1971 Minnesota Twins season


The 1971 Minnesota Twins finished 74–86, fifth in the American League West. 940,858 fans attended Twins games, the fifth-highest total in the American League, the first time the Twins failed to attract over one million fans since moving to Minnesota.

Regular season

Five Twins made the All-Star Game: first baseman Harmon Killebrew, second baseman Rod Carew, shortstop Leo Cárdenas, outfielder Tony Oliva, and pitcher Jim Perry.
On August 10, at Metropolitan Stadium, slugger Harmon Killebrew hit his 500th career home run, in the first inning off the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Cuellar. He followed that in the sixth inning with his 501st, also off Cuellar.
Lead off batter César Tovar led the AL with 204 hits and was second with 94 runs. Tony Oliva won his third batting title with a.337 average and led the AL with a.546 slugging percentage. Harmon Killebrew hit 28 HR and 119 RBI. Rod Carew hit.307.
Jim Perry, Bert Blyleven, and Jim Kaat were the Twins' best pitchers. Kaat won his tenth Gold Glove Award.
Shortstop Leo Cárdenas topped the AL with a.985 fielding percentage—the highest for an American League shortstop since records began in 1901.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
1B147500127.25428119
SS153554146.2641875
LF157657204.311145
RF126487164.3372281

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
485715.26307
21447.15926

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
38278.116152.81224
4027017174.23126
39260.113143.32137

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
52140.18114.1083
48129.2473.33137
1868255.0335
411.2106.174

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
171203.0013
60004.152

Awards and honors

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Charlotte, St. Cloud