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Predictions can be fickle when it comes to baseball, but things become more apparent as the season progresses. Players and teams have performed to a certain level at this point in the season, and those trends may or may not hold true over the final weeks. How many of the predictions below will come true?
Luis Arraez Wins His First Batting Title
August was Arraez’s worst offensive month of the 2022 season as he hit under .270. Luckily, many other AL hitters also struggled in recent weeks. Arraez ended August leading the AL’s batting race by nine points over Jose Abreau, with Xander Bogaerts sitting one point behind in third. To help Minnesota’s offense, the Twins need Arraez to get back to the players he was in the season’s first half.
Jhoan Duran Leads the AL in WPA
Duran has been dominant in his rookie campaign as he quite literally helped save the Twins bullpen. Following the trade deadline, Rocco Baldelli has used Duran in the game’s most pivotal moments, which has helped increase his Win Probability Added. Duran currently leads all AL pitchers according to WPA, as he currently sits ahead of Justin Verlander and Emmanuel Clase. Minnesota will have close games down the stretch, and Duran’s WPA total will continue to rise.
Max Kepler Wins the Gold Glove
Minnesota’s defense has significantly improved in the season’s second half, with multiple players putting themselves in the Gold Glove conversation. Kepler has been near the top of the AL’s SDI rankings for right fielders throughout the season and has a chance to finish atop the leaderboard. He should easily be a Gold Glove finalist and has a chance to become the team’s first Gold Glove winner since 2017.
Chicago Will Be a Thorn in Minnesota’s Side
The White Sox were supposed to run away with the AL Central, but not much has gone right on Chicago’s Southside. Minnesota has three September series against Chicago, and the White Sox have a chance to play spoiler. One thing to keep an eye on is how the White Sox respond without their manager Tony Larussa, who stepped away from the team due to a medical issue. If they want to win the division, the Twins have to win a majority of their games against the AL Central in the season’s final month.
The Twins Will Win the AL Central
Cleveland has taken over the division lead in recent weeks, but Minnesota has eight games left against the Guardians. From September 16-19, the Twins play five games in four days in Cleveland which will likely decide the division winner. There is an outside shot that the Twins can win a Wild Card spot if they fail to overtake Cleveland, but that is significantly less likely than winning the division. The AL Central will have one playoff team, which will be the team that walks away with the division title.
What predictions do you have for the season’s final weeks? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.
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