Minnesota Twins: Way-too-Early Opening Day Lineup Predictions for 2023

2023 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Infield Projections

2023 Opening Day Catcher: Omar Narvaez (free-agent signing)

After a fairly disastrous go of things for the Twins catchers in 2022, the team will clearly need to find a different group to find success next season. Ryan Jeffers will return as one of the Twins’ two catchers, but the team will need to add another catcher to work with him, likely in a platoon role. For this job, I picked Omar Narvaez.

Jeffers is dominant against lefties, but he struggles against righties, so adding the top lefty catcher (and a 2021 All-Star) makes the most sense. With the team likely going to try and compete, adding Narvaez makes sense, and with Singer on the mound, he gets the starting call here. The Twins could also add a player like Mike Zunino or Christian Vazquez, but Narvaez is the ideal get.

2023 Opening Day First Baseman: Alex Kirilloff

After the oft-injured former top prospect had yet another procedure to try and solve his wrist injury for good, Alex Kirilloff looks to be the left-handed bat to start the year at first base. His tantalizing potential has always been impressive, but if he can’t stay healthy, the team will have to find a more permanent answer.

I would also expect Jose Miranda to continue to get time here as a right-handed hitter with some Luis Arraez sprinkled in, but with the team’s outfield a little more settled, Kirilloff is going to continue to get a large chunk of his innings here.

2023 Opening Day Second Baseman: Jorge Polanco

This may be a disappointing pick for this position, but to expect anything else isn’t realistic. Jorge Polanco continued to play excellent defense and posted a very, very good .346 OBP. Now yes, Polanco’s batting average was the worst of his career and his slugging dropped, but he still has a great contract and lengthy history of success. He’s the guy at the keystone.

2023 Opening Day Shortstop: Elvis Andrus (free agent signing)

I will preface this by saying that I want the Minnesota Twins to re-sign Carlos Correa. After a red-hot September, Correa finished the year with a .291/.366/.467 slash line, 22 homers, and led the Minnesota Twins in bWAR (5.4) and fWAR (4.4). All due respect to Luis Arraez (who I will talk about later), but Correa was the team’s best player overall.

Unfortunately, the front office seems unwilling to pay the man his money, so the team will need to look elsewhere. With another good shortstop group the Twins will be in the market, but with Royce Lewis likely back by next June at the latest, the team will likely opt against spending big on Correa, Dansby Swanson, or Trea Turner.

Instead, Elvis Andrus seems like a good stop-gap until Lewis is healthy. Andrus was in the midst of a brutal offensive season and was released by the Athletics midseason. His career looked to be just about over, but he was picked up by the Chicago White Sox and turned in a very solid .271/.309/.464 slashline over 43 games.

He’s very far from a long-term option, but he’d be a decent enough option (especially defensively) that the Minnesota Twins can trot him out there as a temporary band aid until Lewis returns. When compared to Jose Iglesias and old friend Ehire Adrianza, Andrus is a better option.

2023 Opening Day Third Baseman: Gio Urshela

The ideal situation here would be to see Correa at short and Jose Miranda here until Royce Lewis got back but after a brutal 45 game stretch to end last season (.240/.316/.335) and multiple defensive question marks, the team will have to roll with Gio Urshela.

Don’t get me wrong; Urshela had a very solid season. His .285 batting average is good, and he occasionally made some flashy defensive plays while being very reliable. He just doesn’t have the upside of Miranda’s or Lewis’ potential.

2023 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Outfield Projections

2023 Opening Day Left Fielder: Trevor Larnach

In a similar position to Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach is entering his third MLB season with some major injury concerns. For each of the past two seasons, Larnach has had stretches where he’s looked like a future All-Star and stretches where it looks like the injury is taking a serious toll on him.

Larnach is also similar to Kirilloff in that this serves as a sort of make or break season for the young outfielder. If he can’t manage to be a little more consistent, then he can’t be seen as a realistic option going forward.

2023 Opening Day Center Fielder: Byron Buxton

Despite what some Twins fans would like to believe, Byron Buxton’s 2022 season was a successful one that helped validate his new extension. Even though his season ended with a familiar scene (Buxton on the injured list), he should be the man in center field once again.

The first time All-Star has Gilberto Celestino and Nick Gordon to back him up if needed, but it’s not worth signing another player to try and fill the void when Buxton is out. He’ll be the guy in center once again.

2023 Opening Day Right Fielder: Matt Wallner

Right field is easily the biggest question mark (outside of shortstop) that the Minnesota Twins have. The position has been primarily occupied by Max Kepler for the last seven years, but after yet another struggling season, the team needs to admit that Kepler is best used as an elite defensive bench outfielder.

This leaves Alex Kirilloff, Nick Gordon, and top prospect Matt Wallner as the options here, and with Kirilloff at first, Wallner stands out as the best option. Wallner was decent in his first big league cup of coffee, but he has the best chance of anyone currently on the roster of manning the position long term.

If the team doesn’t make any major bullpen additions, signing a big-name corner outfielder could be a possible option, but the team should instead let Wallner, Kepler, Kirilloff, and Gordon take up the time here, with Wallner getting the most run.

2023 Opening Day Designated Hitter: Luis Arraez

Last but certainly not least, there’s no one better to put as the Minnesota Twins designated hitter than the newly-minted top hitter in the American League. Arraez’s defense is unplayable at any position outside of first and second, and in both of those places the Twins have better options defensively. Keeping Arraez as the DH keeps his bat in the lineup and limits defensive weakness.

2023 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Lineup and Bench

This leaves the Twins final lineup against a right-handed starting pitcher as follows:

Starters

• C-Narvaez
• 1B-Kirilloff
• 2B-Polanco
• SS-Andrus
• 3B-Urshela
• LF-Larnach
• CF-Buxton
• RF-Wallner
• DH-Arraez

Bench

• C-Jeffers
• 1B/3B-Miranda
• UTL-Gordon
• OF-Kepler

Without Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa, this team is missing some serious punch. If Larnach, Miranda, Kirilloff, and Wallner step up, the team looks a lot better, but as of now, the team looks to be in trouble for the start of 2023.