The Minnesota Twins are facing a critical point in their season. They remain four and a half games back of the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central Division. And of equal importance, they are only two games up on the third-place Kansas City Royals.
And for the most part, they still control their own destiny. They have seven remaining games with the Guardians and six with the Royals. Decisions and situations they will face in the next couple of weeks will determine their 2024 fate. Here is what they need to do to repeat as division winners and hopefully have an extended playoff run.
Twins Need to Stay Healthy
Easier said it was done. Already this season, Royce Lewis has been on the injured list twice, and Carlos Corea is currently out of action with Planter Fascitis. Other notables who have missed time this season due to injuries include Byron Buxton, Jhoan Duran, Max Klepler, Jose Miranda, and Brock Stewart.
The Twins have been doing a great job with their “next-up philosophy,” but sooner or later, the bow breaks. Fortunately, Stewart, Lewis, and Miranda have recently been activated, and Correa is not too far behind them. The ability to avoid injuries and manage the ones that occur will have a significant impact on the team between now and season’s end.
Stay Consistent
The Twins had a roller coaster start to the season, partially due to injuries but most importantly because of inconsistent performances from some of their key players. Hitters who slumped early include Buxton, Correa, Kepler, Matt Wallner, and Eddy Julien.
In fact, Wallner and Julien were optioned to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints for a time to regain some confidence in their swings. Most of their players have recovered nicely, but a rash of subpar batting performances could sink this team.
And Twins’ pitchers were not exempt from their own struggles. Staff ace Pablo Lopez, Matt Varland and relievers Duran and Caleb Thielbar have all had their share of subpar performances. This, however, has given young a pitcher like Simeon Woods Richardson a chance to shine at the major league level.
Twins Need Another Starter
Despite the lift they have received from Woods Richardson, the Twins could use another quality starter. Chris Padack is on the injured list, and David Festa has been inconsistent so far. Word out of the team offices was that the Pohlad family that owns the Twins was reticent to spend a great deal on what could be a rent-an-arm.
However, there is hope. The Twins are among nine teams that have lost significant local television revenue due to the unknown future of their TV sponsor, the Diamond Sports Group. Major League Baseball has stepped in to say that these teams will receive additional money from luxury tax revenues. The hope is that these teams will then use the money to improve their lineups.
If this comes to pass, who are some of the pitchers that Minnesota might be interested in adding to its lineup? Names frequently mentioned include Detroit’s Jack Flaherty, Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi, Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi, and Arizon’s Jordan Montgomery. All of these pitchers would fit nicely into the Twins’ rotation on a team that has not recovered from the loss of its ace, Sonny Grey, in free agency.
Desired Outcome
The Minnesota Twins will likely need some combination of these factors to secure their division title. Certainly, the health of some of their stars, like Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa, will be a key to the team’s final outcome. Also, they must maintain their consistent level of play to overtake the Guardians but also not be surpassed by the youthful Royals.
And the addition of another quality starter would not only enhance their division title chances but would aid them in their goal of a deep playoff run.
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