The Minnesota Twins are still technically in the playoff hunt, but the bigger picture has already come into focus: another second-half slide, another year where the deadline optimism didn’t last. For the sixth time in the past five seasons, they went into the trade deadline with a real chance to get to October and then unraveled after it.
A lot of that story has been written by the same names. Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Carlos Correa have all dealt with health problems, missing big stretches late in the year and not producing much when they have been on the field.
Pablo Lopez missed all of 2026 and most of 2025. Royce Lewis has also missed a lot of time and hasn’t hit well enough over the past two seasons.
There are caveats, though. In most of those seasons, especially the last two, the Twins were projected to land around .500 and miss the postseason anyway.
They probably would have ended up in a similar spot this year even if they hadn’t moved every quality reliever out of the bullpen. And this season has still offered plenty to like if you’re looking past the standings.
Kaelen Culpepper has the look of a shortstop who can stick there for a long time, and if he ever has to move, the athleticism is there to handle it. Luke Keaschall has been one of the 10 best hitters in baseball since a miserable April.
Brooks Lee still raises questions with the bat, but he’s looked terrific at third base and already has 23 homers. Walker Jenkins hasn’t fully broken through yet, but the at-bats are better than the numbers, and he’s still just 21.
Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp have shown big stuff all season, and both might be getting more attention if the defense behind them were better. Emmanuel Rodriguez and Alan Roden have been two of the best hitters at Triple-A, while 2026 draftees Vahn Lackey and Carson Tinney have been among the minors’ best players since making their debuts last month.
So while the finish line has been frustrating, this one feels different from last year’s ending. There’s real reason for optimism about the future of the Twins, and if Tom Pohlad follows through and pushes the payroll up significantly, this team could be the AL Central favorite in 2027.
For now, though, the focus is on Game 144, with Joe Ryan making his return to the pitcher-friendly Comerica Park. That gives Minnesota’s ace a pretty comfortable landing spot. On the other side, the Twins will see Troy Melton, who could be the Tigers’ next ace, though Minnesota has already handled him twice this season and will try to do it again.
Twins lineup vs. Tigers lineup: Luke Keaschall will start in right field, followed by Brooks Lee at third, Kody Clemens at second, Ryan Jeffers behind the plate, Josh Bell at DH, Royce Lewis at first, Trevor Larnach in left, Kaelen Culpepper at short, and Walker Jenkins in center.
Detroit counters with Colt Keith at DH, Kevin McGonigle at third, Gleyber Torres at second, Riley Greene in left, Dillon Dingler at catcher, Zach McKinstry in right, Spencer Torkelson at first, Max Clark in center, and John Peck at short.
In Other News...
Twins Have A Late Season Roster Decision Three Saints Are Forcing
As the minor league season winds down, the Twins are starting to sort through the kind of late-season roster questions that can shape September depth, and three St. Paul Saints stand out in that conversation. Emmanuel Rodriguez is back from injury and has flashed the kind of offensive production that can force his way onto a major league radar, while Cody Morissette has taken a clear step forward at the plate since joining the organization.
Aaron Rozek adds a different kind of value, giving Minnesota another arm to consider as pitching depth becomes more important in the stretch run. With the Saints' season nearing its finish and big-league roster decisions coming into focus, the Twins have a few performances in St. Paul that are making it harder to ignore what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Kaelen Culpepper Is Giving The Twins A Real Shortstop Decision
Kaelen Culpepper has spent just 100 plate appearances in the majors, but he has already made the Twins think seriously about what comes next at shortstop. In that small sample, he has hit .297/.350/.451 with five doubles and three home runs, while also showing the kind of bat speed and defensive comfort that can make a young middle infielder hard to take out of the lineup.
The more he plays, the more the job starts to look like his, especially with his glove holding up at shortstop over 203 innings and his offensive approach bringing real life to the position. Culpepper still has to keep building, stay healthy and prove he can carry it forward, but the Twins appear to be moving toward a future where he is the full-time answer there next season. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Did Everything They Could And Still Got This Ending
The Twins spent the second half trying to claw their way back into the race, and for a while it at least felt plausible. Their playoff odds were around 40% in August, the front office pushed chips in with trades for pitching help, and the organization kept leaning on its young talent by promoting top prospects Kaelen Culpepper and Waker Jenkins. Even as the season slipped, the message from the club was clear: they were not going to let the roster sit still and accept the slide.
Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan kept playing through injuries, Ryan Jeffers continued to emerge as one of the teams most reliable contributors, and the Twins still found a way to stay in the conversation longer than it might have seemed possible. But the second half never produced the sustained run they needed, and now the math has finally closed the door on postseason contention. For a team that kept searching for answers all the way to the end, the ending still lands hard. [Read more 🡒]