MINNEAPOLIS - APRIL 12: Johan Santana, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Torii Hunter pose with the awards they received from the 2006 season prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 12, 2007. Santana holds his 2006 Cy Young Award; his Baseball America Player of the Year Award sits behind him, and his Major League Baseball Player's Choice Award sits in front in the middle; Hunter holds his 2006 Golden Glove Award; Morneau holds his 2006 American League Most Valuable Player Award; Mauer holds his 2006 American League Batting Championship silver bat; Morneau's and Mauer's Silver Slugger Awards rest next to them on the floor. The Twins defeated the Devil Rays 3-2. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Zach Koenig·SB Nation
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Despite an all-timefinal-day comebackto win the American League Central Division title, the 2006 Minnesota Twins seasondidn't end in as positive a manner. But one thing that cannot be taken away from the '06 campaign: it produced perhaps the most hardware-heavy season in franchise history.
Justin Morneau: AL MVP
The Canadian sensation put up this line to take home top-of-league honors: 157 G, 661 PA, 97 R, 190 H, 37 2B, 34 HR, 130 RBI, .321 BA, .934 OPS, 140 OPS+, 4.3 bWAR. Was this a 100% deserved MVP?Ehhh…David Ortiz, Travis Hafner, & maybe even resident MN 1B-coach Grady Sizemore had pretty compelling cases. But it's not like Morneau has to give it back.
Morneau about to blast. CREDIT: Tom Dahlin (Photo by Tom Dahlin /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: D97453 TK1 R1 F0 )
Johan Santana: AL Cy Young
This is one that the voters gotexactlyright—no one eclipsed '06 Santana: 19-6 W/L, 233.2 IP, 245 K, 2.77 ERA, 162 ERA+, 1.00 WHIP, 7.6 bWAR. In whatshould have beenJohan's third straight Cy Young Award, there's a case to be made he could have double-dipped as AL MVP considering that WAR total.
Cy Santana again! (Photo By Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Joe Mauer: AL Batting Champion
A .347 batting average was tops in the Junior Circuit. This was the first time a backstop brought home the batting bacon since Ernie Lombardi (.330 BA) did so for the Cincinnati Reds in 1942. 2006 was Mauer's third season in the bigs—and his second functional campaign (missing almost all of 2004 due toinjury)
Baby Joe ’06. (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Torii Hunter: Gold Glove
Ho hum—just the sixth consecutive gilded glove-trophy for the CF-er.
Hunter robs Konerko. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Four incredible individual performances that render 2006 memorable 20 years hence despite the ALDS thud.
