Call to the pen
Fansided

The surprise team of 2019 will be…the Minnesota Twins?

By Bill Felber

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 25: (L-R) Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey, Manager Rocco Baldelli and General Manager Thad Levine of the Minnesota Twins pose for a photo as Baldelli is introduced at a press conference at Target Field on October 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 25: (L-R) Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey, Manager Rocco Baldelli and General Manager Thad Levine of the Minnesota Twins pose for a photo as Baldelli is introduced at a press conference at Target Field on October 25, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Twins
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 30: Max Keppler #26 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning of the game on September 30, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The comeback kids

The first ingredient required of a solid underdog is a roster containing one or two potential stars coming off under-performing seasons. The Twins are loaded in that category.

Sidelined at the start of 2018 by migraines and later by a series of injuries, Byron Buxton got into only 28 games, got fewer than 100 at-bats, and produced essentially nothing. That, however, is no reason to give up on the former No. 1 minor league prospect…and the Twins aren’t.

Mindful both of his solid 2017 season and of the fact that he is still only 25, they slot Buxton as the team’s opening day center fielder. In his only full season, Buxton was a 5 WAR player for the Twins, and not coincidentally a centerpiece of their 2017 wild card run.

At age 24, Miguel Sano delivered 28 home runs for the 2017 team. Last year he slumped to 13 and a .199 batting average, a performance that earned him a demotion to the minors. The Twins aren’t counting on Sano in 2019 – that’s why they signed Nelson Cruz and C.J. Cron – so a return to 2017 form would be a bonus.

Outfielder Max Kepler has never quite lived up to the expectations Minnesota Twins fans harbored for his bat when he arrived as a 23-year-old rookie in 2018. Still, Kepler is only 26, he has the power swing and needs only to improve his contact rate.

Speculation is that Kepler – along with Buxton – is a target of management efforts to ensure a long-term contractual arrangement. If that happens this spring, it’s a sure sign that the Twins are convinced their budding star is ready to blossom.

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