ESPN’s full-season grades landed on the Twins this week, and a C-minus feels about right for a team that finished with a late stumble after spending much of the year trying to prove it was better than the record suggested.
David Schoenfield’s Wednesday morning rundown gave Minnesota that mark after the club reached 75 wins before its final series of the season against the Texas Rangers at Target Field. That total nudged the Twins above what many expected, but it still leaves them in the uncomfortable space of a sub-80-win season - hardly the kind of finish that inspires a celebration, especially after an owner said he intended for the team to be competitive this season and bought before the trade deadline.
The payroll context matters, too. Schoenfield pointed out that Minnesota’s Opening Day payroll sat at roughly $104.7 million, its lowest since 2014.
That was a steep drop from the $154 million group the Twins put together in 2023, the team that beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card round for the organization’s first postseason series win in 21 years. On that backdrop, a middling grade makes sense.
The Twins didn’t do enough to earn anything stronger, but they did win more than many thought they would.
The season also might have looked very different with a healthier top of the roster. Byron Buxton missed significant time because of a hip issue that will require offseason surgery.
Joe Ryan was out for about a month with a glute strain and struggled badly in the second half. Pablo López missed the entire season after Tommy John surgery.
Those are three of the team’s biggest names, and losing that much talent for that much time left a mark.
Even so, there’s still a path forward here. Walker Jenkins is starting to heat up.
Kaelen Culpepper and Emmanuel Rodriguez have flashed real ability at the plate. Luke Keaschall has been an excellent leadoff hitter.
Taj Bradley has looked like a stud on the mound. The organization also has other prospects worth watching, including Vahn Lackey and Marek Houston.
The bigger question is whether ownership will actually back the front office with more meaningful support this winter. Minnesota did make some deadline moves, landing Dean Kremer, Jeff Hoffman, A.J.
Minter and Tommy Nance, and those additions were a step in the right direction even if they didn’t carry the Twins into the postseason. Hoffman, Kremer and Nance are back next season, and the only major players the club is likely to lose to free agency are Ryan Jeffers and Josh Bell.
But if the goal is to restore confidence, the Twins need more than incremental work. They need a real push.
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Twins Head Into Crucial Home Series With A Growing Roster Problem
The Twins are back at Target Field on Friday night to open a series against the Texas Rangers, and the matchup comes with the kind of roster watch that has started to hang over this stretch. The schedule, pitching matchups and broadcast details are all set, but Minnesota is also dealing with a lineup picture that has become more complicated as the club tries to keep pace in a tight spot.
Texas arrives with its own injury list and the series offers another look at how both teams are handling the grind of September baseball, but the Twins bigger concern is whether they can keep enough healthy bodies available to make the homestand count. Recent team trends suggest this one could matter well beyond the three games at Target Field, especially if Minnesota cannot stabilize the roster before the pressure ramps up again. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Infield Puzzle Could Put Royce Lewis In A New Spotlight
Kody Clemens put together the best offensive season of his career in 2026, giving the Twins another bat with some real usefulness in the lineup and some flexibility around the diamond. He reached personal highs in home runs, triples and RBIs, and his overall production graded out above league average, but the defensive side of his game told a more complicated story. Clemens has moved around the field, yet second base was a clear trouble spot, where the numbers were below average.
That is where the Twins infield conversation gets interesting, because it opens the door to a possible reshuffling that could also change Royce Lewis role. Lewis has long been one of the organizations most important offensive talents, and the idea of pairing each player with a better defensive fit is easy to see on paper. Whether the Twins actually go there will depend on what happens next, but the possibility alone adds another layer to how they could sort out a crowded infield picture. [Read more 🡒]
Bailey Ober's New Role Just Raised A Bigger Twins Question
Bailey Obers first relief appearance of his major league career came with a little extra meaning for the Twins, and he handled it cleanly. Working three shutout innings for his first save, Ober looked comfortable in a role he had not occupied before, after returning from the injured list and settling into a pattern of extended rest. It was the kind of outing that underscored both his professionalism and the clubs willingness to try something different with a pitcher it still values.
Manager Derek Shelton praised Obers adaptability, and the debut save was easy to appreciate on its own. What it also did, though, was sharpen a larger question for Minnesota about how it wants to use him going forward. If this is merely a short-term adjustment, it already has given the Twins a useful arm in a new spot. If it becomes more than that, Obers first relief outing may end up being remembered as the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]