Minnesota Twins: The Top 5 Shortstops in Franchise History
As the Minnesota Twins coming up on their 120th season, we look back at the five best shortstops in franchise history.
Minnesota Twins:
The Minnesota Twins are one of the oldest franchises in baseball, dating back to 1901, when they were the league bottom-dweller known as the Washington Senators. Since that time, the team has won three championships, six pennants, and eleven division titles.
It has also suffered through seven 100+ loss seasons, fourteen playoff defeats, and have lost over 1100 games to the New York Yankees. The team has had some really good seasons, and some really bad seasons. Throughout it all, there have been some excellent players who have carried the team.
These excellent players deserve some recognition , so Puckett’s Pond will be putting together a list of the top players at each position to get ready for the top 50 players of all time. In order to make it on this list, players need to have played over 400 games, been excellent on offense and defense, and played an important role for the team.
After moving through catcher and the right side of the infield, we head over to shortstop. Shortstop, similar to second base, has been a weaker area for team since it’s move to Minnesota, but was a strong point for the franchise when it was in Washington. With that in mind, we’ll get started with the Honorable Mentions.
Honorable Mentions:
Jorge Polanco:
Years: 2014-2019 (6 Seasons)
Key Stats: 441 G, 472 H, 45 HR, 226 RBI, 29 SB, 147 BB, .281 BA, 7.8 WAR, -0.7 dWAR, 1-Time All-Star, 1 Top-25 MVP Finish
Surprised? Jorge Polanco has gotten off to a hot start in his career, already racking up 226 RBI and a .281 BA over 441 games. He has added in 45 homers and 29 stolen bases in as well, earning a 7.8 WAR over six seasons.
We’ll admit this ranking is a little premature, as he’s only had one really good season, but Polanco has already had a better six seasons than any other shortstop in a Minnesota Twins uniform. His defense needs some improvement as he’s only earned a -0.7 dWAR, but he won’t stay at shortstop forever.
Polanco also has earned an All-Star nod and a Top-25 MVP Finish last season, showing his potential for the future. With the Twins struggling to produce good shortstops, Polanco’s six seasons were good enough to earn a mention on this list. His potential means he could move further up the list in the future.
George McBride
Years: 1908-1920 (13 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1459 G, 1068 H, 5 HR, 393 RBI, 116 SB, 381 BB, .221 BA, 22.3 WAR, 22.4 dWAR, 4 Top-25 MVP Finishes
One of the first Senators players to reach the 1,000 game mark, George McBride played 1,459 games with the franchise before World War II. He wasn’t an offensive superstar, but his defense was some of the best in team history.
McBride never had a particularly amazing season on offense, with his best numbers coming in 1911 when he led the league in games played and managed to hit .235 and 59 RBI. He was always weak-hitting, but made up for it with his speed. McBride totaled 116 SB over his tenure with the team, good for 18th on the franchise all-time list.
He used his speed to help his defense. His dWAR of 22.4 is by far the best number by any player in team history. His career number 23.3 ranks twenty-eighth all-time in league history putting him in elite company. He finished in the Top-25 of MVP voting four times simply because he was that much better at defense than everyone else.
McBride never led the team to a championship and his offense was worse than any you’ll find on these lists, but his defense was legendary. He will go down as the top defender in team history for a long time.
No. 5 Zoilo Versalles
Years: 1959-1967 (9 Seasons)
1109 G, 1061 H, 87 HR, 406 RBI, 85 SB, 257 BB, .257 BA, 14.7 WAR, 8.8 dWAR, 2 Top-25 MVP Finishes, 2-Time All-Star, Two Gold Glove, 1965 MVP, 1965 AL Pennant
Zoilo Versalles was similar to Earl Battey in that he was one of the players who played in Washington and stayed with the team when they moved to Minnesota, playing seven seasons for the Twins after the move.
He was one of the team’s stars early on, being named to two All-Star Games, finishing in the Top-25 of MVP voting twice, and being awarded the 1965 MVP trophy. Versalles also helped lead the team to the American League Pennant that year, leading the league in runs, doubles, and triples.
Versalles didn’t have a ton of power, but he still racked up 1,061 hits, 405 RBI, and 87 home runs over 1,109 games, the thirtieth most games all-time. He also managed to hit .257 with 257 walks over his Twins career, earning a 14.7 WAR during his nine seasons.
His defense was his strongest skill, as he built up a dWAR of 8.8 and won two Gold Gloves over his time in Minnesota. He was very good at making tough plays look easily and helped make defense easier for the rest of his teammates.
Zoilo Versalles was one of the best shortstops to ever put on a Minnesota Twins uniform, showing his value while leading the team to their first World Series in Minnesota. He is one of only a few Twins to be named MVP and he is well-deserving of the fifth spot on this list.
No. 4: Roy Smalley
Years: 1977-1982, 1985-1987 (10 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1148 G, 1046 H, 110 HR, 485 RBI, 549 BB, .262 BA, 20.8 WAR, 4.0 dWAR, 1 Top-25 MVP Finishes, One Time All-Star
Roy Smalley was an ever reliable player for the Twins through a period where the team didn’t have a lot of success. During Smalley’s first run with the team, the Twins never finished closer than five games out of first place despite having some very talented players.
