Minnesota Twins: A Bandwagoner’s Guide to 2017

The Minnesota Twins have attracted national attention from the baseball community as a potential threat to make playoff waves.

Minnesota Twins’ pitching has given the team a chance to win, far removed from last year’s staff. The offense has produced runs both strategically and through a surprising level of power. That power saw the team tie a franchise record by hitting home runs in 16 straight games.

With this early success, should it continue, it is important to inform the uninformed—those who jump ship from their team for a season, to follow a team with promise.

The first thing any Minnesota Twins bandwagon fan should know is that our pitching has given us a chance to compete against some of the best teams in the game.

Ervin Santana has etched his name alongside former Twins/Senators legend Walter Johnson by allowing one or fewer runs in his first six starts of the season. Hector Santiago has proved stable by giving the Twins quality starts and minimizing runs. Phil Hughes has adapted to constraining injuries, and has been relatively consist in reaching five or six innings of work.

More from Puckett's Pond

• Minnesota Twins: After signing with the Mets, Correa spurns Twins again
• Minnesota Twins: You Spin Me Right Round, Right Round
• Minnesota Twins: What happens next at Shortstop?
• Minnesota Twins: Grading the Twins’ Joey Gallo signing
• Minnesota Twins: 4 Possible Trade Chips not named Kepler or Arraez

Jose Berrios appears to be the real deal, after pitching two straight starts into the eighth inning. The Twins also seem to have given Adalberto Mejia another shot at being the fifth man in the rotation. With two solid starts logged this year at Triple-A Rochester, Mejia may have worked out some of his kinks.

The second thing a bandwagoner should know is that the Twins may be here to stay, should prospects pan out. The Twins farm system has been loaded with talent since Byron Buxton was tabbed the top prospect in all of baseball.

Jose Berrios has begun to prove his worth. Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Max Kepler are here to stay, and Buxton’s defense is keeping him in the lineup. With the Twins picking first overall in the 2017 draft, new talent will pave the way for a better future.

Currently, names like Nick Gordon, Nick Burdi, J.T. Chargois, and Zach Granite have shown success in the minor leagues, and provide a strong reason to be excited about the Twins’ future.

Finally, the Twins do not have a pronounced star, but rather share the wealth of success across the entire roster. While Ervin Santana turned heads early in the season, Jose Berrios may have stolen that role from him after two very good outings.

Offense

Miguel Sano started out hot. He was hitting above .300 and crushing the ball out of the park to what seemed to be every other day. Since then, he has cooled down somewhat, as his average has dipped below the .300 mark.

Other players in the lineup take turns at raising the run total, as production is not a one-man show in Sano. Jorge Polanco, Joe Mauer, Max Kepler, and Eddie Rosario are among those who have been consistent on offense, getting a hit around one in every four chances.

Next: Minnesota Twins Prospects You Will See This Year

In conclusion, these Twins are unselfish and feisty. Each game there is a definite chance to win. Compared to last year when match-ups against major aces felt like a David vs Goliath showdown. If you are looking to jump aboard the Minnesota Twins bandwagon, this is a team with much promise. Furthermore it seems that way for years to come as well.