Minnesota Twins: The Top 50 Players in Franchise History: 50-41
As the Minnesota Twins come up on their 120th season, we look back at the fifty best players in franchise history, starting with No. 50 through No. 41
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 players deserved some recognition. When I started this project three weeks ago, I wanted to list the top fifty players in franchise history and go over the Top 5 at each position. With a top five list at each position completed, it’s time to finally get into the big one: The Top 50 Players in Franchise History.
In order to make this list the Twins player needed to appear on one of the Top 5 positional lists, pitch in at least 150 games or hit in at least four hundred (only one player did both), perform excellently on the diamond, and mean something to the franchise and it’s fans.
Because this is such a lengthy list, it has to be broken down, with the Honorable Mentions and players 50-41 on this list, 40-21 on the next list, and 20-1 on the final list. With that in mind, we’ll start as we always do with the Honorable Mentions.
Top 50 Minnesota Twins Honorable Mentions (No. 55-No. 51)
No. 55: Minnesota Twins’ Doug Mientkiewicz 1998-2004 (7 Seasons)-643 G, 590 Hits, 43 HR, 266 RBI, 300 BB, .275 BA, 6.4 WAR, -2.1 dWAR, One Gold Glove
Positional Ranking: No. 6 First Baseman
Doug Mientkiewicz is one of the only glue guys on this list, as his stats over seven seasons weren’t exceptional. He only posted a .275 batting average over his time with the team, but his largest contribution was his work on defense.
Over his seven seasons with the team, Mientkiewicz built a -2.1 dWAR, the second best number in team history among first basemen. He was also beloved by the fans, helping secure his spot as an honorable mention.
No. 54: Washington Senators’ Joe Kuhel 1930-1937, 1944-1946 (11 Seasons)-1205 G, 1338 Hits, 56 HR, 667 RBI, .288 BA, 16.5 WAR, -7.1 dWAR, 5 Top-25 MVP finishes, 1933 AL Pennant
Positional Ranking: No. 5 First Baseman
Joe Kuhel was a solid hitter, producing one of the twenty-five best offensive careers in franchise history. He finished in the Top-25 of MVP voting an impressive five times and even more impressively helped lead the team to the AL Pennant in 1933.
On the flip side, Kuhel struggled defensively and didn’t have any exceptional skills. He wasn’t fast and he wasn’t a good power hitter. His excellent work hitting for contact earns him a mention, but not much more that.
No. 53: Minnesota Twins’ Denard Span 2008-2012 (5 Seasons)-589 G, 669 H, 360 R, 23 HR, 230 RBI, 90 SB, .284 BA, 17.2 WAR, 4.6 dWAR
Positional Ranking: No. 5 Center Field
Denard Span was an excellent defender who helped the Twins through a tough period in team history when they weren’t doing a lot of winning. His 4.6 dWAR is twenty-fifth in team history after just five seasons.
His offense was also good, as he averaged a .284 batting average, 46 RBI, and 18 SB, good stats for a leadoff man. Unfortunately, Span didn’t get to play long enough with the Twins to put up the stats to be in the Top 50.
No. 52: Washington Senators’ George McBride 1908-1920 (13 Seasons)-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
Positional Ranking: No. 6 Shortstop
The most one-sided player in team history, George McBride was a true defensive specialist. McBride completed his career on a terrible team with a stellar 22.4 dWAR, the highest mark in team history by an insane ten points.
However, McBride was downright disappointing on offense. Despite having decent speed (116 steals), McBride only managed a depressing .221 batting average. His team also struggled to compete, keeping him outside of the top 50.
No. 51: Washington Senators’ George Case 1937-1945, 1947 (10 Seasons) 1108 G, 1306 H, 739 R, 20 HR, 355 RBI, 321 SB, 392 BB, .288 BA, 18.3 WAR, -1.9 dWAR, Three Top-25 MVP Finishes, Three Time All-Star
Positional Ranking: No. 5 Left Fielder
George Case was one of the Senators stars who never got to play in the World Series. He was a good player, hitting .288 and stealing 321 bases (third most in team history. He was a pretty solid defender as his -1.9 dWAR was a good mark for a leftfielder over ten seasons.
