MLB Postseason Contenders or Pretenders?
AL Central. Minnesota Twins. 3. player. 2. . 3rd Place
It seems strange to even include the Twins on this list. Since winning 94 games and making the postseason in 2010, Minnesota hasn’t just been disappointing, they’ve been bad. The Twins have lost 92 or more games in each of the last four seasons and finished dead last in the American League Central three times.
They weren’t big spenders in the off-season, unless you count the money they gave Ervin Santana, who was subsequently suspended for performance enhancing drugs. And despite having one of the best farm systems in Major League Baseball (ranked fourth by Baseball America prior to the season), most of the club’s top prospects aren’t likely to make an impact this year.
They don’t have a lot of power. With only 20 home runs in 28 games, the Twins rank 14th in the American League and they rank 11th with a .377 slugging percentage. Neither are they relying on speed – their eight stolen bases are also 14th among the 15 AL clubs.
The pitching staff has been good (a 3.92 ERA ranks sixth in the AL), but not great. Minnesota has allowed 254 hits (13th) and the staff’s 147 strikeouts are the fewest in the league.
Yet with a 16-13 record through May 7, including 10 wins in their last 13 games, here they are.
Kyle Gibson and Mike Pelfrey have sub-3.00 ERA through six and five starts, respectively, and Glen Perkins has a 1.50 ERA with nine saves in 13 appearances. Joe Mauer (.287/.361/.370 with 14 RBI) and Trevor Plouffe (.267/.351/.446 with 5 home runs and 17 RBI) have led the charge offensively by getting on base and driving in runs.
Of course, it’s hard to imagine Minnesota staying competitive with Detroit and Kansas City in the AL Central, or even with the underperforming Orioles, Red Sox, Mariners, Angels and Indians in the Wild Card race. After all, at 100-to-1 to win the World Series, the Twins have the second worst odds of any AL club.
The Twins are a: Pretender
Next: Houston Astros