Expectations may be low, but Twins believe they can ‘shock’ people
BALTIMORE — There is a new Pohlad in the owner’s chair, a new executive atop baseball operations and a new manager in the dugout. Yet despite all of the organizational change — Tom Pohlad replaced his younger brother Joe, president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey departed and Jeremy Zoll is in the big seat and Rocco Baldelli was fired and replaced by Derek Shelton after seven seasons as manager — much of the Twins’ roster remained intact over the course of the offseason. After trading away 10 players last July, the Twins decided not to continue tearing down the roster further, yet only made modest additions this offseason.
The Twins topped 90 losses last season for the first time since 2016 and outside expectations for the team don’t paint a pretty picture as the Twins prepare to kick off their 2026 campaign in Baltimore on Thursday afternoon. The Twins don’t care much for those expectations. Told in February that a Las Vegas sportsbook had the Twins’ over/under at 73.
5 wins, new executive chair Tom Pohlad brushed off the low projection. “That’s ridiculous,” Pohlad, who took over in December, said. Just days later, the Twins announced they would have to play the entire season without starting pitcher Pablo López, a punch in the gut just as spring training began.
To be sure, the Twins are aware of what people are saying. But “honestly I don’t think our guys really give a (expletive),” starting pitcher Bailey Ober said. “We’re just going to go out there and go play,” Ober said.
“Each person has a job and each person is going to try and execute to the best of their abilities. … You get guys that lift their head up a little bit and just keep going and I think we can shock some people. ” Days after he reported to camp in February, third baseman Royce Lewis noted that “people just keep writing us off,” and expressed belief that his team was ready to “shock people,” just as Ober did a little more than a month later.
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