Of course, it’s only games 6,7, and 8 of 162 and soon, this series will be long forgotten as we continue to trudge through the 2019 MLB season. However, for a team that will have to prove it’s for real all season long, this is the perfect series to play early on, and that is why this measuring-dick (not a typo) series has me stuck at midnight.

We get to watch our suddenly sexy pitching staff face off against one of the best lineups in the MLB. And tonight, Jake Odorizzi will be the first in line, looking to prove his first start was for real and that his 2019-self will be a much better version than his first season in the Twin Cities.

What to Watch For:

There are some very intriguing things to keep an eye on throughout this series. Obviously, everyone is going to be excited to watch Bryce Harper. I don’t give a fuck about old-school baseball anymore. There’s too much that needs to be fixed to worry about that. I hope I see a Bryce Harper bat flip that lands in the god damn press box. But, beyond Harper, here are some things I’ll be paying attention to:

1. We are about to see an offensive explosion – This could be the perfect time to play the Phillies. We might see some sparks fly all weekend long. Though the Twins are 4-1 and off to a great start, they’ve been suprisingly held together by good pitching and timely hits…. quite the opposite of what we expected coming into the season. The Twins have just 1 Home run through 5 games. That won’t last long. I’m waiting to see some BOMBS dropped by the away team over the next 3 days.
2. Can our pitching hold up? – The Twins currently rank 6th in ERA, 5th in WHIP, and 4th in H/9, throughout the entire MLB… Those are real facts… check the link. How long can they hold up. I can’t imagine they’ll remain in the top-5 or 10 all season but if they can hang in the top-half of the league, we should be in for a fun summer, as long as the boom-sticks get going on offense.
3. Does the Baldelli Touch Continue? – Everything Rocco Baldelli has touched so far has turned to gold. Fuck, he threw a college pitching coach into the clubhouse and now our same shitty pitchers from 2018 are sitting in the top-5 of most major stat categories…. it’s insanity.
4. Willians Astudillo Cont. – How do you take this guy out of your lineup? He is hitting over .600 with an OPS of over 1.6 on the season… and comes through EVERY TIME he is put into a clutch situation… plus, you can play him anywhere. We know Astudillo will be part of the catching rotation but where else will he play and what will the Twins do to make sure he gets at-bats IF he stays on his smolder-streak…

I’m so jacked for this series that I’m a bit depressed they are starting with a night game tonight, instead of these day-games you get so used to at the beginning of the season… Keep the hope alive. And if you need more Twins in your life today, the first half of our podcast episode was dedicated to them this week.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

First, very early, reports dropped that our very own Minnesota Twins are the “secret team” involved in contract discussions with the two biggest free agents on the market this offseason.

Is there ANY chance the Twins sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado??? Here is the answer from an ESPN piece reacting to an ESPN+ story on this subject. The original story was written by MLB Insider, Buster Olney.

Olney is hearing the Astros, Giants and Braves being mentioned as potential suitors for Harper; the Yankees and Padres as possible contenders for Machado; and the Rangers, Twins and Cubs as three teams that could sign either player.

Immediately, the story continues to say that Olney doesn’t believe any of these teams will really get deeply into discussions unless the players’ demanded terms start to waver.

Before you jump for joy, just remember that this new front office has been “involved” with big time free agents before. Look no further than last offseason when Shohei Ohtani was coming to the USA to change the game of baseball… The Twins were one of the finalists supposedly in on the Japenese pitcher/slugger.

Minnesota Twins Rumors: Are they now in the hunt for Ohtani? https://t.co/G3kOBZYyMq pic.twitter.com/F4C42GBH9R

— Chris Headrick (@ChrisMHeadrick) November 17, 2017

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I’m not getting excited and neither should you. This is a VERY convenient time to be reportedly in on the Harper and Machado sweepstakes. I’ll believe it when I see Falvine flying to pick him up in the Pohlad’s private jet.

Breaking the Bank on New Uniforms

Going out and grabbing Harper and/or Machado isn’t the only thing Jim Pohlad is ready to splurge on. He’s busting out the wallet to get brand new uniforms made for 2019 and beyond. That’s a lot of cash. You have to move a lot around to produce new uniforms. Hopefully we don’t have to sell Target Field…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan