Minnesota Twins Continue Ascent up MLB Power Rankings

Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

One of the Minnesota Twins biggest series of the season looms over the weekend. Before they see the Cleveland Guardians, Rocco Baldelli’s squad has made their presence felt in recent power rankings. A continued rise has them coming for the top.

Minnesota Twins inching up power rankings

The Minnesota Twins finished off a sweep of the Chicago White Sox over the weekend. Those results pushed the Twins to a 12-1 record against baseball’s worst team this season. Despite an ugly first two games against the New York Mets, they finished that three-game set on a high note. In the first power rankings following the trade deadline, The Athletic bumped Rocco Baldelli’s club up a spot.

Well, it was him or writing “Getting guys back from the injured list.” Listen, Richards has had a fine career as a middle reliever and occasional opener. His best pitch is his changeup, and he carves up lefties with it. But landing Richards didn’t save the Twins from scorn, as it was clear their primary intent at the trade deadline was to keep payroll in check. The Twins are counting on the team they started with this spring to propel them to the postseason. They’re right on track to do that. They just need to get guys back from the injured list.

Stephen Nesbitt on the Twins

As Stephen Nesbitt points out, the Twins largely sat out during the trade deadline. It’s clear that bringing their own talent back will be the largest additions. Minnesota has a chance to take their spot even further with a key series win over the Guardians this weekend. For now, they have moved up from seventh in the last rankings.

Related: Twins Usher Makes Wild One-Handed Catch; Audra Martin Sings for Target Field Crowd

Guardians give Minnesota Twins more opportunity

Minnesota has been tracking the Cleveland Guardians for months now. Thus far in 2024, the Twins have yet to beat the best team in the Central. Cleveland has a 5-0 record with a +15 run differential against Minnesota. Plenty of that could be blamed on the slow start by the Twins, but they will soon have a chance to prove it.

The Guardians come to Target Field for four games in three days. They are set to play a doubleheader against Arizona on Wednesday, and then will immediately have another doubleheader against the Twins on Friday. It’s hard not to think that the Twins will be in a good spot, but that means they have to execute on it. August games against close divisional foes are must win situations, and the results will be reflected in the next iteration of power rankings as well.

Maybe if the Twins can handle Cleveland, Bleacher Report will acknowledge their existence as well.

Related: Minnesota Twins Farm System Climbs into Top 5

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