This time of year, I’m usually brimming with Minnesota Twins excitement. Two weeks before the start of spring training conjures up thoughts of new prospects, recently acquired veterans, and dreams of a long playoff run. For a baseball fan, the anticipation is almost palpable. But this year is unlike any other. I have been a Twins fan since 1969, and I have seen my share of woebegone teams.

The early ’80s in the post-Calvin Griffith era and the late ’90s, when the team was almost contracted, were two such times. But there was always hope. In the first instance, there was the rise of future World Series stars Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, and Gary Gaetti. And the second down cycle led us to the Johann Santana, Tori Hunter, and Eddie Guardado playoff years. But this spring, fans are downright glum about the Twins’ 2026 prospects.

How the Team and Their Fans Got Here

Twins’ fans have been put through the wringer the past couple of seasons. After a healthy playoff run in 2023, the Twins’ owners, the Pohlad family, slashed the team’s payroll, leading to a September 2024 crash that cost them a playoff berth. However, hope sprang eternal after the season when the Pohlad’s announced that they were putting the team on the market. Finally, new owners would arrive to pad the payroll, allowing Minnesota to field a consistently competitive team.

And even as a dreadful 2025 dragged on, there were consistent rumors that an announcement regarding a new ownership group was imminent. But before the end of the season, three more pendulums would drop. The first one occurred at the trade deadline when Minnesota unloaded 11 players in exchange for a mixed bag of prospects. And what hurt most about this exodus was that the team parted ways with the top five members of their bullpen, including All-Star closer Jhoan Duran.

Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli did his best to right the ship, employing a more up-tempo pace of play that at least produced a more exciting brand of baseball, which left some hope for the future. However, near the end of the season, it was announced that Baldelli would not be retained as the team’s manager for the 2026 campaign.

However, even prior to that decision, the team made an announcement that left all Twins fans depressed. The Pohlads proclaimed that they were indeed the right owners to lead the Minnesota Twins into the future and that the team was no longer for sale. You could hear much cursing from Minnesota sports fans at this time.

Gloomy Thoughts About the Twins’ 2026 Season

So, Twins fans approached the offseason with diminished dreams and a hopeless outlook. And by that score, the home team has not disappointed them. The first player they added this offseason was first baseman Josh Bell. Bell has a decent bat, and as a switch-hitter, he does add to the team’s overabundance of left-handed sticks in the lineup. However, his defensive deficiencies make him almost positionless in the field. Next, they acquired a light-hitting catcher, Alex Jackson, first baseman Eric Wagaman, and shortstop Orlando Arcia. Get the picture.

Finally, the Twins made some noise when they signed former Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini to a contract. He’s a solid hitter who has good skills behind the plate. However, there are persistent rumors that he was brought on board as a replacement for starter Ryan Jeffers, who may be on the trading block. Next, they acquired an anemic hitting shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, Tristan Gray. And the only notable acquisition for their beleaguered bullpen has been former Twins lefty Taylor Rogers.

Outlook

As you can see, Twins fans will be tested in 2026. Can they remain loyal to a franchise that has made little effort to field a competitive team? With a payroll expected to hover around $110-$115 million, the team will be short on talent and even thinner on replacements for starters who miss significant time due to injuries.

The team retained stalwart starters Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez to stabilize the front of its rotation. And veteran Byron Buxton and youngster Luke Keaschall will add some on-field excitement on a daily basis. Also, fans will welcome the arrival of shiny prospects Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and possibly shortstop Kalen Culpepper sometime this season. But the road in between for new Twins manager Derek Shelton’s squad is strewn with lackluster hitting, questionable fielding, and a failing bullpen.