When it comes to October baseball, it’s been a rough couple of decades for Minnesota Twins fans. The postseason heartbreaks are well-documented: a multi-decade losing streak, a revolving door of Yankees villains, and plenty of “what-ifs” scattered along the way. But despite the pain, there have been moments (short bursts of brilliance) where individual Twins players delivered performances worthy of postseason lore.
From one pitcher’s dominance in the mid-2000s to a rookie’s instant legend moment in 2023, these are the playoff performances that stood above the rest in the 21st century.
8. Joe Mays – 2002 AL Championship Series (0.35 WPA)
13 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 12 H, 3 K, 0 BB
Mays isn’t usually a name that comes up in franchise “best-of” discussions, but in 2002, he was everything the Twins could have hoped for in the ALCS. Against a powerful Angels lineup, Mays threw strikes, avoided walks, and kept his team in games they had no business being in. He didn’t overpower anyone, but his efficiency was surgical. Unfortunately, the Twins’ offense went cold, and Anaheim went on to win the World Series, but Mays’s effort deserves a spotlight.
7. Kenta Maeda – 2020 AL Wild Card Series, Game 1 (0.29 WPA)
5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 5 K, 3 BB
In the strange, fanless 2020 postseason, Maeda gave Twins fans a brief moment of optimism. He blanked the Houston Astros over five innings, flashing the elite command that made him a Cy Young finalist that season. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t close it out, and the Twins dropped both games of the short series. Still, Maeda’s effort stands out as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak October stretch.
6. Torii Hunter – 2004 AL Division Series (0.34 WPA)
6-for-17 (.353), 1 HR, 1 2B
Hunter had his share of memorable moments in October, and the 2004 ALDS was one of them. His bat showed up in a big way, highlighted by clutch hits that briefly gave the Twins life against the Yankees. Hunter’s energy and emotion were contagious, and he provided a rare offensive spark in a lineup that too often went quiet in the postseason. While the series ended in heartbreak, Hunter’s performance cemented him in Twins lore.
5. Johan Santana – 2006 AL Division Series, Game 1 (0.16 WPA)
8 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 8 K, 1 BB
Santana did everything he could in the 2006 ALDS opener against the Athletics, but the Twins’ bats never showed up. Santana’s outing (two earned runs over eight innings) was vintage dominance that deserved better support. It wasn’t his fault the series spiraled from there, and this performance serves as a reminder of how often Santana’s brilliance was squandered by lackluster offense (see below for even more evidence).
4. Pablo López – 2023 AL Division Series, Game 2 (0.26 WPA)
7 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 7 K, 1 BB
After nearly two decades of postseason futility, López helped usher in a new era of hope. His seven shutout innings against the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the 2023 ALDS were a masterclass in poise and precision. Armed with his changeup and confidence, López gave the Twins their first road postseason win in over a decade. Even though the Twins eventually fell short in the series, López’s performance reminded fans what a legitimate frontline starter looks like on the October stage.
3. A.J. Pierzynski – 2002 AL Division Series (0.44 WPA)
7-for-16 (.438), 1 HR, 1 3B
Few Twins players embodied the scrappy early-2000s teams like Pierzynski. In the 2002 ALDS against the Oakland Athletics, Pierzynski was relentless, smacking extra-base hits, driving in runs, and getting under opponents’ skin in classic fashion. His home run in Game 5 helped clinch Minnesota’s first postseason series win since 1991. This was a defining performance, in a series that reintroduced the Twins to October baseball. It was the kind of gritty, emotional energy that fans still miss. Little did fans know that it would be the team’s last winning playoff series until 2023.
2. Royce Lewis – 2023 AL Wild Card Series, Game 1 (0.24 WPA)
2-for-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB
The streak was over, and the team’s electric rookie made sure of it. In his first-ever playoff game, Lewis launched two home runs (one to left, one to right), ending Minnesota’s multi-decade postseason losing streak. The Target Field crowd was electric, the moment was cinematic, and Lewis instantly etched his name into Twins lore. Few performances in team history have meant more, emotionally.
1. Johan Santana – 2004 AL Division Series (0.67 WPA)
12 IP, 1 ER, 14 H, 12 K, 4 BB
This was the peak of Santana’s powers, and the numbers prove it. In 2004, Santana had just earned his first Cy Young Award and entered the postseason as the most dominant pitcher in baseball. He delivered eight shutout innings in Game 1 against the Yankees, silencing the Bronx crowd and reminding everyone that the Twins could hang with the giants. He followed it up with another gutsy effort in Game 4, on short rest. Even though Minnesota’s bullpen let the series slip away, Santana’s performance remains one of the most impressive playoff showings in franchise history. When Twins fans talk about what “ace” energy looks like, this is it.
When you sort through the rubble of the Twins’ modern postseason history, these performances stand out like small fires on a cold night. They didn’t lead to championships (or even series wins, in most cases), but they showed that Minnesota has still had its share of October heroes. From Santana’s sustained excellence to Lewis’s breakout moment, these games prove that even amid decades of frustration, greatness has still felt comfortable in a Twins uniform. It just hasn’t stayed long enough.
Would you add any other performances to this list? How would you rank these performances? Leave a comment and start the discussion.
Are you interested in Twins history? Then check out the Minnesota Twins Players Project, a community-driven project to discover and collect great information on every player to wear a Twins uniform!