Minnesota Twins’ All-2000s team: Creating a dream lineup

As we enter 2025, it’s a great time to look back at the last quarter century of Minnesota Twins baseball. There’s been plenty of highs and lows but in this article, we'll take a look at the last 25 years and select a team that has defined the franchise beginning with the offense. 

Catcher: Joe Mauer 

This is a no brainer. Mauer is a Minnesota legend with a legitimate argument to be the greatest Twin of all time. The St. Paul native was one of the best high school athletes ever as a catcher and quarterback who became a Hall of Famer with his hometown team and now might rejoin the franchise in an ownership group.

An MVP, six-time all-star, three-time batting title winner, three-time gold glover, and five-time silver slugger, Mauer spent his entire 15-year career with the Twins. The resume speaks for itself and every Twins fan has nothing but fond members of Mauer’s career. 

Honorable mention: A.J. Pierzynski

First Base: Justin Morneau

Another easy option, Justin Morneau was one of the best first baseman in baseball in his prime. He won the MVP in 2006 and followed it up with four straight all-star seasons.

Although Josh Hamilton’s 28 home run round in 2008 will always be remembered first, Morneau was the slugger who walked away with the title in that iconic home run derby. He aged gracefully, experiencing a resurgent 2014 with the Rockies where he won a batting title at the age of 33. Few hitters this century have been as consistent for the Twins as Morneau.  

Honorable Mention: Miguel Sanó

Second Base: Brian Dozier

What’s better than a fullback sized second baseman launching home runs with the best in the league? That’s the beauty of Brian Dozier. His most memorable season came in 2016 when he jacked 42 home runs while hitting .268 and accumulating an impressive 5.8 bWAR. Sure, he struck out a lot, but he was always a threat to go yard at a position not known for power. He was a fan favorite in the Twin Cities for seven years and an easy choice to fill the second base slot on our early all-century team. 

Honorable Mention: Alexi Casilla

Third Base: Trevor Plouffe

There might be a little popularity bias because of his growing media presence and fantastic work on Twins’ broadcasts, butTrevor Plouffe had a run as a formidable power hitter with the Twins in the early 2010s.

If you listen to his podcasts with Jomboy Media, you know he hit 106 MLB home runs, which is no joke. Back-to-back seasons of 40 and 35 doubles made him a legitimate power threat at third base and in the middle of the Twins lineup.

Although most of his time was spent at third, he showcased underrated versatility throughout his career, playing every position on the diamond except for pitcher, catcher, and center field. Plouffe’s power hitting threat and post-playing career success take the cake for our third base spot on this team. 

Honorable Mention: Corey Koskie

Shortstop: Jorge Polanco

Although Jorge Polanco may have had an underwhelming 2024 and is still without a club for next season, he had a very strong 10 year run in Minnesota.

Another player with strong infield versatility, the switch hitter hit .269 with 112 home runs in his Twins tenure. He had just two seasons with an OPS below 100 and racked up 17.2 bWar with the club.

Much like Plouffe, Polanco was a doubles machine with seasons of 30, 35, and 40 doubles to go alongside his 33 home run 2021 season. Longevity and production make Polanco the choice to man shortstop on our team. 

Honorable Mention: Cristian Guzman

Outfield: Byron Buxton 

Byron Buxton is certainly a frustrating player to root for due to his sky-high potential combined with his struggles to stay healthy. But when he’s on the field there’s no denying how much fun he is to watch.

Buxton broke into the league as the top prospect in baseball and has shown flashes of Trout-level talent. In a perfect world, Buxton could hit 30 home runs and be one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball. While the career numbers might be a little disappointing compared to what we know he is capable of, it’s hard to keep a player as electric and talented as Byron Buxton off this squad. 

Honorable Mention: Delmon Young

Outfield: Torii Hunter

You want center field defense? Early on in his career, there was arguably no better defender out in center than Torii Hunter. No better example of this than the 2002 All-Star game, where Hunter scaled the wall to bring back a homer from Barry Bonds, one of the most memorable moments in the history of the midsummer classic.

Hunter was far from a slouch at the plate either, amassing 353 career home runs, over 50 bWar, and a .277 batting average. Not only did he rob Bonds in 2002, he was on the wrong side of a memorable highlight with the Tigers in 2013 when he was inches away from another iconic catch on a David Ortiz home run, tumbling over the short fence in Fenway’s right field.

Hunter got to rightfully return to Minnesota for his last season in 2015 and is currently hanging around on the Hall of Fame ballot. While it’s unlikely he’ll get in, the fact he continues to stay on the ballot is a glowing recommendation of an amazing career. 

Honorable Mention: Denard Span

Outfielder: Michael Cuddyer

I don’t know about you, but I always thought Michael Cuddyer was one of the most underrated hitters of his generation. He was solid and consistent his entire career, which included 11 strong seasons in Minnesota.

Cuddyer rarely had flashy numbers, but every year you could count on him as a reliable middle-of-the-order bat. He was yet another defensively versatile player, making appearances at every position except catcher and shortstop throughout his career.

Cuddyer didn’t slow down after leaving Minnesota either, winning a batting title in Colorado with an astounding .331 batting average followed by a .332 mark the very next year. Cuddyer will round out this all-2000s team nicely with a good and reliable contact bat. 

Honorable Mention: Jason Kubel

Designated Hitter: Jim Thome 

It’s a bit cheeky to put a guy on the team who only played two seasons at the tail end of his career on the team, but it makes sense when it’s a first ballot Hall of Famer. Not only is he in Cooperstown, but he also pumped his milestone 600th career home run with the Twins. In his two seasons with the club, Thome hit .266 with 37 home runs and an impressive .949 OPS. It was short lived, but the legendary presence and milestone moment is enough to get an all-time great player in this lineup. 

Honorable Mention: Nelson Cruz