The Minnesota Twins have a couple of players up for Major League Baseball end-of-season awards. Both Carlos Santana and Willi Castro are in play to win their first Gold Gloves. Internally though, the ‘Diamond Awards’ have become a yearly staple for the Twins franchise. The honorees are now public.
Notable names take home Diamond Awards for the Minnesota Twins
The Diamond Awards take place each offseason and proceeds of the event benefit research, education and care in brain, nerve and muscle disorders at the University of Minnesota. The Armory has been the venue, in recent seasons, after some growth in popularity. Here are the players who will be taking home awards that evening, as posted to Twitter by Do-Young Park (MLB.com) .
- Most Valuable Twin – Willi Castro
- Twins Pitcher of the Year – Griffin Jax
- Twins Outstanding Rookie – Simeon Woods Richardson
- Most Improved Twin – Cole Sands
- Defensive Player of the Year – Carlos Santana
- Bob Allison Twins Leadership Award – Carlos Santana
- Carl R. Pohlad Outstanding Community Service – Royce Lewis
- “Media Good Guy” Award – Ryan Jeffers
- Upper Midwest Player of the Year – Matt Strahm, Phillies
- Twins Alumni Community Service – Torii Hunter
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Of course, you should expect someone like Carlos Correa to garner yearly award recognition . The leadership may have been a bit in question due to his long-term absence this summer, not to mention the media back and forth he started with some of the younger players on roster at the end of the season, specifically Royce Lewis .
Still, there’s no denying that Correa is the Twins’ most impactful player. Royce Lewis and his smile generating a community service award. Some nice surprises here include Willi Castro (Most Valuable Twin), Griffin Jax (Pitcher of the Year), and Cole Sands (Most Improved).
Willi Castro named Twins MVP
Castro earning the Most Valuable Twin award comes as a reflection of his ability and willingness to play anywhere . Willi Castro fell well short of Correa’s team-leading 4.3 fWAR , but he missed just four games on the season and made his first All-Star team .
Related: Minnesota Twins 1B Carlos Santana Keeps Gold Glove Hopes Alive
Over in the bullpen, Jax has emerged as one of baseball’s best relievers , and there is no doubt he was the best pitcher this season for the Twins. Will he be in the bullpen next year… that’s another question. Speaking of the bullpen, Sands elevated his game into a high-leverage role, and he appears like a building block Baldelli didn’t know he had entering 2024.
Carlos Santana should win his first Gold Glove this season , and the Twins benefitted from his defense all year long. Simeon Woods Richardson stepped up when the rotation needed arms, and he battled despite fading down the stretch . Ryan Jeffers has always been great to the media. No matter the situation, that dude’s accountability remains unmatched.
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Presentation of The Diamond Awards will be held Thursday, January 23. The event is open to the public, with entry fees ranging widely in price (they are all tax deductible). The date also signifies the beginning of Twins Fest, which will take place that same weekend, January 24-26.
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