The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, competing in MLB's American League Central Division. Their name reflects the "Twin Cities" moniker of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Founded as the Washington Senators, they relocated to Minnesota in 1961. The Twins have won three World Series championships (1924 as the Washington Senators, 1987, and 1991).
In 1901, the Senators/Twins franchise began its regular season.
In 1901, the franchise was founded in Washington, D.C., as the Washington Senators.
In 1904, the Washington Senators name was used for the last time until 1956.
In 1907, 19-year-old pitcher Walter Johnson arrived, beginning an era of improvement for the team.
In 1911, Walter Johnson blossomed with 25 victories, although the team still finished the season in seventh place.
From 1912, the team was unofficially referred to as the "Grifs" during Clark Griffith's tenure as manager.
In 1912, the Senators improved dramatically, with their pitching staff leading the league in earned run average and strikeouts. Walter Johnson won 33 games and Bob Groom added 24 wins, helping the Senators finish the season in second place.
In 1913, the Senators continued to perform respectably, with Walter Johnson posting a career-high 35 victories, as the team once again finished in second place.
In 1920, Clark Griffith joined the team and became the team's owner.
The "Grifs" nickname ended in 1920, with the end of Clark Griffith's tenure as manager.
In 1924, led by a rejuvenated Walter Johnson, the Senators won their first American League pennant and defeated the New York Giants in a dramatic 7th game to win the World Series. Muddy Ruel scored the winning run after a bad hop over Giants third baseman Freddie Lindstrom.
In 1924, the franchise won the World Series as the Washington Senators.
In 1925, the Senators repeated as American League champions but lost the World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After Walter Johnson retired in 1927, he was hired as manager of the Senators.
In 1930, after enduring a few losing seasons, the Senators returned to contention.
In 1933, Joe Cronin became player-manager, and the Senators posted a 99–53 record and won the pennant, but lost the World Series to the Giants.
The Twins won the most games since 1933, reaching 91 wins in 1962.
In 1934, the Senators sank to seventh place, and attendance began to fall.
In 1935, Bucky Harris returned as manager, starting a tenure that lasted until 1942.
In 1977, Carew batted .388, which was the highest in baseball since Boston's Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941
In 1942, Bucky Harris' first tenure as manager of the Washington Senators ended.
In 1946, Mickey Vernon was a notable Senator and batting champion.
In 1967, The Red Sox won their first pennant since 1946.
In 1950, Bucky Harris returned as manager for a second time.
In 1953, Mickey Vernon was a notable Senator and won another batting title.
In 1954, Bucky Harris's second tenure as manager came to a close and the Senators signed future Hall of Fame member Harmon Killebrew.
In 1955, Calvin Griffith took over the team presidency after Griffith's death.
In 1955, the Broadway musical Damn Yankees immortalized the team's long bouts of mediocrity.
In 1955, the Washington Nationals name was used for the last time until 2005.
In 1956, the team was renamed the Washington Senators.
By 1957, Griffith began courting Minneapolis–St. Paul for a potential move after an early flirtation with San Francisco.
In 1958, home attendance in Washington, D.C., increased to 475,288.
In 1959, Harmon Killebrew led the league with 42 home runs and earned a spot on the American League All-Star team.
In 1959, home attendance in Washington, D.C., jumped to 615,372.
In 1960, a deal was reached allowing Griffith to move his team to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region and allowing a new Senators team to be formed in Washington for the 1961 season.
In 1960, the Washington Senators name was used for the last time before the team moved to Minnesota.
From 1961, the Twins sported uniforms bearing the classic "Twins" script and numerals in navy outlined in red. The navy caps featured an interlocking "TC" to avoid alienating fans from Minneapolis or Saint Paul.
In 1961, Bob Casey became the Twins' first public-address announcer, a role he held until his death in 2005.
In 1961, Harmon Killebrew played seven seasons as a Senator, including two full seasons as a regular prior to the move to Minnesota.
In 1961, WCCO (AM 830) held broadcast rights for the Twins when the team moved to Minneapolis.
In 1961, a new Senators expansion team was founded.
In 1961, a new Senators team was formed in Washington.
In 1961, the Twins arrived in Minnesota with a nucleus of talented players.
In 1961, the team moved to Minnesota and was renamed the Minnesota Twins for the start of the season.
In 2010, the Minnesota Twins wore a throwback off-white version of their 1961–71 home uniforms, which they wore until 2018.
