The Twins have spent the past season searching for answers, but the story has stayed painfully the same. What began as a collapse in August of 2024 has stretched into 2025, leaving stars, fans, and the management grasping for reasons behind the freefall. Once identified as a contender with a powerful core and playoff pedigree, the team now sits in a frustrating limbo — haunted by the weight of what could have been.

That backdrop established the stage for manager Rocco Baldelli’s most candid statement yet. Asked related to the Twins’ inability to break free from last season’s failures, Baldelli did not hide behind excuses. Instead, the manager cut to the chase: “Frankly, we just have to play better,” Baldelli said. It was not polished PR speak and sugarcoating. It was blunt, almost raw, highlighting accountability and exasperation. For the fans that have watched 163 games of underwhelming baseball since the collapse began, that honesty struck as refreshing and sobering.

However, there is a twist: Baldelli did not point fingers outward — the manager looked inward. “I look in the mirror every day and always will take full responsibility for our team, even more so when we don’t play well,” Baldelli added. That is the kind of statement that makes you pause. Because if the manager is stepping up to claim responsibility, then the natural follow-up question becomes: where exactly is the breakdown happening? Injuries? Coaching? Star regression? Is it something deeper within the team’s culture that keeps recycling the same mistakes?

The proof is scattered across the roster. Over the past season, the Twins’ offense has been weak in MLB, ranking 24th in OPS and 24th in runs. Stars once hyped as base cornerstones — Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, and José Miranda — have struggled mightily at the plate. On the pitching side, outside of brief stretches from Joe Ryan and Pablo López, consistency has been a ghost. Such a lack of production, mixed with a bullpen gutted at the deadline, paints a grim picture of a team searching for an identity. Baldelli could take responsibility; however, the cracks are showing well beyond his dugout decisions.

Still, Baldelli’s statement was not simply related to the present; it carried a challenge for the future. “We have to do better offensively, defend better, pitch better. And we have to continue to develop our players better,” Baldelli emphasized. In other words, it is not just related to surviving this season. It is related to rewriting the team’s habits before another season slips away. Baldelli’s tone highlights urgency, almost a warning — either the Twins learn from the past, or the team will keep reliving it.

And for fans, such a message was the harsh reality; and perhaps the first step toward transformation.

However, what does the future hold for this underperforming team? Can the Twins truly turn things around? Is the Twins’ future as uncertain as their present?

Optimism on the horizon

Despite the tumultuous 2025 season, there is a glimmer of hope for the Twins fans looking toward the future. MLB reporter Theo DeRosa currently highlighted the Twins as a team that could transform from sellers in 2025 to buyers in 2026, providing a much-needed dose of optimism after a season filled with disappointment. The trade deadline saw the team ship out vital stars, which could have been disheartening for the fans. However, the roster transforms and depth added in the process could be a game-changer for the upcoming season.

Among the notable additions were outfielder Alan Roden and pitchers Taj Bradley and Mick Abel. Such fresh stars could be pivotal in adding the depth the Twins sorely needed. Add to that the promise of top stars like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez likely joining the 26-man roster next season, and it is clear that the team is not beginning from scratch in 2026. The Twins’ farm system has been a bright spot, and if these stars live up to their potential, they could contribute effectively to a postseason push.

While it is still a long shot, DeRosa’s analysis provides a compelling instance for why the Twins could contend next season. A healthy Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Pablo López would provide a powerful base, while the emergence of young talent like Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee could elevate the Twins’ performance to the next level. The bullpen, which was overhauled during the period of the trade deadline, will also need to come together for the team to have a shot. There is no denying that the Twins have a long road ahead; however, with the right mix of stars and some vital pieces falling into place, a playoff berth in 2026 does not look totally out of reach.

In the grand scheme of things, this season’s issues could be exactly what the team needs to refocus and build for the future. With a mix of veteran management, healthy stars, and rising prospects, 2026 could be the season that revives the team’s playoff hopes. The concern now is whether the management can capitalize on this scope and build a roster capable of achieving those lofty goals. Twins fans can only hope that the road to redemption starts sooner rather than later.

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