2023 MLB season preview: AL Central

3. Minnesota Twins

Any of the top three teams in the AL Central seem capable of winning the division, and the Twins should have some motivation after their September failures last year. While the Twins lost some key guys from that roster, they also made some nice additions this offseason, bringing in Kyle Farmer, Pablo Lopez and Joey Gallo.

Gallo should add power to a lineup that could use it, but is one that still features a lot of solid pieces in Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. After a weird offseason where it appeared Correa was heading to New York or San Francisco, he is back in Minnesota, which breathes more life into this lineup. If Buxton can stay healthy, he will do the same, giving the Twins some potent options at the plate.

Another guy who needs to stay healthy is one of the Twins’ biggest free-agent signings in Lopez, who should immediately take over as the team’s ace. The rest of the starting staff has potential with Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda, who missed all of last season after having Tommy John surgery. 

Jorge Lopez leads a bullpen that would look to be a strength on paper for Minnesota, while flamethrower Jhoan Duran could be a key piece to the Twins making the postseason this year as well.

Ultimately, it feels like Minnesota will probably be in the hunt for the division, or at least a wild-card spot, until late in the season. The talent is in place, but the team will have to forget what happened when they were in the same spot last September.