One of the most surprising teams in 2019, the Minnesota Twins surged their way to the Major League record for home runs in a season by a team, with 307, absolutely shattering the 2018 Yankees record of 267. The power heavy Twins come in at number four in my MLB Power Rankings.

What more can I say, the Twins hit bombs. Just about every player on that roster has at least good doubles power and most have light tower power. They only added to it by signing former MVP Josh Donaldson to a four-year deal in the offseason. Donaldson had a resurgent year in 2019 following an injury riddled 2018.

Donaldson adds to a lineup lead by the ageless wonder himself, Nelson Cruz. Cruz has only gotten better as he has aged as he is now nearly a sure thing for 40 homers and 100 RBI in a normal season. Mitch Garver was a breakout star last year, blasting 30 home runs in only 311 plate appearances. Let’s not forget about Miguel Sano or Eddie Rosario, who are great power hitters in their own right. Top to bottom, the Twins have one of the most complete lineups in baseball.

The Twins Rotation definitely got better heading into 2020. At the top, you have Jose Berrios, who struggled at times last year, but his stuff is legitimate and he can be a true ace if he continues to develop. I loved the move to get Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers. Maeda was really good for the Dodgers but was lost in the shadows of an elite pitching staff. He will be a reliable arm for the Twins. Jake Odorizzi pitched well last year and even made the All-Star team. This rotation doesn’t have the flashiest names, but they are good enough to pitch the team to the post season.

The Twins have the sixth best farm system in baseball according to Bleacher Report. That seems to be a trend with the best teams in baseball, really good farm systems. Their system features two top 50 prospects in Royce Lewis (9) and Alex Kirilloff (32). Kirilloff is the one who is closer to the big leagues, so we’ll focus on him. Kirilloff doesn’t have any truly elite tools but he is really good across the board. He has a high average and has an above average pop as well. He could be a guy that hits over .300 with 30 homers, which is a really good player in today’s game since batting average is somewhat of an afterthought. Kirilloff is a good defender in the outfield and could be an option at a corner for the Twins this year if they go that route. Look for Kirilloff to emerge into a big time player in the next few years.

Overall, I love the construction of this Twins roster. They have pretty much everything you need to be successful in today’s game. I expect them to run away with their division and compete for a World Series this year.

Top Acquisition – Josh Donaldson

Biggest loss – Kyle Gibson

MVP – Nelson Cruz

Projected Finish – 1st in AL Central

Projected Lineup:

1. Jorge Polanco, SS
2. Josh Donaldson, 3B
3. Nelson Cruz, DH
4. Max Kepler, RF
5. Miguel Sano, 1B
6. Eddie Rosario, LF
7. Mitch Garver, C
8. Luis Arraez, 2B
9. Byron Buxton, CF*

Projected Rotation:

1. Jose Berrios
2. Jake Odorizzi
3. Kenta Maeda
4. Homer Bailey
5. Randy Dobnak

*Buxton was carted off the field on Monday after injuring his left foot. His status for the season is up in the air.

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Twitter: @B_Murphy_MU