![]() ![]() ![]() But fans got to watch meaningful October baseball. The two most highly-paid players were dragged down by season-long, nagging injuries.īut this team won the division. Inexplicable injuries seemed to pile up, and no timetables were ever clear. The offense was positively anemic for half the year, and once they got themselves figured out, the stellar pitching's wheels began to wobble. We all pulled our hair out watching called strike threes on middle-middle fastballs. This team struck out way more than anyone would like. It's a call to appreciate what you watched this season. This isn't an attempt to put a damper on your dreams. It's been seven years, they've won one playoff game since, and the core is completely disbanded. Surely a young team like that could contend for the World Series for a decade. Surely 2005 would be the year they take the next step and get back into a deep playoff run.Īn incredible core of young and controllable talent led the 2016 Cubs to the Promised Land for the first time in 108 years. After back-to-back-to-back division championships between 20, expectations were great. What happens next year, or in the years down the road, doesn't change the fun that it was for this team. We do know how they made us feel this year, though. We don't know what the future holds for them. They may play at this level for most of their careers. Frankly, this could be the best season that any of them ever have. Although our instincts tell us they will only improve, it's not guaranteed. We got to watch that.Ī trio of rookies-Lewis, Julien, and Wallner-injected so much energy into this organization. Two pitchers- Sonny Gray and Pablo López-will likely rank in the top eight in Cy Young voting in the American League. The Twins had a pitching staff that competed for the best in the game, besting any Minnesota squad from the past three decades, at minimum. There was more steam behind them securing the third seed in the worst division in baseball than there was that they would get a playoff berth. However, we need to appreciate what we just watched.Ĭoming into the year, very few analysts, experts, or pundits picked Minnesota to win the Central. There's a lot of reason to believe that the 2024 team can be better than this year's team as young players take the next steps and season-long injuries can heal. No one will blame you for looking ahead to next year. Top prospects like Brooks Lee and Austin Martin are ready to join the mix. Carlos Correa's foot will hopefully be healed and ready for Opening Day. It's easy to dream on the promising starts to the careers of rookies Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, and Matt Wallner. ![]() The top-flight rotation and bullpen may see minimal turnover. Nearly all of the pieces of the 2023 team are already penciled in for 2024. There's so much to be excited about next year. Free agent targets, projections, trade candidates, philosophic waxing, and everything in between will fill the front page. You'll have plenty of opportunity to read about next year's potential. When you're ready to start looking forward to next year, we'll be here for that. Pardon my French, Edouard Julien, but it sucks. I won't tell you how to mourn this season or how long it should affect you. The end comes at least one game too early for 29 teams, and it came for your Minnesota Twins. ![]() Whatever complaints you have about the end of the season-whether it's with the manager, the hitters, the pitchers, the front office, the umpires, or TC Bear (he knows what he did)-let them be heard. Whatever emotions you want to engage with, engage with them. You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't care about your Minnesota Twins. Maybe you're the type to bury it and not admit it hurts. ![]()
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