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Coming out of the trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins have been on a tear (pre-Tigers series), while the Cleveland Guardians had been on a slide. With the now 3 ½ game lead and the Guardians' poor outlook after selling at the trade deadline, the division looks like more of a formality than a competition over the last two months of the season.
Should the Minnesota Twins avoid a massive collapse and win the American League Central as they should, they will be looking at a three-game playoff series against the sixth seed in the American League, the lowest-ranked Wild Card team.
In looking at the current American League standings, the Orioles, Rays, Rangers, and Astros appear locked into the top four records in the American League. That leaves the Twins likely to face the Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox, or Mariners.
Let's rank those potential opponents based on difficulty for the Twins from easiest (4) to most difficult (1).
4. Boston Red Sox
Of their four likeliest playoff opponents, Twins fans should root for Minnesota to get matched against the Boston Red Sox this October. The Red Sox currently rank 18th and 19th, respectively, in team batting and pitching fWAR.
While its starting rotation in a playoff series would consist of three pitchers with sub-4 ERAs, the Red Sox lack the top-end starting pitching that can steal a playoff game and, ultimately, a series.
3. Seattle Mariners
Next on the list is the Seattle Mariners, 2 ½ games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. After falling to .500 towards the end of July and looking like they might become sellers at the trade deadline, the Mariners are now 6-1 since the start of August and 61-52 on the season.
The Mariners currently rank 11th in batting fWAR and 2nd in pitching fWAR, thanks to elite starting pitching and relievers. Even though the Mariners have such strong pitching, they have so much youth and playoff inexperience, with pitchers like Logan Gilbert and George Kirby leaving the Mariners as the third most difficult potential playoff matchup for the Twins.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Coming in second on the list of most difficult playoff matchups for the Minnesota Twins in 2023 are the Toronto Blue Jays, who the Twins are most likely to face in the first round. The Blue Jays currently have the fifth-best run differential in the American League and have a well-rounded team that ranks eighth in batting fWAR and seventh in pitching fWAR.
The amount of star talent they possess makes the Blue Jays extra scary in a playoff format. From Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette on the hitting side of the ball to Kevin Gausman and José Berríos on the pitching side, Toronto has the elite top-end talent that can take over a playoff series.
1. New York Yankees
The number one team on the list of most difficult potential playoff opponents for the Minnesota Twins in 2023 is the New York Yankees, who will hold this spot until the Twins can prove that they shouldn't.
The Yankees' playoff success against the Minnesota Twins is unmatched. While the Yankees are different from the powerhouse that the Twins have grown accustomed to, they still have plenty of talent to make for a challenging series in a playoff round.
The biggest asset that the Yankees have in a potential playoff series is ace Gerrit Cole, who has a career 5-0 record with a 2.43 ERA against the Twins. A game one matchup against Cole could quickly put the Twins in a 0-1 series hole and bring back all of the ghosts that have haunted the Twins for the past twenty years.
If there were any year that the Twins would be best suited to conquer their demons in the New York Yankees, this would be the season, but until they do it, they should always be considered the most difficult potential playoff matchup.
Which potential playoff opponent would be the most challenging for the Minnesota Twins? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!
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- Twinsrealist1 and ToddlerHarmon
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