Minnesota Twins: 2017 MLB Projections and World Series Predictions

NL East Final Standings

1) Washington Nationals (98 – 64)

Key Pitcher – Stephen Strasburg

Key Batter – Bryce Harper

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Nationals have been on the verge of a break-through for a while now. It’s about time they did it. They may be the most complete team in the MLB with fantastic pitching and some serious power at the plate.

Reason Why They Will Fail – This is the same as what I just said. Expectations in D.C. have been high every year, just for the fans to be let down. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them win the World Series, but then again, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them drop out in the first round again.

2) New York Mets (84 – 78)

Key Pitcher – Noah Syndergaard

Key Batter – Yoenis Cespedes

Reason Why They will Succeed – The Mets have great bats. Early in the season, that’s been clear. They could ride their ability to hit the long ball all the way into the playoffs.

Reason Why They Will Fail – It’s simple: consistency. The Mets have already shown how streaky they can be this year. One big losing streak and we could see this season fall apart in no time.

3) Miami Marlins (81 – 81)

Key Pitcher – Dan Straily

Key Batter – Giancarlo Stanton

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Marlins have been able to hit the ball well and seem to be very close to turning the corner and being a great time. If they want to be that this year, they need to follow the leader behind Giancarlo Stanton and keep hitting the ball hard.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The Marlins’ pitching rotation and bullpen is suspect at times. They have shown flashes of being a solid group, but can’t seem to put it all together. They could ultimately be the demise of this young team.

4) Philadelphia Phillies (75 – 87)

Key Pitcher – Jeremy Hellickson

Key Batter – Cesar Hernandez

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Phillies are trying the rebuilding this as well. They can be successful if they hit their stride years before planned. I mean, we’ve seen that before, right? (The Cubs)

Reason Why They Will Fail – They are really young. If you ask any laid-back MLB fan, it’s unlikely they could name any players on Philadelphia. Their youth and inexperience could bite them in 2017.

5) Atlanta Braves (70 – 92)

Key Pitcher – Julio Teheran

Key Batter – Freddie Freeman

Reason Why They Will Succeed – Things will finally start to click for Atlanta. Their pitching comes together and puts some strong outings in, and the hitters find a consistent stride instead of just hitting will 1/3 of the time.

Reason Why They Will Fail – It seems as if the Braves have been trying to rebuild since Chipper Jones left, and they’re failing at it. Year in and year out, they bring in new guys that don’t perform up to snuff. Another year of under-achieving will be the Braves’ demise.

NL West Final Standings

1) Los Angeles Dodgers (94 – 68)

Key Pitcher – Clayton Kershaw

Key Batter – Justin Turner

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Dodgers are a lot like the Nationals in the fact that they seem to have all the pieces necessary to win a World Series. Their great pitching and consistent hitting could definitely lead them to the promise land.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Inability to come through in the clutch. We saw it against the Cubs in the NLCS last year. When the Dodgers need a hit the most, they always seem to come up short. If they can’t take that next step, they could fall out early this year.

2) Colorado Rockies (89 – 73)

Key Pitcher – Antonio Senzatela

Key Batter – Nolan Arenado

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Rockies can hit the the baseball. Hard. Led by Nolan Arenado, this may be the best hitting team in the league. They may also have the best home field advantage as well.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Their pitching can be shaky at times. Their still young and inexperienced, so that’s to be expected. But for a team that seems ahead of their time, the pitching could slow this team down from their ultimate goals.

3) San Francisco Giants (82 – 80)

Key Pitcher – Madison Bumgarner

Key Batter – Brandon Belt

Reason Why They Will Succeed – Madison Bumbarner leads a solid pitching unit that can provide a shut-out on any given night. They also have the bat speed to produce runs, but this team operates through the pitching staff.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The Giants have a lot of power behind their bats, but they also strikeout quite a bit. The inability to pull together a solid rally could be the demise of the Giants.

4) Arizona Diamondbacks (71 – 91)

Key Pitcher – Zack Greinke

Key Batter – Paul Goldschmidt

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Diamondbacks starting rotation has been phenomenal thus far. If they want to find the postseason in 2017, that will have to continue.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Their bullpen can’t always be trusted. Even if they hold onto leads early in the season, they allow base-runners very often. It’s not a good recipe to late-inning success.

5) San Diego Padres (61 – 101)

Key Pitcher – Jhoulys Chacin

Key Batter – Wil Myers

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Padres will need a surprisingly strong effort from a fairly unknown pitching rotation. If the pitchers can be successful, the lineup isn’t too bad.

Reason Why They Will Fail – This is a clear rebuilding year for the Padres. They don’t have great players outside of Wil Meyers. They won’t have a good season, but it’ll be good experience for the young guys.

