Why The Twins Are Going To The World Series In 2024

A lot of you probably read the title of this video and went, what? You're crazy! And let me ask you this, who predicted the Arizona Diamondbacks to go to the World Series last year? Who predicted the Texas Rangers to win the World Series last year? Not me, wasn't me, but that's part of the point. Nobody did, nobody picked these teams to honestly do anything last year, let alone face off on baseball's biggest stage and when I look at the Minnesota Twins, I honestly see magic coming. Or I at least very much think and believe this could be the year they do more damage than they've done in a long time. I recently thought about it and I realized how true it was that the National League has some heavyweights, some juggernaut teams sure to be great, at least in theory. Again, it's baseball, so you never truly know, but the Dodgers and Braves should be amazing as they have the last 6 years leading into 2024. But as far as the American League goes, I feel like there's way more up in the air. Yes, the Orioles won 100 games last year, yes, the Astros make the ALCS every year, and the Rangers just won the damn thing. But I don't feel as confidently about those teams as the Dodgers and Braves, which is my point here. So when I look at the American League, the Orioles are an obvious pick to go to the World Series simply because they're on the come-up, but I'm going to go with the Twins. To start, the most obvious and less controversial take. The Twins are in the weakest division in baseball, so to pick them to repeat winning the AL Central isn't crazy. The Royals did make several moves this offseason, Cleveland always seems to make things interesting, and the Tigers are a sneaky pick, but I still think the Twins are the most well-rounded team in the division. In 2023, the Twins were good but got virtually no attention during the regular season, and I think that was for valid reasons. They weren't great, nothing stood out, at least not when you paired them up against the other playoff American League teams. They won just 87 games, there just wasn't much there jumping out as sexy. But that's also why I believe 2023 was just the prelude, a little teaser trailer of the real thing, the real thing that we're about to see in 2024. And part of why I feel so strongly about this is because although this team did win 87 games last year and made it into the postseason, which is pretty good overall, there's still so much unreached potential. The Twins' highest paid player by far, actually, Carlos Correa, was bad last year offensively. The defense was strong per usual, but as far as the bat, he struggled, bad. His batting average was down at .230, his OPS was .711, he was a below-league-average hitter overall, and his biggest issue? Grounding into double plays. It was no joke. Correa grounded into 30 double plays last year, and if that sounds like a lot, that's because it's an insane amount, being the most in all of baseball last year. And that's where the unreached potential of a team that was already competitive begins. I'm not expecting Carlos Correa to come out and hit like an MVP candidate, and there's no reason to ever expect that, considering he's never done that in his career. When Correa plays a full year, he typically hits well, but not to that level, necessarily. But what makes Carlos Correa so valuable, at least in theory, is the whole package. He'll hit to an OPS in the 800s, which is good, but then also play stellar defense at a premier position at shortstop, arguably the most premier position in baseball. So you could probably make a case that Correa's bat is a tad overrated, and that him getting the money he's getting is unwarranted, but at the end of the day, he should be a way better hitter than he was last year. Whether you think he's overrated or not, I think we can all agree on that. So again, I'm not expecting Aaron Judge-type numbers or anything, but I, and I think everyone else, should expect Correa's bat to make way more of an impact in 2024. Way more of an impact on an offense that has a chance to be great. But really quick, make sure to hit that subscribe button if you haven't already. Over 65% of my watch time is from people who aren't subscribed. A lot of viewers just don't realize they aren't, so if you enjoy the video, hit that button along with the bell for post notifications. Thank you! As for the infield alongside Correa, actually literally the guys who sandwiched Correa, there are a couple of guys who made their debuts last year and got their feet wet, and did really well in the process. The baby twins. To start, Edward Julien, the second baseman, played a little over 100 games last year and was really good. He showed some pop, and moving over to third base is Royce Lewis, who was awesome. Leading up to his entrance into the big leagues, Royce Lewis was expected to be really good, someone who is a highly ranked prospect, and he showed why in 2023. Hitting over 300, smacking 15 homers, putting up really good numbers across the board, and the best part? That was only in 58 games. He hit 15 bombs in that small of a sample size, along with everything else he did so well. And he hit well in the postseason. Imagine a full year of Royce Lewis, he undoubtedly has the potential to be the best player on this team. The other Carlos of the infield, Carlos Santana, making his annual pit stop at a new organization will be their first baseman, and I wouldn't say that's game changing stuff, but I don't think there's anything wrong with another veteran on the team. Santana's been around, he's been on winning teams, and he has potential to be a pretty good hitter. The outfield is strong, and just like the infield, young. Let me ask you a question. Are you tired of those annoying MLB blackout restrictions? You're about to sit down, watch your favorite team, watch a really fun, cool pitching matchup, and then BAM. Blackout. It's annoying. It sucks, obviously. But, I have the perfect thing just for you. Big thanks to the sponsor of today's video, Unlocator. They're not just your average VPN or smart DNS service, no no no. They're the MVPs when it comes to bypassing those MLB blackout restrictions. With Unlocator, you can kiss those blackouts goodbye, and enjoy every inning of the action without any interruptions. Plus, they're offering an exclusive deal just for you. Yes, you. All you have to do is use promo code ITALK and you'll get 3 free months on top of their already unbeatable service. So