If You're Feeling Down About the 2024 Twins, Look to Last Year's Champions

The 2024 Minnesota Twins may be in a rough patch right now, but if there’s one thing baseball teaches us every year, it’s that the postseason is a fresh slate. It’s easy to feel like the sky is falling when the team is stumbling toward the finish line, but before jumping ship, consider last year's Texas Rangers—another team that looked destined for greatness, before experiencing an even worse September slump. And yet, they rebounded in time to sneak into the playoffs, get hot, and win the World Series.

Let’s set the scene. Through 110 games, the 2023 Rangers sat at 64-46, riding high off a red-hot offense. The Twins, at 62-48 through the same mark in 2024, looked like they were on a similar trajectory. For a long stretch, the Twins boasted one of the top offenses in the American League. While they didn’t put up quite the numbers of the Rangers, they were a consistent threat, at one point arguably the best offense in the league.

But baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Much like the 2024 Twins', the 2023 Rangers’ season took a dramatic turn for the worse in late summer. Between August and early September, the Rangers lost eight straight games and dropped 16 of 20. It was a collapse that had fans worried their playoff dreams were over. What went wrong?

Injuries
The Rangers were hit hard by injuries to key players like Jacob DeGrom, Corey Seager, Jonah Heim, Josh Jung, and Adolis García. A year later, the Twins have faced a similarly brutal injury situation, with Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Max Kepler, and others missing significant time.

Bullpen Woes
During the Rangers’ 4-16 stretch, their bullpen imploded with a 7.06 ERA and 10 blown saves, ranking worst in the American League. Sound familiar? The Twins’ bullpen, which has struggled for much of the season, has only gotten worse down the stretch.

Regression
Key Rangers players like Leody Tavares and Ezequiel Duran, who had carried the team through early success, went into deep slumps. The Twins have seen similar drop-offs from previously hot players, most notably Willi Castro and José Miranda. As a result, the offense has sputtered just when it’s needed most.

While the Twins’ recent struggles are frustrating, they’re not unprecedented. In fact, the Rangers’ 2023 season offers a clear parallel—and a reason for hope. Despite their brutal slump, the Rangers stabilized just enough, finishing the regular season with a 14-8 run over their last 22 games. That was good enough to secure a Wild Card spot, which meant facing a difficult path with all their playoff games on the road. Yet, they thrived in the role of underdog, getting healthy at the right time and riding standout performances from their stars. Seager and García regained their elite form; Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi delivered clutch pitching; and the bullpen that had been a mess suddenly figured it out.

The beauty of baseball, more than any other sport, is its unpredictability. In a three-, five-, or seven-game series, anything can happen. The Twins still have the talent to be dangerous in October. Correa is expected back soon. Pablo López, who has already proven himself as a postseason ace, could lead the rotation. Griffin Jax is one of the best relievers in the game, and Royce Lewis has shown a fearlessness that’s built for big moments.

It’s easy to look at the current state of the Twins and feel like hope is fading. But just one year ago, the Rangers found themselves in an even worse spot, and went on to lift the trophy. If the Twins can stabilize in time for October, they have the pieces in place to make a run. After all, baseball is a “just get into the tournament” sport. And as we’ve seen time and again, anything can happen once you’re there.