The Twins are aiming to finally end an 18-game postseason losing streak in their postseason opener Tuesday against the Blue Jays. They’ll be sporting four of the best players in the playoffs, according to a recent MLB.com list.
Of Minnesota’s four entrants on the list, three are pitchers, with the article stating players landed in the top-50 based on “a mix of 2023 form, track record and health.”
Starting pitcher Sonny Gray came in at No. 18 overall and the fifth pitcher on the list with MLB.com saying: “Gray, meanwhile, has enjoyed the best season of any starting pitcher in the playoffs, and the Twins’ hopes rely very much on him being the same this October.”
The 33-year-old righty finished the season with the third-best ERA in the majors, 2.79, behind Blake Snell and Gerrit Cole, the likely Cy Young winners in the National and American Leagues.
Gray is set to start Game 2 in the best-of-three series against Toronto. The Game 1 starter for the Twins, Pablo Lopez, comes in as the second Twin on the list at No. 32.
In his first season in Minnesota, Lopez was a strikeout machine, punching out 234 batters, fourth best in the majors. The article says: “Twins fans may miss [Luis] Arraez. But they obviously needed pitching, and López has been exactly what they wanted. Is Gray-López the best 1-2 starting pitching punch in this postseason?”
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa is the lone position player for the Twins to land on the list. Coming in at No. 40, MLB.com notes “It’s totally reasonable if you think this is too high for Correa after his rough season. But we’ve all seen what this guy can do in the postseason (many, many times).”
Correa’s season was marred by injury and a downturn in form. The 29-year-old had been rounding into form in September slashing .296/.277/.463, before September Correa’s slash-line was .222/.304/.391.
A full thickness tear of the central cortex of his plantar fascia ended Correa’s season in mid-September but Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told SiriusXM last week Correa “will be playing” when the postseason opens.
The final Twin to make the list is the player with arguably the best entrance in the playoffs, Jhoan Duran. Minnesota’s flamethrowing closer record 27 saves while keeping a 2.45 ERA.
“He throws insanely hard and he’s awfully scary for any team to face with its season on the line,” notes the MLB article.
Royce Lewis was an honorable mention. The Twins’ opponent in the Wild Card series, the Blue Jays, also landed four players on the list.
First pitch between the Twins and Blue Jays is set for 3:38 p.m. CT at Target Field Tuesday.
