This season's forecast. Darkening clouds. Stormy weather ahead.

[bean5302]

Could be a few reasons somebody might not care if the Twins win.

1. They just enjoy MLB. Watching games or going to the games; the winner isn't so important. Like the ads for the Saints.
2. They would rather the team be good or bad, but not a team which will extend the MLB record for consecutive playoff losses. A high degree of frustration with being mired in a swamp of a team which will most certainly not advance, but will be showered with praise by fans pointing to the Twins being better than the other bad teams in the worst, smallest market, and least exciting division in baseball.
3. They'd rather the team lose because they think it's better for the team in the long run to make major organizational changes, and going over budget and competitively backwards is a pretty good way to make that happen.
4. They actually just enjoy this site for the analytical brain workout.
5. They come to this site for the community in general or their connection to it through the historical contributions they make.
6. They come to the site because they're looking to kill time and it's familiar.
7. They're so enamored with themselves, they'd rather the Twins lose if it makes the person's predictions/opinions more accurate. The Twins are going to go 0-162 this year, count on it!!!! (every single win whittles away a bit of credibility and they don't want to be the person who was WRONG ON THE INTERNET)

I'd rather the Twins win the World Series. I don't think there's a 1% chance that happens this year, but it doesn't mean I want them to lose. I want to be wrong about prospects I don't have faith in. I want Jordan Balazovic to start pitching 9 inning perfect games every time out. I want Austin Martin to start crushing baseballs. I want Trevor Larnach's power to solidify and for his stock to rise the same way as Nick Gordon's has. I think the team is good enough to make the playoffs with a little help from division rivals.

Takes all kinds, I suppose...

[bean5302]

I take that back. The NL Central is probably less exciting. St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati vs. Kansas City, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroilet and Cleveland.

Side note... I can't ever hear or think "Cleveland" without hearing "fun times in Cleveland, again!!!" ringing in my head from the Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video Take 2. 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

That's interesting since Fangraphs currently has the White Sox at 20% to win the division, as compared to the Twins at 35.4 and Cleveland at 44.6%. So maybe it's not "just like Fangraphs" then?

Apparently, things are moving around a lot? LOL. I hadn't checked in the past few days. My bad.

I will stick with my prediction the White Sox win the division. 

[chpettit19]

11 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Apparently, things are moving around a lot? LOL. I hadn't checked in the past few days. My bad.

I will stick with my prediction the White Sox win the division. 

I won't put up much of a fight on anyone's prediction for the division champ (unless they're saying KC or Detroit) because I wouldn't be shocked by any of the top 3 winning it. A hot 10 days may be all it takes since none of the 3 seem to be able to put together an extended stretch of great play. If I were a betting man (and I'm not) I'd pick Cleveland, but arguments can be made for all 3.

[PDX Twin]

42 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

I echo a few others here and say I care. The point is to win. And I’m not trying to be snarky here by saying this, but now I’m curious. If you don’t care, why watch the games, why participate in discussion? Or are you just here for next year? I hear this sentiment a lot … and I don’t get it. If you don’t care then why are you here? I think that a part of you does, or you keep coming back hoping the Twins give you something to care about again, maybe? I think a part of you does care.

I'm here because I'm interested in the Twins for the long term. It's not that I don't want them to win. But if Chicago or Cleveland get hot and pass them in the standings, it won't bother me. Whether they get another banner to hang up or not just doesn't mean anything to me. I didn't watch the playoff games in 2019 and 2020 because I knew what was almost certain to happen and just didn't want to witness it. I haven't been watching (or posting) as much lately because, frankly, the games are not very interesting right now. I'll have them on if I'm at my computer and doing something else, but am not going out of my way to watch any more. Next year? I'll be back to hope that some of the interesting players are actually on the field for most of the season.

With all the injuries, the lineup is often AAA and AAAA players. Buxton has transformed (perhaps because of injuries) from an exciting player into a boring one who strikes out repeatedly and hits a lot of fly balls, which occasionally leave the park, nothing that raises the heart rate as when the fastest player in the game beats out a hit or takes second on what would be a single for most players. The young stars for whom we have been waiting for years are almost all injured. The club's big splurge in free agency has struggled to be an above-average player. In either of the other divisions, they are below .500 and already waiting for next year. So the Twins' games are either against good teams that will beat us most of the time, or against bad teams where we have a chance of winning, but where the quality of play is mediocre. Neither excites me.

I'm sorry. It's just my opinion, but it's how I feel.

