{"id":826577,"date":"2026-10-11T02:36:37","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T02:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/826577\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T02:36:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T02:36:37","slug":"twins-exit-interviews-black-players-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/826577\/","title":{"rendered":"Twins Exit Interviews: Black Players 2026 Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\tTwins Exit Interviews: Five Black Players, One Special Clubhouse<\/p>\n

Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with the six men of color connected to the Twins after the 6-4 season finale win over Texas. Josh Bell led the club with 96 RBI and says the clubhouse vibes are special, Byron Buxton hopes other teams follow Minnesota\u2019s example, Royce Lewis hit both the first and last Twins home runs of the season, and Taj Bradley led the staff with 206 strikeouts and 12 wins. Rookie shortstop Kaelen Culpepper looks ahead to 2027, bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins praises Bradley\u2019s growth, and manager Derek Shelton credits Bell\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

First in a series<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Charles Hallman\/MSR<\/p>\n

In their final game notes for the 2026 season, the Minnesota Twins communications department listed nine \u201cNotes That Will Make Your Brain Fall Out of Your Skull,\u201d but they ignored the one fact that the Twins had a league-high five Black players plus a Black coach. A fact that seemingly only MSR and MLBbro.com cared to regularly talk about.<\/p>\n

Before and after Sunday\u2019s 6-4 season finale win over Texas, we conducted our own \u201cexit interviews\u201d with the six aforementioned men of color:<\/p>\n

DH Josh Bell said he realized \u201chow special this clubhouse is\u201d a couple of months into the season. On the Twins having five Black players, \u201cYeah, it\u2019s cool. It all starts with (Byron) Buxton leading the way. He\u2019s such a special player, a special person that makes it really easy. He\u2019s a guy who you want to play with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Byron Buxton Credit: Charles Hallman\/MSR<\/p>\n

The 11-year veteran in his first season in Minnesota led the club with 96 RBI, the most by a Twin since 2021. He hit his 21st homer on Sunday and finished among the AL\u2019s top 10 switch hitters. When asked if he\u2019d like to return next season, Bell said, \u201cMy family loves it here and my wife loves it here. The vibes in this clubhouse are special. We\u2019ll see what happens in a month or two.\u201d<\/p>\n

OF Byron Buxton had season-ending hip surgery in September. He has been with the club for good since June 2015 and is largely considered the Twins\u2019 heart and soul. \u201cTo be able to be teammates with this many Black guys is something special,\u201d Buxton told me during a pregame media scrum on Sunday. \u201cObviously you want to see more Blacks playing,\u201d he stressed, adding that he hopes other major league clubs follow the Twins\u2019 example.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Kaelen Culpepper (left) and Royce Lewis Credit: Charles Hallman\/MSR<\/p>\n

INF Royce Lewis: After returning from St. Paul, he started 74 games at first base in his last 90 games played since June 6. His 15 homers and 57 RBI are both career highs. Another overlooked fact: Lewis hit the team\u2019s first homer of the season in a 4-1 win at Baltimore, and the team\u2019s last, a solo shot in the eighth inning in his final at-bat of 2026 on Sunday. \u201cIt\u2019s cool to be the Twin that gets the first home run of the season, and the last one for the Twins,\u201d said Lewis afterward.<\/p>\n

On the team\u2019s diversity, \u201cWe definitely have diversity within the team whether it\u2019s Latino, African American, or White. We have all the races covered, and it\u2019s fun to see the Twins are diverse in that matter. We are here to play baseball no matter what color your skin,\u201d reiterated Lewis, who has played nearly five years in the majors.<\/p>\n

\"\"Taj Bradley Credit: Charles Hallman\/MSR<\/p>\n

P Taj Bradley: The starting right-hander led the Twins in 2026 in strikeouts (206), wins (12) and starts (31), and became the first Twins pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts since 2023. He also threw the first immaculate inning in Minnesota history when three A\u2019s batters all fanned on nine pitches in a game in August. \u201cThe more reps you get, the time, experience, age, you be able to harness all that stuff and become a better pitcher,\u201d said the 25-year-old hurler.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce he\u2019s locked in, he has a chance to compete for a Cy Young,\u201d said first-year Twins Bullpen Coach LaTroy Hawkins on Bradley. \u201cI think this year he grew a lot maturity-wise \u2026 I think he learned a lot this year.\u201d Hawkins was the only Black member of the team\u2019s coaching staff this season.<\/p>\n

SS Kaelen Culpepper hit safely in 23 of 33 games and started every game he played after his promotion from Triple-A St. Paul in early August. He is considered a fixture at shortstop in 2027. \u201cIt won\u2019t be easy but I am more than capable of doing it. I can\u2019t wait, I am excited for next year and what the future holds,\u201d he told us. \u201cThis clubhouse is fantastic. From the first day that I got here, they welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home. They helped me with everything and gave me advice. I love the family environment here. Everybody treats [me] with respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Derek Shelton Credit: Charles Hallman\/MSR<\/p>\n

First-year Manager Derek Shelton, speaking before Sunday\u2019s game, pointed specifically to Josh Bell\u2019s leadership. \u201cAt the major league level, I think it\u2019s great and I think it\u2019s really important the leadership that we have in that room,\u201d he told me. \u201cI\u2019m proud of the diversity and how well they all communicate, interact and grow together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank each one of the fans who are reading everything that you are writing, and thank you for your hard work this year. It\u2019s been a pleasure,\u201d concluded Lewis.<\/p>\n

What about Black fans at Twins home games? We talked to several folks, including a team official, on the topic. Their comments will appear in next week\u2019s View.<\/p>\n

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses at challman@spokesman-recorder.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Copyright \u00a9 Charles Hallman<\/p>\n

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