Ranking Minnesota Twins position groups heading into 2023 based on projected WAR

5. Third Base - Projected WAR: 3.7

Best Player: Jose Miranda (2.7 WAR)

How much of a step forward will Jose Miranda take this year?

That's one of the biggest questions Twins fans have entering the season, as Miranda seems to have everything needed to be a key piece of the core for years to come. One potential cause for concern is how the team’s new everyday third baseman played the position the least last season. Miranda played 42 fewer games at third than he did at first (27 at third base, 69 at first base), which hopefully seems like a bigger deal than it actually is.

Adjacent to the question of how much further he can step into his potential is how healthy he will be when the season starts. He accounts for almost all of the positional WAR at third, but right now he's dealing with a shoulder situation that has prevented him from throwing.

Brooks Lee could sneak in and have an impact at third, but that’s asking a lot of a rookie who has mostly played at shortstop. Assuming he comes back from injury alright, Royce Lewis could slot in at third as well, with Carlos Correa having shown a willingness to play the position when the New York Mets were trying to sign him in December (his buddy Francisco Lindor has shortstop locked down).

6. Catcher - Projected WAR: 3.6

Best Player: Christian Vazquez (2.1 WAR)

One of the sleeper position groups for the Twins is behind the plate at catcher. Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez offer the slimmest margin between WAR in any of the Twins position groups outside of pitching, which seems to reflect how much of a one-two punch they'll be.

Buxton-Taylor still make up the best positional duo on the roster, but there's a case to be made for Jeffers-Vazquez to be close behind.

Of two, Vazquez offers the most value with 2.1 WAR, but he's able to hit lefties almost as good as Jeffers which means being able to put them both in the lineup against them with one behind the plate and the other as DH.