The Twins will begin the season with three games at Baltimore and three at Kansas City. The home opener won't come until April 11 against the White Sox, but it will be the start of an eight-game homestand. So get out your scorecards (if you're old-school). With a few exceptions, the names should look familiar.
Projected batting order
1. Brian Dozier, 2B (2015) .236, 28 HR, 77 RBI
Hit only .210 with a .280 OBP after the All-Star break; team is hoping a hip injury was to blame. Surprising power for a middle infielder.
2. Joe Mauer, 1B (2015).265, 10 HR, 66 RBI
Three-time AL batting champion hoping to bounce back closer to his .313 career average. He also struck out a career-high 112 times, but did bat .352 with runners in scoring position.
3. Miguel Sano, RF (2015) .269, 18 HR, 52 RBI
Great power potential, but he will play in the outfield for the first time. His strikeout totals are a bit scary: 119 whiffs in 279 at-bats in 80 games as a rookie last season.
4. Trevor Plouffe, 3B (2015) .244, 22 HR, 86 RBI
He has led the team in RBI each of the past two seasons, prompting the club to move Sano, a natural third baseman, to right field to get both in lineup. Another high-strikeout batter (124).
5. Eddie Rosario, LF (2015) .267, 13 HR, 50 RBI
Has to be more selective after walking just 15 times in 453 at-bats as a rookie and posting a .289 OBP. Good power-speed combination, with 15 triples and 11 stolen bases.
6. Byung Ho Park, DH (*2015) .343, 53 HR, 146 RBI
No one is certain how Park will adjust to major league pitching, but it's likely he will show power and strike out a fair amount; he totaled 105 homers and 303 strikeouts in his final two Korean seasons.
* Korean League
7. Eduardo Escobar, SS (2015) .262, 12 HR, 58 RBI
Will be Opening Day shortstop for the first time with the Twins after the club went with Pedro Florimon and Danny Santana the past two seasons. Good power for a middle infielder.
8. Kurt Suzuki, C (2015) .240, 5 HR, 50 RBI
Twins are hoping that sharing catching duties with John Ryan Murphy will help Suzuki approach his 2014 offensive numbers — .288 with 61 RBI. His OBP decreased from .345 to .296 last season.
9. Byron Buxton, CF (2015) .209, 2 HR, 6 RBI
The No. 2 prospect in all of baseball can run, field and throw. But can he hit major league pitching? He walked only six times while striking out 44, with a .250 OBP, in his first stint with the Twins.
Projected Rotation
RHP Ervin Santana (2015) 7-5, 4.00 ERA
Claimed the Opening Day starter honor with a strong spring. Missed the first 80 games last year for violating MLB drug policy and finished strong, going 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA in five September starts.
RHP Phil Hughes (2015) 11-9, 4.40 ERA
Last season's Opening Day starter didn't earn his first victory until May 4. He landed on the disabled list in mid-August because of lower back inflammation, capping a disappointing season.
RHP Kyle Gibson (2015) 11-11, 3.84 ERA
The righthander led the Twins in innings pitched (194⅔), starts (32), strikeouts (145) and quality starts (17), and he tied Hughes for most victories. Can he make another step this season?
LHP Tommy Milone (2015) 9-5, 3.92 ERA
Doesn't have electric stuff but has solid control and keeps his pitches low. Milone always seems to be in a position of having to prove himself, but his major league record is 41-28 with a 3.97 ERA.
RHP Ricky Nolasco (2015) 5-2, 6.75 ERA
The veteran has been a major disappointment since signing a four-year, $49 million deal before 2014. He had ankle surgery midway through last season.
PROJECTED Bullpen
Kevin Jepsen, setup (2015) 3-6, 2.33 ERA, 15 SAVES
A trade-deadline acquisition from Tampa Bay, Jepsen bailed the Twins out when closer Glen Perkins encountered health problems in the second half last season; he earned 10 saves with the Twins, all from Aug. 21 on.
Glen Perkins, closer (below) (2015) 3-5, 3.32 ERA, 32 saves
The lefty had a 1.21 ERA with 28 saves at the All-Star break, then had a 7.32 ERA and four saves in the second half. He encountered neck and back problems, losing his closer's job as well.
