Twins Win and Clinch Home Field in 1st Round; Still Lots to Shake Out Sunday…
When we woke up this morning, there were only two days (three for some) remaining on the 2020 regular season mlb schedule, yet the American League playoff picture was still foggy. Tonight though, Minnesota Twins fans can sleep a little easier. After a well-earned victory tonight vs the Reds, the Twins will play at home for the entire 3-game Wild Card round next week.
There are still plenty of unknowns heading into the season finale, however.
We ❤️ our home field. #TwinsWin | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/4VxSlveUfM
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 27, 2020
To further help Minnesota’s cause, the Oakland Athletics lost both ends of a doubleheader today vs the Mariners. As a result, the Twins moved up to the AL’s 2nd seed, with just one game left to play. A Minnesota win tomorrow would clinch the Central and pit the 2-seed Twins against the 7-seed, Cleveland Indians, with a trip West to the Divisional round bubble on the line.
Standings and Playoff Scenarios
If Minnesota can’t win the season finale on Sunday, the AL waters get muddied quickly. The White Sox hold the tie-breaker over the Twins, in the Central (better division record), so while Minnesota hold’s their own destiny tomorrow, a loss + a Sox win, would completely flip the tables. In that scenario, the Twins would fall down to the 4-seed and be locked into a 3-game series vs the (5-seed) New York Yankees **OR Toronto Blue Jays, at Target Field.
The A’s hold the tie-breaker vs the Twins too, because they were better inside the West (25-15) during the regular season, than the Twins were in the Central (23-17). If both the Twins and Sox were to lose, and the A’s win, the Twins would still win the Central, but slide to the 3-seed, where they’d face the 6-seed Astros (See bottom table).
| AL Playoff Seeds | Division | GB | |
| 1 | Tampa Bay Rays | East | — |
| 2 | Minnesota Twins | Central | 3 |
| 3 | Oakland Athletics | West | 4 |
| 4 | Chicago White Sox | Central | 4 |
| 5 | New York Yankees | East | 6 |
| 6 | Houston Astros | West | 10 |
| 7 | Cleveland Indians | WC/Central | 5 |
| 8 | Toronto Blue Jays | WC/East | 7 |
| Twins Result | Sox Result | A’s Result | Twins Playoff Scenario | Rnd-1 Opponent |
| W | N/A | N/A | 1st-Central | 2-seed | CLE or CWS (7) |
| L | W | W | 2nd-Central | 4-seed | NYY or TOR (5) |
| L | W | L | 2nd-Central | 4-seed | NYY or TOR (5) |
| L | L | W | 1st-Central | 3-seed | HOU (6) |
| N/A | L | L | 1st-Central | 2-seed | CLE or CHWS (7) |
If the Twins, A’s and White Sox all lose Sunday, the end result would be just as good as winning. The Twins would hold the Central Division crown and the 2-seed in the American League.
Just Win Baby
If you’re a Minnesota Twins fan who fears the New York Yankees, then just avoid a Twins loss + Sox win scenario, and you will enter Monday a happy man/woman. The Twins should just win, though, so they don’t have to worry about all of these “if’s”.
Take care of business on Sunday afternoon vs the Reds, and we wipe up Cleveland before moving onto the divisional round bubble in California.
**Corrections — The Toronto Blue Jays will win the East and swap spots with the Yankees IF they beat the Orioles on Sunday and the Yankees lose to the Marlins (again). The White Sox can still fall all the way to the 7-seed if they lose today vs the Cubs and the Indians defeat the Pirates.
Both of those two scenarios are very feasible.
Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan
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