Twins manager Derek Shelton said he isn’t surprised the White Sox have surged in the AL Central, pointing to Chicago’s roster moves and a clear plan. Shelton also talked about tightening the small details in his second major-league managerial job after learnin
When Derek Shelton watched the White Sox start climbing in the American League Central, he didn’t sound surprised. He sounded almost settled.
Shelton, 55, said he’s grateful for a second chance to manage in the majors with the Twins. He also knows what it means to be released and then have to rebuild—something he lived through after his five-plus seasons guiding the Pirates ended with his dismissal last May, following a 12-26 start.
In his return to Minnesota, the manager who previously served as a bench coach in 2018 and 2019 said he understands why Chicago is chasing the Twins. The Twins entered play Wednesday at 27-28, a half-game behind the second-place White Sox.
“I don’t think it’s surprising at all,” Shelton said of the Sox’ climb. “I think [general manager] Chris [Getz] and [assistant GM] Josh Barfield and [manager] Will Venable have done an unbelievable job. I mean, they’ve put a plan in place and stuck to that plan.”
Shelton emphasized the concrete work behind that plan. “You know, they went out and made really good signings,” he said. When he described the White Sox roster. he pointed to Munetaka Murakami as a first baseman of “this caliber. ” to starter Anthony Kay. and to Colson Montgomery as “a really good player.” He also referenced Miguel Vargas. whom the Sox traded for. saying. “this is a good baseball team.”.
For Shelton, the bigger reminder is that baseball swings can be built—sometimes quietly—through decisions that hold up over time.
He said his own approach is sharper in his second managerial job. After last season, Shelton said he realized he’d slipped from the level of attention to detail he wanted. “I do think that one of the things that came out of last year was I thought I got away from the attention to detail. what I thought was the attention to detail from my space. ” Shelton said. “I wanted to make sure that if I ever did get the next opportunity that I would stay more on top of it and that I would build a staff that stays on top of it.”.
Shelton’s perspective is shaped by what he says is unavoidable in a manager’s first year in the majors. He pointed to 2020—when the season was shortened by COVID-19 and came with extra regulations—saying he wasn’t ready for how intense it all felt. “The first year you manage, you’re drinking from the fire hose,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”.
His path to the dugout has always started with baseball fundamentals. Shelton grew up in north suburban Gurnee. stood out as a catcher at Warren Township High School—where he was coached by his dad. Ron—then played at Southern Illinois and moved through the minors before coaching and. eventually. managing.
He also addressed what happens to a player when the job demands change faster than anyone expects—something that showed up in the field late Tuesday night and again in Wednesday’s lineup shuffle.
On the Twins’ side, left-hander Connor Prielipp started Wednesday. That meant right-handed-hitting Randal Grichuk took over in right field and batted cleanup in the Sox’ starting lineup. It also gave left-handed-hitting newcomer Rikuu Nishida his first day off in the majors after two eventful games.
Nishida, who played mostly at second base in the minors, acknowledged that adjusting to right field at a major-league stadium came with challenges. Even so, Shelton’s matchup plans didn’t seem to rattle him—Nishida made some nifty catches and threw out two runners at the plate.
Venable said the move out of second base won’t define Nishida. He expressed confidence in his ability to adjust anywhere. “He’s a baseball player, kind of like [Sam] Antonacci, where you feel like you can throw him anywhere and he’ll make the adjustments and get the job done,” Venable said.
The day wasn’t only about lineup moves. Venable also said outfielder Austin Hays is being held back by “lower-body soreness,” and that Hays took Wednesday off during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte for a strained left calf.
Hays has already missed much of April because of a strained right hamstring. He returned April 28, played three games, then hurt his calf May 1 and went back on the injured list again. With Charlotte, he is batting .208 with two home runs in seven games.
As the teams prepared for what could be another shift in the division race, Shelton’s stance stayed consistent: the White Sox are moving upward for reasons that make sense, and the Twins plan to meet that reality with tighter focus—especially on the small things he says he learned not to overlook.
Derek Shelton Twins White Sox Chris Getz Josh Barfield Will Venable Munetaka Murakami Anthony Kay Colson Montgomery Miguel Vargas Connor Prielipp Randal Grichuk Rikuu Nishida Austin Hays Triple-A Charlotte AL Central