Despite being a three-time All-Star, Case doesn’t make the list because he was only a good player, not a great one. With so many memorable Twins ahead of him, It would be hard for him to make the cut, leaving him 51st in franchise history.
The Last 10 In:
Not every great Minnesota Twins player can be included on the list. Combing through 120 years of history does give several really good players. With this in mind, here are the eight Twins and two Senators who just made the list.
No. 50: Minnesota Twins’ Eddie Guardado 1993-2003, 2008 (12 Seasons) 648 G, 704 IP, 37-48 W-L, 4.53 ERA, 116 SV, 610-270 K-BB, 9.5 WAR, Two Time All-Star, One Top-25 MVP Finish
Positional Ranking: No. 5 Relief Pitcher
It is impossible to have a Top 50 Twins list without “Everyday Eddie”. His stats may not suggest inclusion on this list, as his 4.53 ERA and 9.5 WAR over 12 seasons aren’t fantastic, but Eddie Guardado wasn’t just about the stats.
Guardado brought an infectious energy to the locker room and pitched with a team that needed likable players to avoid the oft-rumored contraction. Guardado provided that. He brought fans to the stadium and brought joy to the team, making him a lock for the top 50.
No. 49: Minnesota Twins’ Jeff Reardon 1987-1989 (3 Seasons) 191 G, 226 IP, 15-16 W-L, 3.70 ERA, 104 SV, 185-55 K-BB, 4.2 WAR, One Time All-Star, Two Top-25 MVP Finishes, One Top-10 Cy Young Finish
Positional Ranking: No. 4 Relief Pitcher
The only player on this list to spend just three seasons with the team, Jeff Reardon is the reason the pitching game minimum is so low. His run with the Twins may have been short, but it was legendary.
A key member of the 1987 World Series team and the player that got the final out of that series, Reardon earned 104 saves over his Twins tenure, sixth-most in team history. He was only here for a short time though, keeping him in the lower-end of the Top 50.
No. 48: Minnesota Twins’ Zoilo Versalles 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, One Gold Glove, 1965 MVP, 1965 AL Pennant
Positional Ranking: No. 5 Shortstop
Zoilo Versalles is the only former MVP to rank outside of the top forty. While Versalles was a solid offensive and defensive player, he wasn’t particularly great at any one thing. His MVP season is viewed as one of the worst MVP seasons in league history, as Tony Oliva probably should have won the award that year.
That being said, Versalles is a two-time all-star and a member of the Twins Hall of Fame. He was a good player for nine seasons and helped the team win its first pennant in Minnesota, so he’s worth a spot on this list, but with a lot of good players, he finishes as one of the last ten in.
No. 47: Minnesota Twins’ Michael Cuddyer 2001-2011 (11 Seasons) 1139 G, 1106 H, 606 R, 141 HR, 580 RBI, 52 SB, 411 BB, .272 BA, 12.8 WAR, 20.0 oWAR, -10.1 dWAR, One Top-25 MVP Finish, One Time All-Star
Positional Rankings: No. 6 Right Fielder
Though Michael Cuddyer couldn’t quite crack the stacked right field list, he is definitely deserving of a spot on this list. The one time All-Star and Twins Hall of Famer was an excellent offensive player who served as a fan favorite.
Cuddy may not have been a great defender, but his great personality and ability to score for some really strong Twins teams land him on this list. Cuddyer earned his spot in team history and will be remembered fondly by Twins fans for a long time to come.
No. 46: Minnesota Twins’ Butch Wynegar 1976-1982 (7 Seasons) 794 G, .254 BA, 325 RBI, 37 HR, 15.3 WAR, 9.0 dWAR, 2 time All-Star, ROY-2
Positional Rankings: No. 5 Catcher
There was a lot of optimism around Butch Wynegar among Twins fans when he entered the league in 1976. He was an All-Star right out of the gate and finished second in rookie of the year voting. Twins fans thought they had the next great catcher.
