Nick Nelson

Could not agree more. Road-tripping down to KC for a Twins/Royals series, beer and BBQ has become an annual summer tradition and one that I'll miss dearly this year.

The Twins will face each Central opponent 10 times in their coming 60-game sprint, so success against these familiar foes is critical. Fortunately the Royals – like the Tigers – are coming off a brutal 100-loss season. With that said, Kansas City does figure to offer a bit more resistance than Detroit, thanks to some legit high-end talent. KANSAS CITY ROYALS AT A GLANCE 2019 Record: 59-103, 4th Place 2019 fWAR Leader (Offense): Jorge Soler, OF - 3.6 2019 fWAR Leader (Pitching): Brad Keller, RHP - 2.2 Key Offseason Additions: Maikel Franco (3B), Trevor Rosenthal (RP) Key Offseason Losses: Cheslor Cuthbert (1B/3B), Jorge Bonifacio (OF) 2020 Over/Under: 25.0 TEAM OVERVIEW The Royals are a pretty top-heavy team, which could benefit them in the shortened format. Their offense is led by Jorge Soler, who blasted a league-leading 48 home runs with 117 RBIs in a breakout 2019. They're getting back one of baseball's best catchers in Salvador Perez, who missed last year due to Tommy John surgery. They've got some players. Just not enough players. General manager Dayton Moore did essentially nothing to upgrade a 103-loss team, other than adding another undisciplined slugger in Maikel Franco. Still, the plucky Royals could be pesky. STRENGTHS Perez is an undisciplined slugger in his own right, but also an elite defender and perennial All-Star. His return makes a big difference for a team that is not without its standouts, such as: Whit Merrifield, arguably the most underrated player in baseball. He was an All-Star in 2019, slashing .302/.348/.463 while playing five different positions. He has led the American League in hits two years running, led in triples last year, and led in steals in 2018 and 2017. Merrifield is a speedy bat-handling ironman who deserves far more notoriety.JORGE. SOLER. Like Merrifield, it seems we don't talk about this guy enough. That's the sad reality of playing for an irrelevant Royals team, I suppose. Soler had more home runs and RBIs last year than anyone on the Bomba Squad, and he posted a 1.076 OPS with 25 dingers after the All-Star break. He's the type of transcendent slugging talent that could do something wild like hit 30 jacks in 60 games.Hunter Dozier, who tied Merrifield for the league lead with 10 triples in 2019. The third baseman posted a Moustaka-esque .279/.348/.522 with 26 homers and 84 RBIs.Adalberto Mondesi, who tied Merrifield AND Dozier for the league lead with 10 triples in 2019 (no joke) and is entering his age 24 season. He's a former top prospect and he's crazy athletic, having slashed .263/.291/.424 with 43 steals last year, but his plate discipline has held him back thus far.The Royals are an interesting club. They had the AL's third-lowest team OBP in 2019 but the second-most steals. They aren't a power-hitting team generally, but they have the league's best power hitter. They're gonna be a thorny opponent. WEAKNESSES Maybe not that thorny though. The fact remains: even with Soler launching 48 bombs and a bunch of other scrappy dudes running wild, the Royals lost 103 games, which equates to the "Total System Failure" fiasco for Minnesota in 2016. Their rotation is weak, led by starters in Danny Duffy and Brad Keller who would maybe be competing for the Twins' fifth spot. Alex Gordon is basically a post-prime Joe Mauer presence at this point. The bullpen is flimsy. Worst of all, the Royals have an utterly mediocre farm system, and only three of their top ten prospects are above Single-A, none above Double-A. While Detroit has elite pitching prospects in the offing, Kansas City has no cavalry en route, and their rebuild has all the makings of a painful and extended one. So while the ROyals look like a better team than the Tigers at this moment, it's very possible that won't be the case by season's end. One has to wonder if they will try to cash in on Soler's high value at some point soon, with free agency just two years away. WILD CARD Speed. Kansas City's penchant for running makes them disruptive. (Think "piranhas.") They stole 117 bases in 2019 and they did so with a pretty strong 75% success rate. (The Twins stole a league-low 25 with a 53% success rate.) The Royals were also second among AL teams in triples with 40 – that'll happen when you've got three guys tied for the league lead. Now, the Royals do have a new manager in Mike Matheny, and there's no guarantee he'll exhibit the same aggressiveness as Ned Yost did. But given all the guys on this roster who can fly, and how difficult it's gonna be for them to score runs generally, I'd wager we see plenty of steals, hit-and-runs, and attempts to take extra bases. That puts pressure on opponents, even those with clear talent superiority. It could ruffle the Twins' feathers. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

In a shortened 60-game season, each AL Central opponent will account for nearly 20% of the Twins' schedule. As such, I thought it'd make sense to take a closer look at each division rival as we count down to Opening Day 2.0. We kick things off with a breakdown of the Tigers. DETROIT TIGERS AT A GLANCE 2019 Record: 47-114, 5th Place 2019 fWAR Leader (Offense): Niko Goodrum, UTIL - 1.9 2019 fWAR Leader (Pitching): Matthew Boyd, LHP - 3.3 Key Offseason Additions: C.J. Cron (1B), Jonathan Schoop (2B), Ivan Nova (SP), Austin Romine © Key Offseason Losses: Blaine Hardy (RP), John Hicks ©, Daniel Stump (RP) 2020 Over/Under: 22.0 TEAM OVERVIEW It's fair to think of the 2020 Detroit Tigers as the "Twins Rejects." They are led by manager Ron Gardenhire, fired by the Twins in 2014 after four straight 90-loss seasons. (He has now run that streak to six straight in Detroit.) Their most valuable position player last year, per fWAR, was Niko Goodrum – a middling prospect with the Twins before they let him go in 2017. He's now joined in the lineup by C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop, crowded out of the picture in Minnesota by better players and now probably the two best hitters in Detroit's lineup. Says a lot, doesn't it? STRENGTHS You have to look pretty hard to find them. This is a blatantly bad team that was likely on its