Josh Donaldson’s blunt podcast comments this week may have put a finger on the biggest shift inside the Twins since Derek Shelton took over.
Minnesota’s decision to move on from Rocco Baldelli after the 2025 season was welcomed by plenty of fans who wanted a fresh start. The hire that followed, though, drew a more skeptical reaction. Shelton had been Baldelli’s bench coach in 2019, so to some it looked like a continuation of the same old thing.
That hasn’t been how the season has played out. Shelton has guided a young Twins team into the thick of the American League Wild Card race, and the change has gone beyond the standings. The clubhouse has felt different, too.
Donaldson, speaking on his “Get It Done League” podcast, sounded like someone who saw the gap firsthand.
“Playing there for two years, I thought it was mediocre at best,” Donaldson said. “...
I know Derek Shelton, he’s the manager and stuff there, and I’m sure he’s changed it up in the clubhouse some. But when I was in Minnesota, it just didn’t seem like they had a culture to win or care to win.
Everything was analytics this, analytics that and there was no reasoning. I was like, ‘Hey, show me some reasoning.’”
That criticism lands in a familiar place for Baldelli’s tenure. He did win plenty in Minnesota - a 527-505 record, three AL Central Division titles and the franchise’s first playoff and playoff series wins in roughly two decades. But the ride wasn’t always smooth, and the club’s image often reflected that.
Baldelli’s style was easygoing, and at times that worked. At other times, it clearly didn’t sit well with players like Donaldson, whose own abrasive edge created friction during his two seasons with the Twins. Royce Lewis also had issues with Baldelli, pushing back on a request to play second base in September 2024 and later needing daily meetings during the 2025 season to help smooth things over.
The analytical side of Baldelli’s approach was another flashpoint. The “third time through the order” idea - that hitters tend to do better against a starter as a game goes on - became something he leaned on heavily.
In the 2020 AL Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros, that showed up in the quick hooks for Jose Berrios and Kenta Maeda after strong starts. The Twins also became known for aggressive platoons that kept players from settling into any kind of rhythm, and many fans felt the in-game decisions were being drawn up by former President of Baseball and Business Operations Derek Falvey long before first pitch.
Donaldson’s point may have gone deeper than any single tactical decision, though. The larger issue was the feel of the team, especially after seasons when Minnesota had opportunities to push forward and instead faded badly.
The 2022 Twins were 53-48 and made a major deadline investment, then collapsed to 25-36 over the final two months and missed the playoffs. Two years later, they were sitting at 70-53 and looked like a near lock, only to stumble to 12-27 over their final 39 games and end up watching October from home.
That’s where Shelton appears to have made his mark. He arrived with a different tone, traveling to Texas right away to meet with Lewis. Lewis later compared him to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell because of his intensity and player-friendly style.
Shelton has also shown more trust in his roster, letting players work through slumps and allowing starting pitchers to stay in games longer instead of going to the bullpen at the first hint of trouble. More than anything, he’s created a looser clubhouse environment that still feels accountable, just not rigid.
He may not be headed for Manager of the Year votes, but the Twins being in the race at all matters. Entering the year with a projected win total in the 70s, they’ve at least stayed relevant, and that’s a sign Shelton has already changed something real in Minnesota. If it lasts, the Twins will be in a much better spot - and a lot of people who questioned the hire last winter will have their answer.
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