8 Reasons The Twins Will Be Better In 2015
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's a tough time to be a baseball fan in Minnesota. The Twins have had four straight seasons of at least 90 losses, have been at the bottom of the American League Central Division and there has been little hope that things will change any time soon.
But as the Twins reported to Spring Training last week, optimism seemed to be everywhere. The Twins have a new manager, a new pitching coach and plenty of new faces as the 2015 season starts. They also won't play a meaningful game until April 6, when they travel to Detroit for their season-opening series.
So will it be another season of rough starting pitching and poor defense, or can this team make a run and actually be competitive for a playoff spot? While the postseason is probably a long shot, here's eight reasons why the Twins should at least be better in 2015.
Paul Molitor Takes Over As Manager
When Ron Gardenhire was fired as manager after the season, the named that immediately popped up as the favorite to replace him was Paul Molitor. He's a St. Paul native, played for the Twins and until this year was helping develop the organization's minor league talent. He has the passion to be a manager, and the early talk at Spring Training was his attention to detail with the small things in baseball.
Neil Allen Taking Over Pitching Staff
When the Twins' pitchers struggled in recent years, it was easy to point the finger at Rick Anderson. It was even easier when pitchers left Minnesota for another team and had improved seasons. Neil Allen is now the pitching coach and is eager to take over a young pitching staff with talent. Only time will tell if the pitching coach change will actually have a true effect.
Twins Bring Back Veteran Free Agent Torii Hunter
Torii Hunter wanted to end his baseball career with the Twins, and he got his wish, signing with the team as a free agent. He put up good numbers the last two years with Detroit, and he was brought back to provide leadership and accountability in the clubhouse. That especially holds true for young outfielders Aaron Hicks and Byron Buxton.
Twins Sign Starting Pitcher Ervin Santana
Torii Hunter was the popular free agent signing, but the best acquisition the Twins made in the offseason was getting pitcher Ervin Santana. He'll be a relied upon to be the team's No. 2 starter behind Phil Hughes. In 31 starts and 196 innings with the Braves last year, he had a 3.95 earned run average with 179 strikeouts and 63 walks. Two years ago in 32 starts and 211 innings with the Royals, he had a 3.24 earned run average despite a 9-10 record.
Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano On The Verge
Twins fans have been clamoring to see Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano in the big leagues. They are two of the most highly-touted prospects in baseball, and both missed much of last year with injuries. We'll have to be patient with them again this year, but if they get off to a hot start in the minors, it's not out of the question that they could make their major league debut at some point this season.
90-Plus Losses 4 Straight Years, Can It Get Worse?
The Twins won six division titles from 2002-2010, then the bottom fell out. The Twins have lost at least 92 games in each of the past four seasons and have lost a total of 383 games in that span. It can't get any worse, can it? They need to avoid long losing streaks and be competitive through the All-Star break to keep fans interested.
Can Ricky Nolasco Improve From Miserable 2014?
Ricky Nolasco was supposed to be a solid signing for the Twins last year. So far, it's been anything but. He's looking to bounce back from a rough first season in Minnesota. He pitched 159 innings in 27 starts and had a record of 6-12 with a 5.38 earned run average. He also gave up more than 200 hits. He simply needs to be better for the Twins to have a deeper starting rotation.
Mauer Healthy, Looking For Improved Season
He's really the least of the Twins issues, but Joe Mauer is looking to have a bounce-back season himself. He hit just .277 last season in 120 games, missing the last month with concussion symptoms. He couldn't stay healthy despite moving from catcher to first base to do just that. He had 126 hits last year and of those, 93 were singles. The Twins are looking for more power out of Mauer this year. He hasn't had more than 11 home runs in a season since hitting 28 in 2009.
-------
The Twins should be better in 2015, largely because it can't get much worse than the last four years. But it may not show in the team's record as the American League Central is predicted to be one of the best divisions in baseball this year. So in other words, Twins fans need to execute more patience.