Minnesota Twins: Who should start Game 1 of the ALDS?
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Twins won’t be naming their starter for Game 1 of the ALDS, but they’ll have a couple different options for Friday’s opener in the Bronx.
The Minnesota Twins starting rotation has been in flux for the past couple of months. After failing to come out of the trade deadline with a true ace, the Twins have been making it up as they go along as they saw Kyle Gibson bow out with a stomach ailment and Michael Pineda see his season come to an early close after a 60-game suspension for violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
In addition, the remaining trio of Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi and Martin Perez have all seen their performance dip after the trade deadline. While all three have shown signs of turning things around, each one feels like taking on a tight-rope walk above the Empire State Building by facing the powerful lineup of the New York Yankees.
Even as Randy Dobnak has emerged as a potential starting candidate, the question of who will get the ball for Game 1 will be an important talking point right up until the 6:07 p.m. start on Friday night as the Twins are declining to announce that decision “until the very last minute.” When it comes to that decision, the Twins have several options they can choose from to get a jumpstart on the best-of-five series.