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Minnesota is nearing the end of its worst season since 2016, and this club ranks near the top as one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. So, how does this season rank compared to other recent disappointments? Inconsistent pitching and injuries have been just some of the issues for the 2021 Twins. There have been some positives as with any season, but it’s hard not to be disappointed as expectations were high this year. Here’s a look at some of the other disappointing teams from recent years. 2011 Twins (Record: 63-99) The 2010 Twins had opened Target Field with a bang, including winning the division by six games over the White Sox. It was the team’s second consecutive AL Central title, and there were many that thought the Twins would be fighting for a three-peat. It’s easy to find connections between the 2021 Twins and the issues faced by the 2011 squad. Justin Morneau struggled to return after a concussion ended his 2010 campaign. Joe Mauer dealt with bilateral leg weakness and back problems. Players like Danny Valencia, Alexi Casilla, and Tsuyoshi Nishioka were relied on to fill full-time roles. Minnesota’s starting staff struggled to reproduce their numbers from 2010, with Carl Pavano, Brian Duensing, Nick Blackburn, and Francisco Liriano all posting ERA totals of 4.30 or higher. 2007 Twins (Record: 79-83) The 2007 Twins didn’t implode like the 2010 season, but they were indeed a disappointment. Back in 2006, the Twins put together a magical season with Justin Morneau being named AL MVP, Joe Mauer winning his first batting title, and Johan Santana earning his second Cy Young. It was only the fourth time the team had won over 95 games since moving to Minnesota. During the 2007 season, Minnesota finished just under .500, but that was closer to last place than first place in the division. Outside of Johan Santana, the team left fans wanting more. Jason Bartlett finished with the highest WAR among position players, and the pitching staff took a step back. Terry Ryan stepped aside from the GM role in the middle of September. This left Bill Smith to trade Santana and watch Torii Hunter walk away in free agency. The franchise was heading in a new direction. 1993 Twins (Record: 71-91) Minnesota had won the World Series in 1991, and the club finished with 90-wins in 1992. Many of the core pieces of the championship club were still in the prime of their careers. There was hope the team could bounce back in 1993 and keep their winning window open. However, the club was entering a stretch of nine straight losing seasons. During the 1993 season, many of the team’s issues were on the pitching side of the ball. Out of the team’s regulars, six of the nine batters had an OPS+ of 100 or more, including Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek with 120 OPS+ totals. Every starting pitcher with over 100 innings had an ERA north of 4.00, with Willie Banks being the lone starter to post an ERA+ greater than 100. It was Hrbek’s last season of over 100 games, and Puckett was only two years away from being forced to retire. The end of an era came more quickly than many would have anticipated. Which of these seasons was most disappointing? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Minnesota has a number of problems this season, as its record indicates. People are focusing most of the blame on General Manager Terry Ryan. I am here to tell you that while Ryan deserves his fair share, it is not just him. He gets the most heat, and rightfully so, since he is the general manager, but there is much blame to go around. There is a phrase that is going around when talking about the Twins, and that is ‘Total System Failure.’ Those three words seem appropriate considering where the Twins are, having the worst record in the league at 27-55, a game and a half worse than the Atlanta Braves, who have the second worst record. People criticize Ryan for everything, even things that are not his fault. However, he does sign the free agents and the results have been abysmal. Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes were brought in to try to stabilize the starting rotation and they have done anything but. Those three combine to make nearly $35 million this season, and Santana has done the best out of the three, going 2-7 with an ERA of 4.50 so far. That tells you all you need to know. Hughes, before he was injured, had an ERA of nearly 6. Those three pitchers have combined to go 6-21 with an ERA of 5.16. Ouch! These signings, along with the contract of Joe Mauer, have hurt the Twins recently. The problem has not been the unwillingness to spend money, but moreso that the players who have received the big money from the Twins have fallen flat on their faces. Minnesota will need to spend money more wisely moving forward. What Ryan has done well at in his return is drafting. Obviously, the players have to perform at the big league level, but a number of Ryan’s draft picks have done very well in the minors and are top prospects in the Twins organization, and the Twins have needed them to since the system was void of many top prospects when Ryan returned in November 2011. In his first draft. three of the Twins first five picks were Byron Buxton, Jose Berrios and J.T. Chargois and those three are three of the top young players in the Twins organization. Ryan has also drafted other top prospects in the organization as well, such as Tyler Jay, Nick Gordon, Kohl Stewart and Stephen Gonsalves. People will rip Ryan by saying that top draft choices should be big time prospects, but some just don’t pan out. Look at Mark Appel for example. He was a huge prospect, but has been terrible so far in his minor league career. However, when looking at reasons why the Twins are terrible, Bill Smith should get some of the blame as well. Even though he has been gone for nearly five years, his poor drafting remains a cause for Minnesota’s disastrous season. Brian Dozier has easily been the best player Smith drafted, but they missed out on some top picks like Levi Michaels and Alex Wimmers. Draft picks take awhile to develop and the Ryan picks need a few more years to say if those picks are good or not. But virtually all of Smith’s picks have been a disaster. Also, many of the Twins fans complain about Joe Mauer's contract, and his contract is among the worst in the league, and it was Smith who gave him the big deal. Although, I don't blame Smith for that as the same people who complain about his contract would also be the first to rip the Twins for not re-signing the home state hero. It won’t happen, but I believe Ryan should go be a scout for the Twins. He is really good at drafting, but I do believe it is past time for a change. Minnesota needs to go outside the organization for a new general manager. The Twins need to get new blood in the organization and step outside of their comfort zone. It has not been just one person who has contributed to this catastrophic season they have had, but like has been pointed out by numerous fans, it has been a total system failure.