What Went Right and Wrong for the Twins During the 2026 Season

The Minnesota Twins won’t be making their way to the postseason. When the final out is recorded, their record will show that the season went off course.

While it wasn’t what anyone wanted, it also should not be classified as a complete bust.

Minnesota is entering the final series of the 2026 season with a 75-84 record. They haven’t quit playing, either. Minnesota took two of three from the San Francisco Giants recently.

There were stretches in the season when everyone believed this team was capable of playing ball in October.

Unfortunately, they were flashes and didn’t last.

Spirits were high after the team swept the Atlanta Braves and moved into a playoff spot on August 19, and then - well let’s just say we’d all like to forget the “and then” part. The truth is the team then went 8-17 in their next 25.

That doesn’t make October. That’s a team that will pack up the locker room when the regular season is over, and that’s exactly what is happening.

There’s enough evidence to sort out what Minnesota got right and what they missed the mark on.

What the Twins Got Right in 2026

Minnesota Twins left fielder Austin Martin (16) and center fielder Emmanuel Rodriguez (21) and right fielder Luke Keaschall (15) Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest positive this organization can close 2026 with is the knowledge it has gained about its young core.

Luke Keaschall has elevated himself to a potential fixture at the top of the lineup. Over his last 30 games, the 24-year-old has slashed .291/.373/.444.

The team also had several prospects arrive in the MLB ready to play.

Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kaelen Culpepper all got their chance in the big leagues this year. This gave the team a chance to really evaluate players who could potentially be important in prominent roles moving forward.

Minnesota’s depth chart already shows Jenkins, Rodriguez and Keaschall as outfield options.

The youth of this team matters. Byron Buxton will continue to be the centerpiece of the roster when he is healthy. He had to have season-ending surgery on his hip this month, but he’s already looking forward to returning in 2027.

The Twins also discovered a few young pitching options who can make a difference next year. Taj Bradley, David Prielipp, and Mick Abel are now among the pitchers who are positioned to vie for a rotation role.

The 2026 campaign was a disappointment, but the clarity it provided could be very influential in how this club moves forward.

What Went Wrong for the Twins

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) gets hit by a pitch Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is a really easy answer here, but it’s also just the truth. Minnesota simply could not keep healthy players on the field.

Buxton’s season ended with hip surgery. Joe Ryan missed time in the second half. There were a multitude of injuries that kept forcing Minnesota to make roster adjustments, with not enough depth to absorb all of the hits.

Given the state of the American League Central at the trade deadline, the Twins made the decision to buy. At the time, that didn’t seem unreasonable at all. They were in the hunt and tried to address obvious weaknesses, especially the bullpen.

A.J. Minter was acquired from the New York Mets in exchange for Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani. Then they acquired Jeff Hoffman from Toronto and that cost them a package deal headlined by pitching prospect Dasan Hill.

The moves were done at the time trying to move the team toward meaningful baseball deep into September.

That’s not what happened.

As always, hindsight is 20/20, and evaluating the moves at the deadline at this point is difficult. The decision to try to improve the roster was defensible. The failure came later.

The bullpen was an issue long before the trade deadline. In late June, Derek Shelton openly admitted that the team had an inability to keep games close when they were behind.

So the choice to bring in more replacements was defensible but unfortunately, it did not solve the bigger problem.

Twins Could Not Find Consistency

Players walk onto the field before a baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies at the Field of Dreams movie site, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Dyersville, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The word that will define this team and their effort in 2026 is: inconsistent.

There were bright flashes of a team that was more than capable of reaching the playoffs. Those flashes quickly went dark.

There was enough offense. The starting pitching looked like good quality off and on. Young players emerged, and veterans performed well enough to keep the team in contention.

The trouble all season long was they team couldn’t get all of these parts to function at the same time.

The late-season slide is a great and final example of this.

The good news is that 2026 wasn’t a bust from a development standpoint. Several young legitimate players emerged that this organization can build around.

The bad news is development doesn’t always equate to winning games.

The team can build on what they learned this year and move forward with a roster capable of making sure 2027 doesn’t end the same as 2026.

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