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Minnesota Twins: 5 reasons why the Twins can win the World Series

By Chris Schad

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 06: Nelson Cruz #23 and Miguel Sano #22 of the Minnesota Twins are presented an award by the Minneapolis bomb squad for the setting the MLB single season home run record before the game against the Cleveland Indians of the game on SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 06: Nelson Cruz #23 and Miguel Sano #22 of the Minnesota Twins are presented an award by the Minneapolis bomb squad for the setting the MLB single season home run record before the game against the Cleveland Indians of the game on SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 16: Starting pitcher Jose Berrios #17 of the Minnesota Twins leaves the game against the Chicago White Sox during the eighth inning at Target Field on September 16, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the White Sox 5-3. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 16: Starting pitcher Jose Berrios #17 of the Minnesota Twins leaves the game against the Chicago White Sox during the eighth inning at Target Field on September 16, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the White Sox 5-3. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The Twins have enough starting pitching to get to their bullpen

Anyone that watched the postseason last year should recall the Milwaukee Brewers’ run to the National League Championship Series. Although the team didn’t have a traditional ace, they used a combination of their bullpen and mind games to surge into the postseason and even push the Los Angeles Dodgers within one game of their first pennant since 1982.

The Brewers’ bullpen last year may be stronger than the Twins current staff, but it does provide an interesting blueprint manager Rocco Baldelli can use to get around the woes in his starting rotation.

After the loss of Michael Pineda to a 60-game suspension and Kyle Gibson recovering from ulcerative colitis, the Twins find themselves in a scramble for starting pitching. While Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi were both All-Stars and will be in the postseason rotation, the rest of the starting staff may be a mystery and could make for a couple games where they employ the opener strategy.

Overall, the Twins may have a better pitching staff than the Brewers did and could even be in better shape if Berrios and Odorizzi find their first-half form. With the way the bullpen has pitched recently, it wouldn’t be past the Twins to send a couple mind games their opponent’s way to set them up for success and keep everyone guessing.

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