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1) Byung Ho Park arrives
Even though the Tsuyoshi Nishioka move didn't work out, there was no denying that his arrival brought a distinct twist of added excitement. Bringing over an established star from another league across the world carries an intoxicating combination of unpredictability and intrigue, not to mention many extra media throngs covering the team.
There are plenty of reasons to believe that Park is in line for a much more successful transition to the majors. Finding out how his prodigious 50-homer power transfers from KBO to MLB will be a primary storyline this season from the moment the team reports to Ft. Myers.
2) Miguel Sano settles in
Sano was called up on July 2nd last year, and his at-bats quickly became appointment viewing. In 2016 he'll be locked in from the start of the season, and we'll see what kind of numbers he can put up over the course of a full big-league campaign.
I'm sure I speak for a lot of fans when I say I'm more apprehensive than enthused about the experiment of trying Sano in the outfield defensively, but at the plate, there's not much reason to think he can't put up monster numbers that border on MVP caliber, especially if Park proves to be a decent threat behind him.
3) Jose Berrios debuts
By the end of last year, it was fairly obvious that Berrios was ready for a shot in the majors, but the Twins ultimately opted against calling him up and their reasons for doing so were valid. In 2016, there will be no holding him back as long as he's healthy. It seems likely that Berrios will open the season back in Triple-A (the Twins stand to gain an extra year of service time by waiting until at least late April to promote him), but he'll be first in line as a replacement and he might force the issue if he picks up where he left off at Rochester performance-wise.
Berrios is the best and most electric pitching prospect Minnesota has had since Francisco Liriano, and he certainly stands out amongst a mix of starting pitchers that are generally more capable than special.
4. Byron Buxton breaks through
Terry Ryan's decision to trade Aaron Hicks in November was seemingly an indication that he believes in Buxton's impending readiness, in spite of the top prospect looking rather overwhelmed during his rookie debut. He could open the season in Rochester but it's hard to imagine he'll be there long.
Historically, Buxton has often experienced a bit of a learning curve when reaching a new level before making adjustments and dominating. We'll see if he can follow that trend at the highest level. Once he turns the corner at the plate, he's going to be an absolute blast to watch on a daily basis, changing games routinely with his dynamic speed and elite athleticism.
5. The rotation comes together
In 2015, Twins starters ranked 16th in the majors in ERA, which might not sound all that impressive until you consider that they'd been dead last in each of the prior two seasons, and 29th in 2012. They accomplished this jump despite: Ricky Nolasco missing most of the year due to injury, Phil Hughes devolving from the club's best starter in 2014 to its worst, Ervin Santana losing half the year to a suspension, and Berrios throwing zero pitches in the majors.
As long as the rotation can stay healthy through spring training, the Twins will enter the 2016 season feeling as confident in their starting pitching as they have in a long while, and perhaps more so than any team in the division other than Cleveland.
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