It's difficult for fans to root for losses, as it feels like it takes away the whole point of being a fan. However, whether you are a Twins fan who is still watching this disappointing team or has tuned out since the trade deadline fire sale, it's important to know that the Twins would benefit from losing more than they would from winning (unless they essentially go 29-0 for the rest of the year) at this point in the season.
Here is why Twins fans should be rooting for a full-on tank for the rest of 2025
As stated earlier, the Twins have almost no shot at making the playoffs this year. As it stands, Minnesota has a 60-73 win-loss record, sitting 17 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers in the American League Central and 11 1/2 games back of the third and final American League Wild Card spot. Therefore, losing as much as possible for the rest of the season to increase draft lottery odds would be in the Twins' best interest.
Six teams currently have worse records than the Twins: The Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves. Additionally, the Athletics have one fewer loss than the Twins, while the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels each have two fewer losses.
The good news for the Twins is that the Rockies, Nationals and Angels are ineligible to receive the first pick in the draft due to a CBA rule intended to prevent long-term tanking. The White Sox will likely end up with the best odds to pick first overall, as they are 48-86, and the next-worst team eligible to pick first is the 59-76 Pirates. While Chicago will likely end the season with the best odds to pick first overall in the 2026 Draft, Minnesota's odds of picking first are among the best in the league. All eligible teams that miss the postseason are entered into a lottery for the top six picks in the draft, with the odds favoring the teams with the worst records.
Now, this shouldn't be a long rebuild for the Twins. If all goes to plan, the Twins will be in the mix to make the postseason in 2026. As long as they hold on to Pablo López and Joe Ryan (which they very well could not), callup the young talent in Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper and Emmanuel Rodriguez, and rebuild the bullpen, Minnesota has a plausible chance at becoming a competing team once again. That's a lot of "ifs," but those "ifs" shouldn't be too difficult for the Twins to get done. Getting the No. 1 pick in the draft could help Minnesota's chances of returning to the playoffs in the near future as well.