Fire and Ice: How the Twins Shifted from an Offensive Powerhouse to a Defensive Unit

[David Youngs]

The 2019 Twins cemented themselves in baseball lore by posting of one the most elusive offenses in the game’s history. With 2021 on the horizon, the team has a chance to make history again; on a different front.An untapped offensive catcher, a revamped 40-year-old veteran, and an unlikely all-star shortstop were just a few of the headlines that scratched the surface of an unforgettable year at the plate for the 2019 Twins. The ‘Bomba Squad’ put up unprecedented numbers for the Twins organization, most notably a league record 307 home runs.

 

Yet despite the 2,832 total bases, 906 RBI, and 307 ‘bombas’ in 2019, the shortened 2020 season was underwhelming at the plate for the Minnesota Twins.

 

Yes, the season was only 60 games. Still, the team’s overall batting average plummeted from .270 to .242. On Base Percentage dropped from .338 to .315 and Slugging followed with a .494 to .427 plunge.

 

Sample size speaks volumes, but so do numbers; there’s no denying that 2020 was a disappointing year at the plate for the Twins.

 

2021 has the puzzle pieces for the Twins to regain their identity as an offensive powerhouse. Nelson Cruz is back, Josh Donaldson will stay healthy (knock on wood), and a full 162-game season will surely provide opportunities for Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, and company to find their stride at the plate.

 

All that is great, but there’s a storm ‘a brewin’ for the ‘Bomba Squad’ on a different front. The 2021 Twins have the chance to solidify themselves in history in something that matters more than any home run count. Defense.

 

Strength up the Middle Solves the Riddle

Baseball has turned into a game of power hitting, all-or-nothing plate approaches, and sabermetrics. That front isn’t going away anytime soon, but it doesn’t take away the importance of solid defense.

 

This theory proves especially true with the Twins, a team that features a wealth of contact pitchers in the rotation and bullpen. Jose Berrios and Kenta Maeda have certainly racked up strikeout totals, but the majority of the pitching staff doesn’t have the strikeout ability of the Mets or Dodgers.

 

Luckily for the Twins, Andrelton Simmons and Byron Buxton are perhaps the finest ‘center field’ duo in Major League Baseball.

 

Simmons touts the 14th greatest defensive war in MLB history at 26.6. In 2017 he boasted 40 defensive runs saved, the most in MLB history.

 

40 runs. That is a lot.

 

The Twins averaged 4.37 runs per game in 2020. The Dodgers led the league with 5.77. Think about how many runs and games that Simmons’ glove would have saved the Twins in 2020. Even if Simmons doesn’t post that astronomical number in 2021, there’s no doubt that his stellar defense will save a healthy amount of runs for the Twins this season.

 

And while Simmons’ defensive prowess’ will be new to Twins fans, the golden glove of Byron Buxton won’t.

 

By now it’s no secret that Buxton is the fastest player in Major league Baseball. While he may not have the offensive reputation of Mike Trout or George Springer, Buxton is easily in the conversation for best defensive CF in the MLB.

 

The tandem of Simmons and Buxton up the middle will certainly create a zone where ground balls and bloopers go to die; something that wasn’t necessarily the case with Jorge Polanco in the hole.

 

One Man Changes Everything

The addition of Andrelton Simmons put the Twins defense on the headlines. Yet the biggest impact may perhaps be a byproduct of the Simmons acquisition; a complete redesign of the infield structure.

 

Jorge Polanco had a talented 2019 season at the plate but has been a slightly above mediocre shortstop at best throughout his career. While his bat can be a weapon, Polanco’s frequency for errors in the field has stuck out like a sore thumb, including last year’s late inning postseason error that potentially cost the Twins a playoff win.

 

The addition of Simmons will bump Polanco to second, a position that he played frequently in the minor leagues. While still a critically important position, playing second will allow Polanco to hopefully regain confidence in his defense at a spot that sees less ‘make or break’ plays.

 

Accompanying Polanco on the right side of the infield will be first basemen Miguel Sano. While Sano may not have the defensive ability of Joe Mauer, he has proven that first base is a stronger fit for him then third. Sano did commit four errors at the position last year, 2021 could potentially prove to be a make-or-break year for the slugger in terms with his future in the organization.

 

Even though the right side of the infield won’t bring home any awards, the left side will be something to write home about. Simmons is the obvious, but let’s not forget about how talent Josh Donaldson has been at the hot corner throughout his career.

 

Donaldson’s injury-strangled 2020 was a stark contrast to the incredible defensive numbers that he’s put up across his career.

