It used to be easy for me. I never really had to think about it. When I was little my favorite player was Kirby Puckett. Puck retired after the 95 season and I got away from the game a bit while I was growing up. Radke was my favorite, but I wasn't close to the game. And as I got older, and came back to baseball as an adult, I fell in love again; Michael Cuddyer was my favorite Twin, year after year from 2004 until his departure following 2011. #5. And then he was gone.

 

In the years since Cuddy has been out of Minnesota, it's been hard for me to settle on a favorite player. in 2012 I was all excited about Brian Dozier and that silky smooth head of hair, but I soured on him a bit, even after he moved over to the right side of the infield and started showing some skills with his bat. I've never been a Joe Mauer guy, and as much as I like Glen Perkins, it's hard for me to get excited about and latch onto a relief pitcher. In 2013 I again put my faith in a young exciting player and Aaron Hicks didn't do much to keep my affections (I am, however, still a big Aaron Hicks fan, i expect big things from him in 2014).

 

This season I've settled on Mike Pelfrey. I can't explain it. I'm excited for Big Pelf. He's like a miniature sasquatch. I want him to do well. I like how quick he's been pitching this spring, and I just feel like I can compell him to do well in 2014.

 

Who's your favorite this season?

Edited April 1, 201412 yr by Paul Pleiss

I'm with you-Cuddyer was my guy.

 

My new guy is Hicksie. He plays with self assurance in the outfield and I think he can outhit his projections. Especially after a couple nice rips off Sale today. It will be fun when he robs his first home run this year

Arcia til Sano arrives.

Colabello and Gibson for what they've been through to get here.

Joe Mauer. Even though he doesn't hit home runs or eat new born babies

Cuddyer was my all-time favorite. I now have settled on Dozier as "my guy". I have a half-dozen that I will cheer a bit harder for--Gibson, Pinto, Duensing, Burton (met his grandparents), Perkins, and Plouffe--and some have pretty good stories--Colabello & Pelfrey--so they are easy to root for.

I will really be cheering some of the new guys to do well - Hicks, Arcia, Pinto & Gibson

I also found myself oddly pulling for Correia in the face of adversity last year

Current team ... Dozier, no question. But maybe a little Pinto mixed in.

I don't tend to latch onto players but I've been bullish on Arcia for years. He's probably my favorite now, though Hicks is close.

 

It's too easy to cheer for Joe. He's inhumanly good at baseball which takes a bit of the fun out of cheering for him.

I can't play favorites: Josmil Pinto and Oswaldo Acia.

I'm pulling for Jason

I'm a fan of local guys making good, so Perkins is definitely one, but moreso Thielbar as a SDSU kid.

I love Arcia and his zeal for the game. He's got swagger, and he has fun. I love watching him trot around the bases making the "O" shape with his hands above his head. I hope to see a lot more of that this year.

I'm pulling for Jason

 

ISWYDT. "Well played Mauer."

Joe Mauer. Even though he doesn't hit home runs or eat new born babies

 

YET.

 

Joe didn't eat his own new born babies, but have you seen the infant death rate in Minnesota since his arrived with the big league ball club? It's up, WAY UP! I suspect bi-lateral leg weakness was a result of not eating enough new born babies, but I've been unable to confirm or deny through my network of sources.

I'm pulling for Jason

 

What? Which one is it? Marquis or Tyner coming out of retirement?

Chris Colabello + Kyle Gibson and Kevin Slowey (MIA)

There's too many to name, it's hard to narrow it down. I know I criticize the team and its players all the time, but I truly want to see them do well. Last year my guy was Dozier. I loved the progress I saw out of him last year.

 

This year, I'm really pulling for Aaron Hicks to figure it out. I think he was overwhelmed last year and he clearly has the tools. I really want to see him put it together. Good start today!

 

Another guy I love on this team is Colabello. He's got one of the best road to the big leagues stories I've heard. Today when he got the first hit of the season, I said to my roommate that if they were to make a movie about him, that's the end of it. Great story.

 

The pitcher I was extremely excited to see make the team is Kyle Gibson. As a former top prospect who's gone through a lot of adversity, I really want to see him succeed in a make or break year of sorts. I think he has the talent to become a solid 3-4 in the future rotation slotting in behind Meyer and Stewart.

 

The last guy I want to mention that I get excited about is Eduardo Escobar. I love his personality on the field and think he's a better option today than Pete Florimon. If given the chance I think he could be a semi-valuable role player. I'm all aboard Brad Swanson's #Eddie400 bandwagon!

Hicks and Colabello

 

Pitching... Deduno

Hicks. I'm dying for a speed element on this team and would love if he could add to Buxton's infusion down the line.

For this year it has to be Chris Colabello for me.

Hicks - This guy has all the tools to be a very good and exciting MLB player

Deduno - I enjoy watching him pitch

Florimon - I enjoy watching him play SS

Pinto - I hope he turns out to be a really good MLB hitter. I liked what I saw from him last year at the plate

 

But there's obviously a bunch of other players I like as well, Mauer, Perkins, I was a big Burton fan until he took a step backwards last year. Dozier is improved and is growing on me. I didn't mind Kubel when he was a Twin before. I enjoyed watching Willingham and Plouffe put balls into the seats a couple of years ago. I hope they both have rebound seasons.

 

I hope Buxton, Meyer and Sano turn out to be good ones for us.

Colabello and Hicks but ask me again when Meyer makes The Show

Stephen Drew.

 

//ducks//

Colabello and Thielbar.

Hicks.

Escobar

 

got to root for the little guys

Stephen Drew.

What team is he playing for this year?

I love the Collabello story but my favorite is probably Aaron Hicks mostly because I want to see if he can rebound from last year's adversity.

 

But ask again at the AS break because a new favorite may have emerged.

Colabello. This guy is the epitome of someone waiting a long time to finally live their dream. He posted such crazy numbers that eventually the Twins finally couldn't ignore him any longer. Talk about pressure.