In 1962, the Minnesota State Commission on Discrimination filed a complaint against the Twins for segregating players during spring training and travel in the southern United States.
In 1962, the Twins won 91 games, the most by the franchise since 1933.
In 1964, Tony Oliva won his first American League batting championship.
In 1965, Twins finished the season with the second-most wins in franchise history.
In 1965, the Minnesota Twins, led by stars like Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, and Zoilo Versalles, won the American League pennant.
In 1965, the Twins won 102 games and the American League Pennant but lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
In 1967, the Twins were in contention for the American League championship heading into the final weekend but were defeated by the Red Sox.
After winning the division title in 1970, the team entered an eight-year dry spell.
In 1970, Bill Rigney led the Twins to a repeat division title, but the Orioles again won the A.L. Championship Series.
In 1971, Tony Oliva won his third American League batting championship.
In 1971, the Twins' classic uniform era, which started in 1961, ended. These uniforms featured a navy "Twins" script outlined in red.
In 1972, the Twins updated their uniforms by reversing the color scheme on the "Twins" script and numerals, removing pinstripes from the home uniform, and updating the "Minnie and Paul" roundel patch.
In 1973, the Twins introduced home uniforms that were worn until 1986, and a buttoned version was worn as a throwback uniform in 2009.
In 1973, the Twins switched to polyester pullover uniforms, including a powder blue road uniform. Chest numerals were added, and a navy-brimmed red cap was used with the home uniform.
In 2020, the Twins unveiled a throwback-inspired powder blue uniform that was the same version of the road uniform the team used from 1973 to 1986.
In 1974, Harmon Killebrew departed from the team.
In 1975, Rod Carew won his fourth consecutive AL batting title.
In 1976, Thurman Munson of the New York Yankees was the last catcher to win an AL MVP award before Iván Rodríguez.
In 1977, Rod Carew batted .388 and won the AL MVP Award.
In 1977, player names in red were added to the Twins' road uniform.
In 1978, Rod Carew won another batting title, hitting .333, before being traded after the season.
In 1981, the Twins played their final season at Metropolitan Stadium.
In 1982, the Twins began playing at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
In 1984, Griffith sold the Twins to Carl Pohlad, a multi-billionaire banker/financier. Pohlad's offer beat Donald Trump's due to a promise to keep the club in Minnesota.
In 1984, the Senators franchise remained under Griffith family ownership until this year.
In 1985, the Metrodome hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, marking a significant event for the city and the Twins.
In 2020, the Twins unveiled a throwback-inspired powder blue uniform that was the same version of the road uniform the team used from 1973 to 1986.
In 1987, Rod Carew's #29 was retired by the Twins, joining Harmon Killebrew's #3 on the Metrodome's outfield fence.
In 1987, the Homer Hanky was created by Terrie Robbins of the Star Tribune newspaper. Over 2.3 million were distributed that year.
In 1987, the Twins adopted new uniforms and switched to an "M" on their caps.
In 1987, the Twins updated their look by bringing back pinstripes to home uniforms, using the modern-day "Twins" script, and putting a stylized "M" on its cap.
In 1987, the Twins won all of their home games on their way to winning the World Series. The Twins also did it in 1991.
In 1987, the Twins won the World Series, aided by the quirks of the Metrodome, going undefeated at home. The Twins went 12–1 in postseason home games during those two seasons, becoming the first and second teams to sweep all four home games in a World Series.
In 1988, the Twins became the first team in American League history to draw more than 3 million fans, setting a new attendance record.
In 1989, Kirby Puckett won the A.L. batting title, marking a high point in his career.
On July 17, 1990, the Twins became the only team in major league history to pull off two triple plays in the same game, a unique milestone in baseball history.
In 1991, Morris pitched a complete-game shutout for the Twins in game seven of the World Series.
In 1991, Tony Oliva's #6 was retired by the Twins, adding to the retired numbers displayed on the Metrodome's outfield fence.
In 1991, managed by Tom Kelly, the Twins secured their second World Series victory against the Atlanta Braves. Jack Morris starred in the series, and the Twins marked the first time a last-place team advanced to the World Series the following season.
In 1991, the Twins won the World Series, aided by the quirks of the Metrodome, going undefeated at home. The Twins went 12–1 in postseason home games during those two seasons, becoming the first and second teams to sweep all four home games in a World Series.
In 1992, the Twins had a winning season, but fell short of Oakland in the division.
In 1993, the Twins had a losing record of 71-91.
In 1994, the Twins had a losing record of 50-63.
