Despite the 2023 MN Twins winning the AL Central and having their best postseason run in decades, it’s hard to remember that Joey Gallo was part of it. He signed a one-year deal for $11 million, and gave the Twins a putrid .177/.301/.440 line across 111 games to show for it.

Rocco Baldelli opted against putting Gallo on the postseason roster in 2023. He then went to Washington last year and had a career-worst 74 OPS+ in 76 games. This offseason he signed with the worst team in baseball. Now, even the Chicago White Sox have sent him packing.

Chicago White Sox release former Twins slugger Joey Gallo

Joey Gallo found his way back to the AL Central by way of the Chicago White Sox. That’s a bottom-of-the-barrel landing spot after they lost an MLB-record 121 games last season. Just under two weeks before Opening Day he was granted his release.

Couple updates:

Joey Gallo has been granted his unconditional release

Mason Adams diagnosed with flexor strain in right elbow … timetable TBD

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 16, 2025

Through nine Cactus League games, Gallo had just two hits in 21 plate appearances. What’s worse is that he also owned an 11/1 K/BB. For a guy who has always struck out a ton, the lack of ability to draw walks is a new problem.

Related: Minnesota Twins Superstar Suffers Spring Training Injury

It’s also entirely plausible that Gallo simply doesn’t know where the strike zone is anymore. His pitch challenge against San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease was nothing short of hilarious earlier this spring.

Trying to explain why Joey Gallo challenged a strike down the middle pic.twitter.com/e5V46f70nP

— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) March 14, 2025

At his best, Gallo was a on-base machine. Despite leading the league with 213 strikeouts in 2021, he also walked a league-leading 111 times. He has just a career .194 batting average, but has gotten on base at a .319 clip.

Now 31 years old and released by baseball’s worst team, it’s probably time for Gallo to consider a different form of employment. Coincidentally, he is doing just that.

Joey Gallo now focusing on the mound

It’s time to notate Gallo as a former outfielder. Across 890 career big league games he has played 592 of them in the outfield. He also has 206 at first base and another 92 at the hot corner. He has graded out positively from a defensive metrics standpoint, and his arm shined from the grass. One spot he has not played, quite literally ever, is pitcher.

That’s about to change.

Just to be clear, I will be pitching.

— Joey Gallo (@JoeyGallo24) March 16, 2025

It remains to be seen if Gallo will be given an immediate affiliated opportunity after switching to the mound. The Guardians have former outfielder Tyler Naquin trying to make it back as a pitcher. Anthony Gose, coincidentally another former Guardian, did make the transition from outfield to the mound.

Related: Death, Taxes and Minnesota Twins Bullpen Injuries Down in Fort Myers

It’s a natural progression for a player with a big arm to try their hand throwing the ball by batters. Gallo was drafted out of high school and began pro ball at 18. That means he last pitched at least 13 years ago. He’ll certainly be hoping that he has a better grasp of the zone from the mound than he has shown recently in the box.

The assumption should be that Gallo will look to make it as a reliever that can unleash his arm in short bursts. In 2022 and 2023 Gallo’s arm ranked in the 90th and 82nd percentile from the outfield per Baseball Savant.

Justin Ishbia emerged as a source of hope for Minnesota Twins fans. He and his billionaire brother Mat Ishbia have been praised for their dealings with the Phoenix Suns. They won’t be taking over for the Pohlad’s though.

Justin Ishbia chooses more White Sox ownership over Minnesota Twins

There was no team worse in Major League Baseball last season than the Chicago White Sox. In fact, there has never been a team in history worse. Still, before the Minnesota Twins played their first spring training game, the division rival has swiped their new owner right from underneath them.

The Athletic’s Jon Greenberg is reporting that not only is Justin Ishbia out on the Minnesota Twins, but he is increasing his ownership stake in the Chicago White Sox. Ishbia reportedly began talks with current White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, after his interest in the Twins was made public.

“Chicago-area billionaire Justin Ishbia has dropped his pursuit of the Minnesota Twins, The Athletic has learned, and will instead buy more shares from other limited partners to increase his existing minority stake in the Chicago White Sox.

The development shocked the Twins, with some officials believing that their ownership situation might be resolved by Opening Day. Now, they’ve been left to scramble in their search for a new owner. The news couldn’t be worse for Twins fans, who dreamed Ishbia would bring a deep wallet and competitive fire to an organization in need, only to see him stay with a division rival.”

