This feels like one of those polls where the only 2 answers should both be yes.
They're closer to the 1st wild card and division leader than the next 2 teams out of the wild card. Even with some level of collapse, they're almost certainly going to make the playoffs. After that? I expect embarrassment. And I guess if the embarrassment comes sooner, maybe they'll end up winning the draft lottery?
The Twins, with their swoon, are still at 76-64. The best teams outside of a wildcard position are the Mariners and Tigers tied at 71-70 and Boston half a game back at 70-70. It's possible but unlikely the Twins miss the postseason.
I could live with that because a regular season ending in a playoff berth is fun! (I've learned to not be an all or nothing fan.) But yet another frickin playoff series against the Yankees would make me want to stop watching sports altogether.
I have been thinking of this lately. I do like our front office and I am just fine with Rocco as our manager. In terms of ownership, I appreciate the fact that we tend to spend about as much on payroll as similar markets. They botched that TV contract situation, but was there any recourse to get a better deal? That is what I am unsure of.
What does disappoint me greatly, is they choose not to spend over their self-imposed budget when our window to win is pretty open. We have gotten much better in terms of drafting and developing talent but when we are one or two impact players away from potentially being a dangerous playoff team, it sure would be nice to have an ownership group that will spend more money to get us over the hump. That all being said, there are far worse organizations out there.
I'm not one to dump on ownership for not investing in big contract after big contract, but boy it sure wouldn't have been hard to bolster some depth with a few pickups instead of rolling out every future has-been as our next IL replacement. I'm all for giving Larnach/Wallner/Julien/Lee a fighting chance, but I never understood the Margot pickup, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Margot was, predictably, a bust.
That wouldn't have mattered (much) had Bux and Correia managed to stay healthy.
But the pitching has been mired in mediocrity. Other than Jax (all year), Ober (all non-KC) and Lopez (2nd half), the staff has really disappointed. Too many dumpster-dive relievers and not enough from the other starters.
Ryan has been good and was the most durable until his shoulder suddenly gave out. Woods Richardson has been decent enough. He's been a perfectly fine fourth starter.
If you must root for them to make the playoffs, probably the 6th seed. It’s unlikely the Twins move up to 3rd, but if they make it to 4th they wouldn’t see New York until the ALCS.
This feels like one of those polls where the only 2 answers should both be yes.
They're closer to the 1st wild card and division leader than the next 2 teams out of the wild card. Even with some level of collapse, they're almost certainly going to make the playoffs. After that? I expect embarrassment. And I guess if the embarrassment comes sooner, maybe they'll end up winning the draft lottery?
The Twins, with their swoon, are still at 76-64. The best teams outside of a wildcard position are the Mariners and Tigers tied at 71-70 and Boston half a game back at 70-70. It's possible but unlikely the Twins miss the postseason.
It's inevitable!
I long for the sweet release of GOSO.
Limping into the playoffs as a wild card team playing at replacement level was not how I wanted to end this season.
I could live with that because a regular season ending in a playoff berth is fun! (I've learned to not be an all or nothing fan.) But yet another frickin playoff series against the Yankees would make me want to stop watching sports altogether.
I hope the writers & fans are merciless if that happens. Not that it changes much, but this ownership deserves every bit of criticism coming its way.
I have been thinking of this lately. I do like our front office and I am just fine with Rocco as our manager. In terms of ownership, I appreciate the fact that we tend to spend about as much on payroll as similar markets. They botched that TV contract situation, but was there any recourse to get a better deal? That is what I am unsure of.
What does disappoint me greatly, is they choose not to spend over their self-imposed budget when our window to win is pretty open. We have gotten much better in terms of drafting and developing talent but when we are one or two impact players away from potentially being a dangerous playoff team, it sure would be nice to have an ownership group that will spend more money to get us over the hump. That all being said, there are far worse organizations out there.
Bally has an app. The Twins could absolutely insisted on having games on the app. Wild and Wolves are on the app.
I'm not one to dump on ownership for not investing in big contract after big contract, but boy it sure wouldn't have been hard to bolster some depth with a few pickups instead of rolling out every future has-been as our next IL replacement. I'm all for giving Larnach/Wallner/Julien/Lee a fighting chance, but I never understood the Margot pickup, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
This.
Margot was, predictably, a bust.
That wouldn't have mattered (much) had Bux and Correia managed to stay healthy.
But the pitching has been mired in mediocrity. Other than Jax (all year), Ober (all non-KC) and Lopez (2nd half), the staff has really disappointed. Too many dumpster-dive relievers and not enough from the other starters.
Ryan has not disappointed, other than the IL.
Ryan has been good and was the most durable until his shoulder suddenly gave out. Woods Richardson has been decent enough. He's been a perfectly fine fourth starter.
Ok, fair on both points. Still, Twins starters overall (and relievers overall) have been MLB-average. Not super encouraging.
So I guess I'm rooting that the Yankees become the 1 or the 2?
If you must root for them to make the playoffs, probably the 6th seed. It’s unlikely the Twins move up to 3rd, but if they make it to 4th they wouldn’t see New York until the ALCS.
The last time an AL East team won a game in the Wild card round that wasn't against another AL East team was 2020.
0-4 record in 2023
0-4 record in 2022
Red Sox beat the Yankees in 2021 (1 game WC)
Rays beat the Blue Jays in 2020
Yankees beat Cleveland in 2020
Currently odds are better that the Twins win the AL pennant than miss the playoffs.
Looks like the game is on Apple again tonight.
Did they ship their bats from Florida?
They had bats in Florida?
Did they ship their bats from San Diego?
Zebby is pumpkining here in the 4th. Everything is hard hit.
My interest in this game is waning rapidly.
How wiggly is the Zebster?
Oh. Not very.
That wiggle you were sensing was me wondering why Rocco didn't have someone ready to go at the beginning of the 5th, given Zebby's 4th.