Rogers believes manager Derek Shelton's fierce competitiveness can be the key to unlocking more wins for the Twins.
The Minnesota Twins come into the 2026 season fresh off a rough 70-92 finish in 2025, their worst year by winning percentage since 2016.
The front office responded by firing Rocco Baldelli and bringing in Derek Shelton, the former Pittsburgh Pirates skipper who also served as the Twins' bench coach in 2018 and 2019.
The move was seen by many as a low-risk hire on a team with modest expectations, but the players who know Shelton best are painting a much more exciting picture.
Veteran left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers is one of those players.
Rogers signed a one-year, $2 million deal with Minnesota in January, returning to the organization where he spent the first six years of his career and posted a 3.15 ERA as a closer and All-Star.
He made it clear that landing back in Minnesota wasn't just about the baseball opportunity.
It was personal.
"I told Shelty on the phone, if he was managing a team in Fargo, North Dakota, I would want to go there," Rogers said.
Players Raving About "Shelty"
Rogers went even further in a recent appearance on Inside Twins, spelling out exactly what he thinks Shelton brings to the ballclub every day.
"I love the way he interacts with players. I love his competitive spirit," Rogers said. "If we can just snag one more game a week because of Shelty's competitive nature, that's the difference in an 85 win ball game and a 97 win ball club."
That kind of endorsement is hard to ignore from a veteran who has suited up for six different organizations.
One extra win per week over a 26-week schedule adds up to exactly the gap Rogers described, and he believes Shelton's energy in the dugout is what drives it.
Byron Buxton echoed that sentiment, pointing to the new coaching staff as a real reason for optimism.
Starting pitcher Joe Ryan also praised the communication coming from Shelton after the team's first spring workout in Fort Myers.
What Rogers Can Bring
Beyond his praise for the skipper, Rogers himself is a big piece of what the Twins are building.
He posted a 3.38 ERA between the Reds and Cubs last season with 53 strikeouts in 50 and two-thirds innings, and Shelton has already talked about leaning on him as a stabilizing presence in a bullpen that lost Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart to last year's trade deadline selloff.'
His career 3.34 ERA across 566 relief appearances speaks to what he can still offer.
Rogers has also been clear about the kind of leadership he wants to provide, saying he never wants to push himself into a younger pitcher's development.
That hands-off, veteran approach is exactly what a rebuilding staff needs.
The Twins enter 2026 with real questions, including the loss of Pablo Lopez to Tommy John surgery and an unsettled bullpen.
But if Rogers is right that Shelton can squeeze one extra win per week out of this group, Minnesota might end up being one of the more interesting stories in the American League Central this year.