2015 Minnesota Twins season
The 2015 Minnesota Twins season was the 55th season for the franchise in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, their sixth season at Target Field and the 115th overall in the American League. The team finished second in the AL Central with an 83–79 record, their best overall result since the 2010 season, which was the last year they made the playoffs. The team remained in the running for a wild card berth in the American League playoffs until losing Game 161. They would eventually win a wild card berth two years later, in 2017. In between, however, the team lost 103 games.
After seven years away, outfielder Torii Hunter returned for his twelfth year as a Twin. Lauded rookies Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton arrived from the minors; each tallied their first big-league hit, home run and run batted in. In Rosario's case, he did all three on May 6 on the first big-league pitch he saw, just the twenty-ninth player in history to do so. In May, the Twins had a month record of 20-7, which was the best month for the franchise since June 1991, the last year they won the World Series.
Offseason
October 30: Jared Burton becomes a free agent.Week of November 11: Signed 4 players to a minor league contract and invited 3 of them to Spring training.
November 20: Signed 3 players to a minor league contract and promoted 4 players from the minors.
November 25: Sent Anthony Swarzak to the minors.
December 3: Signed Torii Hunter to a one-year, $10.5 million contract.
December 5: Signed Shane Robinson to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring training.
December 11: Drafted J. R. Graham.
December 13: Signed Ervin Santana and Carlos Paulino while sending Chris Parmelee to the minors.
Week of December 15: Signed 5 players to a minor league contract and invited 11 others to Spring training.
December 23: Signed Tim Stauffer.
December 31: Signed Blaine Boyer to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring training.
Week of January 7: Signed 3 players to a minor league contract.
Season standings
American League Central
American League Wild Card
Record against opponents
Season summary
New manager Paul Molitor oversaw a winning season for his Minnesota club, following four consecutive seasons of 90 or more losses under previous manager Ron Gardenhire.2.22 million fans attended Twins games at Target Field, the ninth highest total in the American League.
The season brought some "Twins' firsts" and broke or matched several longstanding club records:
- Facing Detroit, the Twins began the season with 24.1 scoreless innings, a club record in futility. Paul Molitor didn't get his first win until the fourth game. Among Twins managers, only Billy Martin in 1969 waited longer for his first victory.
- On May 6, rookie outfielder Eddie Rosario hit a Target Field home run on the first major league pitch he saw, something no other Twin has done.
- On June 14, three Twins hit triples in the sixth inning, a Twins first. Oddly, the Twins only scored one run in the inning. With another triple two innings earlier, the power burst added up to the club's first four-triple game since 1964. All four three-baggers were hit off Texas Rangers' starter Nick Martinez.
- In the week prior to All-Star Game, second baseman Brian Dozier belted two walk-off home runs, the first time a Twin has done that within one week. Dozier was a late addition to the American League All-Star roster as an injury replacement.
- Relief pitcher Glen Perkins set club records with 28 consecutive saves to start the season.
- Rookie Miguel Sano was called up, and blasted ten home runs in his first 41 games—the fastest start for any Twins or Washington Senators rookie.
- Eddie Rosario set a Twins rookie record by tallying fifteen triples and tied the late Kirby Puckett's 1984 rookie club record with sixteen outfield assists.
- On September 24, first baseman Joe Mauer reached base safely in his 43rd straight game, setting a Minnesota record. The record had been held by Harmon Killebrew at 40 in 1970.
- Two days later, third baseman Trevor Plouffe grounded into his major-league-leading 28th double play. The tally tied Harmon Killebrew, in the 1970 season, for the Minnesota record.
- On Oct. 1, Brian Dozier struck out for the 146th time this season. His season finished with 148 strikeouts, topping the previous club record of 145, set by Bobby Darwin in 1972.
Pitchers Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson each finished with eleven wins for tops in the Win column. No pitcher lost more than eleven games. Eight Twins finished with ten or more homers.
