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Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Twins’ 10 Most Hated Rival Teams

By Otto Johnson

Omar Narvaez of the Chicago White Sox appeals to the third base umpire during the game against the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Omar Narvaez of the Chicago White Sox appeals to the third base umpire during the game against the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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Jorge Polanco of the Minnesota Twins throws against the Milwaukee Brewers. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Twins Rival No. 6: Kansas City Royals (423-396)

An actual divisional rival all the way down at No. 6? How? Easy. The Royals have never been a serious threat for the Twins. The Twins are currently 27 games over .500 in the all-time series, one that dates back to 1969.

I’m sure that some people will be frustrated by this, but the Twins/Royals rivalry has never had an extra edge to it. Either the Twins are good or the Royals are most years, and the two teams never seem to be uber-competitive. This could turn around, but there simply isn’t enough to put them even inside the Top 5.

Minnesota Twins Rival No. 5: Milwaukee Brewers (247-232)

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A National League opponent over a divisional opponent? Definitely. There are two keys that make this a rivalry worth talking about, and worthwhile enough to land in the five spot. The Brewers and Twins used to play in the same division, and there’s of course the Minnesota-Wisconsin aspect.

The Brewers and Twins played against each other in the same division for three years in the early seventies, and while the Brewers weren’t competitive during their time there, it gave an opportunity to create the Border Battle rivalry for the two teams.

Despite being in different leagues, the Twins and the Brewers have played at least one series going all the way back to 1969, and the hatred between Minnesota and Wisconsin is still extremely strong. This one is more for the fans than anything else, but its’s there.

Minnesota Twins Rival No. 4: Cleveland Indians (426-459)

Now we’re getting into the real rivalries. There’s not a lot of bad blood between the two teams compared to some of the other rivalries in front of them, but the Twins and Cleveland do not like each other. The 2019 Divisional Fight wasn’t an easy one, and the 2020 race wasn’t any easier either (and probably more feisty).

This isn’t a flashy rivalry. This isn’t one that will be talked about across the league, and there aren’t any really historic games that are worth writing about. It’s still slightly above the Brewers, landing them here.

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