Minnesota Twins: The Twins are quietly championship contenders
The Dodgers and Yankees have been deemed big off-season winners but the Minnesota Twins have quietly had a solid off-season.
The Minnesota Twins took a big step forward in 2019 as they jumped from 78 wins in 2018 to 101 wins and an AL Central division title in 2020. The New York Yankees may be the team to beat in the American League after the addition of Gerrit Cole, but the Twins have a very good chance to take home the AL pennant in 2020 after several big-time additions in the off-season.
While they didn’t add Mookie Betts or Gerrit Cole, the Twins did add Josh Donaldson which begins the first reason why the Twins are quietly a championship contender and that is their lineup.
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An underrated Lineup
In 2019, the Twins had five position players belt more than 30 home runs and eight players hit at least 20 home runs. Catcher Mitch Garver and outfielder Max Kepler were two players who took a big step forward in 2019.
Miguel Sanó reverted back to his mashing ways and Nelson Cruz continued to deny father time as he blasted 41 home runs at the age of 39. Thanks to the addition of Josh Donaldson, the Twins will be just fine if they suffer some regression in 2020.
The Twins signed Donaldson to a four year, $92 million dollar deal this winter and beat out the Braves and Nationals who were viewed as the favorites to sign Josh. Last season, Donaldson hit 37 home runs and he continued to provide underrated defense which is becoming the theme of the Twins’ roster who are just an underrated team in general.
If the lineup can come close to what they did last season, the best lineup in baseball may reside in Minnesota. In addition to a loaded lineup, there is the underrated pitching staff of the Minnesota Twins.
A Deeper Rotation
The Minnesota Twins had a solid starting rotation in 2019 as they finished with the eighth-best ERA in baseball for rotations at 4.18. That didn’t stop the Twins from going out and bolstering their starting staff by not only re-signing Michael Pineda but also trading for Kenta Maeda and signing Rich Hill and Homer Bailey.
The most intriguing addition is Rich Hill who is expected to return around June as he recovers from “primary and revision” surgery in hopes of extending his career for one more year.
Hill was one of the best postseason starters for the Los Angeles Dodgers over the last few seasons and a case can be made that he was their best starter during the duration of their two World Series runs.
If he can make it to October in good health, the Twins could have a potent 1-2 punch in their postseason rotation with Jose Berrios and Rich Hill leading the charge. Kenta Maeda is another solid addition who requested a trade as he could never crack LA’s postseason rotation.
Then there is still the ever so talented Jose Berrios who is looking to make that superstar leap in 2020. Berrios posted another solid season in 2019 pitching to an ERA of 3.68 but with his repertoire, he has yet to reach his full potential.
If Berrios does take that next step forward in 2020, the Minnesota Twins may just finish with the most wins in the American League. The rotation is armed with upgrades to solidify the most overlooked aspect of the Twins’ roster, their bullpen.
The Best Bullpen of Unknown Names
Quick, name the three-headed monster in the Minnesota Twins bullpen. Chances are nobody outside of Minnesota is able to answer that question. The Twins’ bullpen had the best FIP of any 2019 bullpen by posting a FIP of 3.92 and narrowly edging out the Rays.
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Leading the charge was Taylor Rogers who converted 30 of his 36 save opportunities after being recalled in the middle of May. Rogers averaged over eleven strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
The other two underrated weapons in Minnesota’s bullpen are Trevor May and Tyler Duffey who combined for 33 holds in 2019 and like Taylor Rogers, both relievers averaged over eleven strikeouts last year.
Sergio Romo also came over from Miami at the trade deadline and helped solidify the Twins’ bullpen with his vast postseason experience. Romo was brought back on a one year deal to continue where he left off from in 2020.
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The Twins also brought in the underrated veteran Tyler Clippard during free agency to not only solidify their own bullpen but take away a weapon from the division-rival Indians.
In 2019, Clippard held the opposition to a .176 average and he was surprisingly effective against left-handed batters limiting them to an average of .123. Clippard will further improve a deep and talented Twins’ bullpen.
The New York Yankees and even the Houston Astros are viewed as the favorites to win the American League pennant but the Minnesota Twins should be right there in 2020 if they are able to build off of their breakout 2019 season. The additions of Josh Donaldson, Rich Hill, and Kenta Maeda should help push the Twins from being a very good team to a team with serious championship aspirations.
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In 2019 the Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins who were just happy to be back in the postseason but in 2020 the Yankees will not be able to bully their way past Minnesota if they meet up again. With good health and a few lucky breaks, the Twins could find themselves in their first World Series since 1991 if the ball rolls their way in 2020.