Wynegar’s career would be derailed slightly by injuries, and he never ended up becoming the Twins great that he could have been, but he was a very good catcher (especially defensively) for seven seasons, helping him make the list.
No. 45: Minnesota Twins’ Brian Harper 1988-1993 (6 Seasons) 730 G, .306 BA, 346 RBI, 48 HR, 15.4 WAR, 2.3 dWAR, 1991 World Series
Positional Ranking: No. 4 Catcher
Twins fans often forget just how good Brian Harper was for the Twins for his six seasons in a Twins uniform, when he hit .306 (the eleventh best mark in team history, tied with Joe Mauer). He was a consistent offensive presence behind the dish and a solid defensive player as well.
His biggest contribution was his play to help the Minnesota Twins’ second World Series. His best play came when he stood his ground against Lonnie Smith in a now infamous play at the plate, showing why he makes this list:
No. 44: Minnesota Twins’ Brian Dozier 2012-2018 (7 Seasons) 955 G, 167 HR, 491 RBI, 98 SB, .248 BA, 22.7 WAR, 2.3 dWAR, One time All-Star, One Gold Glove 3 Top 25 MVP Finishes
Positional Ranking: No. 4 Second Baseman
Brian Dozier is the most recent Twins’ player to make this list, as he is the only active player on this list. Though he’s no longer a Twin, Brian Dozier’s power hitting ability was incredible, as he averaged a stellar almost 24 homers a season.
He made the Twins watchable during a low point for the franchise, and the second baseman became a fan favorite for that. Even though he no longer is in a Twins uniform, he’s still a fan favorite.
No. 43: Minnesota Twins’ Corey Koskie 1998-2004 (7 Seasons) 816 G, 781 H, 101 HR, 66 SB, 437 RBI, 385 BB, .280 BA, 22.1 WAR, 4.9 dWAR, One Top-25 MVP Finish
Positional Ranking: No. 5 Third Baseman
Another member of the memorable early 2000s teams, Corey Koskie was one of the most underrated players in the league during his time in Minnesota. A solid defender and a solid player batting, Koskie was a key player for the Twins.
Though he left earlier than Twins fans would’ve liked, Koskie was well-liked by Twins fans and helped the team win the ALDS in 2002 and win the division again in ’04. His 22.1 WAR is twenty-sixth in team history and he deserves a spot on this list.
No. 42: Washington Senators’ Frederick “Firpo” Marberry 1923-1932, 1936 (11 Seasons) 470 G, 1654 IP, 117-71 W-L, 3.59 ERA, 94 SV, 667-568 K-BB, 26.0 WAR, One Top-25 MVP Finish
Positional Ranking: No. 3 Relief Pitcher
One of the first swingman pitchers in team history, Firpo Marberry racked up 94 saves at a time when no one else was earning them He pitched as a starter, long reliever, and a closer, doing whatever the Senators needed to win.
Marberry was a part of the 1924 and 1925 American League Pennant teams and was a key piece to help the team win the World Series in 1924. That main contribution helps him land in the top fifty in franchise history.
No. 41: Washington Senators’ Buddy Lewis 1935-1941, 1945-1947, 1949 (11 Seasons) 1349 G, 1563 H, 830 R, 71 HR, 607 RBI, 83 SB, 573 BB, .297 BA, 28.3 WAR, -1.3 dWAR, Two Top-25 MVP Finishes, Two Time All-Star
Positional Ranking: No. 5 Right Fielder
The top player in the “Last Ten In” Group, Buddy Lewis produced a .297 BA and 830 runs over 11 seasons with the Senators. The Two-Time All-Star posted an excellent 28.3 WAR, the sixteenth best number in team history.
Unfortunately, he was never able to help the team go very far, as he never got to see the postseason over his career. Because of this, despite his solid stats, Lewis finishes outside of the Top 40.
Next. Minnesota Twins: The Top 50 Players in Franchise History: 40-21. dark