Smalley, however, had a lot of success. Over his Twins career, Smalley tallied 1,046 hits, 485 RBI and managed to hit 110 home runs, nineteenth most in team history. He was a well-rounded player who played second base, third, base, but spent the most innings at shortstop.
Smalley performed solidly on defense as well, building up a 4.0 dWAR to go with his 20.8 WAR. He was an extremely smart player and helped the Twins win the 1987 Championship as the first backup at each infield spot and the preferred fielder to come off the bench.
Though he only had one great season with the Twins, Roy Smalley played a big role for the franchise. He has continued to work with the franchise in a broadcasting role and means a lot to the team. He brings up good memories for Twins fans and has earned the fourth spot on this list.
No. 3: Greg Gagne
Years: 1983-1992 (10 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1140 G, 844 H, 69 HR, 335 RBI, 79 SB, 188 BB, .249 BA, 17.9 WAR, 12.4 dWAR, 1987 and 1991 World Series Champion
Greg Gagne was a key member of the Minnesota Twins during their most successful period in franchise history, a six-year span from 1987-1992, when the Twins won 515 games, four playoff series, and two World Series titles.
Gagne was the primary shortstop over those six years, playing 841 games at short over that time and earning a 17.9 WAR over his entire career in Minnesota. He totaled 844 hits, 335 RBI, 79 stolen bases and a decent batting average of .249.
Similar to McBride, Gagne’s best skill was his defense, earning a 12.4 dWAR over 1140 games. He is now tied for second in team history behind McBride, and he did it in three hundred fewer games. Gagne’s fielding percentage of .971 was excellent and he never had more than 26 errors in a season.
The most important contribution Greg Gagne made and the reason Gagne is third on this list are the two titles the Twins won during his tenure. Gagne was a key contributor on the two most recent title-winning squads in Minnesota professional sports (the Minnesota Lynx not included).
Gagne helped the Minnesota Twins win two World Series titles. That, coupled with his excellent defense help him earn this spot on the list. Gagne is the most recent Twins’ example of a shortstop that could make a ton of plays on defense.
No. 2: Cecil Travis
Years: 1933-1941, 1945-1947 (12 Seasons)
Key Stats: 1328 G, 1544 H, 27 HR, 657 RBI, 402 BB, .314 BA, 30.0 WAR, 5.2 dWAR, 4 Top-25 MVP Finishes, 3-Time All-Star, 1933 American League Pennant
Cecil Travis was an absolute star in the 1930’s for the Senators. Travis played in 1,328 games over twelve years and would have played in more if not for his decision to enlist and fight in World War II. Travis was a fantastic hitter and a great leader who helped the Senators through a tough period in franchise history.
Travis’ best skill was his bat, as he hit the ball all over the field, finishing with a .314 batting average over 1,328 games, the eighth-best batting average in team history. He also was excellent at bringing batters home, knocking in 657 RBI, nineteenth in team history.
He didn’t steal a ton of bases, only nabbing 32 over his twelve years, but he legged out 78 triples, tenth most in team history using his solid speed. He used that speed on defense as well, building a 5.2 dWAR, which is twentieth in the franchise record books.
Cecil Travis was a leader for the team as well, finishing in the Top-25 of MVP voting four times, making three All-Star games, and helping the team bring home the AL Pennant in 1933. Travis also showed his value earning a 30.0 WAR, fifteenth in team history.
Travis was a war hero during his time overseas, earning a Bronze Star for his service. When he came back, he struggled due to frostbite and fatigue after the war and wasn’t the same, but he was a truly great player as a Senator and an important leader on the team.
No. 1: Joe Cronin
Years: 1928-1934 (7 Seasons)
Key Stats: 940 G, 1090 H, 51 HR, 673 RBI, 56 SB, 466 BB, .304 BA, 36.7 WAR, 11.8 dWAR, 2 Top-25 MVP Finishes, 1933 AL Pennant, Hall of Fame
Joe Cronin was one of the Washington Senators’ first true star hitters. Cronin only played with the Senators for seven seasons, but in that time he earned a 36.7 WAR, two Top-25 MVP finishes, and an AL Pennant. He also was a manager with the team for his last two seasons, helping guide them to the pennant through his decision-making as well.
Cronin only played 940 games before he was traded away for a pitcher that didn’t last a year with the team and $225,000, but he made those 940 games count. He hit for a .304 average (thirteenth best all-time), earned 466 walks (twentieth) and knocked in 673 runs (seventeenth).
His 36.7 WAR, the thirteenth best mark in team history, partly because of his defense. His dWAR was a stellar 11.8, fourth best in team history. He constantly was making plays both on offense and defense to help the team win and was the most important player on the team.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956 after a truly amazing career. He did so much for the franchise and helped move them back into title contention. Without Cronin, the Senators don’t make the 1933 World Series and continue to disappoint. He deserves the top spot on this list.
Next. Minnesota Twins: The Top 5 Second Basemen in Franchise History. dark