Greenberg on Ishbia’s White Sox decision (The Athletic)

Judging based on the reaction coming out of Minnesota Twins headquarters, Ishbia was clearly the buyer that the Pohlad family thought they had lined up to purchase the team. So much so that Twins reporters were floating a handshake deal announced before Opening Day.

That said, the Pohlad’s have reportedly sat on a lofty asking price and may have overplayed their hand. Suggestions that Ishbia, who is local to the Chicago area, could be using Minnesota for leverage were there. An announcement of the sale prior to Opening Day the hope, but that doesn’t appear to be the case any longer.

Related: Failed Minnesota Twins Outfielder Settles for Minor League Deal

“White Sox limited partners were recently informed that an investor wanted to buy their shares at a franchise valuation around $1.8 billion, according to people briefed on the discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly. While they aren’t required to sell, their stakes would be diluted by this new investor.”

On Ishbia’s pursuit of a larger stake in the White Sox (The Athletic)

This makes for one less interested billionaire in purchasing the Minnesota Twins, but how did we get here? And now what? Before we look forward, let’s look back. Should we have seen this coming when Reinsdorf first announced he was interested in selling the White Sox? After all, he did already own a minority stake in our AL Central rival.

Did Justin Ishbia use the Minnesota Twins?

Well in fact, there was some whispering around Major League Baseball insider circles, at that time, wondering whether Ishbia might be using his Twins bid as leverage to buy the White Sox. Local insider Darren “Doogie” Wolfson (KSTP) has talked about this a few times during his bi-weekly appearances on the Mackey & Judd Show (SKOR North).

Doogie’s most recent mention of this conspiracy theory-turned-reality came back on January 14, when the longtime local insider reported that Ishbia seemed focused on his bid to purchase the Minnesota Twins… but instead of pointing to what Ishbia wanted, he mentioned Reinsdorf’s seriousness about selling.

“With [Justin] Ishbia being there in Chicago, it would make logical sense to try and buy the White Sox. I do wonder deep down, is Jerry Reinsdorf truly ready to sell? Is he? If he is, Justin Ishbia purchasing the White Sox makes all sorts of sense. Talking to Twins officials, they don’t have any reason to believe that this is a leverage ploy. The interest, from everything I can gather, Ishbia buying the Twins is legit.”

Darren Wolfson (SKOR North) from January 14, 2025

It’s disappointing to think that may have been the intention. The more likely reality is that Ishbia was approached and sees a path to an eventual takeover for Reinsdorf with the White Sox. In that reality his asset is in his own backyard, and he gets to purchase the franchise in incremental amounts.

Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Maybe the Twins believed Ishbia was closing in on the dotted line. Maybe Ishbia intended to from the outset. Now it’s only Minnesota that will be seeking additional options.

Related: Brooks Lee May Not Join Twins on Opening Day

Now what for the MN Twins?

We will soon see how silly the idea that a new owner may be in process by Opening Day. Whether or not the plan was for Ishbia to be that guy or not, Minnesota not vetting additional bidders or backup plans would be catastrophic.

The Twins certainly aren’t going to comment on any business deals they may have screwed up. That said, the quickness in which the Pohlad family can both find a new owner, and generate a level of purchasing power they hoped for remains to be seen.

Glen Taylor had been initially floated as a name of interest, but he had been locked up in the arbitration case with new Timberwolves ownership. Now he will soon have nothing to call his, but a takeover there would certainly be met with disgust by Minnesota fans.

Related: Carlos Correa Not Wearing Cleats at Twins Practice?

The Twins probably still have a level of time on their side. This process was never going to be quick. The home run option resulting in a bases loaded strikeout hurts though.

The most prominent publicly named buying group is headed by Justin Ishbia. Nothing has moved forward thus far, and there is competition on the franchise ownership front.

Chicago meddling in the Minnesota Twins business

Similarly to the Detroit Lions, the Chicago White Sox are a franchise that has seen fleeting relevancy create a newfound level of importance. Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling his American League franchise and that could cause issues for the Minnesota Twins. At least right now, they don’t seem to be attracting the same buyers.

“With [Justin] Ishbia being there in Chicago, it would make logical sense to try and buy the White Sox. I do wonder deep down, is Jerry Reinsdorf truly ready to sell? Is he? If he is, Justin Ishbia purchasing the White Sox makes all sorts of sense. Talking to Twins officials, they don’t have any reason to believe that this is a leverage ploy. The interest, from everything I can gather, Ishbia buying the Twins is legit.”

