Going into Spring Training, the Minnesota Twins knew that they would have to go through the Houston Astros if they were going to represent the American League in the World Series. Houston has reached the ALCS in seven straight seasons. Like the Twins, they bottomed out in 2011, winning only 50 games in three consecutive years. But they rebuilt stronger, reaching the playoffs in 2015 and dominating the junior circuit in 2017. Aside from a 9-1 wipeout in Game 3, Minnesota hung with them all series.
They’re close. But not quite there.
“It hurts. It hurts to lose,” said Carlos Correa, who starred on Houston’s 2017 team that won it all. “Like I told the guys when I spoke to them after the loss, just remember that. Remember that because you don’t want to ever feel that again. Next year, when you show up to Spring Training, show up better. Because we don’t want to get this far and come up empty.”
There’s a video game trope where developers will allow the player to face the final boss early on, letting them know what they’re up against. The player is often overmatched and spends hours on the game powering up to finally beat the boss. The Twins just faced the final boss after winning a playoff game for the first time since 2004 and a series for the first time since 2002. They also have some time to develop their young players and build a championship roster.
The AL Central was the weakest division in baseball last year. The Twins have a good mix of established stars (Carlos Correa, Pablo López, Byron Buxton) and up-and-coming players (Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Joe Ryan). They have prospects like Brooks Lee, who are close to making an impact and plenty of depth in the farm system. And Minnesota finally has a good rotation and a shortstop, which is imperative for any team to win in the playoffs.
Their Game 2 win offered a sense that the Twins could beat the Astros this year and clear a path to the World Series. López spun seven innings and didn’t give up a run in Houston. Game 3 offered the impression that Minnesota was still far away from contending. Game 4 found a middle ground, even in a loss. Joe Ryan gave up the home run to Michael Brantley, and Caleb Thielbar relinquished a two-run bomb to Jose Abreu. But the Twins only produced three runs in the final two games, which isn’t enough to win in a postseason series.
“We’re not that far from playing in the World Series,” said Rocco Baldelli after the game. “We’re playing against the best teams in baseball right now, doing a helluva job going out there, competing against them, and beating them.”
“It was a pretty close series,” echoed Correa. “There were chances for us to win some games. The gap isn’t too crazy. The thing is, the experience played a big role. Some experienced guys over there had some good at-bats with people on base. We didn’t get the chance to do the same, and they won the series. You’ve seen them do it for years now.”
The Twins can’t wait forever. They need to have some urgency. The front office needs to ensure the roster remains competitive next year, and even their best young players must continue improving. Correa, Lewis, and Buxton dealt with injuries this season and need to get healthy. The Astros aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The New York Yankees will be back. Eventually, the AL Central will get more competitive.
However, the Twins were talking about the World Series in Spring Training, and that wasn’t far-fetched coming off two disappointing seasons. They added more depth and got production from expensive stars and players on their rookie contracts. They took fliers on Willi Castro and Brock Stewart and showed faith in Max Kepler and Emilio Pagán. Alex Kirilloff and Ryan Jeffers came into their own. Minnesota deserved the success it had this year.
Still, they have a ways to go. The Twins were 45-46 in the first half of the season and 42-29 after the All-Star Break. They won the regular-season series over the Yankees and Astros but lost it to the Detroit Tigers. 87 wins isn’t always going to win the division, and it’s rarely enough to get home-field advantage in the playoffs. Minnesota hung with the Astros, but they didn’t play like equals. The Twins could have won the series, but they were unlikely to, given how their pitching matched Houston’s and how many players they left on base.
The Twins faced the final boss and lost. To slay the best team in the American League, they’ll have to remember how it felt to lose after the euphoria of beating the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card. It will have to linger and motivate them in the offseason. They know what it takes to advance in the AL. They’re close. But they’re not quite there.
