5 Bold Twins Predictions for 2022

[Cody Christie]

Opening Day is nearly here, and with it comes the excitement of every team having an opportunity to turn into a contender. Here are five bold predictions about the 2022 Minnesota Twins. 

Minnesota's goal this year is to go from worst to first in the AL Central. Many predictions below will need to happen if the Twins want to overshoot their projected preseason position. Players need to be healthy and perform at a high level, while young pitchers will need to join the pitching staff and avoid rookie struggles. 

5. Minnesota will have multiple Gold Glove winners
Minnesota's up-the-middle defense is among baseball's best, and the Twins have two former Platinum Glove winners on the roster. Carlos Correa was arguably baseball's best defender last season, as he posted baseball's highest SABR Defensive Index total. Like Correa, Buxton has won a Platinum Glove, but he hasn't been on the field enough to qualify in recent years. When healthy, he is arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game. Other players on the roster have the chance to be in the Gold Glove conversation. Jorge Polanco's defense made great strides in his shift to second. Alex Kirilloff is tremendous at first base if the team moves him out of a corner outfield spot. 

4. Kenta Maeda pitches games in September
Last September, Maeda underwent Tommy John surgery, which can mean an entire season away from baseball. One reason for optimism with Maeda's recovery is an adjustment made to his Tommy John surgery. Maeda had a brace added to the impacted elbow to speed up his recovery time. This newer development can cut the recovery time from the standard 12-16 months to 9-12 months. Nine months after his surgery puts him on the mound in June, while 12 months would be September. At the time of the surgery, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said he is "hopeful for sure" that the right-hander will see the mound next year. Maeda can provide a late-season boost to the pitching staff that can help amid a pennant chase. 

3. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton will finish in the top-10 for AL MVP
Many consider Buxton a dark-horse candidate for AL MVP, but the hype surrounding his 2022 season is real. His contract extension also includes incentives for him finishing in the MVP voting. Buxton has an opportunity to establish himself as baseball's best centerfielder. Correa has been a perennial MVP candidate when he is healthy. Because of his unique contract, he can re-enter free agency next winter, so he has an incentive to have a career year. If both players are in the MVP conversation, Minnesota will have to be in the playoff hunt, which has to get fans excited for 2022.  

2. Max Kepler gets traded before the trade deadline 
Max Kepler is under team control through 2024, so his trade value may never be higher than in 2022. Outfield depth is one of Minnesota's strengths, so the team may be able to trade for an area of need. Trevor Larnach is at Triple-A, and the team still has faith in him to take over a full-time role at the big-league level. Austin Martin may also shift to an outfield spot, especially if the team deems him ready. Will the Twins need more starting pitching at the deadline? Can a bullpen upgrade put the team on a path to postseason success? Kepler might be the player needed to make a deadline deal. 

1. The streak ends
Minnesota hasn't won a playoff game in nearly two decades. The streak ends this season, and it will be exciting to see how far this team can go. 

Which bold prediction do you think is most likely to come to fruition? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

 

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[roger]

I may be in the minority, but I do not want to see Max traded.  I want to see him in right field for the Twins every day.

[Whitey333]

I don't want to see Kepler traded either.  However it would depend what Twins got for him.  The bold predictions are very interesting and all possible.  I think if we add a decent starting pitcher we become a viable contender.  Our current starting staff is very questionable and won't get us into the playoffs.  

[tony&rodney]

Like many, I predict the Twins to win the World Series this year just like i do every year. I wish the snow and ice would melt too.

Defense is important and fun to watch and fans should enjoy the improved play up the middle this year. Alex Kirilloff does belong at first base instead of in the outfield.

Maeda making a late September return in relief could boost the bullpen.

There are plenty of reasons that both Buxton and Correa could have MVP type seasons this summer and I am looking forward to their playing at least 145 games.

Max Kepler can be frustrating to watch when he hits ground balls to second. However, Max is also one of only three competent outfielders on the team and Nick Gordon doesn't project to start most of the time. Rooker and Larnach are ok to hide in the outfield occasionally but are better fits at DH. So until Austin Martin and/or Royce Lewis, both quite athletic, are converted to the outfield the Twins need Kepler.

A couple of July trades are possible and I'm high on Josh Winder right now. The Twins have a shot if everything goes right. It is gray outside right now, the ground is covered in snow, and more is falling (lightly), so I'm forced to believe the Twins are going to be good enough to win 87 games this year. 

[Doctor Gast]

Love that photo of Buxton, Cody, he's so focused and having his other hand ready to cover the ball. OFers now days get a little sloppy on defense, Buxton doesn't. I'm with you that Buxton & Correa will both be healthy and compete for the MVP and be Gold Glovers but I'd also like to add Polanco to that list.

