If you haven’t noticed, the Minnesota Twins are making a strong push towards the playoffs. From the All-Star break through the end of July they posted a 14-4 record, and are moving closer to the second place White Sox and a Wild Card berth. I think it’s clear by now that no one is going to be able to keep up with the Detroit Tigers. The other playoff hopeful teams can only hope that the Tigers’ youth will be exposed in October.
Similar to the Tigers season-long success, I don’t think the Twins recent surge is a fluke. They have arguably the best young ace in baseball in Johan Santana, who won three of those 14 games and has been dominant at home. Fellow southpaw and rookie Francisco Liriano may have the filthiest stuff in all of baseball, and currently owns the American League’s finest ERA. Long-time Twin Brad Radke gives opposing batters a different look, relying on location and changing speeds, not to mention one of the best changeups in baseball. Sinkerball specialist Carlos Silva gives the Twins a solid four-man rotation, as Silva’s and Radke’s ERA has dropped by more than a run each since early June.
The fifth spot is somewhat up for grabs with Kyle Lohse having been dealt before the trade deadline. Scott Baker is the likely successor, but he has been roughed up a little bit lately.
When the starters are on, which they usually are, the bullpen rarely lets them down. Joe Nathan has been rock solid as the team’s closer, and is enjoying his finest season with seemingly little attention. He recorded seven saves during the team’s aforementioned 14-4 run, with 22 overall on the season and a 6-0 record to close out July. Dennys Reyes, Juan Rincon, Jesse Crain and recently promoted Pat Neshek create a formidable group of arms opposing teams have to face between the likes of Santana and Liriano and Nathan. Overall the pitching staff is fourth in the American League in ERA.
Onto the hitters, highlighted by Joe Mauer, who is currently leading the AL in batting. If he continues to hold that lead, he would become the first American League catcher to do so. On top of his hitting prowess, Mauer has added a natural leader in the clubhouse and the one guy everyone else on the team can rely on. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a local, so you know the fans adore him.
Behind Mauer in the lineup is first baseman Justin Morneau, who is poised to become the first Twin to hit 30 home runs in a season since 1987, and might do so by slugging more than 40. He is second to clutch-sensation David Ortiz in RBI in the AL, and gives the Twins the big bat they have been looking for that they didn’t know they had in Ortiz a few years back (can you imagine the Twins’ lineup with Ortiz as the DH?).
Michael Cuddyer gives the Twins a solid third bat, and the return of Torii Hunter helps stabilize an outfield that has been decimated by injuries. Hunter’s bat will help the Twins offense, which is seventh in the league in runs scored, and hopes to get Shannon Stewart and Lew Ford back before the end of the year. Luis Castillo serves as the team’s catalyst at second base, while Nick Punto and Jason Bartlett help round out the left side of the infield.
To boot, the Twins are always solid on defense. Overall they are fourth in the American League in fielding percentage and do a very good job shutting down opposing team’s running games.
So, what did the Twins do to solidify their playoff chances at the trading deadline? Nothing, really, other than staying patient knowing they will get some of their key players back while playing quite well without them through the end of July. And they traded troublesome Kyle Lohse to the Reds for a minor league pitcher (Zach Ward), not exactly a move that improves the team right now. General Manager Terry Ryan has never been one to sacrifice the future to make a playoff push late in the year. His biggest deadline deal amidst a playoff race was when he acquired Shannon Stewart from the Blue Jays in 2003 for outfielder Bobby Kielty.
Should the Twins do something, even if the non-waiver trading deadline has come and gone? Definitely, that is if they’re still in the thick of things as the end of August nears. The pitching staff without a doubt is solid, but the lineup could use another bat. I am a firm believer that trade acquisitions typically do less to help teams push towards the playoffs than most think, but there are a number of positions in the Twins’ lineup that could be upgraded. They were rumored to be very interested in former Brewers slugger Carlos Lee, and reportedly offered an interesting package of powerful minor league arms (Kevin Slowey and Glen Perkins, the Twins second and third best arms after Matt Garza). Since the Brewers were looking for proven big-league talent, they accepted an offer from the Texas Rangers, but it may have been a sign that Terry Ryan is willing to bend a little this season in hopes for greater things in late September and into October. Can you imagine Alfonso Soriano playing left field and batting in between Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau? The price may be steep, but the results could be well worth it.
In my opinion, the Twins are built for the playoffs. We all know pitching and defense means everything in the postseason, and when you mix in a few potent bats and some prior playoff experience from a few of their veterans, you have a recipe for success.
The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.