The Twins may have faded out of the race over the final two months, but three former Minnesota players are still alive for a title, a trophy, and a ring.
If you’re hunting for a postseason team to follow and don’t feel like picking a heavyweight spender, a geographic rival, a division rival, or the Rays, you can take the ex-Twins route instead.
Cole Sulser, Jax
current team: Tampa Bay Rays
Twins tenure: 2021-25
Minnesota took Jax in the third round in 2016, and he climbed the ladder before making his debut on June 8, 2021. That first appearance was rough: he handled the final inning of a loss to the Yankees and allowed three runs.
He spent most of his rookie year as a starter without much success, but the move to the bullpen changed everything. Jax became a key high-leverage arm, and 2024 was his peak season, when he posted a 2.03 ERA with 95 strikeouts over 71 innings and collected 10 saves.
His first half in 2025 was less steady, and he was one of the names moved at the deadline. Minnesota sent him to Tampa Bay and received Taj Bradley in return, with Bradley developing into a top-of-the-rotation starter.
The Rays shifted Jax back into the rotation in May, though in the postseason he has worked only as a reliever.
Trevor Megill, RP
current team: Milwaukee Brewers
Twins tenure: 2022
Megill’s path in Minnesota was short. He was a bad Cub in 2021 and a mediocre Twin in 2022, and after that season the Twins dealt him to Milwaukee for minor league reliever Taylor Floyd.
Floyd has moved around several minor league systems and has not gotten past AA ball, while Megill has turned into a bullpen fixture for the Brewers. He has finished each of the last three seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA, and in 2025 he was named an All-Star.
Gary Sánchez, C
current team: Milwaukee Brewers
Twins tenure: 2022
Minnesota got Sánchez from the Yankees in the Josh Donaldson salary dump trade, a deal that came after the Twins sent Mitch Garver to Texas the day before and before they later signed Carlos Correa. At the time, Ryan Jeffers was not yet ready to take over the starting catching job, so Sánchez - along with Gio Urshela - arrived to help fill the gap.
Once a highly touted prospect, a Rookie of the Year runner-up, and a two-time All-Star, Sánchez had already seen his offense slip, and that decline continued in Minnesota. He was the club’s primary catcher all season and finished with 16 home runs and a .659 OPS. He bounced back somewhat with the Padres the next year, putting up a .792 OPS with 19 homers in 72 games, and has since settled in as Milwaukee’s backup catcher, serving in that role in 2024 and again this season after a stint in Baltimore.
So if you’re still looking for a team to pull for, the choices are simple: two Brewers and one Ray. The hope in Minnesota is still that next year’s active Twins group makes a real run in October, but next year is next year. For now, there’s still baseball to watch.
In Other News...
Twins Just Sent A Clear Message With This Pitching Staff Move
The Twins have begun reshaping their pitching infrastructure with a pair of staff moves, turning to Brian Reith as their new pitching coach and promoting Ben Myers to assistant athletic trainer. Reith arrives after spending the past five seasons with the Triple-A Durham Bulls in the Rays organization, and Minnesota is clearly looking for fresh perspective on the mound after Pete Makis departure.
Reiths background is the part that stands out most here. He comes from a system known for developing pitchers and stressing efficiency, and his Durham staffs were especially strong at limiting walks while turning in top-tier run prevention. For a Twins team that has been searching for more stability on the pitching side, the hire suggests a deliberate bet on structure and development rather than a quick fix. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Ryan Jeffers Decision That Could Get Uncomfortable
Ryan Jeffers future is one of the more delicate decisions facing the Twins this offseason after Minnesota held onto him at the deadline and now has to navigate what comes next. The catcher is set to reach free agency, and the Twins are weighing whether to try to keep a player who has become a familiar part of their roster while also knowing they have catching prospects moving through the system.
The market may not make the choice simple. The Yankees have been linked to Jeffers, but they also have reasons to be cautious about signing him, which leaves open the possibility that he could either take a short-term path back to Minnesota or look for a longer deal elsewhere. Even with the Twins internal options, this is the kind of decision that can get uncomfortable fast because it asks the club to balance immediate stability against the desire to keep building for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Tough Winter Call On Yasser Mercedes
Yasser Mercedes spent 2026 giving the Twins a reminder of why his name still carries real intrigue in the system. The 21-year-old outfielder showed a rare blend of power and speed while moving between Single-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, the kind of tool package that keeps an organization interested even when the development path is still clearly unfinished.
Now Minnesota is staring at one of those winter roster decisions that can shape the back end of a farm system. Mercedes is heading toward Rule 5 draft eligibility after five professional seasons, and the Twins have to weigh whether a spot on the 40-man roster is worth using to keep him in the fold or whether the risk of exposing him is part of the cost of a crowded roster. The upside is obvious, but so is the challenge of finding room for a player who still needs more time against advanced pitching. [Read more 🡒]