In 1995, Kent Hrbek's #14 was retired by the Twins, joining the other retired numbers on the Metrodome's outfield fence.
In 1995, the Twins had a losing record of 56-88.
In 1996, the Twins had a losing record of 78-84.
On April 15, 1997, Jackie Robinson's No. 42 was retired by Major League Baseball.
On May 23, 1997, the Minnesota Twins formally honored Jackie Robinson's No. 42, which had been retired by MLB on April 15, 1997.
During the 1997 season, the Twins wore red alternate uniforms with navy piping, and released a road navy alternate uniform with red piping.
In 1997, Kirby Puckett's #34 was retired by the Twins, adding to the display on the Metrodome's outfield fence before banners were used to reduce capacity.
In 1997, player names were added to the Twins' home uniform.
In 1997, the Twins had a losing record of 68-94. Owner Carl Pohlad almost sold the Twins to Don Beaver, who would have moved the team to North Carolina.
In 1998, the Twins had a losing record of 70-92.
In 1999, Iván Rodríguez won the AL MVP award for the Texas Rangers.
In 1999, the Twins had a losing record of 63-97.
On April 3, 2000, the team introduced T.C. Bear, its costumed mascot.
In 2000, the Twins had a losing record of 69-93.
From 2001, the Twins began the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons since moving to Minnesota.
In 2001, Kirby Puckett was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, honoring his remarkable career.
The Arizona Diamondbacks repeated the feat set by the Twins of sweeping all four home games in a World Series in 2001
In 2002, Major League Baseball selected the Twins for elimination due to financial weakness, but a court decision forced them to play out their lease.
In 2002, despite facing potential contraction, the Twins reached the American League Championship Series before being eliminated by the Anaheim Angels.
In 2002, the "TC" cap was brought back as a home cap, while the "M" cap was used on the road by the Minnesota Twins.
The Minnesota Twins had a playoff series drought from 2002. The drought ended in 2023.
In 2004, the Twins lost ALDS, dating back to the 2004 ALDS, extending their postseason losing streak to 16.
The Minnesota Twins had an 0-18 postseason streak starting from 2004, the longest in North American sports history. The streak ended in 2023.
In 2005, Bob Casey, the Twins' first public-address announcer since 1961, passed away.
In 2005, the most junior relief pitcher on the team was required to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a brightly colored small child's backpack. That year, the backpack was Barbie themed as part of a hazing ritual.
In 2005, the names "Nationals" and "Nats" were revived when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington to become the Nationals.
From 2001 to 2006, the Twins compiled the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons since moving to Minnesota.
In 2006, Twins owner Carl Pohlad pursued litigation, obtaining a ruling that the team was not obligated to play in the Metrodome after the season.
In 2006, the Twins won the division on the last day of the regular season, coining the nickname "little piranhas" and featuring players like Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Johan Santana.
In 2006, the Twins wore a sleeveless variation of their regular home uniforms with navy undershirts, which they continued to wear until 2010.
In 2006, the most junior relief pitcher on the team was required to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a SpongeBob SquarePants themed backpack as part of a hazing ritual.
On April 1, 2007, Herb Carneal, the radio voice of the Twins for all but one year of their existence, passed away at his home in Minnetonka after a long illness.
In 2007, construction commenced on Target Field, a new baseball-only outdoor stadium in downtown Minneapolis, signaling a long-term commitment to keeping the Twins in Minnesota.
In 2007, the Twins faced the possibility of moving or disbanding before the season if a new deal was not reached.
In 2007, the Twins took the rights to the broadcasts in-house and created the Twins Radio Network (TRN), securing a new Metro Affiliate flagship radio station in KSTP (AM 1500).
In 2007, the most junior relief pitcher on the team was required to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a Hello Kitty themed backpack as part of a hazing ritual.
In 2008, the Twins finished the regular season tied with the White Sox, leading to a tiebreaker game that they lost, preventing them from reaching the playoffs.
In December 2009, the construction of Target Field was completed, marking a significant milestone for the Minnesota Twins as they prepared for the 2010 season in their new ballpark.
2009 marked the final season for the Twins at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
In 2009, Treasure Island Resort & Casino became the first-ever naming rights partner for the Twins Radio Network.
In 2009, the Twins wore a buttoned version of their 1973–86 home uniforms before switching to a throwback version in 2010.
In 2009, the most junior relief pitcher on the team was required to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a Disney Princess and Tinkerbell themed backpack as part of a hazing ritual.
