ALDS Preview: Yankees vs. Twins

Here we go again. October baseball. Yankees vs. Twins.

Is this the year Minnesota overtakes the Achilles heel that has been the New York Yankees? It seems like every time the Twins make the playoffs, the Yankees are there to put them back in their place. With a new stadium in Target Field, is this the year the Twins start a new era?

This time, the Twins will have home field advantage after winning the American League Central. The Yankees enter this years playoff as the AL Wild Card team, finishing one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

New York finished the regular season with a 95-67 record while Minnesota was 94-68. The Twins hold the American League’s best home record this season going 53-28 at Target Field.

While the Twins finished with just one less win than the Yankees, you have to consider the divisions the two teams play in. The Yankees had to play 72 games against the likes of Tampa Bay, Boston, Toronto, and Baltimore. The Twins meanwhile, were able to feast on AL Central opponents Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Kansas City. Minnesota was 47-25 against the Central and just 15-21 against the AL East this year.

This years Twins team, led by manager Ron Gardenhire, has some power, speed, and good pitching. They also have a fan base that gets behind the club and is a team that loves playing in their new stadium.

For a full position by position breakdown and more, visit Double G Sports.