Roger, I too would hate to see Kepler go. I think he's better suited in LF where he's needed. I hope he adjust his swing and start getting hits, otherwise in RF the demand for a glove is less and Kiriloff or Larnach could man there. Maeda should be back at the of the season but by the time he gets back in shape he'll be a nonfactor.

I also predict the Twins could win their division, finally win a post season game and the rotation could pleasantly surprise a lot of people, But these predictions are conditional based on

#1 how strong the long relief is and how well they are managed, A strong long relief could keep the rotation and short relief strong and fresh throughout the season. How to do this? Have a large body of pitchers in this role having them rotating in & out playing the hot hands and be quick to put them in,

#2 have a MLB proven CFer to back up Buxton. We have lost too many games gambling on the health of Buxton and misevaluating the gap that we have there. Solutions? Best solution is to trade for 1  or next sign a FA. Waiting to see if Celestino and or Martin take the next step, Gordon has done very well adapting to the OF, I like how he has progressed in his hitting and fielding but here we can't underestimate experience.

These 2 conditions IMO are main reasons the Twins haven't progressed to or in the post season for these many years.

In contrast, TB don't even come close to have the line up that we have but what makes them competitors is that they have a strong & deep middle fielders and they have a strong long relief corp to keep their rotation & short relief fresh & strong.

[mikelink45]

Well time to recalculate - the Rotation now has a proven leader, two good young pitchers and three reclamation projects. 

The BP has lost its predicted closer and best reliever in the trade - do we now go get another RP or are we promoting from within and will they be as good as Rogers.

I do not see the Twins making the WS - sorry, but Paddock, Bundy, Archer do not make a championship rotation.  

I would have expected Kepler to be in the trade they just did, but I think the Padres value Paddock a lot less than the Twins do.  I am fine if he is traded, but I want real value back. 

I am all in on the first three predictions. 

[Dave The Dastardly]

I'll go with 5 and 4. Wouldn't bet the farm on the rest.

[Twinsrule1991]

I can appreciate the bold takes here, but this team won't sniff the postseason as currently constructed. I just don't see them piecing together this bullpen and rotation enough to have any sustained success. I'd like for them to prove me wrong, but it's unlikely.

[Parfigliano]

I would be very happy if they can get a full season of Buxton in the books.

[snyder]

This could be the magical World Series season if it all falls into place, which definitely is possible. The pieces are all there for that to happen, but I'm not holding my breath. Realistically, I would consider this season a success if two things happen: The Twins win a playoff game and kill that 20 year monkey that has been on their back and Correa decides to stay for next year. This would set them up for an actual WS run in a couple seasons.

 

[tony&rodney]

3 minutes ago, snyder said:

Correa decides to stay for next year. This would set them up for an actual WS run in a couple seasons.

Correa stays if he is injured too often this year. If he is his usual self, Correa goes back to free agency without the qualifying offer and in a smaller crop of shortstops. I hope the Twins win the division. If they are not projected to win, and even if they are, Correa will very likely be traded in late July for prospects.

[LastOnePicked]

Love these bold predictions. Especially the last one.

I would love to see Kepler rebound and draw interest, but I think the word is out about his BABIP. It's not a fluke at this point.

I think Maeda himself already ruled out pitching in 2022 in a preseason interview, so that one might be the shakiest at this point.

Here's hoping you're channeling the future, and we see these all come true by October.

[RpR]

Twins will win both series against New York Yankees; the one in New York when in honor of Arraez, Donaldson throws the ball into right field to give the Twins the win.

[Karbo]

I have been encouraged watching Kepler hit in ST. He seems to be staying on the ball a bit longer going up the middle and even the other way a little more. If he can just learn there is a whole other field on the other side of 2nd base, teams will have to start pitching and playing him a little differently. 

[jun]

It's going to be a long season. The team is not looking good especially the pitching.

[DannySD]

I'll say # 1 and 3. Plus, in July they trade a few of their best prospects for a frontline starter and bullpen piece. 

[DannySD]

My second bold prediction is that KC wins the division.

[Mark G]

The one prediction that kind of made my eyebrows perk up was the Kepler prediction.  I was a little confused by the belief that "outfield depth is one of Minnesota's strengths", but I can only assume that depth is a relative concept.  A team that cannot name a starting left fielder or decide on a 4th outfielder doesn't strike me as a team deep in outfield depth, but that is just me.  Larnach is in AAA along with Celestino, Rooker was traded rather than join them in St. Paul, and Kirilloff grades out better at 1st base than outfield, and that may be his future here.  After Buck and Kepler, I don't see major league ready players, and right now that means Garlick, so we may have depth in quantity, but how about quality?  And we want to trade a very good defensive right fielder that is under team control through '24?   I guess Cody has more long term faith in our depth than maybe I give them credit for.  Let's hope he is right, because we are going to need them.