way to another 100-loss season. That said, they do figure to be a bit better than last year. Cron and Schoop are clear upgrades, bringing legitimate pop to a lineup that was led by Brandon Dixon's 15 homers a year ago. Another bright spot for Detroit is that Michael Fulmer, who missed all of last year with Tommy John surgery and was expected to miss the start of 2020, should now be ready to go from the jump. The 2016 AL Rookie of the Year could pair with Matthew Boyd to give Detroit's rotation a decent 1-2 punch. WEAKNESSES Even with Boyd and Fulmer healthy, it's a bad pitching staff. They allowed 915 runs last year, more than any AL team sans Baltimore, and their biggest offseason move to address the unit was signing Ivan Nova off the scrap heap. The arms won't get much help from the gloves behind them; Detroit rated as one of the league's worst defensive teams last year, although Schoop and Cron should improve them modestly. I expect this to be one of the worst-hitting, worst-pitching and worst-fielding teams in baseball. The Twins went 14-5 against the Tigers last year, and playing to the same level against Detroit would yield a 7-3 record in their 10 matchups. WILD CARD The Tigers do have a pair of top pitching prospects who could potentially make a difference for their rotation in 2020. Casey Mize was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018, and has since developed into one of the game's premier young pitchers, ranking as MLB.com's No. 7 prospect coming into the season. He's 23 and had a successful run at Double-A last season, so it's not unthinkable he could be up sometime in August to ruffle feathers. Keep an eye out also for Matt Manning, a 6-foot-6 righty who is neck-and-neck with Mize for top prospect status in the system. He spent all of last year in Double-A. If these two get called up and catch on quick they can give the powerful Twins lineup some problems. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

His final numbers for the season were: .281/.332/.489, 27 HR, 94 RBI. (Not including his 3-HR showing in the ALDS.) Pretty typical Rosie campaign. Bout 5 minutes. Basically I just sim every AB in rapid-fire succession from a managerial dashboard screen. Although for a few of the bigger games (i.e. 163) I actually watched the whole sim play out, which takes more like 45 mins.

With the baseball season delayed, we spent the past few months simulating it – in its originally imagined form – on MLB the Show 20, to see how things might've gone for the Twins. Happily, we won the AL Central. Sadly, we lost in the ALDS (again). Let's wrap this thing up by taking a look at the final postseason outcomes and reflecting on takeaways from our simulated Twins results.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We played a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all helped guide the ship. PLAYOFF RESULTS Although the Twins beat Cleveland in a walk-off Game 163 thriller, it was the Indians who got the last laugh. After edging into the ALDS with a Wild Card Game win against Boston, Cleveland swept the Angels and advanced to face Tampa in the ALCS. (The Rays, of course, had knocked out our Twins 3-1 in the other ALDS matchup.) Cleveland won the ALCS in six games and moved onto the World Series, where they faced off against Washington, after the Nats topped LA in an NLCS repeat from 2019. In seven games, the Cleveland Indians defeated the Washington Nationals to become 2020 (virtual) World Series champs. Download attachment: playoffbracketfinal.jpeg Francisco Lindor was named World Series MVP after batting .348 in the seven games. Domingo Santana was the top overall performer in Cleveland's postseason run, batting .375 with four homers and 11 RBIs. Here are some of the other award-winners from the simulated 2020 season: AL MVP: J.D. Martinez, BOS (.299/.381/.590, 48 HR, 127 RBI) NL MVP: Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL (.294/.367/.607, 44 HR, 123 RBI) AL Cy Young: Chris Sale, BOS (18-5, 2.90 ERA, 283 K) NL Cy Young: Patrick Corbin, WAS (18-9, 3.65 ERA, 237 K) AL Batting Title: Mike Trout, LAA (.347) NL Batting Title: Wilson Ramos, NYM (.332) AL Reliever of the Year: Nick Goody, TEX (44 saves, 0.58 ERA) NL Reliever of the Year: Sean Doolittle, WAS (53 saves, 2.02 ERA) AL Rookie of the Year: Anderson Miller – OF, KC (.265/.309/.464, 14 HR, 58 RBI) NL Rookie of the Year: Dom Thompson-Williams – OF, MIL (.215/.261/.391, 10 HR, 33 RBI) AL Gold Gloves P - Hector Velasquez, BOSC - Jason Castro, LAA1B - Ji-Man Choi, TB2B - Ramon Urias, BAL3B - Hanser Alberto, BALSS - Elvis Andrus, TEXLF - Andrew Benintendi, BOSCF - Kevin Kiermaier, TBRF - Aaron Judge, NYYNL Gold GlovesP - Kyle Hendricks, CHCC - Kurt Suzuki, WAS1B - Freddie Freeman, ATL2B - Kolton Wong, STL3B - Nolan Arenado, COLSS - Miguel Rojas, MIALF - David Peralta, ARICF - Bryan Reynolds, PITRF - Bryce Harper, PHIAs to why the Red Sox did so well in the award voting despite finishing second in the AL East, and as to why those two mediocre rookie seasons were deemed award-worthy, I do not know. I'm simply relaying the info here. On that note, let's run through the final results for our simulated Twins. TWINS RESULTS Starting Lineup Luis Arraez, 2B: .331/.419/.483, 14 HR, 78 RBIJorge Polanco, SS: .270/.352/.437, 18 HR, 64 RBIMitch Garver, C: .266/.362/.444, 20 HR, 46 RBIMiguel Sano, 1B: .254/.359/.485, 36 HR, 100 RBIJosh Donaldson, 3B: .259/.369/.475, 35 HR, 98 RBIMax Kepler, RF: .285/.379/.464, 21 HR, 82 RBINelson Cruz, DH: .267/.342/.473, 28 HR, 99 RBIMarwin Gonzalez, LF: .281/.342/.480, 17 HR, 48 RBIByron Buxton, CF: .222/.294/.327, 6 HR, 26 RBIBench Alex Avila, C: .245/.338/.480, 12 HR, 31 RBIWillians Astudillo, C/UTIL: .291/.326/.384, 3 HR, 19 RBIJake Cave, OF, .295/.366/.468, 7 HR, 20 RBIBrent Rooker, OF: .248/.313/.406, 4 HR, 14 RBIRotation Jose Berrios: 224.2 IP, 20-5, 2.96 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 2.6 BB/9Blake Snell: 185 IP, 12-10, 3.75 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 10.7 K/9, 3.6 BB/9Kenta Maeda: 188.1 IP, 18-8, 3.39 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 10.2 K/9, 4.0 BB/9Jake Odorizzi: 192 IP, 15-10, 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 3.5 BB/9Alex Wood: 178.2 IP, 8-7, 2.77 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9Michael Pineda: 45.2 IP, 4-2, 3.35 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 5.0 K/9, 2.2 BB/9Homer Bailey: 111 IP, 10-6, 5.43 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 3.8 BB.9Rich Hill: 25 IP, 1-2, 10.44 ERA, 2.12 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 6.5 BB/9Randy Dobnak: 49.1 IP, 4.38 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 5.