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Why the Minnesota Twins are not a fluke (and could win 100 games)

By Chris Schad

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 25: Eddie Rosario #20 and Jonathan Schoop #16 of the Minnesota Twins celebrate scoring runs against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of the game on May 25, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 25: Eddie Rosario #20 and Jonathan Schoop #16 of the Minnesota Twins celebrate scoring runs against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of the game on May 25, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 02: Jose Berrios #17 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning of the game on May 2, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 02: Jose Berrios #17 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning of the game on May 2, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The Twins pitching staff should only get better

The one area which may be the biggest concern for Twins fans is the pitching staff. Still scarred by Rick Anderson‘s “pitch to contact” philosophies, the Twins stigma of getting standing ovations for completing five innings is starting to go away and with a strong offense supporting them, the team has breathed easier.

Jose Berrios is starting to become a bona fide ace with a 7-2 record and a 3.20 ERA. Kyle Gibson has battled after a slow start thanks to offseason food poisoning to provide a steady second starter while Martin Perez and Michael Pineda have both been surprising additions and Jake Odorizzi has thrived under the tutelage of new pitching coach Wes Johnson.

Even the bullpen, which has not operated with a traditional closer role in the first two months of the season, has been a pleasant surprise for the Twins. Taylor Rogers and Blake Parker have been strong at the end of games and Trevor May has been steady despite some recent struggles.

All in all, the Twins currently rank third in the American League with a 3.70 ERA. There’s a good chance that the unit could hit a slump at some point in the season, but they seem to have figured out a way to get the most out of what they have, which is something that should continue moving forward.

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