The Minnesota Twins were under .500 at 78-84 last season and faded out of the MLB standings. But spring brings new hope, and the MLB schedule is already starting out well for the Twins, who tweaked the roster a little bit.
Popular MLB picks during the preseason were the Cleveland Guardians to repeat as American League Central champions. But the early MLB games have shown the Twins are contenders at 7-4 with a half-game lead on the Guardians through April 11.
Minnesota has the makings of one of the more complete MLB teams through the first two weeks of the season. Here is a look at its roster turnover, Minnesota Twins season odds, and predictions.
Last Season
The Twins were 17th last season in scoring 4.3 runs per game. Veteran infielder Carlos Correa added a lift to the lineup. Both he and Byron Buxton spent some time on the MLB injury report. This hurt the team’s consistency and caused them to fade during the dog days of summer.
The pitching staff was quite good, though, ranking 14th in allowing 4.22 runs per game, Minnesota Twins stats showed. The backend of the bullpen was tightened after acquiring Jorge Lopez to pair with Jhoan Duran. The starting rotation was also solid and remains to be.
2023 Odds
The Minnesota Twins season odds have changed since the preseason. While sitting in first place through 11 games, the Twins are the favorites to win the AL Central at +115. But it is a two-team race with the Guardians, who are at +125
They are mucked up in the middle in a tie for seventh at +1600 with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels to win the American League. The Twins are 14th at +3000 to win the World Series.
The extra wild card spot gives teams an additional opportunity to make the postseason. So the Minnesota Twins season odds for making the playoffs is -130 to get in and +100 to miss the postseason.
Roster Reboot
The Twins tweaked their roster for the 2023 season. After the Correa free agency saga led him back to Minnesota. The Twins made a number of moves to round out their roster in different ways.
That included trading last year’s American League batting champion for Luis Arraez. One of the new Minnesota Twins players is Pablo Lopez. The veteran starting pitcher who already leads the league with 20.0 innings pitched and has allowed three earned runs to go with 26 strikeouts, MLB player stats showed.
He and Tyler Mahle add depth to a rotation that includes Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, and a healthy Kenta Maeda, who is another key part added back to the rotation. That is not the only place where depth was added.
Some of that is already on display as Joey Gallo got off to a hot start before hitting the injured list. Adding Kyle Farmer’s versatility on the infield, Michael A. Taylor’s ability in the outfield, and catcher Christian Vazquez’s ability to command the pitching staff have already proven fruitful for the Twins.
Cause For Concern
If there is any hesitancy moving forward, it is that the injuries are already mounting in the first few weeks of the season. Six Twins position players who were planned for the opening day roster are already out, which includes Royce Lewis, who is on the 60-day injured list.
The Twins dealing Arraez was a big deal to add depth to the starting rotation, which further strengthens a unit that was already good last season. They will be leaned on until some of the hitters get back and are able to provide damage and until Correa can get on track.
Positive Signs
The talent of Buxton is undeniable, and he is showing that early in the season. He is hitting .308 with two home runs, a double, a triple, five RBIs, and eight runs scored. Gallo is benefitting from the ban on the infield shift until he got hurt. He was hitting .278 with three home runs and seven RBIs.
There is plenty to like if the Twins can stay healthy.
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