The Twins on Wednesday announced the winners of their 2024 Diamond Awards, which will be presented to players in January prior to TwinsFest. Awards are selected by local media. Here’s a look at this year’s winners and the players for whom I voted.
Most Valuable Player: Willi Castro
Despite a second-half slump in which he produced a .627 OPS, the All-Star utilityman put together an outstanding season. Castro tied for second on the team with 48 extra-base hits, stole 14 bases and demonstrated his value by appearing in at least 27 games at six different positions. He was recognized as a Gold Glove Award finalist on Tuesday.
My vote: Carlos Correa
An All-Star for the third time, the shortstop’s value became even more apparent during a 53-game second-half absence for plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Not only were the Twins missing a player who produced a .310/.388/.517 slash line, but they also were without a critical voice in the clubhouse as the team began its 39-game fade. After he returned in mid-September, Correa produced a .960 OPS over his final 50 plate appearances.
Pitcher of the Year: Griffin Jax
Pablo López and Bailey Ober completed good seasons by delivering much-needed consistency to a thin starting rotation, but Jax overshadowed them. Working with an improved pitch mix, Jax carried his postseason success from the previous year into 2024 and produced a strong campaign, striking out 12 batters per nine innings while recording 10 saves and 24 holds.
My vote: Griffin Jax
Typically, it’s harder to vote for relievers for pitching awards because their body of work is limited compared to starting pitchers. Jax pitched more than 100 fewer innings than Ober and López. But what Jax did with those innings was eye-opening and made him a standout reliever going forward.
Outstanding Rookie: Simeon Woods Richardson
Following a season in which he produced a 4.91 ERA at Triple-A St. Paul, Woods Richardson went to work and altered his delivery at the request of the Twins. The changes led to a jump in velocity and enhanced secondary pitches, which propelled the young right-hander in his rookie season. Woods Richardson’s 28 starts were the third-highest on the team behind Ober and López. He carried a 3.69 ERA through Aug. 21 before his production faded down the stretch.
My vote: Simeon Woods Richardson
We’re going to downplay the final six starts of the season, when a heavy workload clearly caught up with Woods Richardson. Yes, the Twins suffered a terrible season-ending collapse and the struggles of their rookie starters, including Woods Richardson, played a big role. But if Woods Richardson didn’t emerge in April to take over for Louie Varland, the Twins likely wouldn’t have found their footing and played as well as they did into mid-August. Time and time again, Woods Richardson delivered consistency, producing five-plus innings in 10 starts.
Most Improved: Cole Sands
Though there may have been sporadic signs interspersed throughout 2023, at no point did Sands do anything that would have convinced anyone he would become one of the team’s most consistent relievers a year later. But this season from June 20 on, Sands developed into one of his team’s most consistent bridge options to get the ball to the late-innings crew. He produced a 2.11 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings from that point, finishing the year 9-1 with a 3.28 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 62 appearances.
My vote: Cole Sands
Trevor Larnach was also a deserving candidate for this award, playing more games in 2024 than he’d played in the previous two seasons combined while finishing with good offensive production. But Sands’ reliability in a bullpen that faltered down the stretch resonated with me, the right-hander becoming one of manager Rocco Baldelli’s most-trusted options seemingly out of nowhere.
Defensive Player of Year: Carlos Santana
When Rawlings announced its Gold Glove Award candidates, Santana was rightfully listed among the American League finalists for first base. Santana tied with Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle for the most Defensive Runs Saved by an AL first baseman (eight) and led all major-league first basemen with 14 outs above average. Myriad times, Santana saved the Twins with his glove.
My vote: Carlos Santana
Pretty easy choice here. His bat slipped some in September, but you wouldn’t know Santana is 38 years old based on the energy and ability he demonstrated in the field. Santana more than lived up to the $5.5 million contract he signed late in the offseason and is deserving of his first Gold Glove in a 15-year career.
This should come as no surprise…
Carlos Santana has been named a 2024 Gold Glove Award finalist! pic.twitter.com/CeJyeJ9rzu
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 15, 2024
Bob Allison: Carlos Correa
This is the third straight time in three seasons with the Twins that Correa has won this award, which goes to the player who demonstrates “determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field.” Correa embodies all of those values and, as such, plays a valuable role in the clubhouse.
My vote: Pablo López
Correa could very well win this award in every year of his Twins career. Were he a position player and able to impact the team more than every fifth day, López could give Correa a run for his money. His physical preparation is outstanding, he goes out of his way to organize team-building events and he never seems to waste time when preparing for his next outing.
Media Good Guy: Ryan Jeffers
With Correa and Byron Buxton out of the lineup for a huge chunk late in the season, Jeffers was a go-to voice to offer perspective as the Twins fell apart. Even after a particularly tough game on Sept. 26 in which he played a big role in a 13-inning loss to Miami, Jeffers stood tall and candidly answered questions about his performance.
My vote: Ryan Jeffers
With Correa, López, Kyle Farmer, Caleb Thielbar and Jax, numerous candidates in the Twins clubhouse could be named for this award. Jeffers has always been one of the strongest contenders. Perhaps it was a function of his good health, but Jeffers never shied away from answering a question and didn’t try to dodge the tough ones.
(Top photo of Willi Castro: David Berding / Getty Images)
