The Twins have been a train wreck to start the season. Are they the kind you even rubberneck at, or something so generically tragic that you can’t not look away?

Earlier this week, ESPN’s David Schoenfield released his annual rankings of MLB teams according to their watchability.

For the rankings, he considered five categories (worth 10 points each), including star power, young talent, baserunning, defense, minutiae, and a bonus section.

Minutiae includes items like ballpark, uniforms, mascots, broadcasters, colorful characters, etc. Bonuses were up to Schoenfield and tied to fun traits he wanted to reward.

The Twins finished 27th on his list with 14 points, putting them ahead of only the White Sox, Rockies, and Marlins.

After a rough start to the season, many Minnesota fans likely view the team as unwatchable.

From a national perspective, there is even less reason to watch the Twins. Let’s explore each of the categories to see how he ranked the Twins.

Star Power (3 Points)

Three points seems like a generous score for the Twins’ star power. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton are the team’s two biggest stars, but both have struggled out of the gate.

Correa played at an All-Star level in 2024 before plantar fasciitis sidelined him for nearly the entire second half. Buxton was on a trajectory to be one of baseball’s biggest stars, but injuries have hampered his entire career.

Other players, including Pablo López and Royce Lewis, are also in the conversation for helping the team’s star power. López has played at an All-Star level during parts of his Twins tenure.

However, there have been inconsistencies in his performance that have prevented him from solidifying himself as the team’s ace.

Lewis has shown the ability to carry the team’s lineup, but he’s missed more time than Buxton in recent years. He has the chance to be the team’s biggest star, but he needs to be on the field to do so.

Bizarrely, the team’s stars draw your attention mostly for the feeling that they should be more star-like than they really are.

Young Talent (2 points)

Two is a fair score for where the Twins sit with young talent, though they seem to have lots of upside from there. Brooks Lee is the only former top prospect under 25 on the roster right now.

He missed the start of the season with back problems, an issue he will need to monitor throughout his career.

There is a chance for other top prospects to impact the roster later this season, including Emmanuel Rodriguez and Luke Keaschall. Walker Jenkins could significantly increase this score for the Twins, but he’s on the injured list and seems unlikely to debut in 2025.

On the mound, the Twins have two starters in their age-25 season or younger.

Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa are former top-100 prospects, but they aren’t exciting enough players to get non-Twins fans to tune into games. Zebby Matthews is also waiting in the wings at Triple-A St. Paul, and his improvements have been exciting for fans to follow.

His fastball has increased into the high 90s, and he’s been nearly unhittable this spring.

Twins fans are excited about the team’s future, but that excitement won’t translate to the national level unless and until someone like Matthews or Festa starts racking up strikeouts and scoreless innings in the majors.

Baserunning (1 Point)

In recent years, the Twins have been one of baseball’s worst baserunning teams. Last season, they tied for 25th with -8 Baserunning Runs.

Only three teams ranked lower than Minnesota in Baserunning Holds (-20 runs), and their -14 runs in Thrown Outs were the worst in the league. They managed to make unnecessary outs, in other words, even without being aggressive.

In 2025, Buxton has saved the Twins on the bases, as he has been worth 1 Baserunning Run by himself.

Minnesota is tied for third in MLB with 2 Baserunning Runs. Only the Mets and the Cubs rank higher than the Twins.

Even with Buxton’s elite running ability, though, the rest of the Twins are slow, bringing down the team’s overall baserunning score.

If we could promise Schoenfield that Buxton would stay healthy and keep stealing bags, maybe the rating would be better, but no one is in position to do that.

Defense (2 Points)

Minnesota lost their best defender in 2024 when Carlos Santana left for free agency—and perhaps the fact that their best defender played first base is telling, in itself.

The Twins targeted Harrison Bader in free agency because of his strong defensive reputation. He’s lived up to that billing, with his 2 OAA leading the team’s outfield group.

Buxton also continues to be a strong defender in center field, and Bader provides insurance if Buxton is forced to miss significant time.

In the infield, Correa leads the team with 2 OAA, a strong start for a player known for strong defense.

Ty France is stepping into Santana’s big defensive shoes and has provided 1 OAA at first base.

Willi Castro (-4 OAA) and Jose Miranda (-2 OAA) have been the team’s most significant defensive liabilities in 2025.

Minnesota’s outfield defense has a chance to be very exciting, and should boost the team’s watchability, but Schoenfield is right to remain skeptical based on what the club has shown so far.

Minutiae (3 Points)

For minutiae, the Twins have some strong positives, with one of baseball’s best ballparks and a strong television broadcast crew.

Target Field has seen low attendance to start the year, which makes even watching on TV a bit less thrilling, but the ballpark continues to hold up with the organization making improvements.

Cory Provus and Justin Morneau are a potent one-two punch on the television side, and the other color commentators add other layers to the broadcast.

Minnesota recently updated its uniforms, with mixed reviews. Many fans enjoy the cream-colored Twins Cities ensemble.

The club’s City Connect jerseys have added ties to the state’s Land of 10,000 Lakes moniker.

This season, the team listened to fans and updated their City Connect uniforms by switching to white pants instead of blue. Last season, the team’s Rally Sausage added another level of fun, but there aren’t many colorful characters on the roster this season.

Bonus (3 Points)

Schoenfield gave the Twins bonus points for Prince Day, Joe Ryan’s four-seamer, and for having players with the first names Harrison, Bailey, and Griffin. Some of the bonus areas he missed are Jhoan Duran’s splinker, Matt Wallner’s tape-measure home run potential, and Woods Richardson’s long name on the back of his jersey.

Overall, the Twins’ ranking feels fair.

They have been unwatchable, even for the team’s fans. However, some areas on the club could fare better later this season, including the team’s young talent, baserunning, and defense.

What traits make the Twins watchable this season? Do you agree with the point totals above? Leave a comment and start the discussion.