MLB Playoffs 2017: 5 reasons Twins will make it

5 of 5

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 02: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins looks on during the game against the Kansas City Royals on September 2, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 17-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

1. Weak schedule

After they conclude this weekend’s series with the last-place Toronto Blue Jays, the Twins will play seven of their remaining 12 games against the tanking Detroit Tigers. While the Twins are surprisingly only 5-7 against the Tigers on the year, most of those games were played before the trade deadline when Detroit looked like a different ball club. The Tigers are 2-12 for the first two weeks of September and are not going to be the spoiling type down the stretch.

The Los Angeles Angels are the team most likely to make a run at the Twins, but their final two weeks are much more difficult. The Angels have to play the Houston Astros on the road and get the Cleveland Indians at home. Those are the two best teams in the American League and they both have something to play for as they fight for homefield advantage in the playoffs.

The Twins have two difficult series to navigate, both on the road against the New York Yankees and the Indians. As long as they can steal a game in each of those matchups and take it to the Tigers, they will be fine.

Next: Top 25 MLB pennant races of all time

Minnesota has enjoyed the weakest schedule of all the American League contenders in August and September, and they have done what good teams are supposed to do — namely beat up on the bad teams. While there are plenty of detractors of MLB’s division-heavy schedule at the end of the year, the Twins are not among them.

Home/Minnesota Twins