[gunnarthor]

I think what is really concerning to me - from an enjoyment standpoint - is how bad our pitching staff is. Twins clearly think starting pitchers can't pitch three times through the order. Our starters are 28th in innings pitched this year and we saw the Twins limit Sonny Grey - no workhorse in the first place. It's doubtful any of our pitchers will even hit 120 innings this year. It doesn't look like there's a lot of hope coming either. And then you look and see Sandy Alcantara and think, "Man, the Twins could easily shave 60 innings off of his total." The games changing but it looks like the Twins are in a race to the bottom. Ugh.

So that means our bullpen is throwing way too many innings and simply doesn't have the talent to do it. We have too many AAAA type arms. And we don't have a lot of youth on the pitching staff - Duran and Sands are both 24 and our youngest pitchers. We have too many 27 year-olds giving us no value. It's just musical chairs of crud.

[RpR]

I still find it a bit wondrous that some much is put on pitching while rarely mentioning the lack of hitting and very poor fielding  which cost just as the pitching.

If they were commonly losing by one or two runs it would be different but they are getting blown out with one or two runs too often.

[Squirrel]

7 hours ago, PDX Twin said:

I'm sorry. It's just my opinion, but it's how I feel.

As I said, I wasn't trying to be snarky ... as you were curious, so was I. That's it. 

[killebrewlover]

On 8/12/2022 at 1:31 PM, JD-TWINS said:

Anderson being out for SOX is a real big deal in their lineup!

Don’t see the Guardians nor SOX as sharks in the water….not sure where that comes from???? They’ve just gotten above .500 in the last month. Haven’t heard of any 7 or 8 game winning streaks! We’re fine!

Need to pick it up on offense - the inconsistent pitching is what it is……same on 27 other staffs in MLB.

Can’t win a playoff game unless we get in and 29-23 does that. We just got 3 pitchers better 10 days ago. As your buddy from Wisconsin says, RELAX!…..our additions don’t stack up against Koufax but we are better and have 32% of the season left to prove it……we need 2-3 guys (of 18) to perform at a considerably higher level and we are good! If we can’t generate more consistent run production we are sunk, 4-5 runs are needed to win in MLB.

We have the pieces - guys need to perform!

Hmmm.  You're right about 7 or 8 game winning streaks.  Does a 6 game winning streak count?  Or the fact that the Guardians are 14-8 since the all star break?  So I guess my "shark" reference is more apropos with Cleveland (although ChiSox are at least 11-10 which is better than Twins 8-9 since the break).  Either way, trending to me says a lot about a team.  And the Twins are trending downward.  You're also very correct in saying that  "Guys need to perform!".  When should we expect that to happen???

[jkcarew]

On 8/11/2022 at 11:59 AM, PDX Twin said:

I'm curious how many people actually care at this point whether they make the playoffs or not. I think I don't. If they sneak in by winning a really poor division, we all "know" that they will not make it past the first round anyway, and all indications are that they will extend their streak of futility. I like to see the team win, but at this point making the post-season really doesn't mean much to me.

This take gets ripped a lot, but I think it’s more than fair for this club this year. Being the weakest team in a field of five does nothing for me.

But, I’ve been impressed that the offense has hung in there as well as they have given the missing contributions from injured players with legitimate upside and without anyone having a ‘career year’ (maybe Arraez?) And I’m strangely optimistic regarding real contention in 2023. Just need some breaks with health and a breakout or two among starting arms.

[LA VIkes Fan]

On 8/11/2022 at 9:59 AM, PDX Twin said:

I'm curious how many people actually care at this point whether they make the playoffs or not. I think I don't. If they sneak in by winning a really poor division, we all "know" that they will not make it past the first round anyway, and all indications are that they will extend their streak of futility. I like to see the team win, but at this point making the post-season really doesn't mean much to me.

I don't agree. We having winning records against Seattle, Tampa, Toronto, and Baltimore. Can we beat any of those teams in a playoff series? Absolutely. Can we beat Houston or Ne York in the second round? Probably not. Still worth trying. 

[RpR]

28 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I don't agree. We having winning records against Seattle, Tampa, Toronto, and Baltimore. Can we beat any of those teams in a playoff series? Absolutely. Can we beat Houston or Ne York in the second round? Probably not. Still worth trying. 

Many keep saying, "Well the Dodgers are the best team, blah, blah, blah" yet San Francisco, Colorado and Washington won series from them so the Twins losing is a matter a team playing poorly, not the other team simple so much better it is OK to lose.

[Nine of twelve]

"This season's forecast. Darkening clouds. Stormy weather ahead."

As for me: