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The Twins selected Justin Morneau in the third round of the 1999 MLB Draft out of New Westminster, British Columbia. At the time, he was a catcher, but he moved to a full-time first baseman by his second season. This defensive shift corresponded with a dominant run through the minor leagues.
As a 20-year-old, he moved from Low-A to Double-A and combined for an .886 OPS. Over the next handful of seasons, Morneau established himself as one of baseball’s best power-hitting prospects. Baseball America ranked him in their top-25 prospects in each offseason from 2002-2004. This meant the Twins had to make room for him at the big-league level, which included trading away fan-favorite Doug Mientkiewicz.
Morneau spent ten seasons out of his 14-year career in a Twins uniform, and many of his most prominent accolades came in Minnesota. He was a four-time All-Star, and he won two Silver Sluggers. Morneau was named the 2006 American League MVP, and he finished runner-up for MVP in 2008. All four of his 100-RBI seasons and his three 30-home run seasons came with the Twins.
While the Twins struggled in October, Morneau was able to put up solid postseason numbers. He played in 13 postseason games over four series and hit .302 with two home runs, four RBI, and eight runs scored. His best series was in 2006 against Oakland when he went 5-for-12 (.417) with three extra-base hits, including two homers. Unfortunately, only seven of his postseason games came in Minnesota as he appeared in six games with Pittsburgh after being traded by the Twins.
Morneau wasn’t a typical power-hitting slugger as he hit .300-or-better in five seasons. During the 2014 campaign, he won the National League batting title with the Rockies. He finished that season with a .319 average, four points higher than Pittsburgh’s Josh Harrison.
Multiple moments defined Morneau’s career. Ron Gardenhire benched Morneau during a series in Seattle and had a career-changing conversation. Morneau posted a 1.023 OPS the rest of that season and won the MVP. He looked to be heading for a second MVP in 2010 before a now-infamous slide in Toronto ended his season. His career took a different trajectory from that day forward.
When it comes to Cooperstown, Morneau doesn’t have the resume needed to be enshrined. According to JAWS, he is the 88th best first baseman in baseball history. This ranks him just ahead of players like Tino Martinez, Paul Konerko, Joe Harris, and Brandon Belt. Many of these players had good but not great careers that are worthy of the Hall of Fame.
Morneau’s impact on baseball will be felt long after his retirement. He has been a special assistant to the Twins front office, and he has altered the team’s broadcast experience with his insightful color commentary. He and his wife, Krista, continue to be active members of the Twin Cities community.
For a generation of Twins fans, Morneau was the middle-of-the-order hitter of some of the best teams in franchise history. Unfortunately, any shot at Cooperstown ended with a slide into second base back in 2010.
Do you think Morneau deserves to be more than a one-and-done on the ballot? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.
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