What is the story about?
Despite
an all-time final-day comeback to win the American League Central Division title, the 2006 Minnesota Twins season didn’t end in as positive a manner. But one thing that cannot be taken away from the ‘06 campaign: it produced perhaps the most hardware-heavy season in franchise history.
Justin Morneau: AL MVP
- The Canadian sensation put up this line to take home top-of-league honors: 157 G, 661 PA, 97 R, 190 H, 37 2B, 34 HR, 130 RBI, .321 BA, .934 OPS, 140 OPS+, 4.3 bWAR. Was this a 100% deserved MVP? Ehhh…David Ortiz, Travis Hafner, & maybe even resident MN 1B-coach Grady Sizemore had pretty compelling cases. But it’s not like Morneau has to give it back.
Johan Santana: AL Cy Young
- This is one that the voters got exactly right—no one eclipsed ’06 Santana: 19-6 W/L, 233.2 IP, 245 K, 2.77 ERA, 162 ERA+, 1.00 WHIP, 7.6 bWAR. In what should have been Johan’s third straight Cy Young Award, there’s a case to be made he could have double-dipped as AL MVP considering that WAR total.
Joe Mauer: AL Batting Champion
- A .347 batting average was tops in the Junior Circuit. This was the first time a backstop brought home the batting bacon since Ernie Lombardi (.330 BA) did so for the Cincinnati Reds in 1942. 2006 was Mauer’s third season in the bigs—and his second functional campaign (missing almost all of 2004 due to injury)
Torii Hunter: Gold Glove
- Ho hum—just the sixth consecutive gilded glove-trophy for the CF-er.
Four incredible individual performances that render 2006 memorable 20 years hence despite the ALDS thud.
