Minnesota Twins Announce Team Awards for 2026 Regular Season

The Minnesota Twins closed the 2026 season with a 77-85 record and finished third in the American League Central, but the organization still had several individual standouts worth recognizing. The Twins handed out their annual Diamond Awards on Wednesday, with Aaron Gleeman reporting the winners on X.

Kody Clemens was named the Most Valuable Twin after putting together the best season of his career. The 30-year-old hit .239 with a .298 on-base percentage and .758 OPS, leading Minnesota with 27 home runs across 145 games.

Clemens also led the American League with seven triples and played several positions throughout the year, giving manager Derek Shelton a versatile option while the Twins dealt with injuries across the board.

Taj Bradley earned the Top Pitcher Award. Bradley went 12-6 with a 3.73 ERA, 1.222 WHIP and 205 strikeouts across 178 1/3 innings in 31 starts. It was his first full season with Minnesota after arriving from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2025 trade deadline, and he set career highs in wins, starts, innings and strikeouts.

Brooks Lee was named the Most Improved Twin after taking another step forward in his third major-league season. He hit .253 with a .300 on-base percentage and .728 OPS, adding 24 home runs and 83 RBIs while playing a team-high 156 games.

Lee began the year as Minnesota's primary shortstop before shifting almost exclusively to third base in May. His 24 home runs led all American League switch hitters.

Connor Prielipp took home the Top Rookie Award after making his major-league debut in April. The 25-year-old left-hander finished 6-7 with a 4.87 ERA, 1.289 WHIP and 128 strikeouts across 125 2/3 innings.

Byron Buxton won the Top Fielder Award despite playing just 93 games. He spent plenty of time on the injured list this year managing a nagging right hip issue. When healthy, he hit .254 with a .319 on-base percentage, .829 OPS, 25 home runs and 46 RBIs while playing elite defense in center field in his 12th big-league season.

Ryan Jeffers received the Media Good Guy Award for the third straight season, and Walker Jenkins and Adrian Bohorquez were recognized as the organization's top minor league hitter and pitcher.

The Twins are going to have a busy offseason looking to improve the 40-man roster, but Bradley's breakout, Lee's improvement and Clemens' production give Minnesota real pieces to build around heading into 2027.