 

He may not be Andrelton Simmons, but Josh Donaldson has consistently been a powerhouse in terms of Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). In 2019 Donaldson’s +15 DRS ranked 10th best among all Major League players.

 

The ‘Bringer of Rain’s’ health is certainly an issue to be considered with the season on the horizon. The 35-year old isn’t the spry young man that he used to be. And following multiple years of a nagging calf injury, it's improbable that Donaldson will play the amount of games that he did during the heart of his career.

 

Yet a full 162 game season allows Donaldson the chance to hit his stride once again, both at the dish and in the field. It's safe to expect that the 'Bringer of Rain' will help complement Simmons in crafting one of the strongest SS/3B combos in the American League.

 

The Perception

Baseball is a game where offensive triumphs are spread ‘round the world, yet defensive masterpieces are oftentimes swept under the rug.

 

The point? It may take folks a while to realize the potential that the Twins defense has. A recent survey conducted by a certain Twins Daily writer found that over half of participating fans still viewed the team as an ‘offensive threat’ over a ‘defensive threat.’

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This isn’t a bad thing. There is a great possibility that the Twins offense will put up stellar numbers in 2021. Heck, even 75% of the 2019 performance would be nothing short of a great success.

 

Yet great defense ages like fine wine in the eyes of baseball fans. And with the stellar outfield, promising infield, and wealth of experience, there’s a fine chance that folks will be talking about the 2021 Twins as a defensive powerhouse ten years down the road.

 

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[Thegrin]

I am so looking forward to watching the new Twins infield in 2021. 

[bobs]

  I LOVE the Simmons move and how that should improve the defense.  Now, if we could only get 130 games in CF for Buxton and the same from Donaldson at 3B.  As for the offensive dip last year, the soap box I've been on for more than a year was how much they would/have missed James Rowson.  There.  I'm done now.

[Channing1964]

We are too right handed. That will haunt the offense

[Trov]

I have always been and advocate for pitching and defense first to win championships.  Yes, offense is important but giving up good defense for offense normally does not pay off.  One case in point the White Sox in 2005, they won the ship and had great defense.  Then they traded Rowand to Phillies.  He was average hitter, but good defender.  Sox started to fall and Phillies rose up.  Now of course other players were involved in all this, but point is, a good defender saves runs, and pitches thrown.  It does not always show up in boxscores but makes big differences. 

[Major League Ready]

 

We are too right handed. That will haunt the offense

 

Did you look at career splits or are you just making an assumption? Donaldson, Sano, and Buxton have a negligible difference against RHP. Cruz has been modestly better against LHP. Rooker actually had better numbers against RHP in AA & AAA. We should also not discount that Kirilloff will likely be with the ML club for most of the season. Garver is the one guy who quite a bit better against LHP but what LH catcher  would you prefer to have that would be better than Garver against RHP? I think you are leaping to a generalized conclusion without considering the specific players.

[Finlander]

I was also on the same Rowson soapbox last year. His arrival in Miami probably contributed to their surprising appearance in the playoffs. That said, it makes perfect sense for the Twins to rely less on hitting "bombas" and more so on defense this year, as the manufacturing of the baseball itself returns to normal. The pitching staff will appreciate great D too.

 

Lefty shy? Not an issue with examining the hitting splits. I can think of a couple more righty-heavy lineups. Blue Jay's, Yankees, White Sox come to mind and they're all looking pretty formidable. Plus we have some good lefty hitting in the minors and ready to contribute.

[Original_JB]

What would be a fair over/under number for the # of games that Donaldson, Simmons, Polanco, and Buxton are on the field together? 100?  This team will only be stalwarts defensively --- if they are actually on the field.

[Channing1964]

Did you look at career splits or are you just making an assumption? Donaldson, Sano, and Buxton have a negligible difference against RHP. Cruz has been modestly better against LHP. Rooker actually had better numbers against RHP in AA & AAA. We should also not discount that Kirilloff will likely be with the ML club for most of the season. Garver is the one guy who quite a bit better against LHP but what LH catcher  would you prefer to have that would be better than Garver against RHP? I think you are leaping to a generalized conclusion without considering the specific players.

none of my opinions about the lineup is a conclusion it is what it is an opinion. Since most if the elite pitchers in the American League are right handed I feel it would be smart to field a lineup with the depth and versatility to field at least 6 left handed or switch hitters on any given day. I dont see that with this group and i feel the offense will struggle because of that. It is just my honest opinion and that is all.