Jim Thome and Nelson Cruz aren’t walking back through the doors of Target Field to save the team. So, why do the Minnesota Twins still have an advantage in an age of declining DH performance?
It takes more than one great player to win a championship. These all-time great MLB players had their fair share of personal accomplishments but were never able to win a World Series.
There are plenty of Major League Baseball players who were born to hit, and when the designated hitter was adopted by the American League in 1973, it made and saved plenty of careers.
The Twins don't have a player like Nelson Cruz or Jim Thome to plug into the designated hitter spot daily. So, what does that mean for the team's DH role during the 2023 campaign?
Flashback to 2011 and the Minnesota Twins found themselves at 41-48 when the All-Star Break took place. Just a few weeks later, they were a dismal 55-75 shipping Jim Thome to Cleveland.