whether you prefer VPN or smart DNS, Unlocator's got you covered. And setting up Unlocator is a breeze. Literally just a few clicks, and you're ready to watch all those MLB games without any restrictions. Plus, with their top-notch security features, you can enjoy peace of mind while you watch. No need to worry about any of that. And it's not just me advocating for this. Unlocator gets raving reviews and has a 4.7 Trustpilot rating. I mean, they're the real deal when it comes to unlocking geo-restricted content. So what are you waiting for? Head over to unlocator.com slash italk and remember to use code ITALK for your first 3 free months. Blackouts? More like get the hell out, am I right? That was bad. Back to the video. Matt Waller just got done with his rookie season in 2023, although he didn't even play in half the games, and he was really good. Max Kempler, who's been a twin his whole career and someone who's been seemingly avoiding getting traded over the last couple of years, is still there. And he had a bounce back year last year after some rough offensive seasons. So that's good to know. Heading into this season, he should be good. I really like the twins' catching situation. They have a good mix of offense and defense slash chemistry with the pitching staff. That's what Christian Vazquez will be for. He should hit better this year, too. But he's more for the defense aspect, where Ryan Jeffers also has that, but also has a better bat. Pitching in general isn't necessarily that important when it comes to offense. You should at least have good defense and or someone who works well with the pitching staff. And any offense is a plus. So Jeffers being an option back there is really good. I started off the offense talking about a veteran, Carlos Correa, who's also the highest paid player on the team. So I'm going to close the offense talk with another veteran and someone who's the second highest paid player on the team, Byron Buxton. I recently made an entire video just about him. But to sum it up, this is a guy who can change everything. The biggest issue with Buxton is staying on the field. He's always hurt, but this is the first time in what seems like a while where there doesn't seem to be any glaring issue health-wise. So let's all hold our breath there. But if Buxton stays healthy, he can be one of the best players in the American League. He'll be back in center field where he thrives defensively, and Buxton's bat, which has found way more power in recent years despite the injuries, also can be something that really puts his Twins lineup over the top with the help of a pitching staff that has all the makings to be really good. The Twins don't necessarily have their sexy ace, their guy who everyone, including fans of other teams, stops what they're doing to watch. And if anything, if they had anyone remotely close to that, it was Sonny Gray, someone who finished second in the Cy Young voting last year behind Garrett Cole. And he left this past offseason, signing with the Cardinals. But don't let that fool you. The Twins still have solid pitching, and I think that's the key word here. Not amazing, not great, not elite, but solid. And if they can keep it at that, the rest should fall into place. Pablo Lopez, who you could I guess consider the ace of this team, threw almost 200 innings last year while putting up good numbers, which is very consistent to what he did in Miami for several years beforehand. So he's there. Joe Ryan is a guy who's suddenly been ramping up more and more each year. He's about to pitch his third full major league season, and he threw 147 innings in 2022 and 161 in 2023. Bailey Ober is kind of in the same boat. I mean, him and Ryan are the exact same age at 27, both solid right-handed pitchers. Chris Paddock is attempting to make his full return from Tommy John surgery. He has potential. I really like Anthony Desilfani, who had a busy offseason, being traded from the Giants to the Mariners before immediately being sent to Minnesota. Desilfani is the perfect example of someone who could just come out of nowhere and shove. Yes, he's had a rough couple of years, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him get back to his 2021 form, where he was really good. The only issue is he's dealing with forearm and elbow issues, which is never good. In fact, it's scary as hell. But again, I think the overall narrative of this Twins starting rotation, and pitching staff as a whole, is the potential it has, and the unexpected names who could step up. The bullpen is filled with that. Besides Yoan Duran, the hard-throwing, filthy closer, the Twins bullpen is a ton of names you probably have never heard of, but could know very well by the end of the year. And it's going to need that, because Duran is actually starting the season on the injured list. Hopefully nothing that ends up being a big deal, it's just a moderate oblique strain, but even if he comes back and is great, he'll need some help. And again, that's where the other tons of options come in who could make a name for themselves. I mean, every year, relievers we never heard about come out of the clouds and make themselves known, and I think the Twins are a perfect candidate to be a team that has not just one of those kinds of players, but multiple. And we've already seen that this team can show up, at least somewhat, when the spotlight is on. Last year, the Twins finally won their first playoff game in over 18 years. Yes, playoff game. It took that long. But they did it, and the next day, they won again to clinch their first series victory in over 20 years before losing to Houston in the ALDS. And even in that series, the Twins put up somewhat of a fight before failing to put up anything offensively in the end. But again, this is where that prelude talk comes in. 2023 was just a little wake-up call, a wake-up call to remind the world that the Minnesota Twins still exist. They're here. And here's a little sneak peek of the real thing coming in 2024. At least that's how I feel. Maybe you feel very differently, and that's okay if you do. But I really don't think it's that crazy or that much of a shot in the dark to not only see the Twins make it to the ALCS for the first time since 2002, but to see them go all the way to the World Series for the first time since 1991. So with opening day practically here, that's my pick for who will go to the World Series from the American League. Let me know what you think. Thank you for watching, and I'll see you soon.