Can the Twins get out of last place?

[gocgo]

Current AL Central standings have our Twins 21 games out of first and I have no thoughts of the Twins challenging for the lead...howevaaaa...the White Sox are currently 10 games out of first.  In order to make up 11 games to climb out of last place, the Twins would have to make up a lot of ground.  With 10 games remaining against the hated Sox and less than 70 games remaining for both clubs, is it possible for the Twins to crawl out of the cellar?

 

Here's my take on the possibilities.  First the Twins need to win 7 of 10 from the Sox to make up 4 games.  In the remaining 58 games, if my California math is correct and the Twins were to go 33-25 (.570) and the White Sox went 25-33 games (.430), the Twins would overtake the Sox with a 75-87 record.  Can it happen?  You gotta believe!  (KoolAid being served behind the curtain).

[d-mac]

I'm ok with the Twins holding on to a top 2 draft pick for the 2017 draft, which is supposed to be one of the best in years. It's a lost season after all. 

[jimmer]

In 68 games, we think we can erase a 11 game lead and end up in 4th?  That's hard math right there.  White Sox are bad, for sure (I predicted the W Sox and Twins to battle for the cellar before the season started), but if they had won just one more of the games they had played, they'd be at .500.

[alarp33]

 

I'm ok with the Twins holding on to a top 2 draft pick for the 2017 draft, which is supposed to be one of the best in years. It's a lost season after all. 

 

Yeah I don't get why they would want to crawl out of the cellar at this point. I'm more than fine rooting for losses, with good performances from Buxton, Kepler, Sano, etc.  

[Mike Sixel]

For this year, I'd love them to win as many games as possible.

 

For the long term health of the team, I'd like them to finish last.

 

It's a tough spot to be in, frankly.....

[jimmer]

 

For this year, I'd love them to win as many games as possible.

 

For the long term health of the team, I'd like them to finish last.

 

It's a tough spot to be in, frankly.....

Not me, I always root for them to win no matter what.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Not me, I always root for them to win no matter what.

 

Day to day, so do I. But, that's not rational at this point, frankly. Hence the dissonance in my head.

[HitInAPinch]

This year is for development of young talent.  Anything more than that is a plus. 

A goal of getting out of last place is fluff.

[Major League Ready]

 

For this year, I'd love them to win as many games as possible.

 

For the long term health of the team, I'd like them to finish last.

 

It's a tough spot to be in, frankly.....

 

I don't mind this position so much.  I enjoy the victories and the sting is not so bad knowing the loss might end up helping us get that front of the rotation guy.  Hopefully, it's a dominant college SP that will fly through the minor leagues.  

 

During the course of the rest of the season I hope to see Sano/Kepler/Rosario/Vargas/Duffey and eventually Berrios and Chargois show they are going to be a great core in the not too distant future. Then, after I do all that "hoping" I pray every night Buxton will show he will someday master this level too.

[mazeville]

I'd rather they not.

 

I know it's terrible to say the Twins should lose. But the Twins should lose. They should focus on development. They need to trade away some veterans for guys who will help this team in the next few years. That means people like Brian Dozier and Ervin Santana.

 

I do not think the Twins will climb out of last place even with those guys in the lineup. And it's clear this team needs to reconfigure the lineup and the pitching staff and the bullpen. I do believe that it could be a quick return to prominence given the right GM. But I also believe that they should just go ahead and lose to get a top draft pick in a very good draft. 

[LaBombo]

Play the kids. Experiment with the lineup, rotation, and bullpen a little. Let the wins and losses sort themselves out.

[gocgo]

 

Yeah I don't get why they would want to crawl out of the cellar at this point. I'm more than fine rooting for losses, with good performances from Buxton, Kepler, Sano, etc.  

Because it's the White Sox.

[alarp33]

 

Because it's the White Sox.

 

The Twins and White Sox haven't competed with each other for 6+ seasons, I'm really not concerned with them in the least.  

[Everyday Eddy]

 

The Twins and White Sox haven't competed with each other for 6+ seasons, I'm really not concerned with them in the least.  

