It’s been over thirty years since the Minnesota Twins last stood on top of the baseball world. So far this year has gotten off to a splendid start, and it has fans thinking about the glory days of the team and when we’ll see them return.
Nostalgia has been all that Twins fans have had during large stretches of the last decade, and it’s hard to not look back fondly on some of those 90s teams. Some of us were around for those days (although I’m personally a 2000s kid so those are my teams) and some of us weren’t.
Artificial Intelligence most certainly was not around or aware enough to enjoy those teams. The rise of AI, though, has everyone diving into it to see just how intelligent it actually is.
We asked ChatGPT to rank the best Minnesota Twins players from the 1990s, and the results are almost scary how accurate they are.
Of course, AI is just pulling information from around the web so it’s not hard to crunch the numbers and see which Twins players were the most decorated throughout the decade. After all, the team won a World Series in 1991, and most of the players can be pulled from that group.
We’ll get into some more analysis an reactions to the list at the bottom, so without further ado….welcome to the future.
Best Minnesota Twins from the 1990s, ranked by ChatGPT
Note: Everything written here was generated by AI, so if you don’t agree with something then come complain with us down below No. 1
5. Kevin Tapani
Tapani was another reliable pitcher for the Twins in the 1990s, posting a 91-64 record and a 4.06 ERA over seven seasons. He also made an All-Star appearance in 1999 and helped lead the Twins to the ALCS that year.
4. Brad Radke
Radke was a workhorse for the Twins in the 1990s, pitching over 200 innings in seven of his nine seasons with the team. He finished with a 148-139 record and a 4.22 ERA during that time, while also earning an All-Star selection in 1998.
3. Kent Hrbek
Hrbek was a fan favorite and a key contributor to the Twins' World Series teams in 1987 and 1991. He hit 164 home runs and drove in 647 runs during the 1990s, while also providing solid defense at first base.
2. Chuck Knoblauch
Knoblauch was a four-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner during his time with the Twins in the 1990s. He won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1991 and was an integral part of the Twins' success in the early part of the decade.
1. Kirby Puckett
Puckett was the face of the Twins in the 1990s and one of the best players in baseball during that time. He won six Gold Glove Awards, and six Silver Slugger Awards, and was selected to the All-Star team every year except for one (1996). He also helped lead the Twins to their two World Series titles in 1987 and 1991.
Hello, it’s a human again (or is it? Have the bots learned to mimic us that well already???)
As stated, it’s not that hard to pull from the internet and rank 90s Twins players based on accolades. There isn’t a list worth anything that doesn’t have Kirby Puckett at the top, although ranking Knoblauch above Hrbek is where the subjectivity kicks in.
This is where it’s clear a machine did the homework. Knoblauch isn’t considered a better Twins player than Hrbek but he did have a better decade in the 90s which seems to have influenced the ranking.
One interesting pull was the addition of Brad Radke, who is a beloved Twins figure not often remembered as a 90s player. He’s far closer associated with the 2000s teams, but his inclusion here is both cool and depressing.
Radke debuted for the Twins in 1997, which means his three years at the end of the decade were better than anything between 1994 and 2000. That’s quite an indictment on the teams of that era, but Twins fans don’t need to be told that since we all lived through it (unlike the bots).