It’s the final week of the season, and the Twins are done playing for October. They’ve officially been eliminated from playoff contention, and they also won’t be able to finish with a winning record. The season closes with a trip to San Francisco and then a home series against the Rangers.
There is, at least, one small thing left to watch. Walker Jenkins figured out major league pitching, and the Twins are tied with the Tigers for third place in the division. If you’re looking for something to hang onto, there’s your sliver of hope: a shot at finishing right in the middle.
Around Twins Territory, the conversation keeps rolling even as the games wind down. The Feed is open for fan discussion, Daily Questions is launching as a new place to weigh in on the Twins, and game threads and recaps are back so fans can keep commiserating together.
Zach Koenig also offered a reminder that, however rough this season has been, it’s still not the 2016 team. Aidan O’Brien wrote about one week of Emmanuel Rodriguez and why he has the makings of a star.
There’s plenty of other local reading, too. Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune examined Bailey Ober’s uneven season and whether a sub-90 pitcher still has a place in today’s MLB.
Aaron Gleeman broke down five breakout prospects from the 2026 season. Matthew Taylor at Twins Daily looked at bullpen arms Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk and what they might mean for 2027.
And Aaron Sabato has finally gotten his chance in the majors after being promoted for the final week of the season.
Elsewhere in baseball, the playoff picture is tightening fast. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays have clinched spots, though only one of those teams will reach the ALCS because of the playoff format. The Rays still haven’t locked up the No. 1 seed in the American League, but with seven games left, they need to win just two to finish on top.
The AL Central is still up for grabs, with the Guardians and White Sox battling for the lead after Cleveland’s usual September surge. Even so, neither club has clinched a postseason berth yet, because the Blue Jays, Astros, and Orioles are still hanging around for the last wild-card spot. Out west, the Rangers hold a 1.0-game edge over the Astros, leaving that race very much alive.
In the National League, the Dodgers, Braves, and Brewers have all secured division titles. The Cubs, Padres, and Phillies are basically assured of wild-card spots, and the Diamondbacks are the only team still capable of sneaking in. They sit four games behind the Phillies for the final spot, so the climb is steep.
Boston’s season has also taken a sharp turn. The Red Sox opened 10-17 and looked buried early, but Tim Keown at ESPN wrote about how they regrouped and now could end up with the third-best record in the American League.
In Other News...
Twins Win Ends With The News Fans Were Dreading
Alan Roden gave the Twins plenty to smile about on the field, launching a three-run homer and finishing with four RBIs in an 8-0 win over the Angels. Dean Kremer made the start matter just as much, holding Los Angeles to one hit over six innings as Minnesota controlled the game from start to finish and walked off with a clean, convincing road victory.
The timing made the result harder to enjoy. Minnesotas win was followed by the news fans had been bracing for, as a White Sox victory officially knocked the Twins out of playoff contention. It turned a solid performance into a closing note of a different kind, even as the Angels wrapped up their home season with another year they would rather forget. [Read more 🡒]
Kody Clemens Just Gave The Twins A Long Term Roster Dilemma
Kody Clemens has turned what looked like a depth move in April 2025 into one of the more useful pieces on the Twins roster. In the 2026 season, he has given them impact at the plate and flexibility all over the field, filling in at first base, second base and each of the three outfield spots while supplying real power with 26 home runs and 76 RBIs.
For Minnesota, that kind of production creates an easy short-term answer and a tougher long-term conversation. Clemens versatility makes him valuable in the lineup and on the grass, but it also means the Twins have to think carefully about how to keep his bat in the mix while building out the rest of the roster around him. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away Late
The Twins had a game in hand early, then watched the Angels claw back to turn it into another tight night at the ballpark. Joe Ryan and Reid Detmers set up a classic pitching matchup, and Minnesota got the first punch before Los Angeles answered and pushed the game into extra innings. It was the kind of contest that felt there for the taking, with both clubs trading momentum and leaving little margin for error.
Ryan Kreidler and Jose Siri supplied the power moments, while Taylor Rogers did his part out of the bullpen to keep the game alive beyond the 10th. Even with that kind of late resistance, the Twins were left navigating the same frustrating question that follows these one-run struggles: how many winnable games can a team afford to let drift away before it starts costing more than just a night in the standings? [Read more 🡒]