With 38 games remaining in the regular season, the Minnesota Twins (70-54) are just three games away from the best record in Major League Baseball.
Baseball’s top 10 records include three teams from the AL Central and three more from the NL West, while in the AL East, the Yankees and Orioles lead the way with identical records, just half a game behind the Phillies, who have the best record in the game.
Based on remaining strength, the Dodgers have the easiest path to the best record in baseball, followed closely by the Orioles and Yankees. Among the top 10 teams entering play on Monday, only two teams have a tougher remaining schedule than the Twins: the Royals and the Diamondbacks.
|
team |
Record |
Games back |
SOS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Phillies |
73-51 |
– |
.503 |
|
oriole |
73-52 |
0.5 |
.494 |
|
Yankees |
73-52 |
0.5 |
.494 |
|
Dodgers |
73-52 |
0.5 |
.492 |
|
Guardian |
72-52 |
1 |
.507 |
|
Breweries |
72-52 |
1 |
.497 |
|
Twins |
70-54 |
3 |
.509 |
|
Fathers |
70-55 |
3.5 |
.500 |
|
Royal |
69-55 |
4 |
.528 |
|
Diamondbacks |
69-56 |
4.5 |
.513 |
Minnesota is three games back despite losing 13 of 20 games to start the season. However, since April 22, the Twins’ 63-41 record is the best in the major leagues. The only other teams with 60 wins since April 22 are the Houston Astros (60-40) and the Dodgers (60-41).
Notably, the Twins have won despite a series of injuries to star players Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan. Correa, Buxton and Ryan are all currently on the injured list and Lewis has played in just 46 games. Buxton could be back in late August, while there is no clear timetable for Correa’s return from plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Even more impressive, the Twins are able to keep up with the Guardians in the AL Central and the other top baseball teams despite entering with three rookies in the starting lineup. Simeon Woods Richardson has been in the starting lineup for most of the season, while recent injuries to Ryan and Chris Paddack have elevated top pitching talents David Festa and Zebby Matthews to the major league club.
Woods Richardson has a 3.77 ERA in 107 innings, while Festa has allowed just six earned runs in his last five starts. Matthews makes his second start for the Twins on Monday night.
While that may sound crazy, the series between the Twins and Padres Monday through Wednesday in San Diego is a somewhat realistic preview of the World Series. If the Twins emerge from San Diego with a series win, they could be tied or even in first place in the AL Central, as the Guardians, who are two games ahead of the Twins, face the Yankees in a New York series that will feature the Bronx Bombers, featuring Rookie of the Year candidate Luis Gil and reigning Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole.
What the Twins have accomplished despite injuries, pay cuts, and virtually no signing support is one of the most impressive stories in baseball this season.
