Record 83–79 (.512) | Divisional place 2nd | |
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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 a 83-79 record, their best overall result since the 2010 season. The team remained in the running for a wild card berth in the American League playoffs until losing Game 161 (their second to last).
Contents
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 with his first big-league swing, just the twenty-ninth player in history to do so.
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 (2 with a Spring training invite) 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 (minor league contract) while sending Chris Parmelee to the minors.
Week of December 15: Signed 5 players to a minor league contract (1 with an invite to Spring training) 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 summary
New manager Paul Molitor oversaw a winning season (83-79) 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:
Two Twins made the All-Star Game: relief pitcher Glen Perkins and second baseman Brian Dozier. In the eighth inning, Dozier pinch hit and homered off Mark Melancon in his only at-bat in Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park. Perkins pitched the ninth inning in the AL's 6-3 win.
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.
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
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
Awards
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Chattanooga