Jhoan Duran isn't a top-100 player in Major League Baseball? Same story for Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton? So it goes for a few Minnesota Twins who were left off ESPN's list of the top-100 players in the majors entering the 2024 season.
Only two members of the Twins made the top 100: Pablo Lopez at No. 55 and Carlos Correa at No. 78.
"At 28, Lopez can still get better. And given the overall weakness of the division in which he pitches, he'll do better in AL Cy Young voting this season -- from seventh in 2023 to within the top five for the first time in his career in 2024," predicts ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers made this prediction for Correa: "You can bookmark Correa for a .250, 20-homer, 50-BB and 100-strikeout season as his hit total will go up in 2024, but his numbers won't get him to his third All-Star Game."
Not exactly a ringing endorsement to have only two players in the top 100 but Twins fans know they have more top-100 caliber players so long as those players stay healthy and play up to their potential.
Lewis hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in the regular season and then smacked two homers in his first career playoff game. He was so good in limited action that only eight rookies since the Divisional Era began in 1969 posted a batter's line and you might recognize some of them...
- Bernie Carbo
- Fred Lynn
- Mike Greenwell
- Albert Pujols
- Mike Trout
- Jose Abreu
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Yordan Alvarez
Buxton is an MVP candidate when he's healthy. He's just rarely healthy, but if this is the year it all comes together he could be one of baseball's best overall players.
Lewis and Buxton can start making their case as top-100 players when the Twins open the season March 28 in Kansas City.
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