The Twins are still hanging around in the AL Central, but the picture is crowded and the margin for error is tiny. Minnesota sits third at 60-63, 4.0 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in mid-August, with Detroit packed in close behind. In a race this tight, a few key players can tilt the whole thing one way or the other.
Byron Buxton has been one of the most productive hitters on the roster this season, and the numbers back it up: a .263 average, 25 home runs, 45 RBIs, seven stolen bases and an .863 OPS through 83 games. That kind of production is a huge lift for a player whose career has too often been interrupted by injuries. Buxton can change a game from the top of the order or in the middle of it, with power, speed and the ability to create damage in a hurry.
The issue, as always, is whether he can keep it going. His history of missing time in the second half makes his health the biggest question on the offensive side.
If he stays on the field and keeps producing at an .863 OPS pace over the final six weeks, Minnesota has a real centerpiece bat for the stretch run. If not, the Twins lose their most dangerous hitter at the worst possible time.
Joe Ryan is in a different spot, but his importance is just as clear. He’s been Minnesota’s most dependable starter, even if the record doesn’t fully show it.
Through 23 starts, Ryan is 6-8 with a 3.65 ERA, 138 strikeouts and a 1.14 WHIP in 125 2/3 innings. His 26.6 strikeout percentage and 5.8 walk percentage rank among the better marks in the American League, which says plenty about the quality of his stuff.
He was also a two-time All-Star in 2025 and 2026.
Right now, though, Ryan is on the 15-day IL and is due back on August 21st. Minnesota needs him back and rolling.
The Twins have struggled with bullpen consistency, so every strong Ryan outing that turns into a win matters. If he puts together a big final two months, he can be the kind of arm that stops losing streaks before they start.
If his recent 5.17 ERA over his last seven outings sticks around, the rotation loses a lot of its bite.
Royce Lewis might be the most fascinating of the three. He was sent to the minors in May after hitting just .163/.261/.279, with a career-worst 31.1% strikeout rate.
At that point, his slide from a .921 OPS peak in 2023 to .539 this season told the story of a season going sideways. But Lewis has started to turn things around since coming back.
Over his last 30 games, he’s hit .292/.352/.522 with five home runs. Over his last 15, that line jumps to .355/.375/.597. That’s the version of Lewis Minnesota has been waiting for - the dynamic third baseman who can give the lineup another real threat behind Buxton.
If Lewis keeps this up, the Twins suddenly look a lot deeper and a lot more dangerous than their record suggests. If he slips back into the version that got him demoted, the offense probably stays too thin to consistently keep pace with the White Sox and Tigers.
With the division bunched up and Minnesota still within striking distance, these three players are the ones who can swing the race. Buxton’s health, Ryan’s ability to turn quality starts into wins and Lewis’ chance to keep his bat hot will go a long way toward deciding whether the Twins make a run at the AL Central or fade out of the picture.
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Twins Add A Veteran Arm As Rotation Pressure Keeps Rising
The Twins have been leaning on every bit of rotation depth they can find, and the latest move adds another experienced arm to the mix. After acquiring right-hander Dean Kremer from the Orioles before the August 3 trade deadline, Minnesota also brought in Germn Mrquez on a minor-league deal, with the veteran scheduled to report to Triple-A St. Paul as the club keeps building insurance behind its big-league starters.
Mrquez comes with plenty of track record, but his path to the Twins was a winding one after he was released by the Padres and cleared waivers. He had posted a 5.26 ERA over 53 innings in San Diego, and his arrival gives Minnesota another option at a time when the rotation picture has only gotten more complicated with Joe Ryan on the injured list. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Legends Helped Turn Field Of Dreams Into A Franchise Moment
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For Twins fans, the broader significance was hard to miss, since the gathering included Hall of Famers tied to Minnesota as well as the Phillies and a group of other notable inductees and managers. It was the sort of scene that gave the franchise a place in a larger baseball memory, even if the game itself would still have to supply the drama after the ceremony faded and the crowd settled in for the night. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Martin's Hot Night Couldn't Hide A Real Twins Roster Problem
Austin Martin gave the Twins a reminder of what he can look like when everything clicks, turning in a loud night against the Baltimore Orioles with a double, a home run, three runs scored and a stolen base. It was the kind of all-around performance that can brighten a lineup in a hurry and briefly make everyone forget how uneven the early part of a season can feel for a young player still trying to find his footing at the big-league level.
But Martins burst only sharpens the conversation around where the Twins go next with him, because the bigger sample since mid-May has been much harder to ignore. Minnesota still has a clear path to send him to Triple-A and let him rebuild some rhythm there, which is part of why his roster spot feels less secure than a big night might suggest. The question now is whether the Twins decide that one good game should buy Martin more time, or whether they see a chance to reset him before the struggles linger any longer. [Read more 🡒]