The Brewers’ World Series run is already getting treated like a blueprint, and Theo Epstein’s old warning fits the moment perfectly: “The only thing I know for sure is that whatever team wins the World Series, their particular style of play will be completely en vogue and trumpeted from the rooftops by the media all offseason -- and in front offices -- as the way to win.”
That reaction is easy to understand. Milwaukee just won it all, so everybody wants to know what the rest of baseball is supposed to copy. But the lesson here is less about some romantic return to small ball than it is about how a smart organization keeps itself alive year after year.
For the Twins, that’s the uncomfortable part. Since coming out of their early 2010s tank, they’ve lived in a narrow band of outcomes.
From 2014 through now, they’ve finished between 70 and 87 wins every season except for 2019, 2020 and the 2016 “back to reality” club between postseason appearances in 2015 and 2017. Outside of 2019, that’s a long stretch of mediocrity.
Milwaukee’s path was different because the Brewers kept making hard choices and kept making enough of the right ones. They dealt Josh Hader for Robert Gasser, who became a key rotation piece in their World Series run. Esteury Ruiz also came back in that trade, then later got moved in the three-team deal that brought in William Contreras, their best player.
They kept working the market. Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes were moved for players who mattered in their 2026 season - DL Hall, Joey Ortiz and Brandon Sproat.
Devin Williams was traded for Caleb Durbin, who then went to the Red Sox for Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan and postseason hero David Hamilton. Milwaukee didn’t hit on every move, but it hit often enough.
Just as important, it didn’t cling to players past the point where the return disappeared.
That’s where the Twins have fallen behind. There haven’t been many truly disastrous moves, but there also hasn’t been nearly enough roster churn.
Inaction became a choice, and former POBO Derek Falvey made that choice too often. Minnesota has plenty of young talent - Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, Mick Abel and more help on the way - but the Brewers have done a far better job surrounding their core with the right complementary pieces.
Now the Twins are staring at the 2026 offseason, and some of the players who once could have been used in Brewers-style deals have already lost a lot of value. Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, Royce Lewis and even Joe Ryan to a certain extent are no longer in the same trade window they once were.
The first three are potential non-tender candidates, while Ryan has one year of control left after one of his worst seasons since becoming a top-end starter. Former top prospects Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, Austin Martin, Jose Miranda and Nick Gordon all stalled out before they really got going.
Nobody can predict every breakout, but Minnesota’s lack of movement has meant it never even gave itself enough chances to improve.
The Brewers’ real edge is self-scouting and realism. They knew Corbin Burnes was better than DL Hall and Joey Ortiz, but they also understood their rotation depth, the low odds of re-signing him and the injury risk that comes with a hard-throwing starter.
That read looks even sharper now, with Burnes having appeared in just 45 games over three seasons since leaving Milwaukee. The Brewers also identified Jackson Chourio, who had never played above Double-A, as a future star and locked him up with an $80M extension before he reached the majors.
Now those Burnes, Hader and Williams decisions are behind them anyway, since he’s under team control until 2033.
There’s also the part of Milwaukee’s identity that gets flattened into a cliché: the contact, speed and defense. The Brewers do have their power bats in the middle with Contreras, Chourio and Jake Bauers, but the rest of the roster is built to move, pressure and defend.
That wasn’t about nostalgia. It was about finding a market inefficiency while the rest of the league, Twins included, was still chasing the juiced-ball power model from 2019 to 2023.
That edge helped them make moves other clubs wouldn’t have made, whether it was flipping Durbin and other pieces for one year of a reliever, getting Joey Ortiz as part of the Burnes deal, or taking a shortstop like Cooper Pratt in the sixth round. Milwaukee saw the market before everyone else did.
But even that model has evolved. The Brewers have also been flexible in a way the Twins haven’t.
Outside of soon-to-be NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski, every starter in their rotation both started games and pitched out of the bullpen. Relievers Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill could all work one inning or more.
And outside of Contreras behind the plate and Brice Turang at second, every other impact position player started at least 10 games at multiple spots.
That kind of adaptability matters. You can’t trade away every prospect and young player or you wind up like the Padres, expensive and old with too little behind them.
But the Twins have gone too far the other way, hoarding players to their own detriment. Jeremy Zoll has already shown more willingness to deal than his predecessor, which is a start.
With the young core already in place, the Twins are halfway to being the Brewers. What they still haven’t shown is the ability to fix the thing that has held them back all along and finally get over the hump.
In Other News...
Twins Prospect Is Making One Big Question Harder To Ignore
Kyle DeBarge entered the Twins system with plenty of pedigree after going 33rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the highest selection in Louisiana-Lafayette history, and Minnesota has spent the last couple of seasons learning what kind of player it really has. The infielder reached Double-A Wichita in 2026, where the bat lagged behind the reputation, but his glove kept pushing him forward, enough for him to win the 2025 Minor League Gold Glove Award at second base and continue showing the kind of defensive flexibility clubs value.
The Arizona Fall League assignment was designed to help DeBarge clean up the offensive side while giving the Twins another look at how his game plays at different spots on the diamond. He has responded with noticeable improvement at the plate and has also continued to move around defensively, which only adds to the intrigue around a prospect whose path to Minnesota now seems less about whether he can defend and more about how quickly the bat can catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Lost Pitching Depth As Another Roster Move Looms
The Twins pitching depth took another hit when the Mets claimed right-hander Jack Anderson off waivers, removing a name from a bullpen mix that had already been in flux. Anderson had only recently come into Minnesotas orbit after the club picked him up from Boston earlier this season, and while his big league experience is limited, he had drawn interest because of a varied arsenal and a minor league track record that suggested there might still be something to work with.
For Minnesota, the move adds another layer to a roster picture that has been changing quickly. Andersons departure surfaced before the Twins had publicly announced any corresponding roster move, leaving the next step in the shuffle still to be sorted out as the club continues to manage its pitching inventory. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Jeffers Just Put A Big Twins Offseason Decision In Play
The Twins have put Ryan Jeffers squarely in the center of one of their biggest offseason questions by extending him a qualifying offer, a move that keeps the catcher tied to Minnesota for now while also giving the club a fallback if he ultimately leaves. Jeffers has said he is open to returning, but he also plans to test free agency and see where the market takes him, which is exactly the kind of uncertainty teams try to get ahead of at this stage.
For Minnesota, the decision is about more than just whether Jeffers is back behind the plate next season. His choice will shape the Twins catching picture and determine whether the organization simply retains a familiar piece or gains a future draft asset in return. The clock is now ticking on Jeffers next move, and the Twins will be waiting to see whether his offseason begins with a return or a broader search for his value. [Read more 🡒]