Under second year manager Ron Gardenhire, The Twins did not look so good coming out of the gates, going 12-14 in March and April.
On April 21, Rick Reed set a Twins individual pitching record by giving up 11 runs (ten were earned) in a 15-1 loss to the New York Yankees.
June 17: In a 14-7 loss to the Kansas City Royals, the Twins gave up 12 runs in the sixth inning, a club high.
[8] The lone representative of the Twins in the All-Star Game was closer Eddie Guardado; he gave up two hits and a run on eight pitches.
First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz rebounded from a poor 2002 season by hitting .300—although his power numbers (11 home runs) were low for his position.
Brad Radke, Kenny Rogers, and Kyle Lohse filled the first three spots in the starting rotation throughout the year.
The leftover starts were mostly left to Johan Santana, who made 18, establishing a foundation that would enable him to win a Cy Young Award the following year.
As one might expect, experiments with veterans such as James Baldwin, Carlos Pulido, and the ancient Jesse Orosco did not pan out.
Right field was manned by the platoon of Dustan Mohr and Bobby Kielty (the duo was dubbed "Dusty Kielmohr") until the arrival of Stewart.
Infielders Coaches In the American League Division Series, the Twins faced a team which fared well against them in the regular season: The New York Yankees.