Darren Wolfson on the White Sox impacting a Twins sale (Skor North)

Of course no deal is done, and despite Spring Training and Opening Day being around the corner, nothing changes until the ink dries. That process is one that has to play out at both the team and league level.

“I still need to see it to believe it, especially at the price point the Pohlad’s have been seeking. Now if we’re talking more like $1.3 or $1.4 billion, ok different discussion. But at least at $1.6 to $1.8 billion, I’m not sure that thing gets done by Opening Day.”

Darren Wolfson on the Twins Sale price (Skor North)

It may seem like a nominal amount considering the purchase price being discussed. Ishbia himself can certainly make the difference look minimal. That said, the Pohlad’s are selling in an attempt to cash out and grab everything they can.

There’s no reason for current ownership to shortchange the valuation in an attempt to make the process move more quickly. There also isn’t reason for Ishbia to spend foolishly just so he can close the deal by an arbitrary date. Hopefully Ishbia decides to stay away from the Chicago White Sox.

Related: Minnesota Twins Steal Top-50 International Prospect From Dodgers

Ultimately the sale of the Minnesota Twins hangs in the balance. There are truly interested parties, and there is a billionaire family waiting to make their mark on the way out. Stay tuned for now, I guess.

It’s not verifiable as to how quickly Derek Falvey hung up on teams around the division. Conversations couldn’t have lasted long, though. Now that we know what those teams were asking.

Minnesota Twins division rivals proposed crazy trade requests

Despite the Chicago White Sox being one of the worst teams ever assembled. And despite the Detroit Tigers fading fast, neither division rival would entertain trading their rental pitching assets to the Twins for anything less than Minnesota best three prospects, Brooks Lee, Walker Jenkins or Emmanuel Rodriguez (which they knew wouldn’t happen). The Athletic’s Dan Hayes touched on the discussions Minnesota had at the deadline.

Another issue facing the Twins, team sources said, was the lofty asks of in-division foes. The Twins engaged the Tigers for Flaherty and the White Sox on Fedde. But both rival clubs centered their demands on packages that began with one of prospects Brooks Lee, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, a price point that the Twins considered a non-starter.

Dan Hayes on divisional asks from Minnesota

What Houston gave up for Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi was universally lauded as an insane haul. Had the Minnesota Twins even entertained anything proposed by Detroit or Chicago, they would have been laughed out of the league. Of course, both teams may have done better had they proposed more realistic suggestions.

White Sox and Tigers got less by avoiding Minnesota Twins

In general it makes sense to avoid trading assets to divisional opponents. However, the Minnesota Twins targeted rental arms from both Detroit and Chicago. Neither Erick Fedde or Jack Flaherty would remain around when either franchise was competitive. In fact, the prospect return for both could have been expected to burn the Twins given Derek Falvey’s track record as a buyer.

Related: We Have an Exact Number for Minnesota Twins Payroll Cuts

Instead, the White Sox sent Fedde and Tommy Pham to the St. Louis Cardinals. They received Miguel Vargas as a big league talent in return, but the three-team package was seen as a head scratcher. After the Toronto Blue Jays got a haul for Kikuchi, it was nearly as laughable seeing what the Los Angeles Dodgers had to part with in acquiring Jack Flaherty.

I get more gobsmacked by the Fedde return’s lightness with each subsequent trade

— Jon Becker (@jonbecker_) July 29, 2024

Why didn't the White Sox and Astros just trade with one another…….?

Fedde probably better than Kikuchi (more team control too)

Jays return clearly better than Sox return

Make it make sense

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) July 30, 2024

Related: Report: Minnesota Twins Tried to Trade for Yusei Kikuchi

So Getz had no issue trading DeJong in the division, but took issue with Fedde and opted for the lesser return…

Got it.

— HBIC (@HeadBumInCharge) July 30, 2024

Minnesota has one of the best farm systems in baseball. Rather than lean into that depth and target some serious talent, the both division rivals asked for non-starters and got laughed out of the room. For Chicago, the trade deadline was reflective of a poorly run franchise with no end in sight. Detroit did a bit better, but still could have positioned themselves for another piece by working with the Twins.

Jose Ramirez KO’s Tim Anderson

The mind being jarred was Tim Anderson, shortstop for the White Sox, who was absolutely knocked out by Guardians’ 3rd baseman, Jose Ramirez. It all started with what looked like an innocent tag attempt at 2nd base. Clearly, Ramirez didn’t see it that way.

