Ghostbusters: How the 2024 Twins Can Avoid Yankees Ghosts

It’s no secret that the Minnesota Twins have struggled against the New York Yankees. Since 2002, the Twins have made 10 playoff appearances, and New York has knocked Minnesota out six times with a combined 16-2 record. Last season, the Twins won the season series against the Yankees for the first time since 2001. Now, Minnesota will attempt to win back-to-back season series against New York for the first time since 1992. 

After beating the Yankees last year, it was clear that the vibe was different in the clubhouse, because many of the current Twins have been part of the playoff defeats.

“It's kind of like having that monkey on the back; I know we talked about it a lot over the past few years, about going to Yankee Stadium, playing the Yankees,” said Twins outfielder Byron Buxton last year. “It feels a lot like that monkey is off the back for sure now.”

The Ghost of Álex Rodríguez
Ghostbuster: Don’t let Yankee stars take over the game.
Álex Rodríguez is known for many things (good and bad), but he was a Twins killer during his time with the Yankees. In 2004, Twins fans witnessed the start of the team's record-breaking playoff losing streak, and Rodríguez was at the center of things. Minnesota took the lead at Yankee Stadium in the top of the 12th, before the Yankees stormed back in the bottom half of the inning against Joe Nathan in his third inning of work. Nathan walked two batters, before Rodríguez knocked a game-tying double.

Five years later, the Twins and Yankees met again in the ALDS, and Rodríguez smacked a game-tying home run off Nathan in the ninth inning.

Currently, the Yankees have multiple stars who can impact the game on a similar level. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are two of the 10 best hitters in baseball. Judge enters the series hitting .235/.369/.497, with 10 home runs and a 145 OPS+. Soto joined New York this winter via trade, and is off to a tremendous start. In 42 games, he has a 171 OPS+, with 17 extra-base hits and more walks (28) than strikeouts (24). It’s hard to believe he is only 25 years old, because he’s been an elite hitter throughout his young career. Twins pitchers must be cautious when pitching to this slugging duo.

The Ghost of Mariano Rivera
Ghostbuster: Find a way to get to the Yankee bullpen.
Rivera dominated the Twins during his Hall of Fame career. In 72 2/3 innings, he posted a 1.24 ERA with a 0.80 WHIP and a 69-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It was his lowest ERA among teams he faced more than 10 times, and no player has recorded more saves against the Twins than Rivera. He secured his record-breaking 602nd career save in a win over the Twins on September 19, 2011.

Rivera was a legend in the playoffs, and the Twins found little success against him. Rivera didn’t allow a run in 16 2/3 innings pitched against Minnesota in the postseason. That was his most postseason innings pitched without allowing a run versus any team.

New York’s new version of Rivera is Clay Holmes, one of the game’s best relievers since being traded to the Yankees in 2021. He has posted a 2.25 ERA in four seasons in pinstripes, with a 1.04 WHIP and 10.0 K/9. Holmes has been nearly untouchable during the 2024 season. He has yet to allow a run in 17 1/3 innings with a 1.04 WHIP. There have been signs of kinks in his armor, with a 1.58 FIP and 7.8 H/9, higher than his career mark. Luke Weaver and Ian Hamilton have also posted strong numbers in relief. Minnesota has scored a lot of runs against other teams' bullpens this season, and that must continue against New York. 

The Ghost of Didi Gregorius
Ghostbuster: Avoid role players inflicting a back-breaking hit. 
Minnesota jumped out to an early lead versus New York in 2017 for the win-or-go-home Wild Card Game. Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario smashed first-inning home runs, and momentum favored the Twins, but that didn’t last long. Didi Gregorius cracked a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the first, and New York never trailed again. Two years later, Gregorius had another significant moment in Game 2 of the 2019 AL Wild Card Series. The Yankees loaded the bases in the third inning before Gregorius crushed a grand slam off Tyler Duffey. Another Yankee defeat haunted the Twins.

Gregorius had a solid 11-year big-league career, but was never a star player. He was a regular on some strong Yankees teams, but posted a career 95 OPS+ while averaging a 2.7 WAR. Role players have keyed some Yankees rallies against the Twins, which the team should try to avoid in 2024. Multiple role players are off to solid starts for New York, including Alex Verdugo (107 OPS+), Jose Trevino (125 OPS+), and Anthony Volpe (118 OPS+). It’s easy to focus on the stars like Judge and Soto, but the other parts of the lineup can be just as dangerous. 

The 2023 Twins turned into Ghostbusters and found a way to remove the gorilla-sized monkey from their backs. New York has been one of the AL’s best teams this season, so it’s shaping up to be a good series. The current iteration of the Minnesota Twins has some positive signs against the dreaded Yankees, but a Ghostbuster's work is never done. Think of Soto as Vigo the Carpathian.

It’s a new season, so how can the Twins avoid the ghosts that have haunted them in past battles with the Bronx Bombers?