Twins Win Total Prediction
Will the Minnesota Twins make any charge in the AL Central this season? Here’s our thoughts on their 2017 campaign.
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Twins over/under for wins in 2017 has been set at 74.5. The over has odds of -105 while the under sits at -125. Their odds to win the 2017 World Series are listed at 120/1 currently, while their odds to win the ALCS are at 60/1.
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Minnesota is coming off a 59-103 record in 2016. Paul Molitor enters his third season as coach of the Twins with a 142-182 record in those first two seasons. The 59 wins last season for the Twins was the fewest since 1995. The Twins have won at least 75 games just once in the last six seasons.
The Twins had one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, allowing an AL-worst 889 runs in 2016. Ervin Santana had a respectable year with a 3.38 ERA and 149 strikeouts, but was just 7-11 for his record. He is back to lead the rotation. The Twins are hoping Hector Santiago can return to his 2015 form where he had a 3.59 ERA. He was 13-10 last season with a 4.70 ERA, but only 3-6 in his short time with Minnesota. The Twins will need improvement from the liked of Kyle Gibson and Tyler Duffey, who were both over 5.00 ERA’s and 1.50 WHIP’s. Brandon Kintzler had a respectable season as closer, picking up 17 saves with a 3.15 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.
As a lineup, the Twins actually produced 722 runs in 2016. That was actually ninth in the American League. Brian Dozier was the only real run-producer, as he had 99 RBI and 42 HR in 2016. The next-closest bat was Miguel Sano, who drove in 66 runs last season. The team still has its mainstay in Joe Mauer, but his production has dropped off greatly in recent years. He had just 11 HR with 49 RBI and a .261 batting average in 2016. As a team, the Twins only hit .251 and that number has to improve a great deal.
The Twins just don’t have the talent to make a real move this season. Their pitching staff is not good and they will have trouble getting the ball to Kintzler in save situations. Their lineup is not improving much either, as they have failed to add any really productive bats. With the Indians expected to be strong and the Tigers with plenty of talent, it is hard to see the Twins making any kind of great progress this season.
2017 MLB SEASON WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: MINNESOTA TWINS UNDER 74.5