TIM ANDERSON VS JOSE RAMIREZ FIGHT NIGHT @StoolBaseball @barstoolchicago pic.twitter.com/oMf4c2o027

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 6, 2023

You thought Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz was the only heavyweight bout worth paying for tonight but you were wrong. This has to be one of the best and most historic bench clearing brawls in MLB history. Not only did the fight take place at 2nd base, which never really happens, but it ended in a clear knock-out.

Seeing an ump get dirt kicked on him is normal and bullpen pitchers sprinting in from centerfield makes great meme-worthy content. But rarely, and I mean rarely, do we get to see a haymaker that puts a dude on his ass. But on Saturday night, if you were watching Guardians vs White Sox, you got to see exactly that.

Who had Tim Anderson vs Jose Ramirez on tonight’s UFC card?@StoolBaseball @SpinninBackfist
pic.twitter.com/4vhwEgYIW1

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 6, 2023

Sports are the best.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Middleton pumped to strikeout a cheater

Afterward, Middleton talked to media and went out of his way to mention that game-ending dual vs Correa. See, the now Sox reliever spent parts of his first five MLB seasons in the AL West (Angels, Mariners), the same division as Correa’s former team, the Houston Astros. And, clearly, Middleton hasn’t forgiven or forgotten the Astros’ cheating scandal that dates back to that time.

“I knew I was going to face Correa, and I don’t like him. So it was kind of cool,” he said. “I like that. I enjoyed that a lot. … I mean, he’s a cheater.”

Keynan Middleton (Quote via AP)

Well, the White Sox and Twins play again on Thursday. It’s a day game (Stream on Fubo TV – 1:10 PM CT) so media and players gathered in the locker rooms at Guaranteed Rate Field early. Of course, Correa was quickly asked for a response to Middleton’s “cheater” comments.

Carlos Correa responds in very Minnesota way

Carlos Correa is a calculated individual but he has, from time to time, made locker room remarks that raise eyebrows. This morning, however, he decided on a very Minnesota approach to the situation.

Carlos Correa addressed Keynan Middleton's "cheater" comments this morning. Very diplomatic answer. #MNTwins #WhiteSox #Astros #MLB pic.twitter.com/C6DXjnCsDq

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) May 4, 2023

“I’ve heard worse. I’m just glad [Keynan Middleton] is doing good and he’s playing good and he can take care of his family. Obviously, he’s tough. He’s getting better and that’s why he’s pitching high-leverage situations for [the White Sox]. I’m just glad he’s up her again and performing and providing for his family.”

Carlos Correa (Quote via Dan Hayes – Twitter)

Dan Hayes (The Athletic) calls Correa’s response “diplomatic”. Minnesotans, however, will see this quote and call it a “passive-aggressive” beatdown. Remember earlier in this blog, when I mentioned that Keynan Middleton played parts of his first five seasons in the AL West? Well, the other parts of those seasons were played in the minor leagues, where it was probably much more difficult for Middleton to “take care of his family”.

Just a guy trying to take care of his family…

In fact, Middleton has played professional baseball under the MLB umbrella for a decade (since he was 19 years old) and only once has he spent an entire season in the big leagues. It happened in 2020, when minor league baseball was cancelled because of the pandemic. It seems obvious that Carlos’ comments are under-the-radar shots at Middleton’s inability to stick in the big leagues.

Speaking of “taking care of a family”… Keynan Middleton has made $4 million over his 7-year MLB career (Spotrac). Correa, on the other hand, has made $97 million in 9 MLB seasons and his current contract with the Twins guarantees him another $160 million through 2028.

Middleton’s career is not guaranteed beyond 2023. He’s an aging righty who will become more expensive next season, when his arbitration status fully expires. But at least he’ll be able to tell his kids about that time he struck out Carlos Correa in an early May regular season game.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Losing four-straight games this late into a contested pennant race would surely put a damper on a team’s realistic hopes of making the MLB Postseason, right? Not so fast, my friend. Not if your division rival can’t win games on a regular basis, either.

Guardians Can’t Close

On Wednesday night, as the Twins’ loss was becoming official, the Guardians were toting a 1-0 lead as they grabbed their gloves and trotted onto the turf in Kansas City. for the bottom of the 9th. But the Royals put up two runs before the Guardians could secure three outs. They walked off as losers, after this Salvador Perez SAC fly scored the winning run. That must be why it’s called a “walk-off”.

SALVY FOR THE WIN!!!

