Major League Baseball’s newly released 2026 postseason schedule could hand the Twins a setup that works in their favor if they get there.
Right now, Minnesota would enter October as the final American League Wild Card team. In that scenario, the Twins would open the postseason with a best-of-three Wild Card Round against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park.
Games 1 and 2 are set for the final days of September, and a deciding Game 3 would be played on Oct. 1.
If the Twins survive that round as the third Wild Card team, the next stop would be the American League Division Series. Based on the current standings, that would mean a best-of-five matchup with the Chicago White Sox, the AL’s second seed.
That’s where the schedule starts to look especially friendly for Minnesota. This year’s ALDS includes more off days than usual, with scheduled rest built in between every game except Games 3 and 4.
In practical terms, that means teams would only need three starting pitchers for the series. In previous versions of the format, clubs often had to reach for a fourth starter if the matchup stretched beyond three games.
Here, the Game 1 starter would have enough rest to come back for Game 4, and the Game 2 starter could be lined up for Game 5.
That matters for the Twins more than most.
If Minnesota reaches the ALDS against a healthy White Sox team, Chicago would have four legitimate starting options in Sean Burke, Luis Castillo, Davis Martin and Anthony Kay. The Twins, meanwhile, have a clear top two in Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley, but the third spot is less settled.
Minnesota would likely turn to Dean Kremer, Bailey Ober or Connor Prielipp. At the moment, Kremer looks like the strongest choice after posting a 3.12 ERA in 17 1/3 innings over three starts since arriving from the deadline trade.
Ober could fit there too, though his command lapses can lead to some rough outings. Prielipp has had the toughest season of the three, but he may also bring the most upside.
Those off days also give the Twins some flexibility in how they manage the bullpen. They could keep two of Kremer, Ober and Prielipp available as relief options in case one of the playoff starters gets into trouble early.
So while the new schedule helps every team that gets to the Division Series, it could be a particularly useful break for Minnesota if it can make the leap into October.
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