Minnesota Twins: 2010s All-Decade Starting Lineup
Minnesota Twins Infielders of the 2010s
Catcher: Joe Mauer (2010-2018)
Not only was Joe Mauer the best catcher the Minnesota Twins had in the 2010s, Mauer is without a doubt the greatest catcher the Twins have ever had. He is tenth all-time in WAR for catchers with a total of 55.3 and 8 of the 9 ahead of him are in the hall of fame. Surely Mauer will follow suit and this was a no brainer decision for me as well.
First Base: Justin Morneau (2010-2013)
Not taking any credit away from Justin Morneau at all, but with Mauer landing behind the dish, Morneau was a pretty great second option. However, Morneau is still a really good choice. During his 11 total years as a Twin, he hit 221 HR, had an offensive WAR of 21.6 and an OPS of .832 which is very solid, even if his defense was below average.
In this time period, Morneau made an All-Star team and hit 41 homers in 277 games while helping the team win one of the decade’s only divisional crowns in 2010. That’s good enough to land on the list here.
Second Base: Brian Dozier (2012-2018)
As an eighth round pick in the 2009 draft by the Twins, Brian Dozier, the homegrown second basemen was the team’s backbone when it came to a power bat in the lineup. Dozier averaged 23 home runs in his time in Minnesota and even hit 20+ for his final four full years as a Twin.
In those four years, Dozier also had an OPS+ of over 100 each year before being traded at the deadline to the Dodgers. He picked up quite a few individual accolades as well, as he also managed to pick up a Gold Glove and an All-Star appearance in the past decade as well.
Shortstop: Jorge Polanco (2014-Current)
Though he’s no longer the starting shortstop (at least he shouldn’t be), Jorge Polanco was about as solid of a hitter as there comes. Polanco has posted an OPS+ over 100 in 6 of his 8 years with the Twins so far and is hitting a modest .276 in his career.
He has also posted a positive WAR in every single full year of his career and has shown that he is and will continue to be a cornerstone for Twins for the foreseeable future.
Third Base: Trevor Plouffe (2010-2016)
Unfortunately Miguel Sano hasn’t shown me anything worth putting him on this list, but his status as a liability on defense really solidifies that for me. This opens the door for another third baseman, and Trevor Plouffe deserves to be here (sort of).
The Twins as a whole haven’t really had any stand out third basemen this past decade and the only real stat that sort of sticks out to me is that Plouffe had an OBP of over .300 every year as a Twin minus his rookie season (where he played 22 games). Plouffe over those 6 years was slightly above average, and that is good enough to make this list.
Minnesota Twins Outfielders of the 2010s
Left Field: Eddie Rosario (2015-2020)
Eddie Rosario played the most in left field of anyone in the past decade, playing a total of 681 games out there. Although his defense and running antics often left Twins fans shaking their heads, Rosario had an 11.2 offensive WAR with Minnesota and hit over 20 HR three times as well. Overall a solid corner outfielder for half of the decade.
Center Field: Aaron Hicks (2013-2015)
Just kidding. It’s obviously Byron Buxton. Although Buxton has not played a full season since 2017, when he’s on the field, he gives the Twins the best chance of winning. A great leader and MVP caliber player when healthy, he’s the most talented player the Twins have had both offensively and defensively this decade.
I speak for all Twins fans when I say I hope that we get to see a stretch of full seasons for Buxton with his new extension that he signed.
Right Field: Max Kepler (2015-Current)
If you want a guy who is going to play almost every day, mess around and hit 20 HR in a season, steal between 6-10 bags, and be solid defensively, then Max Kepler is your guy. He’s struggled over the past few years, but Kepler is a very solid player and was very good in the 2010s.
If he can bring that average up again and bounce back to the player he was during the last decade, he would be able to elevate himself to a consistent starter alongside Buxton in the outfield.
Minnesota Twins Pitchers of the 2010s
Starting Pitcher: Kyle Gibson (2013-2019)
This was a tough decision to make, and I was very close to putting Jose Berrios here instead of Kyle Gibson, but Berrios didn’t separate himself from Gibson until this year, and for that reason, it doesn’t count for me.
In the past 11 years, there hasn’t been one stand out pitcher for the Twins. Gibson was very solid, posting a 4.52 ERA over 7 years, a slightly below average ERA+ with a 93 and a WAR of 9.3. It would have been interesting to see what Berrios could have become, but Gibson (just slightly) takes the starting pitcher spot here.
Relief Pitcher: Glen Perkins (2010-2017)
Relief pitchers are always tough to grade due to the fluctuations in playing time and how easily a relief pitcher can lose their job. With that being said, Being able to close for four years and be a top reliever for five years is impressive.
Glen Perkins did that and more as the Minnesota native who locked down the back of the bullpen. On top that 120 saves and a 3.18 ERA is something that a lot of teams look for in a reliable closer, good enough to round out our list. Some of these choices were easier than the other, and if you feel that I messed one up, feel free to let me know on twitter at @JKoettersWords.
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