The Twins have been sloppy on the field.
Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton is not holding back when it comes to his team's play in the field.
After watching his club commit mistake after mistake on the defensive side of the ball, the first-year skipper laid out exactly where he thinks the biggest problem is.
Shelton was brought in last October to replace Rocco Baldelli following a brutal 70-92 season in 2025, and he spent spring training pushing a fundamentals-first approach that he hoped would stop the Twins from beating themselves.
"We have to play better defense," Shelton said. "We cannot give away outs."
The Numbers
So far, the approach has not taken hold the way anyone in the organization hoped.
Through 64 games, the Twins have committed 41 errors and rank 28th in MLB with a .981 fielding percentage, and the careless plays have shown up in all kinds of ways.
Throws to the wrong base, balls not fielded cleanly, and easy outs turned into free baserunners have become a regular part of watching this team.
This is not a new issue either.
The 2025 Twins finished with -46 defensive runs saved, ranking 29th in all of baseball, and the front office barely addressed the problem during the offseason.
Shelton also pointed out how defensive miscues create problems that stretch well beyond the play itself.
"When you not only give away outs, even if you get out of the inning, it changes the course of what their batting order does," Shelton said. "So then it changes the course of how you use your bullpen."
That part of the conversation tends to get overlooked.
A botched ground ball in the fourth inning might not directly lead to a run in that moment, but it can push a starter's pitch count higher and force a manager to dig into his bullpen earlier than planned.
For a team already dealing with rotation injuries and relief questions, those extra pitches and wasted innings add up fast over a long season.
Treading Water in the AL Central
Sitting at 29-35, the Twins are seven games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and third in the division behind the surprising Chicago White Sox.
Minnesota has had its moments this year, including a stretch where they rattled off six wins in seven games and briefly climbed to the top of the standings.
But they have not been able to build on those hot stretches, and the defense is a big reason why.
Every time the Twins seem ready to put something together, a sloppy game or two drags them right back below .500.
"We've got to play better defensively," Shelton said. "We're not playing good defense right now."
The frustrating reality for Minnesota fans is that the roster does not have an obvious defensive fix without making moves.
Young players like Royce Lewis and Luke Keaschall bring offensive upside, but neither is considered a plus defender.
Until the Twins find a way to tighten up the glove work, Shelton's words will keep ringing true while the losses pile up.