Yeah,   kinda sad,    the twins did a good job of killing off any rivalries they had over these last 6 years

[Mike Sixel]

to answer the question.....I think they CAN get out of last, I don't think they will.

[theBOMisthebomb]

They are only 18 games out of the WC race. Why not track that also?

[laloesch]

 

I'm ok with the Twins holding on to a top 2 draft pick for the 2017 draft, which is supposed to be one of the best in years. It's a lost season after all. 

 

My thoughts exactly.  A top 2 pick is do great an opportunity to throw away for a bunch of meaningless wins at this point.  I'd also like to see Berrios up here.

[Kwak]

The Twins were mathematically eliminated in May ("Total System Failure") and now you get all "win (some) for the Gipper"? As many have posted before it's better to finish dead last and maximize the potential to sign premier amateur talent to construct a long-term winner.

[howieramone2]

The last thing a team learns how to do, is how to win. The best thing for Sano, Buxton, Kepler, etc. is to play to win right now. It doesn't matter if the player who can best help them win won't be here next season. It doesn't matter if another player has more upside, They need players who will help them win today. For the 25 players in the clubhouse, it's real. It's not fan board fantasy.

 

 

[diehardtwinsfan]

yeah, not sure I'd advocate intentionally tanking, but this team isn't making the playoffs, so picking top 1 or 2 at the very least is a nice reward.  Now that said, play the kids. They may or may not outperform the vets, but if they climb out of last, I want it to be b/c Berrios hit the ground running, Chargois came back up and was lights out, Buxton figured things out, and Polanco hit the ground running after the Dozier trade...

[Everyday Eddy]

 

The last thing a team learns how to do, is how to win. The best thing for Sano, Buxton, Kepler, etc. is to play to win right now. It doesn't matter if the player who can best help them win won't be here next season. It doesn't matter if another player has more upside, They need players who will help them win today. For the 25 players in the clubhouse, it's real. It's not fan board fantasy.

 What you're suggesting would take Buxton off the field.

[gocgo]

 

The Twins and White Sox haven't competed with each other for 6+ seasons, I'm really not concerned with them in the least.  

My hate for them runs deep.

[jeffn48]

If we got out of the basement, it would be important how we did it. If we did it because our young guys start to turn corners and really show significant strides in development then that would be great. I would enjoy watching that team win. I wouldn't care to see a team carried by veterans who should have been traded for future value while our young guys continue to ride the pine climb into 4th place, that would just make me mad.

[ALessKosherScott]

Maybe we can. But Schwartz or Faedo isn't a bad consolation prize if we continue to be stuck in the mire. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

No, I don't think the Twins can catch the Sox and I think the Twins will have a decent second half.

 

I predict the Twins will pick fourth or fifth in next year's draft. They might pass one AL team and a few NL teams will likely collapse as the season progresses.

 

But then again, the Twins might collapse if they move Nunez, Abad, Suzuki, and Santana. Hard to get a read on things before the deadline.

[nicksaviking]

Forget about the draft pick, for all we know Pohlad and St Peter will evaluate Anthony based on the wins and losses even though they shouldn't in 2016.

 

I'd never advocate tanking, but sustained success won't help with the idea of an outside hire.

[Jham]

I hope we win a bunch here. If we don't with kep and bux and sano already here and presumably berrios as well... what hope do we have then?

[Kwak]

 

I hope we win a bunch here. If we don't with kep and bux and sano already here and presumably berrios as well... what hope do we have then?

1. They get some help.

2. They improve.

3. Management gets smarter.

[theBOMisthebomb]

My hate for them runs deep.

You hate the Green Bay Packers, not a lame team that has won one World Series title since 1917.. to each his own though.

[kab21]

I don't really care if they can pass the White Sox for 4th but I would like to the team win to start building momentum for next year.

 

I do not think the team is anywhere close to as bad as they have been this year. Right now they are on a 60 win pace. If they went .500 (my realistic expectation) for the rest of the season they still would fall short of 70 wins and that is usually a top 5 draft pick.