Offense In 1998, Twins fans witnessed the emergence of
Matt Lawton and
Todd Walker as major league hitters. The team believed Walker would be able to fill the void left after the trade of
Chuck Knoblauch, who had been traded to the
New York Yankees on February 6. Fans also saw the merciful end to the Twins'
Scott Stahoviak era.
Otis Nixon had a surprising year for a 39-year-old, hitting .297 and stealing 37 bases (leading the team). Molitor's hitting continued its gradual decline from his stellar 1996 campaign, with his average down to .281 and RBIs down to 69. These numbers were still competent and he was able to retire while playing solid baseball.
Pitching Bob Tewksbury was the opening day starter for the Twins, the last opening day starter not named
Brad Radke until 2006. Tewksbury, Radke,
LaTroy Hawkins, and rookie
Eric Milton (acquired in the Knoblauch trade) were in the rotation for most of the year.
Mike Morgan and
Frank Rodriguez also started 17 and 11 games, respectively. While Morgan had an impressive year for a forty-year-old journeyman before being traded in August, Rodriguez's season was a major disappointment. In his last year for the Twins, Rodriguez went 4–6 with an ERA of 6.56. This could not have been what the team had in mind when it acquired him for
Rick Aguilera in 1995. Subsequent to that trade, the Twins reacquired Aguilera, and he served as the teams' closer in 1998, earning a respectable 38 saves. Also in the bullpen,
Eddie Guardado,
Mike Trombley,
Héctor Carrasco, and
Greg Swindell had competent seasons.
Defense In his penultimate year as a major league catcher, Minnesota native
Terry Steinbach, then 36, had a mediocre season, with
Javier Valentín as his backup.
David Ortiz was projected as the starting first baseman, but was hampered by injuries.
Orlando Merced, Molitor, and Stahoviak saw time at the position in Ortiz's absence. Walker played second, while
Ron Coomer saw a majority of the time at third.
Pat Meares was the starting shortstop, but was unceremoniously dumped by the team following the season. The outfield consisted of a declining
Marty Cordova, Nixon, and Lawton.
Season standings Record vs. opponents Roster ==Notable transactions==