In 1997, Alex Fernandez went back to his hometown of Miami Beach, becoming the last key player in South Florida’s first championship team. Following seven successful seasons in Chicago, the right-hander added veteran composure and a powerful fastball to a Marlins rotation that quickly gained national attention.

In 1997, Fernandez led the rotation with Kevin Brown and Al Leiter. He posted a 17-12 record, a 3.59 ERA, and 183 strikeouts, establishing himself as the high-leverage pitcher the organization expected when they signed him to a then-record deal. His season was marked by a remarkable performance at Wrigley Field in April, where he was just two outs shy of a no-hitter before settling for a dominant one-hit shutout. He was the key driver for a team that advanced to the postseason, winning the NLDS and helping the franchise reach its first National League Championship Series.

After being chased early in an NLCS start against the Braves, Fernandez was found to have been pitching with a torn rotator cuff. While his teammates famously won the 1997 World Series, Fernandez was more of a spectator in the dugout, observing from the sidelines as he prepared for a difficult surgery. His career was completely halted during the 1998 season, making him one of the few veterans to survive the notorious "fire sale" that broke up the championship team.

Fernandez returned to the mound in 1999, authoring a deceptively strong 3.38 ERA over 24 starts and proving there was still life in his arm. Yet the physical toll of his 1997 workload proved too great; after eight starts in 2000, the shoulder issues sealed his decision to step away from the game.

Traded to the Marlins while still in the minors with Arizona, Brad Penny proved himself a hard-throwing right-hander with a commanding mound presence. He quickly went from prospect to reliable starter. Although he later became an All-Star in Los Angeles, his time in Miami was marked by consistent pitching that helped secure the franchise's second championship.

In 2000, Penny became a regular in the rotation, and by 2001, he proved he belonged with a 3.69 ERA and a personal best of 154 strikeouts over 205 innings. During these early seasons, he served as a consistent presence despite roster changes. By 2003, he had established the dependability essential for a deep playoff run, ending the regular season with 14 wins and helping Florida secure a Wild Card spot.

The best story of Penny’s career in South Florida was the 2003 World Series.  During baseball’s biggest stage, Penny started and won both Game 1 and Game 5. He was a giant of efficiency in those two outings, allowing only five runs over 14 innings (a 3.21 ERA) and outdueling David Wells and José Contreras. While he wasn't named the MVP of the series, his two victories were the foundational pillars that allowed the Marlins to secure their second World Series title in six games.

He was traded to the Dodgers at the 2004 Trade Deadline but returned for a brief stop a decade later, though he did not play much in his second run.  With the Marlins, he had a record of 50-43 with a 4.12 ERA and 583 Strikeouts.

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A former Arizona Razorback, Brian Anderson has spent the first six years of his career with the Miami Marlins, debuting in 2017 with 25 Games, keeping his rookie eligibility intact for the following year.  

In 2018, Anderson demonstrated his value by appearing in 156 games, leading all Marlins players in plate appearances and runs scored. His 161 hits and .273 average earned him a fourth-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, establishing him as a foundational piece of the franchise's future. He paired that offensive efficiency with a strong arm, often sliding into right field to accommodate team needs while maintaining a high level of performance at third base.

During the 2019 season, authoring a campaign that saw him set career highs in multiple power categories. He blasted 20 home runs and drove in 66 runs while posting a solid .811 OPS before a fractured hand in August cut his year short.  Despite the injury, he remained a central figure in the clubhouse, eventually becoming the first player in the history of the Marlins' home park to record a three-homer game in 2020.

Between 2021 and 2022, he was restricted to fewer than 100 games each season, which hampered his ability to regain the power stroke he showed earlier in his run. He eventually departed in November 2022 after being non-tendered, signing as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Anderson compiled 487 hits, 57 home runs, and a .257 batting average as a Marlin.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our pre-2022 revision of our top 50 Minnesota Twins.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

You will have to forgive us, as this was very anti-climactic, but we thought it was worth reporting our efforts.  There were no changes in our Top 50, as there were no active Twins on the list going into the season, and nobody from 2021 cracked our Top 50.

As always, we present our top five.

1. Walter Johnson

2. Rod Carew

3. Harmon Killebrew

4. Kirby Puckett

5. Joe Mauer

You can find the entire list here.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.