In 2009, the rule for determining the location of a tiebreaker game was changed, using the regular season head-to-head record instead of a coin flip.
The road navy alternate uniforms, initially released in 1997, remained in use until 2009.
On April 12, 2010, the Twins played their first regular-season game at Target Field against the Boston Red Sox. Joe Mauer went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, helping the Twins win 5–2.
2010 marked Minnesota's inaugural season at Target Field, where the Twins finished with a 94-68 record, clinching the AL Central Division title. However, Justin Morneau sustained a season-ending concussion, and the Twins lost to the Yankees in the divisional series.
Following the 2010 season, the "M" cap was retired, though the Twins continued to wear them as a throwback on special occasions.
In 2010, Twins clinch AL Central Division for the first time since the season, however they failed to advance to the American League Championship Series
In 2010, the "TC" logo was reinstated as the main cap logo for the Twins.
In 2010, the Twins began playing at Target Field.
In 2010, the Twins stopped wearing the sleeveless variation of their regular home uniforms that they had been using since 2006.
In 2010, the most junior relief pitcher on the team was required to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a Chewbacca and Darth Vader themed backpack as part of a hazing ritual.
In 2010, when moving to Target Field, the Twins modified their road uniforms. The pinstriped home uniforms remained, but the road uniform featured an updated "Minnesota" script.
On May 18, 2011, Target Field was recognized as "The Best Place To Shop" by Street and Smith's SportsBusiness Journal at the magazine's 2011 Sports Business Awards Ceremony.
John Gordon retired following the 2011 season.
In 2012, Cory Provus became the radio play-by-play announcer, succeeding John Gordon.
In 2013, the Twins moved to FM radio on KTWN-FM 96.3 K-Twin, which is owned by the Pohlad family.
The home navy alternate uniform, initially released in 1998, was worn for the last time in the 2013 season.
In 2014, Chuck Knoblauch was voted into the Twins Hall of Fame, but due to his legal troubles the team canceled his induction.
In 2014, Target Field hosted the 85th Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby.
In 2015, the Twins changed their home uniform, featuring the modern "Twins" script and the modern "Minnie and Paul" alternate logo.
In 2016, the Twins had the worst record in team history, losing 103 games, surpassing the previous low set in 1982.
In 2017, it was announced that WCCO would become the flagship station for the Twins again starting in 2018, returning the team to its original station after 11 years.
In 2017, the Twins finished 2nd in the AL Central with an 85-77 record. The Twins made the playoffs, becoming the first team to lose 100 games the previous year and make the playoffs the next season. However, they lost to the Yankees in the wild card round.
In 2018, WCCO became the flagship station for the Twins, returning the team to its original station after 11 years.
In 2018, the Minnesota Twins discontinued wearing a throwback off-white version of their 1961–71 home uniforms, which they had been wearing since 2010.
In 2018, the Twins went 78-84 and did not return to the post-season. Hometown hero Joe Mauer returned to catcher for his final game.
On September 17, 2019, Miguel Sanó hit a 482-foot home run, making the Twins the first team in major league history to have five players with at least 30 home runs in a season.
In 2019, a new home navy alternate uniform was released, featuring the classic "Twins" script in red outlined in navy and Kasota gold.
In 2020, following protests over the murder of George Floyd, a statue of former owner Calvin Griffith was removed from Target Plaza outside Target Field due to his history of racist comments.
From 1901 to 2023, the Senators/Twins franchise had a regular-season record of 9,259–9,955–109.
In 2023, the Minnesota Twins surged late in the season to take control of the AL Central, eventually winning their first playoff game since 2004 and their first playoff series since 2002.
In 2023, the Twins introduced drastic changes to their uniforms, featuring an updated "Twins" script, a Minnesota state map on the sleeve, and updated cap and helmet designs.
In October 2024, Major League Baseball's local media division announced it would take over the production and distribution of Twins games starting in 2025 due to bankruptcy proceedings involving Diamond Sports Group.
In 2024, the Twins announced that Provus would transition to TV play-by-play following Dick Bremer's retirement, who then moved into an advisory role in the front office. Atteberry replaced Provus on the radio side in 2024.
In 2024, the Twins introduced a City Connect uniform, visually representing Minnesota's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes", with a predominantly blue uniform featuring yellow accents, the "MN" abbreviation, and a loon patch.
Through 2024, the Twins' regular-season record is 5,036–5,091–8.
On February 12, 2025, the Twins' roster, coaches, and non-roster invitees (NRIs) were updated.