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Stream: https://t.co/Skk97QhsGO#Royals pic.twitter.com/L0t5HLEXEu

— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) September 8, 2022

So, even though the Minnesota Twins have lost three-straight games to the Yankees and six of their last ten total, they still remain just two games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and well within shouting distance of a playoff spot. Because the Guardians are dealing with their own struggles, losing seven of their last ten, including five-straight vs the Orioles and Mariners, before arriving in KC.

Now, let’s look at Thursday. While the Twins are finishing their four-game series in the Bronx, the Guardians have an off day. That means, if Sonny Gray can somehow outduel Cy Young candidate, Nestor Cortez, and the good guys can secure a finale victory tonight, the Twins will head back to Minnesota just 1.5 games back in the AL Central.

AL Central still up for grabs

Guess who will be there waiting for them? You guessed it. Not only do the Twins and Cleveland Guardians play three games against each other this weekend, but they will play five of their next eight vs one another. In other words, the division is still wide open.

Even if you want to give up on the Minnesota Twins season, and I tried to do it yesterday, you can’t. Because the Guardians can’t finish them off. And this isn’t a two-team race, either.

The Chicago White Sox did secure a victory on Wednesday and moved into a tie with the Twins. They too sit just two games back of Cleveland, in the division. And Minnesota will still play Chicago six more times this season, too.

The #Twins get swept by the #Yankees.
The #Guardians lose to the #Royals after blowing 9th-inning lead.
The #WhiteSox come back and beat the #Mariners.
These three teams are now separated by just 2 games in the AL Central race.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 8, 2022

Like it or not, baseball season is far from over. Maybe Carlos Correa can do us all a favor and heat up a little bit in clutch moments…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Yes, three wildcard teams will make the MLB Postseason in 2022, and going forward. That means 6 teams in each conference and 12 playoff teams in total. Two teams in each conference will receive a 1st-round bye and will not participate in Wildcard Weekend. That leaves the worst division winner of the three (the AL Central this season), and three wildcard teams to duke it out.

Twins’ Playoff Picture

The AL West (Astros) and AL East (Yankees) have far better records than the teams battling for AL Central superiority. That means, unless the Yankees continue to lose at the same pace they have been lately, the Twins will play on Wildcard Weekend, even if they win the division.

As of Saturday morning, the Minnesota Twins sit 1 game back of the Cleveland Guardians, in the AL Central standings. The White Sox are 3.5 games behind the division leaders. But winning the AL Central isn’t the Twins’ only opportunity to get into the postseason.

Earlier in the year, many believed the AL East was so good that they would run away with all three wildcard sports in the American League. But with 45 games remaining on the Twins schedule, they sit just 0.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the 3rd wildcard spot and just 2 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the 1st wildcard.

Wildcard Weekend explained

There are more significant changes that need to be mentioned, as it pertains to the 1st round of the upcoming playoffs. There will be two wildcard series in each conference (four total). Three wildcard teams and the worst of the three division winners. All 1st round series will be “best-of-3”. So, the first team to win two games will move onto the Divisional Round.

The other twist? All three games of each series will be played at the higher seed’s stadium. No switching locations. That means, should the Minnesota Twins win the AL Central, but miss out on a 1st round bye, they’d play all 1st round games at Target Field (vs the #3 wildcard team). The #1 wildcard will also play all of that weekend at home (vs the #2 wildcard team).

After the wildcard round, the playoff bracket looks much more familiar. Eight teams battling through the Divisional and Championship rounds, to reach the World Series. All games, from the Divisional round on will be “best-of-7”.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Now, the (6-7) Sox have lost 5-straight and the (6-8) Twins sit just .5 games back of the AL Central favorites, entering Saturday’s duel between the two clubs. This, as Rocco & Co. waits patiently for their offense to make the trip from Fort Myers.

Living the Offensive Dream in Fort Myers

During Spring Training, the Minnesota Twins showed off their new 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup. Buxton hit for an insane .469 BA and 1.608 OPS, collecting 5 HR and 13 RBI in just 32 at-bats. Correa was nearly as good, in a much smaller sample size, piling up 3 HR, 5 RBI and 18 total bases in just 20 at-bats. He finished with a .350 BA and 1.250 OPS in the 7 games he participated.

But, it didn’t take long for the injury bug to bite Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa hasn’t lived up to his hype to start the regular season. Throw those two grenades into a batting lineup that has a lot of warts… and you get the worst offensive start in Twins history.

This is the first time in #MNTwins history they've had a batting average below .200 after 12 games.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) April 21, 2022

Pitching to the Rescue

What has saved the Minnesota Twins so far this season? What has kept them in the very early AL Central conversation? Pitching. Yes, that same pitching staff I belittled and berated throughout the offseason and well into Spring Training, is the only thing keeping the Twins afloat and competitive.

