Minnesota Twins: Comparing current Twins Players with All-Time Greats

The Minnesota Twins are one of the MLB’s oldest franchises dating all the way back to 1901. Back then, the team was known as the Senators, and they played in Washington D.C. The Senators moved to Minneapolis in 1961 to become the Twins we know and love today. Over their 120 year long history, the Twins have had some of the best ball players of all time. Their current team features some stellar athletes as well.

We compare current Minnesota Twins stars to legendary former Twins.

With the current lockout slogging on, there isn’t a lot going on, so with that in mind, going to take a look back and compare some current Twins stars to some of the team’s all-time greats. We start this off with a look at two of Minnesota’s top contact hitters.

Minnesota Twins Second Baseman Luis Arraez compares to…

As soon as Luis Arraez burst into the major leagues in 2019, he garnered comparisons to some of the greatest contact hitters in history. He finished sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 despite playing only 92 games. That year, he had an incredible .334 batting average and .838 OPS.

Arraez continued his success through 2021. Last year, he was in the 100th percentile in Whiff% and 99th percentile in K%, according to Baseball Savant. No contact wizard  is a better comparison for the young Venezuelan than Hall of Famer Rod Carew.

…Hall of Fame Minnesota Twins legend Rod Carew.

The comparisons between Luis Arraez and Rod Carew are eerie. Both are Twins contact masters with little power and sub-par infield defense. Their slashlines through their age-24 seasons are incredibly similar.

Carew: .307/.353/.421/.775 for a 119 OPS+.

Arraez: 313/.374/.403/.777 for a 113 OPS+.

If Arraez can continue his success in the trajectory of Carew, Twins fans may witness another historic career. Moreover, Arraez is having Carew-level success with nearly 600 less plate appearances of experience. However, Carew already had earned himself a batting title by batting .332 in 1969.

Minnesota Twins First Baseman compares to…

If there’s one thing you need to know about Miguel Sano, it’s that he crushes baseballs. Every year of his 7 year MLB career, Sano has finished in the top 6th percent in max exit velocity. This has lead Sano to post some impressive home run totals, topping 28 home runs three times while missing a significant amount of games due to injury.

…Hall of Fame Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew.

Perhaps no one in the history of the league hit the ball harder than Minnesota Twin and Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew. His power was so infamous that Ossie Bluege, the scout (and former Senators player who signed him, said, “He hit line drives that put the opposition in jeopardy. And I don’t mean the infielders, I mean outfielders.”

Sure, Sano and Killebrew share a knack for clobbering the baseball. But the comparisons don’t end there. Both strike out frequently (both have led the league in strikeouts once), and walk often (Killebrew led the AL in walks four times, Sano was in the 78th percentile of walk percentage last year).

Finally, both players have some…struggles defensively. Their large frames regulated them to the corner infield or the occasional corner outfield spots. Killebrew has -78 career defensive runs saved for his career, and Sano will likely fall behind him. He’s already at -49.

However, both Killebrew and Sano are the type of players in which coaches and fans are able to look past their deep flaws to watch their mammoth home run shots sail into the upper deck.

If you’re looking for a Byron Buxton comparison, there is no shortage of great Minnesota Twins outfielders in their history. Unfortunately, Buxton has spent much of career on the injured list, so it’s better to look at skill sets as opposed to accomplishments.

You could look back towards the Washington Senators days at Goose Goslin, but his consistency and high averages aren’t Buxton-like. Kirby Puckett and Tony Oliva are possible picks too, but they lacked the speed and defensive metrics that Buxton thrives in.

Therefore, the only Minnesota Twins player that could come close to replicating the incredible skill set of Buxton is Torii Hunter. Buxton started his career as a fleet-footed light-hitting center fielder who has since evolved into a 5-tool threat. No one in Minnesota Twins history was a better 5-tool athlete than Torii Hunter.

While playing for the Twins, he hit 20 or more home runs 7 times, stole 20 or more bases 3 times, and won 7 Gold Glove awards in centerfield.

While Buxton’s career pales in comparison to the accomplishments of Hunter, he has plenty of time to match those totals with his new contract extension. A healthy Buxton could be the key turnaround for the Twins to climb back into contention in 2022.