The Twins got a close-up look at two very different versions of the NL West this past week, and the results tracked pretty closely with what fans around Target Field probably expected.
First came the Dodgers, and with them came the kind of crowd that can make a midweek game feel like something bigger. Wednesday’s sellout drew 39,853 fans for Shohei Ohtani’s matchup with Joe Ryan, but the ballpark wasn’t exactly ready for the rush.
People were still lined up outside until about the third inning, a bad look on a night when the building was packed and the interest was obvious. On the field, the Twins actually struck first against Ohtani, tagging him for two runs early.
It didn’t matter in the end. That game finished off a three-game sweep by Los Angeles.
Then the Rockies came to town over the weekend, and the tone shifted. A Ludacris postgame concert was part of the package, and this time the Twins handled business, taking the series 2-1. After all that, Minnesota sits at 40-45, still just two games back of the final wild card spot.
Around the Twins blogosphere, there’s plenty else going on. Twinkie Town is rolling out a new Daily Questions segment for fans to weigh in and debate the team, while game threads and recaps are back so people can ride out the season together. Zach Koenig also revisited June 2006 and the resurgent Twins after a certain lefty starter reached the majors, and Aidan Thomas took a look at why Walker Jenkins remains such an intriguing prospect.
Elsewhere in Twins Territory, Cody Christie at Twins Daily examined the team’s attendance numbers and why the outlook there is not great. LaVelle E.
Neal III at the Star Tribune wrote about rookie Connor Preliepp’s strong outing on Sunday. Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage dug into Andrew Morris’ development this season, especially after he settled into a bullpen role.
And Dan Hayes at The Athletic covered Marco Raya’s progress in St. Paul, which led to his promotion to the big leagues last week.
Across the league, the standings are getting tighter in a few places. The Rays still hold a one-game lead over the Yankees in the AL, while the White Sox and Guardians are tied atop the AL Central, though Chicago has played two fewer games. In the AL West, the Rangers have moved ahead of the Mariners by half a game.
The Dodgers also used their time in Minnesota to build on their place in the National League, moving out to a 2.5-game lead over the Brewers. Atlanta, meanwhile, has slipped enough that what looked like a comfortable NL East cushion is now down to three games over the Phillies. The Cubs and Cardinals are sitting fifth and sixth in the NL wild card race.
There was also plenty of front-office noise last week. The Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza, and the Angels moved on from GM Perry Minasian.
Off the field, ESPN’s David Purdum and Jeff Passan reported on a new MLBPA proposal in CBA talks that would ban prop bets on individual players. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers also covered an owners’ proposal that would limit free-agent contract length.
And MLB owners have floated another major change, this one to the amateur draft, by restricting eligibility to players who are 20 years old and two years out of high school. Michael Baumann at Fangraphs laid out what that could mean.
In Other News...
Seeing These Two Former Twins Back At Target Field Hit Hard
Seeing former Twins back at Target Field always carries a little extra weight, but it hit especially hard with Willi Castro and Edouard Julien in visiting uniforms. Both had been moved on from in separate transactions, and both were welcomed back warmly by former teammates and the organization, a reminder of how quickly the roster can turn even for players who felt like part of the fabric of the clubhouse not long ago.
Before first pitch, the Twins made sure the moment felt personal with tribute videos for each player, and the return visits gave both men a chance to reflect on how their paths changed. Castro talked about knowing a trade was coming and being surprised by where it sent him, while Julien had to process a crowded infield picture and the reality that his own role was slipping away, a familiar kind of business in a game that rarely pauses for sentiment. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Risky Decision They Cannot Afford To Botch
The Twins are hanging around the AL Wild Card picture, but that has not quieted the larger question hovering over their summer: whether they will stay in the market or start listening on veterans before the deadline passes. One of the names drawing the most attention is Joe Ryan, whose strong season has only sharpened the front office debate about whether Minnesota should cash in now or keep pushing with the roster it has.
Ryans appeal is obvious beyond this years standings. He is controlled through 2027 and does not have a no-trade clause, which puts Minnesota in a position every club says it wants and almost never gets around to using cleanly. The Twins have lived through the downside of waiting too long with valuable arms, and this is exactly the kind of decision that can shape not just a deadline, but the next few seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Why Twins Fans Love Target Fields Celebrity Look-Alikes So Much
One of the more reliable ways Target Field gets a crowd buzzing has nothing to do with a big hit or a defensive gem. The Twins Celebrity Look-Alikes segment has become a favorite bit of in-game entertainment over the past five seasons, with fans scanned from the stands and shown on the videoboards when they happen to resemble a familiar face. It has earned a reputation as one of the loudest laugh-getters in the ballpark, which says plenty about how well it lands with a home crowd that likes a little harmless fun between the baseball.
What makes the feature work is that it feels earned rather than manufactured. There is no facial-recognition technology or AI shortcut behind it, just a manual search through the crowd by the Twins staff, who start looking after gates open and keep the hunt going until the right match pops up. When it hits, the reaction is immediate, because the joke is simple and the setup is clean: a familiar celebrity image, then a fan who looks close enough to make the whole section lean in and laugh. [Read more 🡒]