The Minnesota Twins underperformed in 2025, finishing the season in fourth place in the American League Central division with a 70-92 record. Minnesota still features enough talent to compete, but the results simply were not there during the '25 campaign. With the calendar about to turn to 2026, let's take a look at two lessons the Twins learned in 2025. 

Byron Buxton is Still an MVP-Caliber Player When Healthy

Buxton has featured a high ceiling for years, but injuries have unfortunately limited his production. He's only played in 100 games in three of his 11 years in the big leagues. Buxton has also only appeared in 130 games or more once, something that occurred back in 2017 when he played in 140 contests. 

Early in his career, Buxton finished within the top 20 of American League MVP voting on two separate occasions. Now in his early 30's, though, some have wondered if decline would begin to set in given Buxton's undeniable injury history. Through his 126 games played in 2025, however, Buxton shut down those concerns. 

The Twins outfielder earned the second All-Star selection of his career. He did not receive an MVP vote since his overall playing time was limited, but he still managed to hit .264 with an .878 OPS to go along with 35 home runs and 24 stolen bases. 

Staying healthy will be the goal for Buxton moving forward. If he can play in 140 or more games once again, it would not be surprising to see him earn serious MVP consideration.

Pitching is a Necessity

Joe Ryan anchored the Twins' starting rotation in 2025, but the overall pitching staff -- between the rotation and bullpen -- endured its share of ups and downs. As a result, Minnesota finished 24th in all of MLB with a lackluster 4.55 team ERA. The Twins were also 21st in WHIP (1.31), 25th in opposing batting average (.256) and 25th in hit surrendered (1,411).

Minnesota is seemingly trying to compete. This offseason, a report stated that the Twins are not planning to trade their stars. That is fine, but the Twins must improve the pitching staff in order to make any realistic noise in the standings. 

If they fail to take a step forward from a pitching perspective, the Twins will finish near the bottom of the AL Central once again. Let's hope the Twins learned their pitching lesson in 2025.