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9Bullpen Taylor Rogers: 71.2, 43 SV (6 BS), 2.51 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 1.5 BB/9Tyler Duffey: 69.2 IP, 1.94 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 10.3 K/9, 3.4 BB/9Trevor May: 64.2 IP, 3.06 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 5.2 BB/9Tyler Clippard: 66.1 IP, 2.71 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 4.1 BB/9Sergio Romo: 60 IP, 4.13 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 4.0 BB/9Fernando Romero: 53.2 IP, 3.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 4.7 BB/9Zack Littell: 46. IP, 4.44 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9Cody Stashak: 9.2 IP, 8.38 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 4.7 BB/9, 1.9 BB/9Devin Smeltzer: 5.1 IP, 8.44 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 1.7 K/9, 8.4 BB/9INTERESTING TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR TWINS SIM Our Twins used the Injured List zero times all season. This obviously is unrealistic and pretty glitchy. I'm not sure why it happened – there definitely are injuries in the game, and other teams had plenty – but it's not the worst bug in this case. Who wants to deal with the unpleasantness of injuries in a virtual season, while a health pandemic has wiped out all actual baseball? And besides, I think this exaggerated outcome does speak to a true strength of the Twins: they were (and are) quite healthy heading into the 2020 season, with a number of prime-aged athletes and a sophisticated medical/training operation. Luis Arraez finished second in the AL in batting average (.331) and on-base percentage (.419). Arraez trailed only Mike Trout in both categories. He also batted .556 (10-for-18) in the ALDS. Arraez was just sensational in this simulation, leading the Twins in OPS. However ... Arraez and Jorge Polanco combined to commit 39 errors. Polanco's 20 were not all that stunning (he committed 22 in 2019) but the 19 from Arraez at second base were brutal. Miguel Sano had 13 errors, and was the only other player in double-digits. This highlights one of the rare foreseeable shortcomings on the 2020 Twins roster: infield defense. Josh Donaldson finished third in the AL in walks with 100. He trailed only Houston's Yordan Alvarez (112) and Boston's Xander Bogaerts (105). Although his overall production – .844 OPS, 35 HR, 98 RBI – was a bit light by his standards, Donaldson definitely delivered on this front, matching his 2019 total. Tyler Duffey was ridiculous. You can see the final numbers above, but here are a couple other things to consider. First of all, he gave up only three home runs all year, in 57 appearances. And secondly, he allowed one-third of his runs for the season in a single outing: in August where he was charged with five earned runs while recording one out against Houston. (I suspected shady tactics by the opposing Astros.) Subtract that appearance, and he had a 1.30 ERA in 69 1/3 innings. This game believes in Duffey, and so do I. Byron Buxton had a tough year at the plate. His was really the only disappointing outcome from all the simulated results. Buxton never found a rhythm offensively and batted just .222 with a 115-to-40 K/BB ratio in 511 plate appearances. On the bright side, he ranked second in the AL with 35 steals. Incidentally, I happen to think the real Buxton can be the Twins' most valuable player in this 60-game sprint. FINAL THOUGHTS Above all, I just wanna give major props to the team behind MLB The Show and its latest release. Clearly a lot of effort and thoughtfulness went into creating realistic player attributes and game dynamics, which is reflected in the (mostly) plausible outcomes in our sim. I also wanna express my sincere gratitude to everyone who voted, commented, and engaged with this series. I wasn't too jazzed about contributing another simulation to the void, but felt like infusing an interactive aspect might make it more fun for me and everyone else – if people interacted. So many of you did, and it made this series a nice little routine diversion over the past few months. With that said, I'm excited by the prospect of watching real baseball again. So if things proceed as planned and the 60-game season goes on without (catastrophic) incident, I probably won't be returning to this simulated team. If those plans go awry, however? I hope y'all are down to join me in navigating the offseason and building a champ in 2021. PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) Part 9: Cruz Control (45-35) Part 10: Pulling Ahead (52-38) Part 11: Bashing into the All-Star Break (58-40) Part 12: Deadline Decisions (62-46) Part 13: Inauspicious Debuts (66-52) Part 14: Treading Water as the Clock Ticks (71-57) Part 15: Stretch Race & September Call-Ups (78-59) Part 16: Dancing for the Division (84-63) Part 17: Down to the Wire (90-66) Part 18: Game 163 (94-68) Part 19: Twins Walk Off Game 163 (95-68) Part 20: ALDS Preview – Twins vs. Rays Part 21: Eliminated MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

In a 60-game season, where each game essentially counts as a series, slumps will be devastating. While the Twins have the softest schedule in baseball, there are still a few spots that loom as potential traps.As I size up the coming two-month sprint through the AL and NL Central divisions, three particular stretches stand out to me as challenges that could make a very good Twins team sweat. July 24th through August 2nd 3 games @ CWS2 games vs. STL4 games vs. CLERight out of the gates, the Twins will feel some heat. I happen to believe the White Sox will be a sneaky riser in the shortened format, and would bet on them winning more games than Cleveland. Minnesota opens in Chicago, then comes home to face the defending NL Central champion Cardinals, followed by a Cleveland team that's plenty formidable. Four games. Huge spot. A slow start in this shortened format will put a team behind the eight-ball, creating immediate stressful pressure. If the Twins go 3-6 in this opening stretch, they'll be digging themselves a fairly deep hole, especially since some of the losses are coming against their primary division rivals. August 18th through 26th 3 games vs. MIL3 games @ KC3 games @ CLEThe Brewers reached the postseason as a wild-card last year, led by one of baseball's best players in Christian Yelich. Milwaukee is at least the third-best opponent on the Twins' schedule, and this will be their second meeting between the two in a week. Following is a trip to Kaufmann, where wins cannot be taken for granted. (Minnesota's 2019 regular season ended with a walk-off loss in Kansas City.) Then it's off to Cleveland, for the only road series of the year against the Indians. September 8th through 20th 2 games @ STL3 games vs. CLE4 games @ CWS3 games @ CHCThis right here. This is the gauntlet. Here in September, the Twins make their first trips to Busch Stadium and Wrigley, and by now the big-market home teams will be very comfortable in their own digs. (As much as can be expected, anyway.) This stretch also includes Minnesota's final head-to-head chance against Cleveland, and another trip to Guaranteed Rate, where young talent could be starting to gel. Twelve games in 13 days on the tail end of an intense sprint. Even if the Twins play quite well, the reality is that it's gonna be almost impossible for them to build up a comfortable first-place buffer in the 43 games leading up to these ones. One way or another, urgency will accompany this tricky, travel-filled segment of the schedule. On the bright side, a nice reprieve awaits on the other end: Minnesota gets two off days in the final week, along with five home games against Detroit and Cincinnati. Hopefully the Twins will be in good enough shape by then to rest some regulars and set themselves up for the postseason. But with the 30 games in the three stretches of strong headwinds above representing half of their "soft" schedule, getting into that position will be no breeze. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Up to this point, Byron Buxton has shown he can catch anything. Except a break. A major-league career that's been characterized by setbacks and shutdowns was on track to open with another one in 2020, as the center fielder had been expected to miss the start of the season, but now fortune has finally turned in Buxton's favor.Buxton was behind the pack in spring training 1.0, ramping up slowly as he finished rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery. Opening Day 1.0 seemed an unlikely target. Incidentally, he also got a late start to spring training 2.0, albeit for a very different reason. Buxton's repaired shoulder is now fully healed, but his arrival in Summer Camp was delayed slightly by the arrival of he and wife Linday's (amazingly-named) second son. It's no secret that injuries have plagued the 26-year-old in an MLB career that started in 2015, but has seen him appear in 100 games only once. While he had his troubles adapting to big-league stuff, rotten luck has mostly been at the root of Buxton's failure to put together a full quality campaign. One thing he HAS proven he can do, however, is play at an elite level over a 60-game span. He did so last year, playing in 57 of Minnesota's first 60 games and slashing .262/.318/.519 with 20 doubles, seven homers and three triples. Through that point, he ranked 16th among American Leaguers in fWAR. Of course, the injury bug bit soon after, and Buxton went on to start just 24 of the team's remaining 102 games. But those first 60 showed what the superstar talent is capable of, and it wasn't even the height of his potential. We've seen him better. Let's turn the clock back a little further – skipping over a 2018 campaign that was an unmitigated disaster for Buxton – and rewind to 2017. Here we find the closest thing to a complete season representative of his true ability. He played in 140 games, slashed .253/.314/.413 with 16 home runs and 29 steals, and earned the Platinum Glove as MLB's most valuable defender. His overall numbers for the '17 season were dragged down by immense early struggles. It was in the latter months, as Minnesota raced to an unlikely wild-card berth, that Buxton's game-changing ability truly emerged. He started 55 of the team's final 60 games that year, slashing .298/.342/.541 with 11 homers. He also went 13-for-13 on steals, which means you can inflate that slugging percentage for all intents and purposes. During this two-month stretch Buxton ranked sixth in the American League in fWAR, behind only: Josh DonaldsonBrian DozierMike TroutFrancisco LindorAaron JudgeBuxton's ability to make a seismic impact over 60 games is not theoretical. He's done it twice in the past two-and-a-half seasons. Staying on the field for much longer than 60 games in a row has been the issue, but for once, he's not staring down the rigors of a 162-game marathon. More importantly, Buxton is truly at the crest of his physical prime, fully healthy by all accounts. This is a perfect opportunity for his stardom to truly blossom. In an unprecedented sprint of a season, it helps to have the fastest runner in baseball. Of course, the flip side of all this is easy enough to see. A shortened schedule also means that any incident for Buxton – another collision with an outfield wall, or a jammed wrist sliding into second – would cost him a huge portion of his season. That's a tough reality. But it's frankly one we've all grown accustomed to, and one the Twins are exceptionally well prepared for, with Max Kepler able to man center and plentiful depth at the corners. The Twins can be one of the best teams in baseball without Byron Buxton. But if he can hit his stride over these 60 games, his as-yet-untapped upside could catapult them to rarified air. We've all learned better than to take that for granted. But right now, the stars are aligned for his star to shine. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Back in February, before the world unraveled, I wrote that the Twins were rolling into camp with a good case as the American League's best team. While much has changed in the four months since, I'm not sure Minnesota's case has been weakened. If anything, it's been strengthened.Preseason betting odds pegged Minnesota as the AL's third-best team, behind New York and Houston, which matched the general consensus view. MLB.com's updated power rankings have those teams in the same order now, with all trailing the Dodgers overall. I can certainly buy that the Twins are a notch below the Yankees and Astros, with all things being equal. But in late February, all things were not equal. New York was getting hit by early injury woes that figured to set them back early in the season. Houston was going through a leadership overhaul while embroiled in a massive scandal that villainized their entire organization. Many things have changed since then, but still they are not all equal. The Yankees' health situation has improved – for instance, left-hander James Paxton is now likely to be ready from the jump instead of missing three months, and the same is true for center fielder Aaron Hicks and DH Giancarlo Stanton. But they're still gonna be without starters Luis Severino (elbow surgery) and Domingo German (awfulness) all year. And while previously banged up players like Paxton, Stanton, and Aaron Judge are now purportedly healthy, you can't take for granted they'll experience smooth sailing with the short build-up to high-intensity action. This is a concern affecting every team in baseball, but the Twins, at this point *knock on wood*, are looking to be very near full strength and all systems go. Like New York, Minnesota figures to see some benefit from the late start, with Rich Hill potentially available for the full season instead of one-third of it, and Byron Buxton now expected to be ready from the jump. As for Houston, their ostensible disadvantages were more theoretical than New York's health setbacks. Who knows if their players would've been affected by the routinely hostile crowd environments, or the increased volume of beanballs, but neither will be factors anymore. What the Astros still WILL be dealing with is learning to play under a new manager – albeit a deeply respected one in Dusty Baker – while navigating this unprecedented scenario. Managers and GMs only matter so much, but there was a certain continuity represented by AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow. That's been snapped. And on a more basic and quantifiable level, Gerrit Cole is gone. The Twins, conversely, are fully finding their rhythm with a world-class front office and coaching staff. Rocco Baldelli is the reigning rookie Manager of the Year, while the baseball ops department has evolved into a cutting-edge machine, brimming with smart folks. Those smart folks still haven't guided the Twins to the ALCS, where Houston and New York met last October, so until further notice Minnesota remains a justifiable underdog. I will grant that none of the points above fundamentally alter that reality. Here's one thing that might: schedule. With the new regionalized reconfiguration in place for 60 games, the Twins are slated to face Central division teams exclusively. They have the easiest strength of schedule in the majors based on last year's results, and won't face any team in regular season action that won more than 93 games in 2019. The benefits of having cellar-dwellers Kansas City and Detroit in the division are magnified greatly by this new format, and while Cleveland gets to enjoy the same advantage, New York and Houston don't. The Astros are forced to deal with a healthy helping of the A's and Angels (I view the top-heavy Halos as a sneaky riser in the shortened season). Houston will also be stuck with the Dodgers in interleague play, while the Twins are saved from that original assignment. The Yankees, meanwhile, must fend off the pesky Rays and wrangle with the Red Sox, not to mention touring a deep NL East that features Washington, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and the Mets. That's a murderer's row compared to the NL Central, which was baseball's weakest division in 2019 and doesn't project a whole lot better in 2020. The Twins might not be a better team than the Yankees or Astros, but I would bet on them to win more regular-season games than either, based on the simple reality that they're lined up to experience far less resistance. No. 1 seed, here we come. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

In their ALDS matchup against the Rays, the virtual 2020 Twins finally snapped a long-running postseason losing streak for the franchise, but still failed to advance, as the players we traded away at the deadline exacted their sweet revenge. Let's break down the bitter end of this simulated season for the 2020 AL Champs.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. LATEST RESULTS (1-3) ALDS Game 1: L 3-2 (Sano 0-4, 4 K)ALDS Game 2: L 3-1 (Sano, Kepler, Cruz: 0-10)ALDS Game 3: W 11-5 (Cruz 3-6, 2 HR, 6 RBI)ALDS Game 4: L 9-5 (Odorizzi & Wood: 5 IP, 9 ER)THE PLAYOFF PICTURE We fell in four games to the Rays. Although our Twins did win Game 3 to end an 18-game postseason losing streak, they still went pretty quietly in this simulated ALDS, with a familiar breakdown in the offensive performance and execution that carried them through the regular season. And beyond their own self-created issues, there was the Eddie Factor. I'll provide game-by-game recaps below but suffice to say our former left fielder made us pay for the deadline deal that sent him to Tampa for Blake Snell. Elsewhere in the AL, Cleveland beat Boston in the Wild Card Game and then swept the Angels in the ALDS, so it'll be Cleveland vs. Tampa in the ALCS. Both NLCS series are tied 2-2 on this date in the sim (10/7/20). Download attachment: playoffbracket107.jpeg ALDS SERIES RECAP GAME 1: RAYS 3, TWINS 2 On a 44-degree evening in Minneapolis, the Rays and Twins engaged in a tightly contested pitcher's duel. Jose Berrios had his good stuff, but so did Charlie Morton. Both starters struck out eight batters over five-plus innings, but also ran up big pitch counts. After each had left in the sixth, Tampa led 2-1. The bullpens took over and put up zeroes, and Trevor May was looking particularly nasty, striking out four straight before he left a curveball over the plate against Eddie Rosario with two outs in the top of the eighth. Rosario put it on the overhang in right field, and