Fansided

Minnesota Twins 2015 MLB season preview and predictions

By Will Osgood

Sep 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer (7) receives congratulations from short stop Danny Santana (39) after scoring in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer (7) receives congratulations from short stop Danny Santana (39) after scoring in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Jun 22, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Danny Santana (39) slides safely into third in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox third baseman Conor Gillaspie (12) at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Danny Santana (39) slides safely into third in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox third baseman Conor Gillaspie (12) at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Looking back at the 2014 Minnesota Twins season and ahead to their 2015 campaign.

Introduction/2014 Capsule

Who was the least talked about team in Major League Baseball in 2014? That is a topic which might actually initiate some conversation. The guess, though, is that the answer if pretty easily the Minnesota Twins.

Some of it may be their small (by comparison to many MLB cities) media market. Much of it is obviously attributed to the fact they were neither epically terrible nor any good. In fact, the 2014 Minnesota Twins were pretty average.

The record stunk, and led to a last place finish and the termination of long-time manager Ron Gardhenhire—leaving the Angels’ Mike Scioscia as the hands down longest tenured manager in baseball.

What you may not realize, however, is that the Twins—long a scratch and claw sort of team which did not come by runs easily—scored 715 runs in 2014, good for seventh in all of baseball. They did that, in part, because of the league’s fifth best team on-base percentage (.324).

More surprising, given their history—at least dating back to 2000-ish—is that the Twins were last or close to last in the four major pitching statistical categories we use in modern day baseball. The team’s 4.57 ERA was 29th, 66 quality starts also 29th, 1.39 WHIP 27th and batting average against dead last at .280.

Those numbers are a bit surprising playing in the cavernous Target Field. Then again, can any non-Twins fan name a pitcher—starter or otherwise—from the 2014 Twins roster? I couldn’t without looking. The result was a good offense with no chance of winning because they had to score too many runs to stay competitive on a regular basis.

2014 Record: 70-92 (.432); last in AL Central

2014 Run Differential: -62

Other Key Stats: -See above pitching stats

Lasting Memory from 2014 season: With everything said thus far, there was a lasting moment from the Twins’ season. Wait, actually it was from all of baseball. We have to cheat, because again there really wasn’t a Twins-centered moment that sticks out from 2014.

Pretty simply, it was Derek Jeter’s final All-Star Game with all the pomp and circumstance that only an MLB All-Star Game is capable of producing. Watch for yourself here.

Next: Who's new in Minnesota?

Home/Minnesota Twins