Minnesota Twins: Moving up in the MLB Power Rankings
By Jordan Ison
After one week of MLB games, the first set of power rankings have been released. The Minnesota Twins made a huge jump this week.
It was no surprise to see the Minnesota Twins near the bottom of the power rankings to begin the year. Despite some hope from young talent, the Twins sat at #28 in the preseason rankings. That may have been a little bit generous, honestly.
After a quick 5-1 start during which the Minnesota Twins looked like a possible playoff contender, the committee at ESPN gave them credit where credit is due. The Twins jumped up 14 spots to #14 according to ESPN’s Week 1 MLB Power Rankings.
Minnesota had the largest jump in the power rankings from the preseason to week one, but will it keep up? Let’s take a look at why the Twins have moved up in the power rankings and also why it may not stick.
Let’s be honest – none of us expect the Twins to stay this hot. But it has been exciting to see them play actual baseball to start the 2017 campaign. The bats have been hot, pitchers consistent and fielders error-less.
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The hitting begins with Miguel Sano and Jason Castro. We expected Sano to take a huge step this season, but he looks as comfortable as possible hitting #3 or #4 in the lineup. As for Castro, he has been a huge success thus far for Minnesota. The former Houston Astro has given the Twins a great offensive and defensive plus at the catcher spot.
Pitching has been efficient thus far as well. Led by Ervin Santana, this squad looks confident and is rolling coming out of the gate. The bullpen has been an extreme bright spot as well for the Twins. Not to mention, they have some great speed in their safety net behind them; especially the outfield.
Byron Buxton may not be hitting the ball well, but that boy can cover ground from Florida to California. The outfielders are saving hits left and right, and an infield led by Brian Dozier is error-less through 6 games.
So, now the real question is, can the Minnesota Twins stay hot? Obviously, since this power ranking was released, the Twins have dropped two straight to the Tigers and aren’t looking too hot whatsoever, but it’s a long season, right?
The Minnesota Twins need to find a way to stay hot right now, though. The confidence of a good start to a season can lead to a successful year, just ask the 2016 Cleveland Indians.
In the two most recent games, pitching has been a real issue. The pitchers for the Twins are not getting many strikeouts and are allowing way too many long balls. Also, the Twins look completely lost at the plate. They seem to be swinging for the fences on every pitch and digging at balls in the dirt.
After two straight losses, I don’t see the Minnesota Twins moving up any in the power rankings. But the week is not over. Some better at-bats and pitching performances may help to turn the tide for Minnesota and help them to keep climbing.