What Does “Success” Mean to You in 2023?

Mar 22, 2023 - 3:56 PM

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Some fanbases have the luxury (or curse) to be in a World Series-or-bust mindset season after season. I dare say that 32 years after their last championship, Twins Territory does not fall into that basket. That’s not to say that mediocrity is good or high expectations are bad, but it’s just the simple reality of our situation. 20-some playoff losses in a row will do that for you. There’s something to be said about the thrill of being in the thick of a playoff race when the rubber meets the road in September, no matter where the squad ends up finishing.

What does a “successful” season look like for the 2023 Twins?

That said, after low expectations, a surprising start, and a disappointing stretch run in 2022, what would you define as a “successful” season for the Twins in 2023?

Cleveland, last year’s Central champions, bring back a young and talented core and have added some nice pieces to help defend their title.

Chicago, last year’s Central favorites, bring back much of the same team that took the title in 2021. Injuries and underperforming (or, if you ask me, simply not overperforming) led to a deliciously disappointing season on the South Side last year, but with a new manager they’ll look to rebound in 2023.

Kansas City and Detroit are likely to be mostly irrelevant once again, but the three Central contenders will not have the luxury of playing each of them 17 times this year.

The Twins had an excellent off-season, retaining Carlos Correa against all odds, adding a good veteran catcher, some quality position player depth, and a potential ace pitcher.

They also are unlikely to have such historically poor injury fortune this year, which would likely be a cause for improvement in and of itself. (knocks on wood, crosses heart, spins around three times, locks up Byron Buxton voodoo doll in a fireproof safe and throws away the key)

So, what would you define as a “successful” 2023?

In my eyes, being in the thick of the playoff race come September would be success for the Twins in 2023. That’s the bar they have to clear for this season to not be a disappointment for me. They don’t have to get into the playoffs, although it’d sure be nice if they did. They don’t have to win a playoff game, although it’d sure be nice to get that monkey off our back. Just giving me reason to care about baseball for the entirety of the regular season would be a success after the last couple of years.

Maybe I’m cutting them some slack- this team has two legitimate superstars, some exciting young players, and very good depth. The pitching staff, on paper, is perhaps the best it’s been since Santana, Radke, and Liriano were toeing the rubber on consecutive days, and Jhoan Duran is definitely the best reliever to don a Minnesota uniform since Joe Nathan’s hey day.

What do you think? What constitutes “success” in your eyes this season?