Phil Riewer
Posts: 31212
Joined: 8/24/2007
From: MN
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quote:
ORIGINAL: twinsfan
Twinsfan's 75 Greatest Players in Twins History
1. Harmon Killebrew
2. Rod Carew
3. Kirby Puckett
4. Joe Mauer
5. Tony Oliva
6. Johan Santana
7. Bert Blyleven
8. Jim Kaat
9. Kent Hrbek
10. Chuck Knoblauch
11. Brad Radke
12. Bob Allison
13. Torii Hunter
14. Frank Viola
15. Joe Nathan
16. Justin Morneau
17. Byron Buxton
18. Camilo Pascual
19. Gary Gaetti
20. Jim Perry
21. Dave Goltz
22. Corey Koskie
23. Cesar Tovar
24. Kevin Tapani
25. Roy Smalley
26. Earl Battey
27. Rick Aguilera
28. Shane Mack
29. Michael Cuddyer
30. Scott Baker
31. Jose Berrios
32. Larry Hisle
33. Brian Dozier
34. Jorge Polanco
35. Greg Gagne
36. Brian Harper
37. Al Worthington
38. Mudcat Grant
39. Zoilo Versalles
40. Butch Wynegar
41. Dean Chance
42. Dave Boswell
43. Matt Lawton
44. Gary Ward
45. Tom Brunansky
46. Glen Perkins
47. Eddie Guardado
48. Joe Ryan
49. Taylor Rogers
50. Eric Milton
51. Jacque Jones
52. Scott Erickson
53. Rich Rollins
54. Pablo Lopez
55. Eddie Rosario
56. Dan Gladden
57. Jimmie Hall
58. Max Kepler
59. AJ Pierzynski
60. Kyle Gibson
61. Miguel Sano
62. Dan Ford
63. Leo Cardenas
64. Ervin Santana
65. Juan Berenguer
66. Nelson Cruz
67. LaTroy Hawkins
68. Bill Campbell
69. Jerry Koosman
70. John Castino
71. Cristian Guzman
72. Jack Kralick
73. Doug Mientkiewicz
74. Matt Guerrier
75. Bailey Ober
Why doesn’t your list include the Washington Senators?
The **top players in Minnesota Twins history** (including the franchise's time as the Washington Senators prior to 1961, as is standard for franchise records) ranked by career **Wins Above Replacement (WAR)** from Baseball-Reference (bWAR) are led by legends like Walter Johnson, Rod Carew, and Harmon Killebrew.
Baseball-Reference provides detailed leaderboards for batting and pitching WAR separately, but combined franchise career WAR rankings are commonly derived from them. Comprehensive top-75 lists aren't always published directly in one place (especially since many lower-ranked players have minimal WAR), but here's a synthesized overview based on reliable sources up to early 2025, focusing on the highest-ranked players. The franchise has many players with positive WAR, but the top tiers are dominated by Hall of Famers and long-time contributors.
### Top 25 Minnesota Twins Franchise Career WAR Leaders (Approximate, bWAR)
These reflect consensus from Baseball-Reference data, SABR articles, and historical analyses (values are approximate and can vary slightly with updates; pitching WAR for early eras like Walter Johnson's is exceptionally high due to innings pitched):
1. **Walter Johnson** (P) – ~152-164 WAR (franchise all-time leader, dominant in Senators era)
2. **Rod Carew** (2B/1B) – ~63-65 WAR (position player leader since 1961 move)
3. **Harmon Killebrew** (3B/1B) – ~60-63 WAR
4. **Joe Mauer** (C/1B) – ~55+ WAR (highest among modern-era players)
5. **Kirby Puckett** (OF) – ~51 WAR
6. **Sam Rice** (OF) – ~50+ WAR (Senators era)
7. **Johan Santana** (P) – ~40-45 WAR (peak dominance in 2000s)
8. **Tony Oliva** (OF) – ~40+ WAR
9. **Kent Hrbek** (1B) – ~38-40 WAR
10. **Bert Blyleven** (P) – ~35+ WAR (with Twins)
11. **Gary Gaetti** (3B) – ~30+ WAR
12. **Bob Allison** (OF) – ~30+ WAR
13. **Brad Radke** (P) – ~30+ WAR
14. **Joe Cronin** (SS) – ~25-30 WAR (Senators era)
15. **Goose Goslin** (OF) – ~25+ WAR (Senators era)
16. **Justin Morneau** (1B) – ~25+ WAR
17. **Corey Koskie** (3B) – ~22+ WAR
18. **Cecil Griffith / others** – lower but notable
19-25: Include players like **Chuck Knoblauch** (~20-25 WAR), **Torii Hunter** (~20+ WAR), **Byron Buxton** (rising), **Joe Nathan** (reliever), **Rick Aguilera**, **Frank Viola**, **Jim Kaat**, **Zolio Versalles**, and **Cesar Tovar**.
### Notes on Top 75
- The top 10-15 are very stable and feature Hall of Famers or near-Hall players.
- From ~25-75, WAR drops into the 10-20 range (e.g., players like **Chuck Knoblauch**, **Torii Hunter**, **Michael Cuddyer**, **Brian Dozier**, **Joe Kuhel**, **Buddy Myer**, **Don Mincher**, **Earl Battey**, **Jim Perry**, **Camilo Pascual**, modern contributors like **Jorge Polanco**, **Miguel Sano**, and pitchers like **Jim Hughes**, **Dean Chance**).
- Many players in the 50-75 range have 5-15 WAR, including solid role players, relievers, and short-tenure standouts (e.g., **Jack Morris** in his single year, **Mark Guthrie**, etc.).
- For Minnesota-only era (1961-present), the list shifts dramatically: Carew #1, Killebrew #2, Mauer #3, Puckett #4, Santana tops pitchers, etc. Walter Johnson and early Senators stars are excluded in that view.
- WAR values are from Baseball-Reference (bWAR); FanGraphs (fWAR) can differ slightly, especially for pitchers.
For the most precise and up-to-date full list (including the top 75+ with exact values, years, and positions), check these sources directly:
- Baseball-Reference Minnesota Twins batting career leaders: https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/leaders_bat.shtml (sort by WAR)
- Pitching: https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/leaders_pitch.shtml
- Franchise encyclopedia: https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/
These pages allow sorting by WAR to see the full rankings. The Twins franchise has a rich history blending early-1900s dominance with modern stars! If you'd like details on a specific player or era (e.g., post-1961 only), let me know.
_____________________________
SSG Riewer, Greg A Co 2/136 CAB
KIA 23 March 2007 Habbaniyah Iraq
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