What are the Twins getting in new manager Derek Shelton?

Here's what you need to know about the 15th manager of the Minnesota Twins.

Mar 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton (17) listen to the national anthem before the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Twins' first managerial search since 2018 ended on Wednesday with the hire of former Pirates skipper Derek Shelton. His .410 career winning percentage has prompted mixed reactions online, but what is Minnesota really getting with Shelton?

His background

Shelton grew up in a suburb of Chicago before playing college baseball at Southern Illinois University. He spent most of his time behind the plate as a catcher, and his playing career ended after only two professional seasons in the New York Yankees' minor league system.

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He began his coaching career in the late 1990s as a minor league manager in the Yankees' system, which lasted until 2002. He then became the minor league hitting coordinator for the Cleveland Indians organization in 2003. His longest stop was with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2009 to 2016 as their full-time hitting coach. After being fired after the 2016 season, he joined the Blue Jays' staff before joining the Twins as a bench coach in 2018 under Paul Molitor.

In the fall of 2018, Shelton was a finalist in the Twins' managerial search that ended with them hiring Rocco Baldelli. He was retained as bench coach for a second season, and is believed to have played a meaningful role in Minnesota's 101-win Bomba Squad season that year.

Shelton was hired as the 41st manager of the Pirates before the 2020 season. He accumulated a 306-440 record across five seasons. He was fired by Pittsburgh on May 8 after a 12-26 start to the 2025 season. His record is obviously less than stellar, but the Pirates are one of several MLB teams that routinely spend less than the Twins in terms of year-by-year payroll.

A hire that raises questions

The Twins currently have far more issues as a franchise than whoever is managing the club, but the hiring of a below-.500 skipper doesn't exactly fire up the fanbase. At 55 years old, Shelton might bring a different vibe to the clubhouse than Baldelli, who is 11 years his junior.

Minnesota's front office is familiar with Shelton from his time with the franchise from 2018 to 2019. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that they would opt to hire someone they've worked with before. The decision to hire Shelton raises some serious questions about the long-term vision for the Twins. Was their long-term plan to fire Baldelli just to hire someone who had worked under him before?

Shelton is well-respected among MLB circles, but his best two seasons with the Pirates were 10 games below .500. Could things be better with the Twins? Yes, but there are a lot of things that need to change around Shelton in order for Minnesota to be successful in the immediate future. It starts at the top, with the Pohlads' desire (or lack thereof) to invest resources into the roster in 2026.