The Twins came out of Labor Day on the wrong foot, and the bigger problem is that the margin for error keeps shrinking. They opened a three-game set against the Tigers with a loss in Joe Ryan’s return from the injured list, and that came after a week in which they went 3-3 overall. Minnesota took two of three from Detroit, then dropped two of three to the White Sox.
That leaves the Twins 8 games below .500 and 4.5 games out of the final wild card spot. October is still possible, but the path is getting narrower, and their playoff fate is no longer entirely in their own hands.
Around the organization, there’s still plenty to follow. Aidan O’Brien offered a September update on the Twins’ top-40 prospects, while Patrick Reusse at the Star Tribune made the case for why fans should be excited about Luke Keaschall taking over the leadoff role.
Matthew Leach at MLB.com wrote about Taj Bradley’s career turnaround this season, and Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage looked at the St. Paul Saints after they set the International League home run record and set their sights on the MiLB record.
Across the league, the American League picture remains unchanged. Tampa Bay still leads the Yankees by 4.0 games for the top spot, while the White Sox and Astros sit atop their divisions. The Blue Jays, Rangers, and Orioles are all within three games of the final wild card berth.
The National League race is tighter. The Dodgers are 1.5 games behind the Brewers, Atlanta is 2.0 games back, and the Phillies have surged all the way to the top wild card after climbing out of their rough April.
Philadelphia also has an outside shot at catching Atlanta, which holds a 4.0-game lead. The Cubs and Diamondbacks currently have the last two wild card spots, with the Padres just 0.5 game behind Arizona.
Elsewhere, Jeff Passan at ESPN examined the candidates for MLB’s next expansion teams, and Manny Randhawa at MLB.com covered the first perfect game in the minors since 2017.
In Other News...
Twins Have A Late Season Roster Decision Three Saints Are Forcing
As the minor league season winds down, the Twins are staring at one of those late-summer roster questions that can shape the final stretch of a year. Three St. Paul Saints players - Emmanuel Rodriguez, Cody Morissette and Aaron Rozek - have put themselves into the conversation with what they have done lately, giving Minnesota a few different ways to think about September help.
Rodriguez has come back from injury and shown the kind of offensive production that can force a closer look, while Morissette has taken a notable step forward at the plate since entering the organization. Rozek keeps giving the club useful pitching depth, which only adds to the calculus as the Twins sort through what kind of support the major league roster might need in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Made Their Thinking On Connor Prielipp Very Clear
Joe Ryans return from the injured list was the headline move for Minnesota, but Connor Prielipps usage against the Tigers may have said just as much about how the Twins are thinking down the stretch. The left-hander worked in relief behind Ryan, and the role change points to a team that is trying to manage his innings carefully while still keeping him in the mix as the season enters its final stretch.
For a club still weighing its playoff chances, that kind of decision makes sense. Prielipp has shown enough to stay on the mound, but the Twins appear to be prioritizing workload and flexibility over sticking rigidly to a traditional starters path. Moving him into a bulk relief role gives Minnesota another way to deploy a young arm without pushing him too hard, and it suggests the front office and coaching staff are looking at the bigger picture as much as the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Tough Ryan Jeffers Decision After His Breakout Season
Ryan Jeffers has quietly turned himself into one of the more important players on the Twins roster, and his latest stretch only reinforces why the club has a real winter decision to make. He has started eight straight games behind the plate, giving Minnesota stability at catcher while continuing to produce at the plate despite the time he has missed with injury. Among Twins position players, he leads the club in fWAR, and his overall value has put him among the better catchers in baseball this season.
The tricky part is what comes next, because Jeffers is nearing free agency and the Twins have to decide whether to extend a qualifying offer. That path could at least give Minnesota draft compensation if he ends up signing elsewhere, but it also comes with the possibility of putting the team in a hard spot with one of its most productive everyday players. Jeffers is expected to look for a long-term deal on the open market, which means the Twins may soon have to choose between trying to keep one of their best all-around hitters or preparing for life without him. [Read more 🡒]