Minnesota Twins: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Minnesota Twins are a little more than a month into the 2018 season and it has been…interesting.
The Minnesota Twins are 9-14 as we close out the month of April. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong to this point of the young season. However, Minnesota is only 3 1/2 games out of first place in the American League Central and still have plenty of time to turn things around.
As bad as this season has seemed to begin, there have been some positive signs that provide hope for fans. So, before we get to the good, the bad, and the ugly for the Minnesota Twins, let’s take a look back at the 2017 season.
A brief look back
Minnesota had a much better start to the season during 2017 and finished April with a 12-11 record. That is definitely nothing to write home about and didn’t exactly inspire confidence throughout the fan base. However, it was only the beginning to a return to the playoffs for a team that had lost more than 100 games during the 2016 season.
Brian Dozier delivered yet another stud season and helped propel this team to the postseason. He hit more than 35 home runs while winning his first career Gold Glove. However, this team stepped up as a whole and Dozier had a lot of help with getting the Twins to the playoffs.
Joe Mauer had a breakout season as a first baseman. I know, people don’t want to admit it, but Mauer can handle things just fine at first. He continues to reach base at an above-average rate and was barely on the outside of the Gold Glove voting during the 2017 season.
Speaking of Gold Glove Awards, Byron Buxton had a true breakthrough as the 2017 season came to a close. He not only won the Gold Glove in centerfield, he also won the Platinum Glove, which is awarded to the league’s top defender.
Speaking of outfielders who enjoyed breakout performances during last season, the Twins had Eddie Rosario. He hit almost 30 home runs and has the potential to be special for Minnesota.
That’s only some of the offensive breakouts and Minnesota had plenty of pitching help along the way. However, it’s time we take a look at how the current season has started. So, without further ado, here is the ugly start to the 2018 season.