Yesterday, the Minnesota Twins hired Derek Shelton as their new manager.
Shelton managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020 until he was dismissed this past May after losing 26 of their first 38 games and replaced by bench coach Don Kelly who went 59-65 the rest of the way. Over five plus seasons, the Bucs went 306-440 under Shelton.
Shelton is not a stranger to the Twin Cities. Prior to being named Pirates skipper, Shelton served as the Twins bench coach in 2018 and 2019 under Paul Molitor and Rocco Baldelli, who was dismissed at the end of this season.
The hiring of Shelton is not being greeted with much enthusiasm with the decision to bring him aboard being looked as a rebuild. Perhaps a last place finish for the Twins is a possibility in 2026. The Guardians and Tigers are the head of the class with the Royals looking to rebound. Although the White Sox lost 100 plus games this season, they had a 19-win improvement from modern MLB record 121 losses in 2024.
But baseball is a funny game. A good manager can help a team find a way to exceed expectations. In which case, perhaps Shelton can navigate his way to success in a way he couldn't in Pittsburgh.
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