NL Central Final Standings

1) Chicago Cubs (96 – 66)

Key Pitcher – Jon Lester

Key Batter – Kris Bryant

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Cubs finally got over the hump and won the World Series last year. To repeat, Chicago must continue to get great production from their pitchers and be able to put together some nice rallies.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The Cubs bullpen took a big loss when they let Aroldis Chapman walk. Their ability to maintain and keep leads will be the biggest question looming around the Cubs’ 2017 success.

2) St. Louis Cardinals (87 – 75)

Key Pitcher – Adam Wainwright

Key Batter – Aledmys Diaz

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Cardinals have a great pitching rotation once again. They may not always be able to put huge numbers on the board, but their pitchers have the ability to lead them to a great year.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The Cardinals are going up against father time. A lot of their players have seen their prime come and go, including Yadier Molina. The inability to succeed with older players may really hurt the Cardinals in 2017.

3) Cincinnati Reds (79 – 83)

Key Pitcher – Scott Feldman

Key Batter – Joey  Votto

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Reds have a lot of power behind their bats. They can win games their not supposed to with a couple swings of a strong bat.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Their pitching staff has some major questions going forward. Despite the success they’ve found early in the season, the Reds starting pitchers and bullpen could be the demise of them.

4) Milwaukee Brewers (74 – 88)

Key Pitcher – Wily Peralta

Key Batter – Eric Thames

Reason Why They Will Succeed – Eric Thames may be the next big thing in the MLB. His ability to turn on inside pitches and still have opposite field strength is a rarity. He could lead this team to some success in 2017.

Reason Why They Will Fail – They don’t really have the depth to hang around with the better MLB teams. While the Brewers can have a decent year this year, they need more pieces to be a top team.

5) Pittsburgh Pirates (69 – 93)

Key Pitcher – Gerrit Cole

Key Batter – Andrew McCutchen

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Pirates have experience on their side. Their pitching rotation has shown they can be solid and they can definitely put runs on the board.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Losing Starling Marte for a huge chunk of the season will really hurt the Pirates since they are a team with little depth. By the time they get him back, they’ll be out of the race.

AL East Final Standings

1) New York Yankees (91 – 71)

Key Pitcher – Michael Pineda

Key Batter – Starlin Castro

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Yankees have been the hottest team over the last week or so and it all begins with their pitching. They have a fantastic pitching rotation followed up by a great bullpen. Pitching is the first key to any team’s success.

Reason Why They Will Fail – They still have a lot of young guys trying to get their footing. Don’t let a hot streak fool you – this team could fall, and quick. If their young players start playing like their age, don’t expect much from the Bronx.

2) Boston Red Sox (85 – 77)

Key Pitcher – Chris Sale

Key Batter – Mookie Betts

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Red Sox have been streaky to begin the season. But when they’re hot, they’re really hot. Led by Mookie Betts, the Sox could easily hit their way into a run in October.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Injuries could be the fallout for the Red Sox. David Price has been injured and doesn’t show many good signs on the road to a return. If they don’t have a full, healthy lineup, their lack of depth could come back to bite them.

3) Baltimore Orioles (80 – 82)

Key Pitcher – Ubaldo Jimenez

Key Batter – Manny Machado

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Orioles have a lot of talented players offensively. If their bats get rolling, it’s hard to find any team that could keep up with that run production.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The bottom part of their pitching rotation and bullpen needs some work. Their better half could bring in some wins, but their bottom half seems to be holding them back.

4) Toronto Blue Jays (76 – 86)

Key Pitcher – Marcus Stroman

Key Batter – Jose Bautista

Reason Why They Will Succeed – They’ve been here before. A weak start to the season isn’t new to the Blue Jays. They have been one of the best hitting teams in the MLB over the last few seasons, and their bats could get them back in the race again.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Their great players have always under-performed. If that continues this year, there’s no way the Jays will find themselves in the playoff race in the midst of a strong division.

5) Tampa Bay Rays (63 – 99)

Key Pitcher – Chris Archer

Key Batter – Evan Longoria

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Rays could find success in 2017 if their pitching rotation comes together and has a nice streak. They need a low ERA and to go deep into games to make up for their lack of offense.

Reason Why They Will Fail – They don’t have many strong bats. They can put the ball in play, but the Rays struggle in putting runs on the board. Obviously, that could be an issue.

AL West Final Standings

1) Houston Astros (94 – 68)

Key Pitcher – Dallas Keuchel

Key Batter – Jose Altuve

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Astros possess a lot of speed and can put the ball into play possibly better than any team in the league. Their ability to get on base then use their speed to cross home plate could be the tipping point in 2017.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Two reasons: they don’t have a lot of bat power and the bullpen has been stagnant at times. Their lack of home-runs and inability to keep leads could come back to bite them in the playoffs.

2) Los Angeles Angels (83 – 79)

Key Pitcher – Matt Shoemaker

Key Batter – Mike Trout

Reason Why They Will Succeed – Mike Trout is arguably the best player in baseball. If he can step up and be a leader to the rest of this team, their ceiling is unbelievably high.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The depth of the Angels could haunt them. They have some super-stars, then they have some no-names. Those no-names could really hurt them down the stretch.

