Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has watched his team’s season rapidly unravel. Will management side with him or the vociferously angry Twins fans? In baseball, only two possible outcomes exist: Either your team wins or loses. With this in mind, looking at the ebb and flow of a 162-game season, teams can easily pull themselves from the abyss.
However, what happens when a small losing streak turns into a prolonged nightmare where everything built in the first two months of an MLB season washes away due to failure? The Twins need to find answers, not just for management but also for the fans, who appear to grow more discontented by the day.
Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli Faces Heat From Fanbase; Management Responds
When Baldelli took over the team for the 2019 season, the Twins needed a change. During the four previous seasons, the ballclub advanced to the playoffs once, enjoying another winning season.
During that stretch, the Twins endured a 100-loss season before flirting with .500 over the rest of that period. Baldelli turned the ship around, making the Twins not just competitive but a threat.
In his seven years, Minnesota has a .521 winning percentage. Moreover, the team has reached the MLB playoffs three times. Minnesota has lost 13 of its last 17 games, prompting angry responses from the fanbase. At the same time, according to The Athletic, the ballclub picked up Baldelli’s 2026 option, which means he will manage the Twins through next year.
“It’s just making sure no one runs away from the work that is right in front of him, and Rocco is not running away from any of the work,” Twins executive vice president Derek Falvey said. “My focus has been on how do I support him with that, because I do believe he’s got the players’ best interests at heart, and he’s trying to figure out how to solve a challenging equation that we’re all trying to navigate through.”
If a team is on a losing skid and management extends him during that streak, then fans predictably will lash out.
Well, then I will check back in ’27 to see if I can become a fan of this team. Good god. Falvey/Baldelli are STEALING MONEY.
— BJ Stone (@SpoonRiverSport) June 24, 2025
“Well, then I will check back in ’27 to see if I can become a fan of this team,” one Twins fan wrote on X. “Good god. Falvey/Baldelli are STEALING MONEY.”
Currently, the Twins are in fourth place in the American League Central Division, 11 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers. Meanwhile, the team’s batting average of .243 ranks 21st overall. Not to mention, their on-base percentage of .314 places them 19th in MLB. Similarly, the pitching does not look any better in the ERA category (4.26, 22nd overall).
In contrast to their bleak present, Minnesota does possess a farm system that looks like it’s ready to produce over the next two seasons. According to MLB.com, they expect 12 prospects to make their major-league debuts by September 2026. One of their top talents, Luke Keaschall, currently plays for them right now and has a slash line of .368/.538/.526/1.065 in 26 plate appearances.
Baldelli, whether fans like it or not, will manage this team until he doesn’t anymore. Minnesota can field a competent team. While they will not keep losing 76% of the rest of their games, something needs to happen. Just don’t expect the Twins’ front office to terminate the manager.