season if the Twins receive the right deal.
With that said, he is still an offensive powerhouse who is extremely clutch, hitting 32 home runs and 28 doubles last season with a .276/.300/.500 slash line. As a lefty, he has the ability to hit in several spots in the lineup while providing value against pitchers who struggle against lefties. As long as Rosario stays a Twin, expect him to have another solid offensive year.
9. Byron Buxton (Bats: R, Center Field)
Byron Buxton will return to the nine-hole this year, continuing to be used as a second leadoff man. His speed on the base paths, improved on-base percentage, and ability to turn singles into doubles on a regular basis make him extremely valuable. Last season Buxton hit .262/.314/.513 with 30 doubles in only 87 games. If Buxton stays healthy for the entire season, expect him to compete for the single season doubles record and gather some MVP votes thanks to his stellar defense.