3) Seattle Mariners (76 – 86)

Key Pitcher – Felix Hernandez

Key Batter – Robinson Cano

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Mariners have a great pitching staff. I mean, all around. Their bullpen can be great and their rotation can be lights-out. If they want to make a run in 2017, pitching is key.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Outside of Robinson Cano, the Mariners don’t have a lot of consistent hitters. This could definitely come back to haunt them. No matter how good your pitching is, other talented MLB teams will put runs on the board.

4) Texas Rangers (70 – 92)

Key Pitcher – Yu Darvish

Key Batter – Rougned Odor

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Rangers have a nice combination of hitting and pitching. If they can get both of them clicking for a string of games, watch out.

Reason Why They Will Fail – They have trouble getting their talented hitters and pitchers clicking. One game, they’ll get 9 runs, but give up 10. The next, they’ll give up 2 runs and score 1. The Rangers have always had consistency issues.

5) Oakland Athletics (67 – 95)

Key Pitcher – Andrew Triggs

Key Batter – Rajai Davis

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The A’s may be young, but they have a lot of talented. Combined with some seasoned veterans, they could click well and make a run at the postseason.

Reason Why They Will Fail – They are unproved. The A’s seem to always disappear into the mist as the year goes on. They give us no reason to believe this year will be any different.

AL Central Final Standings

1) Cleveland Indians (90 – 72)

Key Pitcher – Corey Kluber

Key Batter – Francisco Lindor

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Indians can hit the baseball really hard. That combined with a solid pitching rotation and possibly the best bullpen in the MLB, the Indians are the favorite to come out of the AL again.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Their pitchers have yet to hit their stride. They are inconsistent. The pitching rotation has shown some great outings and some terrible ones. They need to find some consistency.

2) Detroit Tigers (86 – 76)

Key Pitcher – Justin Verlander

Key Batter – Miguel Cabrera

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Detroit Tigers boast a very powerful lineup. Up and down their starting 9, they can hit the ball well. When their on, it’s hard to find a team that can keep up, run for run, with the Tigers.

Reason Why They Will Fail – Their bullpen has been known to let them down. While their offense can provide great run support, the Tigers need to find a way to hold onto leads down the stretch.

3) Minnesota Twins (83 – 79)

Key Pitcher – Ervin Santana

Key Batter – Miguel Sano

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Minnesota Twins are young and fast. Their fielding ability is off the charts. They don’t strikeout too many batters, but with a superb fielding crew behind them, it doesn’t seem to matter.

Reason Why They Will Fail – They are very inconsistent at the plate. The Minnesota Twins have struggled to consistently put runs on the board and it could ultimately be their demise.

4) Kansas City Royals (74 – 88)

Key Pitcher – Danny Duffy

Key Batter – Eric Hosmer

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The Royals fell in love with the deep ball a while ago and haven’t look back. Their ability to hit home-runs is nearly unmatchable.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The Royals struggle defensively. Whether it be their pitching or fielding, they can’t seem to keep other teams off the board. Despite their powerful offense, they don’t seem to have a lot of upside due to their defense.

5) Chicago White Sox (68 – 94)

Key Pitcher – James Shields

Key Batter – Jose Abreu

Reason Why They Will Succeed – The White Sox bullpen has been great to begin the season. They have been able to hold onto small leads without fail. If they can keep this up, they may be able to find a lot of success.

Reason Why They Will Fail – The White Sox don’t have a lot of big name players. They have a few players that scare pitchers when they’re coming to the plate, like Jose Abreu, but they really don’t strike fear into opponents.

With the regular season picks behind us, let’s move onto the playoffs. Here are the predictions for the MLB playoffs and World Series.

Wildcard Round

St. Louis Cardinals over Colorado Rockies.

Boston Red Sox over Detroit Tigers.

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NLDS

Washington Nationals over St. Louis Cardinals in 4 games.

Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago Cubs in 5 games.

ALDS

Houston Astros over Boston Red Sox in 4 games.

Cleveland Indians over New York Yankees in 5 games.

NLCS

Los Angeles Dodgers over Washington Nationals in 6 games.

ALCS

Cleveland Indians over Houston Astros in 7 games.

World Series

Los Angeles Dodgers over Cleveland Indians in 6 games.

Behind the strong pitching of Clayton Kershaw and a remarkable playoff performance by Joc Pederson, the Los Angeles Dodgers will win the 2017 World Series over the Cleveland Indians.

Next: Roster Moves Could be Ahead to Solve DH Dilemma

As for the Minnesota Twins, even though we don’t make the playoffs, we take some huge steps in 2017. Obviously getting to a winning record is huge, but not just that. The Minnesota Twins, after 2017, have put themselves in a position to seriously compete for years to come.