The former MVP might just be the leader the Twins need.

Everyone at TwinsFest knows Josh Donaldson. Gone is the rattail he sported in Oakland, and the mullet he wore in Atlanta, replaced by a sort of blond pompadour. Still, he attracts attention: the teammates giddily introducing themselves; the security guards asking how his house hunt is going; the fans yelling “War Eagle” at him, referencing his alma mater, Auburn. He absorbs this all with a distracted grin. He’s still trying to figure out how to join his new team’s group text, what his jersey number will be, where to catch an Uber at Target Field.

Near the end of an hour-long autograph session on Day 2 of the fan convention, held this past January, he hits pause on the chaos. A middle-aged man approaches with a baseball card, and Donaldson observes, “You were here yesterday,” as he scrawls out