Twins: 3 disappointments from 2021 season
If we’re being honest, the 2021 season was a major disappointment. If reading this article was too much and you need some positivity to uplift your spirits, be sure to check out three positives from the 2021 season. It will change your mood for the better. There’s no need to sugar coat this any longer, so without further or do, let’s look at three disappointing things that happened this year.
1. A failed season = losing Nelson Cruz and José Berríos
The Twins were heavy favorites to win the AL Central, or at the very least, grab one of the Wild Card spots. That’s far from what happened, as they finished last in the division and third to last in the American League. No one could foresee this outcome in March.
This was a long season… a very long season.
What made the year worse was watching the Twins trade José Berríos and Nelson Crus. Cruz meant a lot to the clubhouse and Minnesota, and despite playing only three years in a Twins uniform, it felt like losing your franchise player.
Losing Berríos was a tough pill to swallow because he was with the organization since 2012. He was the type of pitcher we’ve been waiting for since Johan Santana went to the New York Mets.
Did you someone say, ‘Minnesota failed to pay another player?’ Shocker.
Losing two fan favorites because Minnesota played so poorly is easily the biggest disappointment this season.
2. The starting rotation has some work to do
The starting pitching had relatively high expectations, but that was far from the case. The Twins entered the year with a starting rotation of:
By the end of the season it was:
Minnesota’s starting rotation finished 25th in the MLB with an ERA of 5.18. They also finished with a record of 39-58.
No one expected Maeda to regress the way he did, but a lot of what was seen could be blamed on an unhealthy season. This year, he only appeared in 21 games and had an ERA of 4.66. He underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Sept. 1, and it sounds like he could return in 2022. I wouldn’t put much stock into that idea, but it’ll depend on how well the Twins are playing.
Pineda was good, and he gave you a chance to win every time he took the mound. Unfortunately, he also missed some time this season.
Happ and Shoemaker were hard to watch. They just weren’t good; let’s just leave it like that.
Minnesota looks like it has two gems in Ober and Ryan. Ober was, for the most part, a good pitcher all year. There were a few rookie hiccups, but that’s normal. Unless they take huge steps forward next season, they’ll likely become your fourth and fifth starting pitchers.
Let’s hope the Twins sign some players this offseason because I can’t do another bullpen game.
3. Max Kepler disappoints again
One of the biggest disappointments for the Twins was Max Kepler. After having a bit of a coming-out party in 2019, his expectations have been high. However, he’s continued to regress since then, and this 2021 season might have been his worse.
| Year | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .143 | .143 | .143 | .286 | -21 |
| 2016 | 113 | 447 | 396 | 52 | 93 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 63 | 6 | 42 | 93 | .235 | .309 | .424 | .734 | 96 |
| 2017 | 147 | 568 | 511 | 67 | 124 | 32 | 2 | 19 | 69 | 6 | 47 | 114 | .243 | .312 | .425 | .737 | 95 |
| 2018 | 156 | 611 | 532 | 80 | 119 | 30 | 4 | 20 | 58 | 4 | 71 | 96 | .224 | .319 | .408 | .727 | 97 |
| 2019 | 134 | 596 | 524 | 98 | 132 | 32 | 0 | 36 | 90 | 1 | 60 | 99 | .252 | .336 | .519 | .855 | 123 |
| 2020 | 48 | 196 | 171 | 27 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 23 | 3 | 22 | 36 | .228 | .321 | .439 | .760 | 109 |
| 2021 | 121 | 490 | 426 | 61 | 90 | 21 | 4 | 19 | 54 | 10 | 54 | 96 | .211 | .306 | .413 | .719 | 98 |
| 7 Yr | 722 | 2915 | 2567 | 385 | 598 | 144 | 12 | 120 | 357 | 30 | 296 | 537 | .233 | .317 | .439 | .756 | 103 |
| 162 | 162 | 654 | 576 | 86 | 134 | 32 | 3 | 27 | 80 | 7 | 66 | 120 | .233 | .317 | .439 | .756 | 103 |
Kepler hit .211, with an on-base percentage of .306 and slugged .413 – all career lows. At least he was able to drive the ball for 19 home runs, which is more consistent with his other years.
Kepler is a fan-favorite because he’s a Twin-vet, and I think we all know why women have his jersey.
He’s good-looking, there’s no denying that.
But this is an important offseason for the Twins front office. They’ll have to determine his trade value and look into moving him.
He’s making $6-8 million over the next two seasons, with a club option in 2024 worth $10 million. There’s no chance the Twins accept that if he’s playing the way he has. He’s on a relatively good deal and plays great defense, but is it enough?
Kepler finished the season with a fielding percentage of 1.000 in both right and centerfield.
He’s a player you want if he’s your fourth outfielder. He can be utilized in late-game situations with his defense and play when others need rest.
It’ll be interesting to see what the front office decides, but Kepler needs to improve drastically.
