Does manager Derek Shelton have room for more former Twins to join his revamped coaching staff? Shelton has already brought in former Twins reliever LaTroy Hawkins as bullpen coach, so it’s not wild to think about the other potential hires Minnesota could make in tribute to past players.
Let’s take a look at five guys, alphabetically, who all played for the Twins and would be an exceptional coach for the 2026 season.
Lew Ford
This may be the furthest thing from it, but Ford has the experience as a coach. A legend of the independent Atlantic League, Ford was a player and coach for the Long Island Ducks for nine seasons. He has only been a manager for the past two seasons.
A baseball player like Ford would probably jump at the chance to coach at the big league level, right? The 49-year-old played with the Twins from 2003 to 2007 and was a .272 overall hitter in Minnesota. His roots run deep with the Twins and he has coaching experience. Sounds like a win-win situation.
Torii Hunter
One of the greatest twins in history, Hunter has reportedly spoken to the organization because he could potentially become their next manager, but he never got an interview. What better way to maintain the club’s relationship with a legend than by extending the olive branch with a new coaching position.
Hunter has one of the greatest defensive minds of his generation. He collected nine Gold Glove Awards in his career, including seven with the Twins. Hunter is perhaps one of the most underrated stars to generate a career 50 bWAR. His style, ability and humility make for a perfect coaching formula.
Trevor May
May pitched for the Twins from 2014 to 2020, but he was especially good in the second half of his stint. He’s been out of the game for a few seasons now, but he hasn’t completely retired from baseball. He can be found on YouTube with baseball insights and humor, but that’s just him speaking out about some of the issues facing MLB and its players today.
He may not be interested in coaching right now, but May’s astute observations and MLB experience make him a solid coaching candidate at some point, even if that’s down the agenda. Fans would definitely love him on board.
Trevor Plouffe
Plouffe had a seven-year career at Minnesota. Three of those seasons included an OPS+ over 100. He was a solid player, even a ‘pretty good’ one at that. Plouffe, like May, can be found everywhere on social media. He has been with Jomboy Media for six years and brings a fresh perspective on the modern game that the Twins organization could use in their clubhouse.
Nick Punto
Punto, a pair of seven-year-old twins, joining the staff might make the most sense. He coached high school ball in California for a few years before joining the Padres staff last season. Punto also coached MLB’s Prospect Development Pipeline League four years ago. The experience is there.
#Minnesota #Twins #players #return #Derek #Sheltons #coaches