'Imagine what next season could be': Twins' message to fans in 2023 ages poorly

The Twins thanked fans for believing after the playoff run last season.

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and assistant bench coach/infield coach Tony Diaz (46) watch play during the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Target Field in Minneapolis on Sept. 26, 2024. / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

In 2023, the Minnesota Twins won the American League Central and snapped an 18-game playoff losing streak when they swept the Toronto Blue Jays in an American League wild-card series. 

The impressive season that finally exercised demons of years past eventually came to an end with a 3-1 series loss to the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series. After the season came to a close, the Twins took out an ad in the Star Tribune, which they also posted on their social media channels, thanking fans for their support and belief in a team that ended a historic playoff drought. 

At the top of the ad in big, bold letters read: “Thank you for believing.” And the closing message of the ad aimed to excite Twins fans of what could be to come. “Imagine what next season could be. Imagine spring training has already started. Actually, don’t imagine. Believe.” 

pic.twitter.com/1a2AfZOLoD

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 15, 2023

The next season started with the team cutting payroll. It included several roster moves that didn’t work out. The Twins put themselves in a hole they had to dig out of early in the season. Injuries tested the team’s depth, and it didn’t hold up. And ultimately, despite having a 95.3% chance from FanGraphs on Sept. 5 to clinch a playoff spot, the Twins found themselves on the outside looking in.

The catastrophic collapse became official Friday night when the Twins lost 7-2 to the Baltimore Orioles, officially eliminating them from playoff contention. What was almost unthinkable even a month ago became reality. It's certainly a far cry from the Twins team that a year ago was rattling off playoff wins at Target Field, and there's no shortage of blame to go around, from the top down.

And one thing is certainly clear: When the Twins wrote their message to fans last season and asked them to "imagine what next season could be," this result certainly wasn't what they were envisioning.