Guys named Ed
Before he was traded, Eduardo Escobar was having an exemplory season for the Minnesota Twins, among the league leaders in doubles, hitting .274/.338/.514, with 37 doubles and 15 home runs in 97 games. He’d go on to finish his season strong with the Arizona Diamondbacks, finishing with 48 doubles and 23 home runs on the season, his 48 doubles finishing 2nd in all of MLB.
Eddie Rosario still drove Minnesota Twins fans nuts defensively with his inconsistent play, but his bat was excellent in 2018, hitting .288/.323/.479 with 31 doubles and 24 home runs.
Guys who were once top Twins pitching prospects
It was a good year for guys who were once regarded as the elite among arms in the Twins system. The “stud” of the group is Jose Berrios, a 24-year-old righty with ace stuff working his way into that role with the team, who finished the year with a 12-11 record, 192 1/3 innings pitched, a 3.84 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 61/202 BB/K ratio.
Kyle Gibson broke through after years of teasing the Twins with his potential, putting together 196 2/3 innings of quality pitching, with a 3.62 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 79/179 BB/K ratio.
Returning from Tommy John surgery, former top prospect Trevor May moved into the bullpen, and he was a dominant force, taking over closer duties after Rodney was traded. He pitched 25 1/3 innings, with a 3.20 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and an impressive 5/36 BB/K ratio.
Guys with masks
The Twins signed minor league free agent Willians Astudillo in the offseason hoping for AAA catching depth. Instead, when Castro went down, Astudillo ended up getting some major league time at a few positions, and his tremendous attitude and portly physique made him an instant hit among fans. He hit .355/.371/.516 over 97 plate appearances.
Long considered one of the team’s best prospects, Mitch Garver was an “old” rookie at 27, but he did great things for the team in 2018. He hit .268/.335/.414 with 19 doubles and 7 home runs at the plate over 335 plate appearances. However, his strides from day 1 taking over for Castro to the end of the season as a defender behind the plate, however, were monumental, and the Twins should be set at the position for a number of years.
Finally, the last man with a mask deserves his own page…