Game log
Roster
Statistics
Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Base on balls; SO = Strikeouts; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | SB |
| Oswaldo Arcia, OF | 19 | 58 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 15 | .276 | 0 |
| Doug Bernier, 3B,2B | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | .200 | 0 |
| Byron Buxton, CF | 46 | 129 | 16 | 27 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 44 | .209 | 2 |
| Brian Dozier, 2B | 157 | 628 | 101 | 148 | 39 | 4 | 28 | 77 | 61 | 148 | .236 | 12 |
| Brian Duensing, P | 55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 |
| Eduardo Escobar, LF, SS, DH, 3B, 2B | 127 | 409 | 48 | 107 | 31 | 4 | 12 | 58 | 28 | 86 | .262 | 2 |
| Eric Fryer, C | 15 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | .227 | 0 |
| Kyle Gibson, P | 32 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .200 | 0 |
| Chris Herrmann, C | 45 | 103 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 37 | .146 | 0 |
| Aaron Hicks, CF | 97 | 352 | 48 | 90 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 33 | 34 | 66 | .256 | 13 |
| Phil Hughes, P | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 |
| Torii Hunter, RF | 139 | 521 | 67 | 125 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 81 | 35 | 105 | .240 | 2 |
| Max Kepler, RF | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .143 | 0 |
| Joe Mauer, 1B, DH | 158 | 592 | 69 | 157 | 34 | 2 | 10 | 66 | 67 | 112 | .265 | 2 |
| Trevor May, P | 48 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 0 |
| Tommy Milone, P | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0 |
| Ricky Nolasco, P | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 0 |
| Eduardo Núñez, SS, DH, 3B | 72 | 188 | 23 | 53 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 12 | 29 | .282 | 8 |
| Mike Pelfrey, P | 30 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .667 | 0 |
| Trevor Plouffe, 3B | 152 | 573 | 74 | 140 | 35 | 4 | 22 | 86 | 50 | 124 | .244 | 2 |
| Jorge Polanco, SS | 4 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .300 | 1 |
| Shane Robinson, OF | 83 | 180 | 28 | 45 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 12 | 29 | .250 | 6 |
| Eddie Rosario, LF | 122 | 453 | 60 | 121 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 50 | 15 | 118 | .267 | 11 |
| Miguel Sanó, DH | 80 | 279 | 46 | 75 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 52 | 53 | 119 | .269 | 1 |
| Danny Santana, SS | 91 | 261 | 30 | 56 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 68 | .215 | 8 |
| Jordan Schafer, CF | 27 | 69 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 23 | .217 | 0 |
| Kurt Suzuki, C | 131 | 433 | 36 | 104 | 17 | 0 | 5 | 50 | 29 | 59 | .240 | 0 |
| Kennys Vargas, DH, 1B | 58 | 175 | 18 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 9 | 54 | .240 | 0 |
Pitching
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts| Player | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | K |
| A. J. Achter | 0 | 1 | 6.75 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 13.1 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| Blaine Boyer | 3 | 6 | 2.49 | 68 | 0 | 1 | 65.0 | 62 | 24 | 18 | 5 | 19 | 33 |
| Neal Cotts | 0 | 0 | 3.95 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 13.2 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| Brian Duensing | 4 | 1 | 4.25 | 55 | 0 | 1 | 48.2 | 46 | 24 | 23 | 5 | 21 | 24 |
| Tyler Duffey | 5 | 1 | 3.10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 58.0 | 56 | 20 | 20 | 4 | 20 | 53 |
| Casey Fien | 4 | 6 | 3.55 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 63.1 | 61 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 41 |
| Kyle Gibson | 11 | 11 | 3.84 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 194.2 | 186 | 88 | 83 | 18 | 65 | 145 |
| J. R. Graham | 1 | 1 | 4.95 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 63.2 | 73 | 41 | 35 | 10 | 21 | 53 |
| Phil Hughes | 11 | 9 | 4.40 | 27 | 25 | 0 | 155.1 | 184 | 76 | 76 | 29 | 16 | 94 |
| Kevin Jepsen | 1 | 1 | 1.61 | 29 | 0 | 10 | 28.0 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 25 |
| Trevor May | 8 | 9 | 4.00 | 48 | 16 | 0 | 114.2 | 127 | 53 | 51 | 11 | 26 | 110 |
| Alex Meyer | 0 | 0 | 16.88 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Tommy Milone | 9 | 5 | 3.92 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 128.2 | 128 | 64 | 56 | 17 | 36 | 91 |
| Ricky Nolasco | 5 | 2 | 6.75 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 37.1 | 50 | 31 | 28 | 3 | 14 | 35 |
| Ryan O'Rourke | 0 | 0 | 6.14 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 15 | 24 |
| Mike Pelfrey | 6 | 11 | 4.26 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 164.2 | 198 | 86 | 78 | 11 | 45 | 86 |
| Glen Perkins | 3 | 5 | 3.32 | 60 | 0 | 32 | 57.0 | 58 | 21 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 54 |
| Ryan Pressly | 3 | 2 | 2.93 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 27.2 | 27 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 22 |
| Shane Robinson | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ervin Santana | 7 | 5 | 4.00 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 108.0 | 104 | 50 | 48 | 12 | 36 | 82 |
| Tim Stauffer | 1 | 0 | 6.60 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| Caleb Thielbar | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Aaron Thompson | 1 | 3 | 5.01 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 32.1 | 32 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 11 | 17 |
| Michael Tonkin | 0 | 0 | 3.47 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 23.1 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 19 |
Awards
- Team MVP and Twins Most Outstanding Rookie: Miguel Sano, at 22 the youngest player to be named Twins MVP and just the second to win the award as a rookie, joining Tony Oliva in 1964.
Farm system