Winning May Not Be Everything For the Twins Right Now

Twins Winning May Not Be Everything For the Twins Right Now Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images By Nathan Arens - November 11, 2026 The Minnesota Twins entered the 2026 season in an atmosphere of gloom and hopelessness. After a promising start to the 2025 campaign, Twins fans watched their ownership trade away several of the team’s most beloved and integral players at the trade deadline. When the dust settled, many Minnesotans rationalized the carnage as evidence that Joe Pohlad was clearing the roster and acquiring assets to make the team more attractive for a potential sale. However, on August 13, just two weeks after the jarring trade deadline, the Pohlad family announced they would not sell the team. The Twins organization appeared to be adrift in uncertain waters, seemingly without any sense of direction, and the fanbase was left scorned, questioning whether the organization cared about competing at all. Fast forward over a full calendar year, and the Twins still aren’t winning. The 2026 Twins recently finished a losing season, compiling a 77-85 record and finishing third in the AL Central. This marks the 5th time in 6 years that the Twins have missed the postseason. In the words of legendary UCLA football coach Red Sanders, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” You’ve heard it before; there are no moral victories in sports. But in the case of the 2026 Minnesota Twins, that may not be true. The Twins came into 2026 with zero expectations, little proven talent, and a fanbase in revolt. Despite this bleak outlook, the Twins were consistently competitive throughout the season. That was especially evident over the first half of the campaign. The Twins entered the All-Star Break having won 5 straight series and held a respectable 48-49 record. They sat only 3 games back of 1st place in the Central and, most shockingly, led the American League in runs scored. Although the momentum petered out in the second half, the Twins continued to play well enough that ownership was a soft buyer at the trade deadline as the team tried to bolster the bullpen to make a push for the postseason. Day after day, regardless of the opponent, the Twins fielded competitive, gritty teams that produced a fair number of positive results. By the end of the 2026 season, the Twins still weren’t a winning baseball team. However, unlike the dreary atmosphere that accompanied the end of 2025, this year the offseason has an air of optimism and, dare I say, hope. While the Twins may have lacked an abundance of wins in 2026, the young talent has arrived. In a season rife with ups and downs, the kids consistently raked up runs. Luke Keaschall played in 152 games, played 3 different positions, and flirted with an .800 OPS (.781). After the All-Star break, Keaschall slashed .315/.411/.486 and only struck out 33 times in 265 plate appearances. Oh, and did I mention that he’s only 24 years old? Luke Keaschall is the 59th player in #MNTwins history to hit a game tying home run in the ninth inning. Harmon Killebrew has hit the most (6). Mickey Gasper had hit the most recent (August 26, 2025 off Jeff Hoffman of the Blue Jays). pic.twitter.com/leg1OYkNvW — Twins Dingers (@TwinsDingers) August 2, 2026 At age 25, Brooks Lee played almost every day and responded by slugging .428 with 24 homers. They called up 2024 1st-round pick, Kaelen Culpepper , in August, and he made an immediate impact. He accumulated 0.5 WAR while racking up 32 hits and scoring 15 runs in just 33 games played. After dominating the minor leagues all summer, Walker Jenkins joined the big-league club in August and showed flashes, belting 4 home runs in just 83 major-league at-bats. Combine these promising performances from the team’s youngsters with a career year from Kody Clemens (team-leading 27 home runs), and continued elite play from Byron Buxton , and the lineup is showing signs of being a formidable unit heading into 2027. The Twins are undoubtedly a stronger group at the plate than on the mound, but the pitching staff also showed growth over the course of the season. The bullpen was a disaster in 2026, but it improved. The abysmal first few months hardly surprised anyone. The front office traded away most of the bullpen talent and depth at the 2025 trade deadline, then did little to address the glaring absences in the offseason. Still, after posting a bullpen ERA north of 5.00 in the first half of 2026, the unit settled down in the second half, bolstered by several deadline acquisitions. Taj Bradley (12-6, 3.73 ERA) and Joe Ryan (7-10, 3.79 ERA) anchored an otherwise uninspiring starting rotation. Still, Pablo Lopez should return healthy for the start of 2027, giving the Twins a relatively strong top of the rotation. Mick Abel underwent surgery on his right elbow in June, but he has filthy stuff and could be a strong bottom-of-the-rotation arm with upside heading into next season. It's a 10-strikeout night for Mick Abel 💪 pic.twitter.com/s8jbIRGNa9 — MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2026 The Twins aren’t a contender. They are not even a winning baseball team. But winning isn’t the only priority right now. Despite managerial malpractice by the front office and a resulting nightmare finish in 2025, the Twins have developed a young, talented core to build around for the next several years. As things currently stand, there’s legitimate reason for optimism as we look towards the future. In a ravaged American League where many teams have considerable rebuilding to do, the Twins have a chance to establish themselves with their combination of youth and experience. Remember, there are no moral victories in sports, unless your team needs them. The 2026 season delivered the Twins their moral victories, and that may be a sign that more meaningful victories are on the way. Nathan Arens All Articles