Twins fire manager Rocco Baldelli a day after 92-loss season ends

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Sep 29, 2025

Published in Baseball

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MINNEAPOLIS — Fourteen days after Rocco Baldelli became the third-winningest manager in Twins history, the team announced Monday he will not return for another season.

Baldelli was fired after the Twins finished with a 70-92 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years.

It was the first time the Twins lost more than 90 games since 2016, prompting owner Joe Pohlad and team president Derek Falvey to make their first managerial change since they replaced Paul Molitor with Baldelli nearly eight years ago.

The Twins are one of five MLB teams currently searching for a manager. The rest of the coaching staff will be determined by the new manager in collaboration with Falvey and General Manager Jeremy Zoll.

“This game is ultimately measured by results, and over the past two seasons we did not reach the goals we set,” Falvey said in a statement. “I take personal responsibility for that. After discussions with ownership, we determined that this is the right moment for a change in voice and direction.”

Baldelli finished his seven-season managerial tenure in Minnesota with a 527-505 record (.511 win percentage). The only Twins managers with more victories are Tom Kelly (1,140-1,244) and Ron Gardenhire (1,068-1,039).

The Twins claimed three American League Central division titles under Baldelli (2019, ‘20 and ‘23) and he won the 2019 American League Manager of the Year award. When they swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2023 wild-card series, the Twins snapped an 18-game playoff losing streak and advanced in the postseason for the first time in 21 years.

“Over the past seven years Rocco has been much more than our manager,” Falvey said. “He has been a trusted partner and teammate to me in leading this organization. Together we shared a deep care for the Twins, for our players and staff, and for doing everything in our power to put this club in the best position to succeed. Along the way we experienced some meaningful accomplishments, and I will always be proud of those, even as I wish we had ultimately achieved more.”

If the 2023 postseason run marked the high point of the last seven seasons — the 2019 Bomba Squad won 101 regular season games, the second-most wins during a season in club history — the last two years have represented the lowest of lows.

The Twins cratered at the end of the 2024 season, an epic six-week meltdown where they finished with a 12-27 record over their final 39 games. Despite playoff odds hovering around 95% in September, they missed the six-team playoff field by four games.

Falvey backed Baldelli after the collapse after some “Fire Rocco” chants sprang out at Target Field.

“This decision is not a reflection of Rocco’s effort or leadership,” Falvey said. “It reflects where we are as an organization and the belief that a different voice is needed to help us move forward.”

The Twins, following their collapse, vowed to make changes during the offseason. They fired their hitting coaches. They revamped their spring training schedule with mandatory on-field batting practice and more team-wide workouts.

It didn’t make much of a difference.

Despite a 13-game winning streak in May, the Twins entered free fall mode for the final four months of the season. Their record fell below .500 by mid-June, and the front office waved the white flag on the season after the All-Star break, shipping away 11 players at the trade deadline.

Morale among the fanbase continued to drop. Attendance dipped to 1.77 million for the Twins’ home schedule this year, the fewest tickets sold in a season in Target Field history and their lowest total since they played at the Metrodome in 2000.

The Pohlad family announced in August it was no longer exploring a sale of the team, adding two minority investment groups to help pay down the club’s debt that sits around $500 million.

The big change to the organization, at this stage, will be bringing in a new field manager.

Falvey and Zoll are scheduled to speak at a news conference Tuesday.

“After ongoing internal discussions, we believe this is the right time for a change in leadership of our Major League team,” Pohlad said in a statement.

“These decisions are never easy, particularly given the respect we have for Rocco. He led with professionalism and care for both his players and our organization, and we are grateful for the way Rocco represented the Twins,” Pohlad continued.

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