The Minnesota Twins have been a team of “ifs” in recent years, with their success largely dependent on the health of their players. In 2022, the Twins won 78 games, but their roster disintegrated down the stretch. However, in 2022-2023, they won 87 games, were dominant in the second half, and won their first playoff series since 2002. The common denominator among these three franchises and their divergent seasons is health.
The Timberwolves spent most of the 2022-2023 season without their second-best player, Karl-Anthony Towns, which not only robbed them of scoring and rebounding but also delayed the development of a cohesive team. Gobert never looked fully healthy last season, but this year, he’s sprinting the length of the court for dunks and defending the three-point line. Towns’ health and Gobert’s dynamism have made the Wolves a championship contender.
The Vikings won 13 games in Kevin O’Connell’s first year as head coach but only seven games in 2023. The difference in the past two Vikings teams wasn’t coaching; it was health. Quarterback Kirk Cousins played in only eight games, star receiver Justin Jefferson played in 10, tight end T.J. Hockenson missed the last two-and-a-half games, and edge rusher Marcus Davenport, the Vikings’ biggest free-agent signing, played in only two games. If those four had averaged 14 games played instead of nine, the Vikings would have made the playoffs.
The Twins were devastated by injuries in 2022 and hampered by injuries early in 2023. However, their ability to build a dynamic bench, spearheaded by Willi Castro, and their improved pitching depth kept them afloat until their organizational depth arrived in invigorating fashion. Reasonable health would push this year’s team into the realm of 90-plus victories and another division title.
Their starting pitching depth will be tested, but their bullpen is talented and deep. As for position players, it’s possible, with reasonable health, that the Twins could be better at almost every position this season, with the possible exception of right field, where no one knows what to expect from Max Kepler.
Catcher: Ryan Jeffers has established himself as a No. 1 catcher and should get more at-bats. Last year, Christian Vázquez had 355 plate appearances and a .598 on-base plus slugging percentage, while Jeffers had 335 plate appearances and an OPS of .858. More at-bats for Jeffers improves the lineup.
Third base: Royce Lewis is a budding star who had 239 big-league plate appearances last year. With reasonable health, he’ll more than double that this season.
Shortstop: Carlos Correa played through plantar fasciitis last year and produced the worst full-season OPS (.711) of his career. An average Correa season at the plate would dramatically upgrade the Twins’ offense and ability to punish left-handed pitchers.
Second base: Edouard Julien had 408 plate appearances and produced the fourth-best OPS (.839) on the team. He outperformed Jorge Polanco and needs to improve in the field, but he is an offensive upgrade.
First base: A virtual platoon of Carlos Santana and Alex Kirilloff should provide depth and quality at-bats to a position that was in flux last season, and Santana becomes their best-fielding first baseman.
Left field: Matt Wallner had 254 plate appearances and the second-best OPS on the team. More at-bats should give the lineup a boost.
Center field: If Byron Buxton can play center field at full speed, he could go from frustrated DH to superstar.
If — all together now — he’s healthy.
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