The Minnesota Twins are currently taking part in spring training as they gear up for the upcoming 2026 MLB regular season. The Twins are looking to bounce back after two straight years of missing the playoffs, following an upstart 2023 campaign that had many fans thinking that something special was on the horizon.
This offseason, the Twins hired Derek Shelton to be their new manager, and now, the former Pittsburgh Pirates' head man is speaking on how the team is reacting to the fans' frustration with the organization's direction over the last two years.
“Number one, we realize, organizationally and from this chair, we have to win the fans back. I understand that and appreciate that. Apathy is the worst thing for a fan. We do not have apathetic fans. I mean, you know that… That’s just me throwing one out there,” he said, per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic.
Shelton also spoke on the trade deadline fire sale that the Twins held last year, which officially solidified their status as a rebuilding team in the MLB landscape moving forward.
“I think you have to be excited about the young players. And I know everybody wants to talk about the trade deadline last year. There were some good players that came back in that. It’s just giving us a little bit of time for those guys to blossom,” he added. “And then the other part of it, exactly what you were talking about, these guys are not prospects anymore. It’s time to separate themselves to be good major-league players.”
Indeed, the pressure will be on for some of the Twins' younger prospects to start producing consistently at the MLB level this year.
Last season was a bit of a bizarre one for Minnesota, as the team went on its longest winning streak in franchise history early on in the year before falling off a cliff, ultimately resulting in the trade deadline blowup.
In any case, the Twins' regular season will begin later this month.
