Greatest Minnesota Twins: The Twinkie Town definitive list (Round 3)

Rounds 1-2 Results:

1. Harmon Killebrew
2. Kirby Puckett

I suspected Harmon Killebrew & Kirby Puckett would top this list—and that is exactly what transpired! Argue all you want about one leapfrogging the other, but those two icons are the Kirk & Spock (or Picard & Riker, if you fancy TNG) of the Minnesota Twins universe.

Now the fun really begins, as there are multiple legitimate contenders for the bronze medal. I love hearing the voting rationales in the comments!

The new entry: a big kid from Bloomington.

Round 3:

SetNumber: D95051

Rod Carew

• Perhaps the best pure batsman in Twins history. Career .328 BA and 3,053 hits—plus a 1977 assault on the mythical .400 batting average that came up just short (.388).

Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images

Tony Oliva

• From 1964-1971, Tony O was as good of a hitter as one could find in the American League—averaging .313 at the plate with a 140 OPS+. Only a devastating knee injury prevented his elite reign from continuing. After his playing days, Oliva was a Twins coach and remains a charismatic franchise ambassador routinely seen at Target Field.

Joe Mauer

• Born in St. Paul and drafted straight out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School, Mauer had perhaps the keenest eye and sweetest swing of any Twins alum. Not only dominating pitch-calling and baserunner-nabbing behind the plate, his offensive production—three batting titles, one AL MVP award, .308 BA, 124 OPS+—was unprecedented for a backstop.

Bert Blyleven

• When that tongue crept out from the corner of Rik Aalbert Blijleven’s mouth, it usually meant a swing-and-a-miss for the opposing batter. Possessing perhaps the most fearsome 12-6 curveball the sport has ever seen, Bert piled up 287 wins (242 complete games and 60 shutouts!) & 3,701 strikeouts (5th all-time in MLB) en route to a long-awaited plaque in Cooperstown. Post-playing career, “Circle Me” Bert became an iconic Twins TV color commentator alongside Dick Bremer.

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Kent Hrbek

• Big Kenny was a solid player—some thunder in the lumber (293 HR) and a career .282 BA. Defensively—especially the earlier, lither years—he was immaculate at 1B. T-Rex was “one of us”—born in Minneapolis, grad of Bloomington, entire career in MN pinstripes—who nabbed the final out of the first Twins championship in 1987 after his Game 6 grand slam got them there. Herbie’s affinities for fishing and cracking cold ones have personally endeared him to Twins Territory like perhaps no other.