The Twins punched a ticket to the 2023 MLB Postseason on September 22, when Minnesota locked up what turned out to be the weakest division in the league: the AL Central. Set to be the #3 seed in the American League playoffs, the Twins know that they will be in Minnesota to start the playoffs. However, there are a lot of unknowns for the Twins as Minnesota begins a march to the World Series.
Related: How the Rays Stack Up Entering the 2023 MLB Postseason
A Look at the Twins Offense
This Twins team might not have as prolific an offense as they did in 2019, when Minnesota set an all-time record for most home runs in a single season (307). Nonetheless, the 2023 Twins have proved to be a formidable offense, as they entered play on September 25 tied with the Rays for the fifth-most homers (222) in the Majors this season.
The Twins have 12 players on their roster with ten or more home runs on the season, including team-leader Max Kepler (23). This season’s proved to be a resurgent campaign for the 30-year-old, as his average, home run, and RBI totals this season are his best since that aforementioned 2019 season.
Aside from Kepler, youngsters Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, and Matt Wallner also provided jolts for the Twins this season.
But while there are a number of positives from the Twins this season, there were also some serious negatives.
For one, injuries have and continue to take a toll on Minnesota. Jorge Polanco, Joey Gallo, Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, and Carlos Correa are either on or have spent time on the injured list this season. The latter three are currently on the IL.
The loss of Lewis is a big one, as the former top pick hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI over 58 games, but a hamstring injury’s complicated his status as Minnesota heads into October.
Then, there’s Correa and Buxton. Both have had down seasons, and like Lewis, it’ll be interesting see whether the two can factor into the equation when the playoffs open up next week. Buxton’s been on rehab with St. Paul (AAA) as he returns from hamstring and knee trouble. Correa, meanwhile, is on the IL with plantar fasciitis.
In addition to the injuries, the Twins ranked in the middle of the pack in on-base percentage (.323) and 20th in the Majors in total hits (1,276). Not to mention, the power-hitting Twins have also accrued the most strikeouts (1,600) in the league.
A Look at the Twins Pitching
The Twins’ bats have the most strikeouts in the Majors this season, and their pitching staff can say the same. Minnesota Twins pitchers have struck out 1,477 batters in the 2023 season, and their 3.87 team ERA is sixth-best in the MLB. Much of the Twins’ success on the mound this season has come from Pablo López and Sonny Gray.
While the trade that sent Luis Arraez to Miami has received some scrutiny given the infielder’s performance this season, the reality is that López has proven to be an excellent add. Thanks to a dominant sweeper and his still-effective changeup, López owned a 3.61 ERA as of September 25 (189.2 IP) and sat third in the Majors in total strikeouts (228).
The other big piece out of the rotation for the Twins has been Sonny Gray. The three-time All-Star and impending free agent owns the third-best ERA (2.80) in the Majors, behind two potential 2023 Cy Young winners in Blake Snell (2.33) and Gerrit Cole (2.75).
Minnesota’s bullpen has also been strong. While the Twins bullpen sits in the middle of the pack in ERA (3.96), very few teams have the kind of power Minnesota can throw out in the late innings of a game.
Emilio Pagán, Caleb Thielbar, and Griffin Jax have all been effective, although Jax (5.54 ERA) has run into trouble in the second half. CP Jhoan Duran, meanwhile, has been a force in his first season as Twins closer. The 25-year-old struck out 81 over 60.1 IP and saved 27 games for the Twins.
How the Twins Can Win it All
Let’s start off witch the pitching. Great pitching can win teams championships — just look at how the Astros did it last season. Minnesota’s got the arms to get the job done in the playoffs, but can the likes of Joe Ryan and Kenta Maeda be difference-makers come October?
Maeda is far removed from his dominant 2020 campaign, but his second half numbers (3.60 ERA, 71:14 K:BB ratio in 65 IP) are much improved. Ryan, meanwhile, has struggled since the start of July. The young right-hander owns a 5.70 ERA since July 1, and even his 4.21 ERA is not as good as his 2.77 figure from the first two months.
But more importantly, the Twins will need whomever is in the lineup in October to deliver. If Correa and Buxton can go, it will be a boom — but only if those two can deliver results more in line with what the two did in 2021-22.