Is there time for the Twins to revive themselves?
MINNEAPOLIS (BVM) — After a sweep of the Texas Rangers, the Minnesota Twins stand at 30-41, and 12.5 games behind first place in the AL Central.
The season was expected to be a huge success for the Twins. They have won two AL Central division titles in a row in 2019 and 2020. They had been able to hold their own against a young Chicago White Sox team and an experienced Cleveland Indians team. Things were heading in the right direction for the Twins.
Yet, the Twins now stand with the fourth worst record in the American League and have so much ground to make up after an extremely disappointing start to the season. Is it too late to come back?
Recent history can show some hope for this Twins team as the 2019 World Series champion Washington Nationals sat at a 19-31 record through 60 games played, and the Twins were ahead of that mark by a few games. Though that stat stands true, the struggles for this Twins team does not look as though the revival will happen.
The Twins have the highest number of runs allowed in the American League and second worst in the MLB, which comes from their poor pitching performances. They have allowed the second most home runs in the league and have the fourth worst ERA among all MLB teams.
All-Star Weekend in Denver is about a month away, and Twins fans are already beginning to think about what moves are possible before the trade deadline shortly after the All-Star festivities. The likely option is that there will be players heading out to join contenders such as 41 year-old slugger Nelson Cruz.
With the season going in an unexpected direction, what is the future with this Minnesota Twins team? There have been many rookies who have come up through the Triple-A affiliate St. Paul Saints that have come up and gotten big league experience such as Trevor Larnach, Alex Kiriloff and Nick Gordon. The Twins also have their top prospect Royce Lewis rehabbing from a torn ACL from last February.
Even though the young experience is guiding the Twins in a different mindset for the 2021 season, patience is running low. Many talented players on the Twins roster are going to be a hot target during this year’s trade deadline, and the front office of this franchise is in a huge predicament. With no playoff wins since 2004, there must be a firm decision on when this team can perform at an elite level again. The 2021 season is likely in the trash, and the future is now in question for this franchise.
