MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Twins today announced the recipients of the Diamond Awards, their annual awards for the 2021 season, based on voting conducted by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Twins Community Fund Board of Directors. In addition, the Twins and the BBWAA announced plans for the 17th annual Diamond Awards, which will be televised on Bally Sports North from 6 to 7 p.m. on Friday, November 19 and will benefit research, education and care in brain, nerve and muscle disorders at the University of Minnesota. Since its inception in 2006, the event has raised nearly $4 million through a combination of corporate sponsorships and money raised through auction items.

Infielder Jorge Polanco is the unanimous winner of the Most Valuable Twin Award, as well as the winner of the Charles O. Johnson Award for Most Improved Twin. The longest-tenured current Twin, Polanco had a career year in 2021, batting .269 (158-for-588) with 35 doubles, two triples, 33 home runs, 98 RBI, 45 walks, 11 stolen bases, 97 runs scored, a .503 slugging percentage and an .826 OPS in a team-leading 152 games. He led the Twins in most offensive categories while setting single-season career highs in slugging percentage, home runs and RBI. He ranked second among major league switch hitters in home runs and third in RBI, both the top single-season marks by a switch hitter in Twins history (1961-present). Polanco also became the fifth player in Twins history with 30-plus doubles, 30-plus home runs, 90-plus RBI and 10-plus stolen bases in a season, joining Brian Dozier (2016-17), Gary Gaetti (1986-87), Kirby Puckett (1986) and Tony Oliva (1964).

Former Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz is the winner of the Bob Allison Award (former Twins player), given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field. He wins this award for the third-straight season, becoming the third player to win the award thrice, alongside Michael Cuddyer (2009-11) and Justin Morneau (2008, ’12-13). Cruz hit .294 (87-for-296) with 13 doubles, one triple, 19 home runs, 50 RBI and 44 runs scored in 85 games for the Twins prior to being traded to Tampa Bay on July 22, but his impact – both on and off the field – is still felt on the current ballclub and across Twins Territory.

Former Twins right-handed pitcher José Berríos is the winner of the Joseph W. Haynes Award (former Twins Executive Vice President), given to the Twins Pitcher of the Year. Berríos, who was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 30, went 7-5 with a 3.48 ERA (121.2 IP, 47 ER), 32 walks and 126 strikeouts in 20 starts for the Twins prior to the trade. He finished his season going 12-9 with a 3.52 ERA (192.0 IP, 75 ER) in 32 total starts, including a start on September 24 against the Twins at Target Field, his first time pitching in Minnesota as a visitor.

Right-handed pitcher Bailey Ober is the winner of the Bill Boni Award (former St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press Executive Sports Editor), given to the Twins Most Outstanding Rookie. The 26-year-old made his major league debut on May 18 and went 3-3 with a 4.19 ERA (92.1 IP, 43 ER), 19 walks and 96 strikeouts in 20 starts for the Twins. He was placed on the 10-day Injured List on September 28, ending his season. Ober posted a 5.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the best single-season mark by a Twins rookie pitcher (min. 70.0 IP) and the top mark by a major league rookie this season under those same parameters.

Left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers is the winner of the Carl R. Pohlad Outstanding Community Service Award. Rogers is active in the Rogers Family Foundation, the nonprofit he co-founded that is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for mental health issues among first responders, especially firefighters. In 2021, Rogers donated the stipend he received from radio appearances to Every Meal, a local organization that provides kids with meals on weekends and during the summer, when they don’t have access to food at school. The 2021 American League All-Star went 2-4 with a 3.35 ERA (40.1 IP, 15 ER), nine saves, eight holds, eight walks and 59 strikeouts in 40 games for the Twins this season, before sustaining a season-ending left middle finger injury in July.

Shortstop Andrelton Simmons is the winner of the Jim Kaat Award (former Twins pitcher) for Twins Defensive Player of the Year. A four-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, Simmons posted a .976 fielding percentage and 322 assists in 131 games at shortstop for the Twins. He ranked tied for fifth among all defenders in Statcast’s outs above average (16) and was second among major league shortstops with 14 defensive runs saved, per The Fielding Bible.

Third baseman Josh Donaldson is the winner of the Mike Augustin “Media Good Guy” Award (former Pioneer Press Sports Writer). Donaldson, who demonstrated an engaging candor with the media across multiple platforms in 2021, batted .247 (113-for-457) with 26 doubles, 26 home runs, 72 RBI, 74 walks and 73 runs scored and an .827 OPS in 135 games in his second season with Minnesota. The 35-year-old led the Twins in walks, ranked tied for second in games played, and third in hits, home runs and RBI.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jared Walsh is the winner of the Dick Siebert Award (former University of Minnesota Baseball Coach) given to the Upper Midwest Player of the Year. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native hit .277 (147-for-530) with 34 doubles, one triple, 29 home runs, 98 RBI and 70 runs scored in 144 games for the Angels, leading the club in doubles while ranking second in homers and RBI.

Former Twins catcher Joe Mauer is the winner of the Kirby Puckett Award for Twins Alumni Community Service. The St. Paul native and Twins icon remains active in the community, working with many of the same organizations he was involved with as a player. Mauer and his wife, Maddie, are longtime supporters of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, donating funds to renovate a sports-themed playroom at the St. Paul hospital and hosting the Mauer and Friends Kids Classic every year since 2016. This year, the event transformed into a COVID-friendly home run derby and raised over $350,000. Mauer is a frequent participant in appearances on behalf of the Twins Community Fund, raising over $250,000 annually through these efforts. As a player, Mauer was a three-time winner of the Most Valuable Twin Award, as well as the 2008 winner of the Carl. R. Pohlad Award for Outstanding Community Service, among other honors.

Twins Vice President, Player Personnel Mike Radcliff is the recipient of this year’s Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award (former Twins broadcaster). Radcliff, whose career in baseball has spanned nearly four decades, has made an indelible impact on all areas of the Twins organization since joining the club as an area scout in 1987. The 2016 recipient of the George Genovese Lifetime Achievement Award in Scouting, Radcliff was also inducted into the Killebrew Root Beer Professional Scouts Hall of Fame and was honored at the East Coast Pro Showcase earlier this year for his impact in the world of professional and amateur scouting.

The 17th annual Diamond Awards will honor the 2021 BBWAA award recipients, as well as the winners of the Sherry Robertson Award (Jose Miranda) for Twins Minor League Player of the Year and the Jim Rantz Award (Louie Varland) for Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year. All proceeds from the event will benefit the University of Minnesota’s innovative research and patient care focused on ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), ataxia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are now available and the online auction will be open from November 16-23. For more information on the event visit diamondawards.umn.edu or call (612) 301-8305. More details on the event will be released as they become available.