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Then, there were 24

Can the Minnesota Twins clinch a Wild Card spot?

The Minnesota Twins have not seen playoff baseball since 2010 when they were swept by the New York Yankees in three games (Ben Krause Photography).








Saying it has been a roller-coaster ride for the 2017 Minnesota Twins would be spot on.

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April and May contained a little better than .500 baseball for the club, while June and July were back-to-back months of 15 losses. Then the team exploded for 20 wins in the month of August, propelling them to a wild-card spot. What might be the biggest mistake for the club is trading their All-Star closer Brandon Kintzler to the Washington Nationals for a single-A prospect. At the time, it looked as if the Twins had to be sellers at the trade deadline.

Even before the Kintzler move, there was the Jaime Garcia trade, where the starting left-hander pitched one game in a Twins uniform and then was dealt away to the New York Yankees for minor leaguers. Minnesota’s front office was in a pickle whether they think they could contend in 2017 or not. Thad Levine and Derek Falvey did not handle their decision-making well, as it put fans and the players on edge.

Now we fast forward to the month of September, where the Twins have lost four of five and currently trail the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by a half game in the American League Wild Card. The Angels (unlike the Twins) went all in towards the end of August, as they acquired four-time All-Star outfielder Justin Upton from the Detroit Tigers and 15-year veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Atlanta Braves. In what could be a playoff race between these two teams could come down to making moves when it matters. The American League Wild Card race is tight, with the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays all three games 
or less back of the Angels' wild card spot.

Justin Upton (left) and Brandon Phillips were both acquired by the Angels to bolster their roster for a playoff run. The Twins, on the other hand, were not very active this season around the trade deadline.(Photos courtesy of the Associated Press)

There are 24 games remaining in the regular season, and the Twins will play 12 of them against playoff contenders (Tampa Bay for one game, Kansas City for four, Yankees for three and Cleveland for three). Another fact that looks rough is the fact all 12 of these games will be on the road. The Twins, however, have fared a little better away from Target Field, going 36-30 on the road and 35-37 at home. Season-losing records against the Rays (1-4) and Indians (6-10) are not encouraging, but winning records against the Yankees (2-1) and Royals (9-6) are. When it comes down to it, records sometimes do not matter and anything can happen in the next few weeks.

If the Twins are planning on reaching the postseason for the first time since their inaugural season at Target Field in 2010, they will need the bats to stay hot through the home stretch. Young phenom center-fielder Byron Buxton (.350 batting average, 8 home runs, 26 runs batted in since the All-Star break) has certainly been one of the players leading the charge. He holds the highest WAR (Wins Above Replacement) rating on the team (4.9), making him the most valuable these days. Others like second baseman Brian Dozier (28 home runs, T-1st on team), first baseman Joe Mauer (.302 AVG, .382 on-base percentage), and right-fielder Max Kepler (.436 SLG) will be the pillars to lean on. Left-fielder Eddie Rosario has had a career-high season but has struggled in the last week (2-for-18 in September). What remains to be an interesting story for the Twins is shortstop Jorge Polanco. The 24-
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year old had not fared better than a .261 AVG in the batter’s box for a month, including a horrific .078 AVG in the month of July. When August was all said and done, Polanco had hit .373 for the month and smashed 6 home runs with 23 RBI. To sum up how impressive those stats are: Polanco before the month of August had only hit 8 homers in his professional career.

Then there is the injured third baseman Miguel Sano. On August 18, Sano fouled a ball off his shin in a game and has not seen action since. According to an article posted by ESPN, the timetable for the slugger’s return is unknown. It would be a huge addition for the club to gain him back, however, the Twins have gone 9-7 since the All-Star’s injury. Sano this season is tied with Dozier for the team lead in home runs (28) and has tallied 77 RBI.

Starter Ervin Santana has handled the load well for the Twins in 2017, but will the rest of the rotation hold up down the stretch? (Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)
Another spoke in the wheel involves the Twins’ pitching staff. Questionable decision-making by the front office has made things a little more challenging for this group, yet somehow Minnesota has been able to stay afloat. All-Star right-hander Ervin Santana has been solid all year long, posting a 14-7 record with a 3.35 earned run average, his lowest since 2013 when he pitched for the Royals. 21-year old Jose´ Berrios has made his splash onto the scene as well, going 12-7 with an ERA just over 4.00 after his recent rough outing against the Rays (5 innings pitched, 7 hits, 5 runs allowed). The acquisition of the season may be in 44-year old Bartolo Colon, who has been able to pitch effectively since coming to the Twins in July. Right-hander Kyle Gibson has performed better as of late, but the quest to find a decent fifth starter has been the ongoing problem. If the Twins can make the playoffs, that would not be a worry as they would most likely go with a four-man rotation. The starters need to remain consistent if they want to compete in October against better competition. The Twins’ starting rotation is ranked 22nd out of 30 overall in the Majors, and 11th out of 15 in the American League. The bullpen is not any better, as they rank 25th in the MLB and 13th in the AL. To sum things up: offense will be the major cog to keep the machine rolling along.

So, with 24 games remaining can the Minnesota Twins do what no one thought they could in 2017? Baseball is a funny sport. Predictions can either be spot-on, or absurdly incorrect. For this ball club, consistency will be key and other pieces will need to fall in place for some October baseball.


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