To prop up an offense as bad as what the Twins have shown so far this season, your pitching can’t be average, or even good. They have to be great. And that’s what the Minnesota staff has been for most of the first 13 games.

Impressive stuff! #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/coNnetBfaR

— Twins Daily (@twinsdaily) April 23, 2022

#MNTwins starting rotation leads the American League in ERA (2.73) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.8-to-1), and ranks fourth in innings per start.

ERA by starter:
0.87 — Dylan Bundy
1.69 — Joe Ryan
2.16 — Chris Archer
2.81 — Bailey Ober
5.00 — Chris Paddack
5.68 — Sonny Gray

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) April 23, 2022

In fact, the pitching staff has gotten better as the games have played on. Twins pitchers have held their opponents to just THREE runs in the last THREE games. That’s pretty good timing because their own offense has somehow matched the opponents’ lack of production (three runs in three games) during that stretch. The team’s record? TWO wins and just ONE loss, all against division rivals (KC, KC, CHW).

Regression to the Mean

Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. That’s the oldest cliché in the sports cliché book. And a cliché only stays on the shelf that long if it’s true. The pendulum will swing during a 162-game schedule. It’s called “regression to the mean” and it’s science.

Regression to the mean is a statistical phenomenon stating that data that is extremely higher or lower than the mean will likely be closer to the mean if it is measured a second time.

Study.com

There’s a reason why I, and every other baseball writer in the physical universe, expected the Minnesota Twins bats to carry the pitchers during the 2022 season. It’s what all of the evidence led us to believe.

The Twins offense should be good, if Byron Buxton can stay in the lineup. Right now, they’re terrible, even factoring him out. That balance will eventually shift, if not back to the mean, at least closer to it. Correa, Arraez, Buxton, Polanco, Sanchez… have all proven through their careers that they will hit.

Race to the Mean

The same holds true for the Twins’ pitching staff. There’s a reason why we expected it to be bad and hoped for league average. They just don’t have the horses at the top of the rotation who have proven they can hold up against major league hitters over a 162-game season. Maybe they’ll prove us wrong and finish above average. Even so, they won’t sit at the very top of the MLB for long.

So as Minnesota Twins fans, we’re left to hope. Hope that the offense turns things around before the pitching staff falls back to reality. If that happens, it could be a fun summer. Especially if the pitching remains on the better side of league-average all season. But should the bats continue to struggle throughout the first half, the year’s outlook could quickly turn sour.

In other words, it’s a race back to the mean between Twins pitchers and hitters. Who gets there first will decide the season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

You know it’s the dog days of summer when the biggest controversy around town all week has been about the timing of called rainouts for Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox games.

After the Twins called off Saturday night’s game vs the Cleveland Indians, due to rain that never came, the White Sox did the same thing before their series opener against the Twins on Monday night. The game was called off in the mid-afternoon and rain never came to Chicago.

Another #MNTwins postponement? For this? I know the White Sox are making this call but this is patently absurd. pic.twitter.com/m4QxBnEFmp

— Trey Warren (@_TreyWarren) June 28, 2021

There were kids left heartbroken and scheduled dates that never even got passed the starting line and weather can’t be to blame. The Twins and White Sox did, however, find much-needed rest for pitching staffs that were falling apart at the seams. Some around town are freaking out, like Patrick Reusse (Star Tribune) and Dan Barreiro (KFAN). Both have spent a lot of time on the rainout subject in recent days. Others, like me, don’t care.

Same Saints

But it’s nice to know that some things never change and nothing remains out of bounds for the St Paul Saints. Even after being taken in as the AAA affiliate for the Minnesota Twins, they took to social media to poke a bunch of fun at the topic today, given it’s been another one of spotty sun and rain in the Twin Cities area.

You: It's raining now, shouldn't the Saints postpone the game.
Us: It won't rain tonight
You: There's a 30% chance at 1, just postpone it now.
Us: Games at 7
You: But it's cloudy at 7 so it COULD rain and then you've opened the gates & we bought food.
Us: Ummm, ya, we're playing

— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) June 29, 2021

As Justin Gaard (KFAN) pointed out on Twitter, we’ll only know if the real St Paul Saints are still standing up if they find a way to promote this “way too early rainout” bit during an actual game. Maybe a buy-one, get-one promotion for a game that COULD be rained out in the future?

I guess we’ll see.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan