Minnesota Twins 3rd Most “Efficient” Franchise in Major League Baseball in 2009

With a new (partially) taxpayer-funded stadium set to open for the 50th year of Minnesota Twins baseball next year, all eyes will be on the franchise to see what players they lock up to long-term contracts (e.g. Joe Mauer), what players they acquire via trades or the free agency, and overall how much money the Pohlad family is going to invest in a franchise with a talented roster, but one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.

The Twins franchise has been well-regarded by baseball analysts over the past decade for its low-payroll / high output business model that has been attributed to shrewd draft choices, a solid farm system, and crafty managing by Ron Gardenhire.

That model has produced one of the sleekest, most efficient franchises in baseball, which, according to a Smart Politics analysis, racked up the third most victories per dollar invested in player salary for the 2009 season.

The Twins scrapped their way into the playoffs with 87 victories this year, with the 7th lowest salary in baseball at $65.3 million.

At $750,566 per victory, that ranked third in baseball behind only the Florida Marlins (the Minnesota Twins of the National League) at just $423,379 per victory and the San Diego Padres at $583,123.

On the other side of the coin, the 2009 New York Mets franchise proved once again that simply spending lots of money on player personnel does not always translate into success. The Mets had the second highest salary in baseball, at $149.4 million, and also the highest dollars-per-victory ratio in the league, at $2.13 million per victory (or 2.8 times that of the Twins – who had 17 more victories).

Other ineffectual franchises with big payrolls this season include the Houston Astros at $1.39 million per victory (74 victories in 2009) and two division rivals of the Twins: the Cleveland Indians at $1.26 million per victory (65 victories) and the Chicago White Sox at $1.22 million per victory (and 79 victories).

However, the New York Yankees prove that if you spend enough money on a roster and lure in enough high profile free agents, success inevitably finds you (though this model did not pan out in 2008). In 2009, the Yankees spent a league high $201.4 million on its players. And while the team’s $1.96 million dollars spent per victory was the second highest ratio in MLB, the team led baseball with 103 victories and is one game away from winning yet another World Series.

Dollars Spent on Players’ Salary Per Victory Among Major League Baseball Franchises, 2009

Rank	Team	2009 payroll	Wins	Dollars per win
1	Florida Marlins	$36,834,000	87	$423,379
2	San Diego Padres	$43,734,200	75	$583,123
3	Minnesota Twins	$65,299,266	87	$750,566
4	Tampa Bay Devil Rays	$63,313,034	84	$753,727
5	Texas Rangers	$68,178,798	87	$783,664
6	Pittsburgh Pirates	$48,693,000	62	$785,371
7	Colorado Rockies	$75,201,000	92	$817,402
8	Oakland Athletics	$62,310,000	75	$830,800
9	St. Louis Cardinals	$77,605,109	91	$852,803
10	San Francisco Giants	$82,616,450	88	$938,823
11	Cincinnati Reds	$73,558,500	78	$943,058
12	Milwaukee Brewers	$80,182,502	80	$1,002,281
13	Washington Nationals	$60,328,000	59	$1,022,508
14	Baltimore Orioles	$67,101,666	64	$1,048,464
15	Arizona Diamondbacks	$73,516,666	70	$1,050,238
16	Los Angeles Dodgers	$100,414,592	95	$1,056,996
17	Toronto Blue Jags	$80,538,300	75	$1,073,844
18	Kansas City Royals	$70,519,333	65	$1,084,913
19	Atlanta Braves	$96,726,166	86	$1,124,723
20	Seattle Mariners	$98,904,166	85	$1,163,578
21	Los Angeles Angels	$113,709,000	97	$1,172,258
22	Philadelphia Phillies	$113,004,046	93	$1,215,097
23	Chicago White Sox	$96,068,500	79	$1,216,057
24	Cleveland Indians	$81,579,166	65	$1,255,064
25	Boston Red Sox	$121,745,999	95	$1,281,537
26	Detroit Tigers	$115,085,145	86	$1,338,199
27	Houston Astros	$102,996,414	74	$1,391,843
28	Chicago Cubs	$134,809,000	83	$1,624,205
29	New York Yankees	$201,449,189	103	$1,955,817
30	New York Mets	$149,373,987	70	$2,133,914

Note: The Minnesota Twins played (and won) an extra game (#163) at the end of the regular season. Without this victory the Twins would have been ranked #4 behind the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Source: USA Today Salaries Databases; data compiled by Smart Politics.

