Cold Front: Breaking Down The First Twins Homestand

MARINERS VS. TWINS

3 Games | Thurs, 4/5 – Sun, 4/8

Looking out the window as I write this, there is still no end to the snowfall in sight. I assume at some point it will peter out, but our new winter coating isn't likely to disappear quickly. The current forecast calls for highs to stay below freezing on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

It works out nicely, I suppose, that Target Field will host a game on only one of those days. But we could see three first pitches at sub-40 temps in this series. This figures to make matters difficult for these scheduled starters:

Thursday: LHP James Paxton v. RHP Kyle Gibson

Saturday: RHP Mike Leake v. RHP Jose Berrios

Sunday: LHP Marco Gonzales v. RHP Lance Lynn

If the projected high of 29 on Saturday holds, the Twins would set a record for lowest game time starting temperature in Target Field history. Tough assignment for Berrios coming off a career-best performance in Baltimore.

Of course, the ball won't exactly be flying off the bat in this chill. As Michael Rand recently pointed out, these conditions beg the question: how cold is too cold to play baseball? But as Rand notes, the Mariners don't have another trip to Minnesota, and that creates headaches with rescheduling. The same is true for the next visiting opponent.

ASTROS VS. TWINS

3 Games | Mon, 4/9 – Weds, 4/11

As I turn away from the bleak apocalyptic setting outside, I dial up the MLB scoreboard on an app. Oh, look, the Yankees have slaughtered the Rays, and Didi Gregorius – perhaps the fourth-best hitter in their lineup – went 4-for-4 with eight RBIs. How nice.

Being forced to think about that stacked roster, which has been resoundingly upgraded after knocking Minnesota out of the playoffs last October, served to harsh my good early season vibes. I do feel the Twins have played quite well in their first four games, despite the 2-2 outcome.

But when you consider a team like the Yankees, you're reminded that the bar for a pennant in this league is quite high. And New York isn't even the class of the AL. That distinction belongs to the reigning champs, who head into town next week to give the Twins a major early-season test.

The young and absurdly talented Astros have, unsurprisingly, picked up where they left off. As this blog post went to press, they were leading the Orioles and on their way to a fifth victory in six games. Jose Altuve's hitting almost .500. They look dominant.

Hopefully the unfamiliar cold weather in Minnesota can throw them off their game. This series looks to be warmer than the previous one, but temperatures are not expected to escape the mid-40s.

By this point, the Twins will have least had a few home games to acclimate themselves. In this light, you could perhaps view the timing of this meeting as slightly advantageous. But under no circumstance is Houston going to be an easy matchup.

The offense is star-studded and relentless. And these probable pitching matchups are DAUNTING:

Monday: RHP Justin Verlander v. RHP Jake Odorizzi

Tuesday: LHP Dallas Keuchel v. RHP Kyle Gibson

Wednesday: RHP Lance McCullers v. ???

The final game of the Astros series represents the first time all year the Twins will need a fifth starter, although preceding cancellations could change that. Phil Hughes, working back from a "mild oblique strain," threw four innings in Triple-A on Saturday. He'll get to pitch in warm weather during his next rehab start at Ft. Myers on Thursday, but won't be so lucky if he takes the mound in Minnesota next week. There has to be some concern around his oblique tightening up in cold weather.

But for now, that's a distant concern. We'll see how many games the Twins are able to get in leading up to that one. They might be able to stretch the four-starter arrangement out just a bit longer.

WHITE SOX VS. TWINS

4 Games | Thurs, 4/12 – Sun, 4/15

This series looks like a welcome respite, for multiple reasons. The extended forecast calls for temps in the 50s, which would actually resemble baseball weather. And of course, the White Sox are not the Astros.

This young Chicago club is probably more feisty and threatening than Kansas City or Detroit, but should be overmatched by the Twins anyway. It's probably the softest opponent of the month, and an opportunity to get a little fat before running the gauntlet of Indians-Rays-Yankees, all on the road.

While it feels almost pointless to lay out probable starters this far out, here's how they'd currently shape up:

Thursday: RHP Lucas Giolito v. RHP Jose Berrios

Friday: RHP Reynaldo Lopez v. RHP Lance Lynn

Saturday: RHP Miguel Gonzalez v. RHP Jake Odorizzi

Sunday: RHP Michael Fulmer v. RHP Kyle Gibson

Given the extreme likelihood of multiple rainouts (or freezeouts) before the White Sox series, those matchups are beyond tentative, but it gives you a look at the kind of favorable tilts Minnesota figures to see, regardless of how the names align.

After wrapping up this series, the Twins get to escape the cold and head for a much warmer climate in Puerto Rico – a two-game series helpfully surrounded by a pair of off days. The Indians will supply Minnesota with its second early test.

As it lines up now, Berrios would be starting the first game in his native territory. That's by design. But, you know about what they say about the best laid plans...