his insurance run – putting Tampa ahead 3-1 – proved crucial as the Twins rallied for a one in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't get another. Download attachment: rosariohomerun.jpeg Rosario earned the Player of the Game nod. Berrios was tagged with a loss for the first time since May. Miguel Sano went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts out of the cleanup spot, helping negate a four-hit game for Luis Arraez (whose .331 average in the regular season ranked second only to Mike Trout in the AL). Download attachment: game1final.jpeg Game 2: RAYS 3, TWINS 1 My cynical blurb in the series preview turned out to be deadly accurate: Kenta Maeda, an 18-game winner and All-Star, battled through six erratic innings (5 H, 5 BB, 4 K, 3 R, 2 ER) while 22-year-old rookie Jordan Balazovic sliced the Twins lineup to pieces: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. You can't make it up. Download attachment: game2matchup.jpeg Sergio Romo and Taylor Rogers combined for three shutout innings behind Maeda but the Twins couldn't even muster a base runner in two innings against Tampa's bullpen. Once again the talent-laden Minnesota offense completely shut down on the biggest stage. Sano came up empty again in the cleanup spot (0-for-4 with 2 Ks), while the trio behind him – Donaldson, Kepler, Cruz – went 1-for-10. Having lost both games at home, the Twins headed to Tampa staring down elimination, and looking to their own deadline pickup to salvage the season. Game 3: TWINS 11, RAYS 5 Blake Snell was hardly spectacular in this one (6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 9 K) but he gave the Twins everything they needed as their bats FINALLY awakened. The Bomba Squad made it rain on Tropicana with 11 runs on 16 hits, breaking loose with a three-run seventh and five-run eighth. Arraez went 4-for-6, his second four-hit game of the series. Cruz went 3-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs. Kepler, Garver and Buxton each had multiple hits. Sano ... went 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts. Download attachment: game3recap.jpeg Having finally gotten the monkey off their back, the Twins had a chance to take one more in Tampa and bring the series back to Target Field for Game 5. Game 4: RAYS 9, TWINS 5 Sadly, this is where it ended. In the series preview article, I polled readers to see who you wanted to start in Game 4. I suspect more people would've opted for Berrios on short rest if they knew we'd be up against elimination, but alas, that was a difficult caveat to factor in. Jake Odorizzi beat out Alex Wood for the most votes, so he got the nod, and it went pretty disastrously. The Rays jumped all over Odorizzi for four runs in the first inning, including a three-run homer from Rosario. With Wood warming up in the pen, Odorizzi went out for the second but was jumped on again. We pulled him and turned to Wood, who quickly gave up a couple hits followed by a devastating three-run homer off the bat of – you guessed it – Rosario. Through two innings Eddie had two jacks and six RBIs. By the end of the second it was already 9-1 Rays. The Twins mounted a couple humble threats and scratched across four more runs, with Marwin Gonzalez having himself a nice day (3-for-4, two runs, two RBIs) but there was no digging out of this hole. Download attachment: game4recap.jpeg As we put a bow on it: Our top performer in the series (same as all year long): Luis Arraez, who went 10-for-18 with four runs scored and only one strikeout in the series. Our biggest laggard: Miguel Sano, who went 1-for-17 with nine strikeouts after leading the club in home runs (36) and RBIs (100) during the regular season. And the ALDS MVP easily goes to Eddie Rosario, who hit three key home runs for the Rays in the series, including two in a six-RBI Game 4 outburst that sent his former team packing. Thanks to all who've followed along and interacted throughout this virtual season. It's been a lot more enjoyable than I expected, and I hope it gave some of you a fun diversion during baseball's strange absence over these past several months. Collectively, we made a bunch of decisions. Some helped our team get over the hump with a second straight division title, others came back to haunt us. So goes baseball, and life. I'll check in once more with a final simulated 2020 season update – sharing the rest of the postseason results and reflecting on some takeaways from this exercise – then I'll most likely sunset the series as we turn our attention back to real baseball. With that said, if things happen to unravel with MLB's plan to return for a 2020 season, I fully reserve the right to fire this thing back up in offseason mode. PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) Part 9: Cruz Control (45-35) Part 10: Pulling Ahead (52-38) Part 11: Bashing into the All-Star Break (58-40) Part 12: Deadline Decisions (62-46) Part 13: Inauspicious Debuts (66-52) Part 14: Treading Water as the Clock Ticks (71-57) Part 15: Stretch Race & September Call-Ups (78-59) Part 16: Dancing for the Division (84-63) Part 17: Down to the Wire (90-66) Part 18: Game 163 (94-68) Part 19: Twins Walk Off Game 163 (95-68) Part 20: ALDS Preview – Twins vs. Rays MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Good question. I was curious so I went back and looked through their transaction history. They had quite a busy spell in June – in the same week they: Acquired Devers from Boston for Austin Meadows & Yandy Diaz.Acquired Aledmys Diaz from Houston for a pitching prospect.Traded Tyler Glasnow to the Cubs for top SS prospect Nico Hoerner. Between that and Snell-to-Twins at the deadline, they're kinda like rebuilding and contending at the same time I guess? Sounds like the Rays. Yeah, it's weird. For suspension of disbelief, I'm choosing to assume/imagine that he has some sort of minor injury that makes him unavailable for the next few days.

Option 3: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to go with Jose Berrios on short rest in Game 4 (if necessary).

Option 2: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to go with Alex Wood in Game 4 (if necessary).

Option 1: Press "Like This" on this comment (or voice your support below) if you want us to go with Jake Odorizzi in Game 4 (if necessary).