The Twins #3 ranking above is up from its #4 most “efficient” team ranking in baseball in 2008 – despite spending more than $100,000 less per victory in the ’08 season ($646,562). The Florida Marlins again set the pace by spending just $259,661 per victory en route to an 84 win season in 2008.

This signals one warning sign for the Twins, however, as they debate how much more money to spend on its players in the new era of the franchise at Target Field.

The Twins spent 16.0 percent more per victory in 2009 compared to the previous season, which was the 10th highest increase in baseball. The Twins ended up with one less victory in 2009, despite an increase in salary of $8.4 million.

With taxpayers expecting a higher payroll bankrolled by the Pohlads in 2010 and a higher victory tally for the team, the lingering question for the franchise is at what point does the law of diminishing returns begin to kick in, even for a team renowned for its smart investment in talent?

Other low-salary highly efficient teams such as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (+66.8) and the Florida Marlins (+63.1) experienced the greatest proportional increases in cost per victory from 2008 to 2009.

Percentage Change in Cost Per Victory Among Major League Baseball Franchises, 2008-2009

Rank	Team	2008	2009	% Change
1	San Diego Padres	$1,169,486	$583,123	-50.1
2	Seattle Mariners	$1,928,959	$1,163,578	-39.7
3	Detroit Tigers	$1,860,611	$1,338,199	-28.1
4	St. Louis Cardinals	$1,158,424	$852,803	-26.4
5	Los Angeles Dodgers	$1,411,768	$1,056,996	-25.1
6	Atlanta Braves	$1,421,746	$1,124,723	-20.9
7	New York Yankees	$2,349,231	$1,955,817	-16.7
8	Colorado Rockies	$927,777	$817,402	-11.9
9	San Francisco Giants	$1,063,813	$938,823	-11.7
10	Chicago White Sox	$1,361,678	$1,216,057	-10.7
11	Boston Red Sox	$1,404,106	$1,281,537	-8.7
12	Texas Rangers	$857,118	$783,664	-8.6
13	Cincinnati Reds	$1,001,590	$943,058	-5.8
14	Toronto Blue Jags	$1,137,138	$1,073,844	-5.6
15	Los Angeles Angels	$1,192,163	$1,172,258	-1.7
16	Baltimore Orioles	$988,180	$1,048,464	+6.1
17	Pittsburgh Pirates	$726,713	$785,371	+8.1
18	Washington Nationals	$931,542	$1,022,508	+9.8
19	Milwaukee Brewers	$899,306	$1,002,281	+11.5
20	Philadelphia Phillies	$1,068,151	$1,215,097	+13.8
21	Minnesota Twins	$646,963	$750,566	+16.0
22	Cleveland Indians	$974,939	$1,255,064	+28.7
23	Oakland Athletics	$639,562	$830,800	+29.9
24	Arizona Diamondbacks	$807,350	$1,050,238	+30.1
25	Chicago Cubs	$1,220,060	$1,624,205	+33.1
26	Houston Astros	$1,034,075	$1,391,843	+34.6
27	New York Mets	$1,548,240	$2,133,914	+37.8
28	Kansas City Royals	$776,607	$1,084,913	+39.7
29	Florida Marlins	$259,661	$423,379	+63.1
30	Tampa Bay Devil Rays	$451,759	$753,727	+66.8

Source: USA Today Salaries Databases; data compiled by Smart Politics.

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