Twins playoff scenarios: Here's how Minnesota can still clinch a Wild Card berth

It seems impossible given how things have gone lately, but the Minnesota Twins are still alive in the American League playoff race.

The Twins have done everything they can to try and prove they don't belong in the postseason, from slumping so hard they fumbled away a chance to take over the AL Central to watching the bullpen sink to the bottom of the league. It's been hard to watch, but the season isn't over and Minnesota still has a chance to punch a postseason ticket.

Minnesota needs help, though. After clinging to the final Wild Card spot over the last month, the Twins finally ceded control over to the Detroit Tigers who are now in the driver's seat. It's a massive setback, even if it felt inevitable based on how the Twins have played, but not a fatal one -- yet.

How can the Minnesota Twins still clinch a playoff berth?

As narrow as it may be, there's still a path for the Twins to reach the postseason. A lot needs to happen, first and foremost is Minnesota essentially winning out.

Tigers stumble down the stretch

The Twins trail Detroit by a full game which means the Tigers would need to drop the ball against the Rays and White Sox in order to open the door back up for Minnesota to get back in.

Based on how hot the Tigers have been, and how deserving of a playoff spot they are, this is by far the hardest path for the Twins to follow. It would require the best team in baseball over the last month laying a dud against the White Sox, as those three games remaining on Detroit's schedule are essentially padding to its Wild Card lead.

Then again, Chicago has already tied and will likely have broken a modern record for losses in a season, so perhaps the White Sox will want to finish the year by playing spoiler to a division rival. That's how desperate things are in Minnesota, though, as banking on the worst team in modern baseball history is an actual strategy for the Twins.

Royals continue to collapse and flame out

There's a decent chance that Detroit not only makes the postseason but chases down Baltimore for the top Wild Card spot. Kansas City, on the other hand, is the weak gazelle in the pack that the Twins can hope to pick off.

Kansas City is following in Minnesota's footsteps as far as being a team that almost caught Cleveland before free falling down the standings. The Royals are 2-8 over their last ten games, and have jsut a one game lead over the Twins and Tigers.

Assuming Detroit leap frogs them, the Twins would then be back in a position to scoot pass the Royals to get back into the final Wild Card spot. There's a split chance of that happening, as Kansas City finishes the season on the road but will do so in Washington and Atlanta.

Something that Twins fans should keep an eye on is Kansas City's magic number. Heading into the final week, the Royals magic number is six and will shrink with every loss the Twins have the rest of the way.

Minnesota Twins Tiebreaker Scenarios

The good news, if there's any to be had, is that the Twins own every single tiebreaker over the remaining Wild Card teams they're in contention with. Boston has essentially dropped out of the race, even after sweeping the Twins in a doubleheader on Sunday, but Minnesota earned the tiebreaker over the Red Sox thanks to winning on Friday and having a better divisional record.

Here's how that all breaks down:

None of this might end up mattering, though. The Twins basically have to sweep the Marlins to get some breathing room to account for an inevitable loss to the Orioles. Playing Baltimore in the final series of the season has Minnesota arguably in the worst spot among the teams fighting for a Wild Card berth as it will be the hardest series to punch back in.

Still, for as bad as things have been over the course of this month-long collapse, there's still a universe where the Twins are playing baseball in October. It's a narrow path the gets slimmer with each passing day, but Minnesota isn't out of it yet.

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