The Minnesota Twins have reached the part of the season where every series starts to feel heavier. They still haven’t clinched anything, but they have checked off one of their clearest goals: keeping September alive with meaningful games. Entering the weekend tied for the final American League Wild Card spot, Minnesota is set to spend the last five weeks fighting to stay in the mix.
There are 32 games left on the schedule, with 15 at home and 17 on the road. Just 10 of those games come against teams currently above .500, and the Twins’ remaining strength of schedule ranks fifth-easiest in MLB. That setup gives them a real lane to keep hanging around.
September is where that advantage really shows up. Of Minnesota’s 24 games next month, 18 are against sub-.500 teams.
That stretch includes a West Coast trip from the 17th through the 23rd, when the Twins will play the Angels and Giants, both of whom are on pace for nearly 100 losses. Minnesota hasn’t always handled these kinds of matchups as cleanly as you’d expect - the Kansas City Royals are the obvious reminder - but the schedule does line up for them to stack wins against lower-tier clubs.
That’s before even getting to the upcoming series against the Athletics, who have a worse record than either.
Still, the board isn’t soft everywhere. The biggest test left comes from the 14th through the 16th, when the Yankees visit Target Field.
Aaron Judge, who has been out since May, could be back by then. The Twins did take two of three from New York earlier this year, but this remains a difficult assignment, especially in the middle of a 13-day stretch without a break - the toughest run they have left.
The AL Central also gives Minnesota a path, even if it’s a narrow one. Cleveland and Detroit haven’t made a move, which has pushed the Twins into second place in the division.
They’re still 4 ½ games behind the White Sox, a gap that’s not easy to erase in five weeks. But they do control part of the equation, since they still have six games left against Chicago.
If Minnesota were to go, say, 5-1 in those meetings, it would at least give them a shot at one of the more unlikely division titles in franchise history.
And then there’s the finish line. The final series of the season, from September 25th through 27th at Target Field, could carry huge stakes.
The Twins are currently one game back of the last Wild Card spot, which is held by the Texas Rangers, and those two clubs will meet in that three-game set. If the race stays this tight, that weekend could come down to the wire.
In Other News...
Twins Fans Should Be Careful Before Regretting This Pitching Move
Simeon Woods Richardsons path has become one of those small roster decisions that can linger around a season. The Twins designated him in late May and later sent him to Toronto for cash, and he has looked sharp enough since then to catch the eye, turning in a 0.55 ERA over six games for the Blue Jays. But the underlying picture is less tidy, with a high walk rate and a low BABIP hinting that the results may not be quite as stable as they first appear.
Minnesota also had a chance to circle back when Toronto designated him for assignment, and it passed. That call looks a little less dramatic now because the Twins have since bolstered their bullpen with other additions, giving them more relief depth without needing to revisit the old move. It is the kind of transaction that can tempt second-guessing in the moment, but the broader roster context makes the regret a bit harder to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit With Rojas In Trouble
The Twins pitching depth took another hit this week when Kendry Rojas was placed on the minor league injured list with an oblique strain. Rojas had to leave his start for Triple-A St. Paul after just one inning, adding another layer of concern to a pitching group that has already been stretched by injuries and roster shuffling as Minnesota tries to stay in the playoff race.
Rojas setback matters because the Twins have been leaning on every bit of organizational depth they can find, and this is the kind of injury that can linger and complicate a pitchers timeline. With the season now in jeopardy for one of their upper-level arms, Minnesota is left trying to patch together innings while the bigger-picture pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twin Is Making Minnesota's Trade Look Worse By The Week
Ty France has quietly turned into one of the better value stories in the National League, and his latest stretch is only making Minnesotas decision look rougher. After a down offensive season sent him to San Diego on a minor-league deal, he has become one of the Padres most productive players and has even climbed to the top of the clubs offensive leaderboard in several key categories.
For the Twins, the hard part is how directly Frances resurgence ties back to their own trade chain. Minnesota dealt him to Toronto in 2025 before the Padres landed him, and now San Diego is getting strong production from a player making just $1.35 million this year. In a game where roster decisions are judged almost immediately, France is becoming the kind of former Twin who keeps the second-guessing alive. [Read more 🡒]