The Minnesota Twins are heading into 2026 with plenty of questions and not a lot of answers.
Owner and executive chair Tom Pohlad is trying to change that narrative, and he recently made it clear that the upcoming season carries serious weight for the franchise.
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“We have to have a good season in 2026,” Pohlad said last week in an interview with Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. “Just because I say we’re trying to build a team that can play a string of October seasons, that doesn’t mean we’re not all in on 2026. Frankly, for us to be able to build a team and build a business that can invest in a team, we have to have a strong 2026.”
Ownership Turmoil Continues
Those words carry extra meaning when you look at everything that has happened with this organization over the past year.
The Pohlad family explored selling the team in 2024 but pulled back after failing to find a buyer willing to take on the franchise’s roughly $500 million in debt.
Instead, the family added three minority investor groups and Tom Pohlad took over as the team’s control person from his brother Joe.
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The Twins also parted ways with longtime president Derek Falvey at the end of January, which shocked many around the league given that spring training is right around the corner.
General manager Jeremy Zoll will now lead baseball operations while the organization searches for a new president.
Coming Off a Rough 2025
The Twins finished 70-92 last season and landed in fourth place in the AL Central, 18 games out of the final wild-card spot.
That record marked a significant drop from 2023 when Minnesota won a playoff series for the first time in 21 years.
At the trade deadline, the Twins traded away 11 players, including fan favorite Carlos Correa, and the moves were met with heavy criticism from fans who believed ownership was simply shedding payroll.
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Can Minnesota Make the Playoffs?
The path back to October will not be easy.
The Twins’ current payroll sits around $105 million, which is well below league average, and not many believe that they can legitimately compete in 2026.
The AL Central has also become more competitive, with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals all looking like serious contenders.
There are reasons for hope though. Byron Buxton had a breakout 2025 season with 35 home runs and an .850-plus OPS.
Starting pitchers Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez give Minnesota a legitimate playoff-caliber rotation if the team decides to keep them, and the farm system now ranks among the best in baseball.
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Pohlad wants fans to judge 2026 on wins and losses rather than payroll numbers, but he knows a strong season is necessary to grow the business.
The question now is whether his words will translate into action on the field.