5 reasons the Minnesota Twins will win the wild card

They are getting hot at the right time

Just over two weeks ago, the Minnesota Twins had seemingly eliminated themselves from playoff contention. Entering August 15th, they had gone 3-9 during their past 12 games.

Although they were only two games out of the final American League wild card spot at the time, four teams were standing in their way. Among those were the surging Texas Rangers, who after a recent turnaround, were the polar opposite of the product the Twins were putting on the field.

But something clicked on August 15th, and Minnesota has not looked back.

The Twins are 11-5 since that date, and have won nine of their past 11 games. They are still one game back of the Rangers for the final playoff spot, but they have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. The Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels appear to be the only real threats at 2.5 games back, and neither has looked good as of late.

The Twins just might be the hottest team in baseball, even hotter than the team standing between them and the playoffs. The final wild card spot is in their grasp, and if they are going to make their postseason dreams a reality, they will have to carry this momentum into September.

Next: They have an easy road to the finish