I might be on something or just on something, but after watching the Twins move on from Rocco Baldelli and considering where the organization goes next, one name keeps circling back in my head.
It’s not just that he’s a recognizable name or that he still has a permanent place in the memories of fans who watched him climb the Metrodome wall. It’s that he brings everything the role seems to require right now: charisma, media savvy, respect from players, a familiarity with both the fan base and the front office, and most importantly, the ability to set the tone in a clubhouse.
Make no mistake, there are qualified internal candidates. Hank Conger has been groomed for a managerial role and understands the organization’s infrastructure. Toby Gardenhire, who has spent years in the system, has the family ties and the respect of those around him. Both could easily maintain continuity and keep the train moving forward.
But Hunter represents something different. He is the kind of entertaining, magnetic figure who could satisfy both the front office’s modern sensibilities and the fan base’s desire for energy and connection.
As Twins Daily’s Nick Nelson asked recently, what’s the actual evidence that Torii Hunter would be a successful managerial candidate beyond, you know, vibes?
To be fair, none of us really know much about any of the candidates, especially ones that have zero track record. Even insiders probably only have a slightly better read on what the Twins want or what specific candidates can provide. What we do know is that Hunter has built a reputation for connecting with players in a way few others can.
In 2024, Royce Lewis credited Hunter as one of his most trusted voices while battling through injuries and the mental grind of early setbacks.
“He simplified the game, because a lot of baseball is overthought and you overdo things a lot,” Lewis told MLB.com in August 2024, when he was slugging .613 with 10 home runs in his injury-shortened season. “For me, I simplify my game, whether it’s the approach [at the plate]—don’t make excuses. … Learn how to get better at it. Learn not to swing at that pitch and move on. Torii has harnessed me into doing that over and over, and I truly believe in it.”
That is high praise from one of the franchise’s cornerstone players, and it echoes what others have said about Hunter in his post-playing roles.
With the Angels, Hunter served as a special assistant in player development, a mentor whose job was to connect with young players and help them navigate the transition to professional baseball.
“Just be available for players that want to talk, that’s my biggest thing,” Hunter told the Star Tribune last month when describing his role. “I try to help implement the system, or be a sounding board. I’m here to share some of my experience over the years, someone who’s been through some pain of his own, and help them find some solutions.”
Former Angels manager Ron Washington raved about Hunter’s “intelligence” and “championship culture” experience, describing him as a vital influence on a young roster. That sounds awfully familiar to what the Twins could use in 2026.
Now, the Angels are not exactly an organization you want to model. But the bottom line is that Hunter’s strength is working with players. If the Twins’ biggest issue the past two seasons has been a slow cultural fade, his presence would be a positive step toward restoring energy and accountability in the clubhouse.
Let’s not also forget his epic post-game dance parties back in 2015.
And that is what the modern MLB manager really is. They are not the old-school tacticians from the 70s or 80s pulling every lever in the dugout. Most matchups, pinch-hits, and bullpen decisions are mapped out by the front office and support staff long before the first pitch. The modern manager’s real job is to manage people, to maintain culture and keep players pulling in the same direction over a 162-game grind.
That is why Hunter’s lack of traditional managerial experience is not necessarily a strike against him. You look at modern examples like Aaron Boone with the Yankees or Alex Cora with the Red Sox, both former players with name recognition, media fluency, and credibility in the clubhouse. Hunter fits that profile perfectly.
The Twins have had steady, consistent leaders in the dugout such as Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire, Paul Molitor, and Rocco Baldelli. But lately, the club has lacked some of the personality and spark that once made them so engaging. Hunter offers that.
If the front office provides him with the right staff, the right players, and the freedom to manage the culture his way, Torii Hunter could be the bridge between data and emotion, the person who ties the analytical and human sides of the game together.
And maybe, just maybe, the spark the Twins need.