The Twins have an illustrious history of homegrown stars, so it’s no surprise that a list of the best debuts in franchise history features many of the organization’s best known and most beloved players. Here’s one writer’s attempt at the 10 best.
This is art, not science, so the factors included win probability added (WPA), game score for pitchers, more traditional stats (like base hits and runs allowed) and a little bit of pure feel. Also, bonus points went to debuts that heralded great careers.
1. Kent Hrbek: Aug. 24, 1981, at Yankees
This one checks every box. Hrbek went 2-for-5 with a homer and compiled the highest WPA in a debut by any player in Twins history (.352). He, of course, went on to enjoy an outstanding career with Minnesota, winning two World Series with his hometown team. And in this game, not only did he single and homer, but that homer was huge -- a solo game-winning shot in the top of the 12th inning against the eventual American League champs.
2. Joe Mauer: April 5, 2004, vs. Cleveland
At first glance, Mauer’s line looks good but not spectacular, so let’s take a little closer look at the game. The Twins trailed, 4-0, going into the bottom of the eighth. Mauer drew a walk that started a four-run, game-tying rally. Three innings later, he singled to help set up Shannon Stewart’s walk-off, three-run homer in the 7-4 win. Mauer finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two walks. And, of course, he gets those bonus points for going on to have a great career.
3. Kirby Puckett: May 8, 1984, at Angels
Puckett’s debut ranks low in WPA, but never mind that. He’s one of only two Twins to have four hits in his debut, going 4-for-5. He stole a base. And, well, he was Kirby Puckett. The future Hall of Famer was a star from the jump, posting a 3.3 WAR campaign in less than a full season as a rookie, and of course went on to be one of the greatest players in franchise history.
4. Andrew Albers: Aug. 6, 2013, at Royals
Albers posted the highest pitching game score in a debut in Twins history, by a little bit. He tossed 8 1/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk with two strikeouts. That’s good for a 76 game score, three points higher than second place. Amazingly, he followed that up with a shutout six days later in his second big league game, the only complete game of his career.
5. Bert Blyleven: June 5, 1970, at Senators
This is another one where we give a few bonus points for the rest of the career. Blyleven showed what was to come with a brilliant performance in Washington, allowing a run on five hits over seven innings. He struck out seven and walked one in a 2-1 win, the first of his 287 career victories. Blyleven was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
6. Cesar Tovar: April 12, 1965, vs. Yankees
You could probably make a pretty good case for Tovar ranking higher. He enjoyed an outstanding career as a Twin, receiving MVP votes five times in eight years, and in his debut, he played a key role in a big win. Tovar went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, and his walk-off RBI single in the 11th scored Bob Allison to secure the win. Tovar’s WPA of .283 was the third highest by a Twin in his Major League debut.
7. Gary Gaetti: Sept. 20, 1981, at Rangers
And coming in fourth on the WPA list is Gaetti, who went 1-for-3 with a homer in a loss in Arlington. Most notable about Gaetti’s debut is that he homered in his first career plate appearance. And as with several other players on this list, this game was the beginning of an outstanding career. Gaetti played 10 seasons with the Twins, starring on the 1987 World Series champs team and winning four Gold Gloves.
8. Devin Smeltzer: May 28, 2019, vs. Brewers
Smeltzer was absolutely pristine in his big league debut, striking out seven without a walk over six shutout innings. He allowed three hits and needed a mere 69 pitches to get 18 outs -- 53 of those for strikes. His game score of 73 is the second highest by a Twins pitcher in his Major League debut, and he’s the only one to go six or more shutout without a walk.
9. Anthony Swarzak: May 23, 2009, vs. Brewers
It was a rocky debut season for Swarzak, but his debut was sublime. He tossed seven shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. His game score of 68 was the fourth highest in a debut by a Twin, and it was the second-longest scoreless start.
10. Wilson Ramos: May 2, 2010, at Cleveland
Ramos joined Puckett as the only players to tally four hits in a Major League debut as a Twin, going 4-for-5 with a double. He also scored a run in the 8-3 victory, and caught a strong start from Francisco Liriano. It was one of only seven games with Minnesota for Ramos, who was traded later in the year in a deal that brought Matt Capps to the Twins.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
• Hal Haydel: Sept. 7, 1970 -- 2-for-3, homer, double, two runs while pitching five innings in 8-3 win against Brewers
• Allan Anderson: June 11, 1986 -- 10 innings pitched, eight hits, two runs, four walks, three strikeouts in 6-2 loss to Rangers
• Boof Bonser: May 21, 2006 -- Six innings pitched, five hits, one run, eight strikeouts, three walks in 5-3 loss to Brewers
• Jose Morales: Sept. 8, 2007 -- 3-for-3, one run, one double in 8-7 loss to White Sox