After edging Cleveland in the AL Central tiebreaker, the Twins are moving on to an ALDS matchup against Tampa Bay in our interactive 2020 simulation. Read on for a look at the lineups and pitching matchups, and to weigh in on our playoff rotation.To get caught up on what we're doing here, you can check out the introductory post in the series for an explanation of the premise and setup. But the quick version is this: We're playing a progressive simulated Twins season on MLB The Show 20 on PS4, and y'all are helping guide the ship. In each installment I'll update you on what's happened since the last, and put at least one key decision up for vote. THE PLAYOFF PICTURE Our Twins (95-68) won the Central with a 10th-inning walk-off win against Cleveland (94-69) in Game 163. That means the Indians will host Boston (91-72) in the Wild Card Round. The winner of that contest will go on to face the No. 1 seed Angels (103-59). Meanwhile, our Twins hold home-field advantage against the Tampa Bay Rays (92-71), who themselves won the East by edging the Red Sox in a Game 163 tiebreaker. All kinds of dramatics in the American League here in 2020. Elsewhere, things have played out in fairly expected fashion. Nats (96-66) won the East, Cubs (92-70) won the Central, Dodgers (105-57) led all of baseball in victories. The Braves (90-72) and Rockies (94-68) will battle in the NL WC Game. Download attachment: playoffbracket929.jpeg ALDS SERIES OVERVIEW So, our Twins end up facing the very same team we pulled off a blockbuster trade with at the deadline. As it turns out, that splashy transaction – sending Eddie Rosario and Jordan Balazovic to Tampa in exchange for Blake Snell – is the rare of example of an in-season deal between two contenders, and it worked out swell for both sides. Snell led the Twins to a victory over Cleveland in Game 163, while Rosario is Tampa's cleanup hitter and Balazovic is lined up to start Game 2 of the ALDS as a 22-year-old rookie (!). The Twins scored more runs than Tampa Bay (799 to 726) but the Rays allowed fewer (611 to 669). In fact, no American League team gave up fewer runs than Tampa, which finished first in the AL in ERA (3.61) ahead of second-place Minnesota (3.76). Both teams feature strong, deep rotations backed by high-caliber bullpens. Rays closer Nick Anderson ranked third in the AL in saves (46); Twins closer Taylor Rogers ranked seventh (43). Even after sending Rosario to Tampa, the Twins appear to have a clear offensive advantage over the Rays. We'll see if it shows through. TWINS LINEUP Luis Arraez, 2B (.331/.419/.483, 14 HR, 78 RBI)Jorge Polanco, SS (.270/.352/.437, 18 HR, 64 RBI)Mitch Garver, C (.266/.362/.444, 20 HR, 46 RBI)Miguel Sano, 1B (.254/.359/.485, 36 HR, 100 RBI)Josh Donaldson, 3B (.259/.369/.475, 35 HR, 98 RBI)Max Kepler, RF (.285/.379/.464, 21 HR, 82 RBI)Nelson Cruz, DH (.267/.342/.473, 28 HR, 99 RBI)Marwin Gonzalez, LF (.281/.342/.480, 17 HR, 48 RBI)Byron Buxton, CF (.222/.294/.327, 6 HR, 26 RBI)RAYS LINEUP Kevin Kiermaier, CF (.274/.351/.474, 23 HR, 68 RBI)Jose Martinez, RF (.281/.344/.429, 20 HR, 72 RBI)Rafael Devers, 3B (.259/.341/.437, 29 HR, 77 RBI)Eddie Rosario, LF (.280..331/.489, 27 HR, 94 RBI)Ji-Man Choi, 1B (.293/.361/.546, 34 HR, 87 RBI)Willy Adames, SS (.289/.368/.457, 9 HR, 40 RBI)Brandon Lowe, 2B (.270/.338/.526, 33 HR, 102 RBI)Hunter Renfroe, DH (.226/.302/.427,18 HR, 50 RBI)Mike Zunino, C (.195/.281/.309, 12 HR, 35 RBI)And now, here is my very rational analysis of the pitching matchups, given from the perspective of a Twins fan who is admittedly traumatized by past postseason memories. Game 1: Rays @ Twins Charlie Morton, RHP (14-8, 3.15) vs. Jose Berrios, RHP (20-5, 2.96) Morton turned in a fine season that was very much in line with his norm. He's excellent. Berrios also had a phenomenal season, and hasn't been tagged with a loss since May. But that's almost starting to feel ominous at this point, isn't it? Liriano was of a similar mold in 2010. Santana in 2006, as well. Oh man, I'm feeling nauseous. Game 2: Rays @ Twins Jordan Balazovic, RHP (4-6, 4.73) vs. Kenta Maeda, RHP (18-8, 3.39) Maeda was an All-Star. He had 12 wins at the break. He went 5-0 record with a 2.11 ERA in September. He had an incredible first season with the Twins and would be worthy of the ace billing in many rotations not inhabited by Berrios. Maeda will be going against the top prospect we traded away at the deadline – a 22-year-old whose numbers aren't all that great, but whose upside on any given day is immense. It would only make sense for us to get buried in this game, wouldn't it? Game 3: Twins @ Rays Blake Snell, LHP (12-10, 3.75) vs. Ryan Yarbrough, LHP (13-8, 3.78) This feels like a good time to point out that Tampa does not have Yonny Chirinos lined up to start any of its first three ALDS games. And here's why that's strange: he went 19-7 with a 2.77 ERA in 205 innings this year. He is in the Cy Young conversation. And yet for Game 2 they're running out a rookie and for Game 3, the Rays have penciled in Yarbrough, a solid yet ordinary southpaw. Then again, I've learned better than to ever doubt this sophisticated organization's ways. Did the Rays trade Snell to us knowing that they'd end up facing him in a playoff matchup at the Trop? Does Yarbrough have some unknown advantage against our lineup? Is this all part of their strategy? Game 4 (if necessary): Twins @ Rays Jake Odorizzi, RHP or Alex Wood, LHP vs. Yonny Chirinos, RHP (19-7, 2.77) Here Chirinos is finally scheduled to get his first postseason nod. And here the Rays figure to have their first clear pitching matchup advantage ... if they haven't swept us already. (Sorry, sorry! Force of habit.) On our end, it's an open question which pitcher should get the nod, because both Odorizzi and Wood have good cases. We'll discuss that shortly. Game 5 (if necessary): Rays @ Twins Charlie Morton, RHP (14-8, 3.15) vs. Jose Berrios, RHP (20-5, 2.96) Presumably if we get to a Game 5, the rotations will flip because both Game 1 starters will be back at full rest. But, many variables in play. DECISION TIME: PLANNING FOR GAME 4 I feel like we're pretty well set for the first three games. Our lineup is locked in, and Berrios, Maeda and Snell are clearly our three best starters. Game 4 is a bit of a tough call, though. Odorizzi's been very solid throughout the season, totaling 