There’s been a lot of talk about history lately with the Minnesota Twins, thanks in large part to Jose Miranda. He went on a historic tear recently, getting a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats which tied an all-time MLB record and set a new franchise record for the Twins.
Miranda’s feat deserves to be celebrated among the great accomplishments Twins players have achieved over the many years the franchise has existed. It’s also a perfect excuse to stroll down memory lane.
The Washington Senators officially moved to Minnesota making the Twins a professional franchise in 1961. Following the switch, the Twins have been moderately successful, playing in three World Series and winning two.
They have also had some of the best and most exciting players in MLB history, from home run hitters to Gold Glove winners and even a hometown kid who did it all.
With all the great history in the Twins organization, there are a few players who are considered their all-time greats.
Ranking the most historic players in Minnesota Twins franchise history
5. Tony Oliva
Oliva could have topped this list if he had a fully healthy career. Despite dealing with injuries, Oliva ended up with over 1900 hits, 220 home runs, and a career batting average of .304. Oliva also won three batting titles and was named the 1964 AL Rookie of the Year.
When looking at Oliva stats nothing jumps off the page, but he still made the Hall of Fame. This shows fans just how much of an impact he had on the game when he was healthy and leaves many wondering what those numbers could have looked like if the left-hander had an injury-free career.
4. Joe Mauer
The kid from St. Paul, Minnesota, did almost everything in a Twins uniform. He won an MVP, three batting titles, three Gold Gloves, over 2100 hits, a career average of .306, and was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The one thing Mauer could not do is why he is not higher on this list. Mauer never won a playoff game in his MLB career. It’s hard to argue that someone is a top franchise player when he never won a game in the postseason.
3. Rod Carew
Arguably the most impactful Twin on this list, Carew had a career WAR of 81.2, over 3000 hits, seven batting titles, a career batting average of .328, an MVP, and was an 18-time All-Star.
Carew isn’t ranked first because he only played 12 seasons with the Twins, playing an additional seven with the California Angels, making it difficult to give him the title of greatest Twins player.
2. Kirby Puckett
Puckett was a career .318 hitter who won a batting title and six silver sluggers and was an all-time great defensive player who won six Gold Glove awards.
More importantly, Puckett delivered two World Series trophies to a state that otherwise had been starved of postseason success, coming up with some of the most memorable moments in Minnesota sports history.
"And we'll see you tomorrow night!"
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 26, 2020
On today's date in #MNTwins history, Kirby Puckett hit this BIG home run! pic.twitter.com/ayLyoAFwgs
1. Harmon Killebrew
Killebrew goes down as the greatest Twin ever, “Killer" was well-known for his majestic home runs, ending his career with 573, over 2000 hits, and a career WAR of 60.3.
He also gained countless accolades while in the organization, including being named 1969 AL MVP, becoming an 11-time All-Star, and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.
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