2020 Twins season preview: Fierce lineup puts club in World Series mix
The Minnesota Twins look poised to contend for a third World Series title in franchise history, as the club features arguably the best lineup in baseball and a solid pitching staff.
Minnesota is the favorite to claim a second straight American League Central crown. However, the road to winning the division again will be tougher, with the much-improved Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians in the mix.
2020 Breakdown
2019 record: 101-61 (1st in AL Central)
Payroll: $162,357,645
Projected record: 34-26 (1st)
World Series odds: +1500
3-year trend: 2017 (2nd); 2018 (2nd); 2019 (1st)
Key addition: Josh Donaldson
Key subtraction: Brusdar Graterol
Highest projected WAR: Josh Donaldson (1.9)
X-factor: Byron Buxton
Prospect to watch: Royce Lewis
Winter report card: A
Projected Lineup
| Order | Player | Pos. | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Kepler (L) | RF | 1.3 |
| 2 | Jorge Polanco (S) | SS | 1.0 |
| 3 | Nelson Cruz | DH | 0.6 |
| 4 | Josh Donaldson | 3B | 1.9 |
| 5 | Eddie Rosario (L) | LF | 0.6 |
| 6 | Mitch Garver | C | 0.8 |
| 7 | Luis Arraez (L) | 2B | 0.9 |
| 8 | Miguel Sano | 1B | 0.7 |
| 9 | Byron Buxton | CF | 1.3 |
Bench
| Player | Position | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Avila (L) | C | 0.5 |
| Ehire Adrianza (S) | IF/OF | 0.1 |
| Jake Cave (L) | OF | 0.1 |
| Marwin Gonzalez (S) | 1B | 0.4 |
| LaMonte Wade Jr. (L) | OF | 0.0 |
| Aaron Whitefield | OF | 0.0 |
*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason
Adding Donaldson, the 2015 AL MVP, to a team that set an MLB regular-season home run record in 2019 seems like overkill. The "Bomba Squad" hit a whopping 307 round-trippers last season, and Donaldson, who was signed to a multi-year deal, smacked 37 homers in 2019.
Minnesota's terrific lineup received another boost when Miguel Sano returned following a bout with COVID-19. Willians Astudillo, another noteworthy player, is still dealing with the disease.
Rotation
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Berrios | R | 4.47 |
| Rich Hill | L | 4.41 |
| Kenta Maeda | R | 4.68 |
| Homer Bailey | R | 5.02 |
| Randy Dobnak | R | 4.76 |
The Twins' rotation looks to be in good shape after the club re-signed Jake Odorizzi, inked Bailey and Hill, and traded for Maeda. The latter finally gets a chance to be a full-time starter after going back and forth between the Dodgers' rotation and bullpen over the last two seasons.
Berrios could become a perennial Cy Young candidate if the two-time All-Star takes another step forward during his age-26 campaign. Lastly, Minnesota's rotation might get a shot in the arm when Michael Pineda returns in September from a PED suspension.
Bullpen
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor Rogers | L | 3.47 |
| Sergio Romo | R | 4.99 |
| Trevor May | R | 4.14 |
| Tyler Duffey | R | 3.84 |
| Tyler Clippard | R | 5.04 |
| Zack Littell | R | 4.29 |
| Cody Stashak | R | 4.60 |
| Matt Wisler | R | 4.61 |
| Lewis Thorpe | L | 3.79 |
| Devin Smeltzer | L | 4.58 |
Minnesota's bullpen is the soft underbelly of a very good team.
Rogers is coming off a career season that saw him post 30 saves with a 2.61 ERA. However, opposing hitters aren't afraid of many hurlers in the Twins' bullpen outside of the talented lefty. The club was rumored to be looking at Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles in the offseason, but a trade never materialized. Flamethrower Brusdar Graterol was also shipped out of town in a three-team deal that brought Maeda to the Twins.
Key injuries/Absences
| Player | Position | Absence |
|---|---|---|
| Willians Astudillo | C | COVID-19 |
| Michael Pineda | SP | PED suspension |
| Jake Odorizzi | SP | Intercostal strain |
(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)