192 innings with a 3.65 ERA and 15-10 record. Download attachment: odorizziprofile.jpeg Meanwhile, Wood – a fellow deadline addition along with Snell – has the rotation's lowest ERA (2.77). In fact that mark tied with Tampa Bay's Chirinos for third-best in the AL in the regular season (behind Hyun-Jin Ryu and Mike Minor). Download attachment: woodprofile.jpeg Whichever starter we opt for, I'll have the other one ready to step in at early signs of trouble. In Wood's favor, the Rays have a pretty lefty-heavy lineup, with Rosario, Kiermaier, Devers, Choi, and Lowe all swinging from the left side. There is a third option: We could start Berrios on short rest in Game 4. This would give us the ability to start Maeda on full rest in Game 5. I'll follow your cue. Vote your preference in the comments section. PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS Part 1: We Can Build This Thing Together (0-0) Part 2: 10 Games In, 6 Games Back (4-6) Part 3: Roaring Back (11-9) Part 4: Over the Hill (17-13) Part 5: Checking In at the Quarter Point (23-17) Part 6: Rising Power (30-20) Part 7: First Place! (Barely) (34-26) Part 8: Drafting and Dropping (38-32) Part 9: Cruz Control (45-35) Part 10: Pulling Ahead (52-38) Part 11: Bashing into the All-Star Break (58-40) Part 12: Deadline Decisions (62-46) Part 13: Inauspicious Debuts (66-52) Part 14: Treading Water as the Clock Ticks (71-57) Part 15: Stretch Race & September Call-Ups (78-59) Part 16: Dancing for the Division (84-63) Part 17: Down to the Wire (90-66) Part 18: Game 163 (94-68) Part 19: Twins Walk Off Game 163 (95-68) MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Here at Twins Daily, we recently wrapped up a 20-part series looking back at the past two decades of Minnesota Twins baseball, in unique fashion. Read on to find links to each entry and some high-level reflections, with the journey through recent franchise history now complete.First, here's a list of all the installments (and their authors). I highly recommend reading them all in order, even if you have to break it up into multiple sessions. It's a fun trip down memory lane. The 2000 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2001 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2002 Season (John Bonnes)The 2003 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2004 Season (Matthew Lenz)The 2005 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2006 Season (Matthew Taylor)The 2007 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2008 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2009 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2010 Season (Matthew Taylor)The 2011 Season (Cooper Carlson)The 2012 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2013 Season (Phil Miller)The 2014 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2015 Season (Patrick Wozniak)The 2016 Season (Tom Froemming)The 2017 Season (AJ Condon)The 2018 Season (Nick Nelson)The 2019 Season (Matthew Lenz) A WILD AND UNFINISHED STORY I came up with the idea for this series in early April, when it became apparent that we weren't going to have live baseball for a while. Without a new season to watch, I thought it might be fun to relive the not-so-distant past. The turn of the century is a tidy endpoint on its own, but also holds added significance in both the franchise's history and my personal fandom. The time period around 2000 represented a real turning point for the Twins, as they pulled out of a cellar-dwelling lull in the '90s and re-emerged as contenders under new manager Ron Gardenhire. Over the next decade they ruled over the AL Central, and became a model of small-market success in the eyes of many. By the midpoint of our series, 2010, the Twins seemed to be at their absolute pinnacle, opening a beautiful new ballpark with a reigning (hometown) MVP and an undisputed claim as one of the league's best teams. Then – of course – the bottom fell out, with a disastrous 2011 season giving way to many years of misery and leading to a complete dismantling of the organizations' deeply ingrained infrastructure. After all that, the series circled back to a happy ending in 2019. The past 20 years really have provided quite the story arc, haven't they? For me, it's been a defining experience to follow along as I've grown up. When the 2000 season started, I was finishing eighth grade and preparing for high school. With the internet still finding its traction, I began discovering and following fan-created content thanks to Twins Geek and Aaron Gleeman, who started their blogs around 2002. Three years later I started my own, and seven years after that, Twins Daily came to be. Coverage of the team has become so greatly enriched over these past two decades, and I'm happy to have played my own small part in it. That's why I was thrilled that when I put out the call to a bunch of writers I enjoy, so many volunteered to participate in this series. John Bonnes penned the entry for 2002, the very year he launched his Twins Geek blog and started building the momentum toward TD. The 2013 installment came from Phil Miller, whose reporting on the Twins beat for both the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune has represented the very best of legacy media. These two men are such genuine inspirations to me, I can't say enough how giddy it made me to include their bylines and read their retrospectives as part of this series. I'm very thankful to them, as well as Cooper, Patrick, Tom, Matthew (x2), and AJ for taking part. These articles were (at least for me) very fun to write, providing an opportunity to disconnect from the harshness of reality and frolic in fuzzy nostalgia. But, they did entail a ton of research and work. I hope you'll join me in expressing gratitude to all the guest authors, who happily took on the task merely for the sake of providing Twins fans with some amusement and entertainment during a strange, baseball-less time. Anyway, the story is unfinished. Reading through the entire Twins in the 2000s series – which we hope to make available as a downloadable PDF soon – will lead you perfectly into the coming 2020 season. It's going to be a unique one. And thanks to the developments of the past 20 years, you'll never have a shortage of content covering it. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article