Let's face it: Between injury-plagued underperformance and a handful of integral players lost to free agency, last season's 99-loss Twins squad might appear a bit short of strong nominees for this category. But Glen Perkins wasn't the best player by default — he earned it by being the only sure thing in a nightmarish bullpen. Perk put up excellent numbers, with a better ERA (2.48), ERA+ (162), and strikeout-per-nine-innings ratio (9.5) than any other pitcher on the roster. Being an upper-tier setup man might not sell a ton of jerseys or earn high-profile nods to the All-Star Game, but it's a role that teams can live or die on. If Perkins keeps this up, he'll be one of the crucial components that helps get the Twins back on track.