Minnesota Twins: 5 Reasons Justin Morneau and Co. Are Struggling

Last year, the Minnesota Twins were in the playoffs, and once again, they fell to the New York Yankees.

This season, they were hoping to finally overcome the Yankees and to contend for the World Series.

That hasn't happened.

They have been awful, and they currently hold the worst record in Major League Baseball. Many things have gone wrong, but I have listed the five major things to blame for the struggles.

Feel free to let me know what you think!

5. Injuries

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 9: Joe Mauer #7 of the Minnesota Twins in the dugout during the seventh inning of their game against the Oakland Athletics on April 9, 2011 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Athletics defeated the Twins 1-0. (Photo by Hann

Every team faces injuries. The Twins, however, seem to have watched each player take a trip to the disabled list, and it's only Memorial Day weekend.

Most notably, Joe Mauer has been on the DL since mid-April. Without him in the lineup, a lot of pressure has been put on the other players, and they have not responded.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Kevin Slowey, Jim Thome and Delmon Young have also seen the DL at some point this year.

While they are no excuse, the injuries have prevented the Twins from getting a rhythm as a team, which has prevented them from playing good team baseball.

4. Bullpen Is Non-Existent

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 12: Joe Nathan #36 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning of their game on April 12, 2011 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Twins defeated the Royals 4-3 in ten innings. (Phot

Good teams finish baseball games. In the past, the Twins have taken pride in their ability to lock up leads and turn them into victories.

This year, they have been unable to pitch well.

Matt Capps' ERA is over five. Joe Nathan, the Twins' normal stud, is nearly at eight. EIGHT!?!

That's terrible.

Those two were supposed to dominate the eight and ninth innings, and they haven't. Without them pitching well, no lead is safe.

Numerous leads have been lost, and if the Twins don't figure out their late-inning struggles, they will continue to lose games.

3. No One Has Hit, Especially for Power

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: Michael Cuddyer #5 of the Minnesota Twins hits a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning on May 14, 2011 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Blue Jays defeated the Twins 9-3 in eleven innings. (Phot

Despite injuries, the Twins have had some regular stars stay healthy. They just haven't produced this year.

Jason Kubel has had a decent year, but he is the only player on the Twins that is batting over .300. For a team that usually has multiple players over .300, having only one player is a huge disappointment. His team-leading five home runs is an extremely low team-high for Memorial Day weekend.

Denard Span isn't hitting terrible, but his .293 average shouldn't be second-best on the team. Michael Cuddyer has played better of late, but he is still struggling and is still looking to pick up RBI.

Justin Morneau has had a rough time coming back from his concussion and he only has 14 RBI in over 170 at-bats. Accordingly, he has an uncharacteristically low two home runs in two months.

The Twins have never been known for power, but if they don't start hitting for a better average or hit more home runs, they might never pick up RBI.

2. Starting Pitching Has Been Terrible

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: Nick Blackburn #53 of the Minnesota Twins reacts to giving up a solo home run to J.P. Arencibia #9 of the Toronto Blue Jays during in the second inning of their game on May 14, 2011 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Pho

Starting pitching has always been a trademark of the Twins. This season, however, nearly everyone has struggled.

Nick Blackburn has the best ERA on the staff, but at one point, he lost four straight decisions.

Scott Baker will pitch well for multiple innings, then he will find a way to give up a home run or two. If he could conquer those meltdowns, he could become the ace the Twins desperately need.

Carl Pavano seems to have lost all the magic of last season. He has a few no-decisions when he pitched well, but for the most part, he has been unable to keep his team in the game.

Outside of his no-hitter, Francisco Liriano has been unable to find his groove. Still, he has brought his ERA down to under six, which could offer him some motivation to start pitching well consistently.

The Twins' starters need to give the team a good chance to win. By accumulating some quality starts, the starters could start to feed off each others' success, which could facilitate a snowball effect in which the entire staff returns to their top form.

1. The Team Looks Lost

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 28: Justin Morneau #33 of the Minnesota Twins singles against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim during the tenth inning of their game on May 28, 2011 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Twins defeated the Angels in ten innings

The Twins have won six of the last nine division titles. Yet, they are the team that looks lost and out of place. As a perennial playoff contender, you would think they would play with a swagger, right?

Unfortunately, that is not the case.

They play in a beautiful stadium with a wonderful fanbase; however, the Twins look like they are content with cellar-dwelling. Without their confidence, they are not producing.

If the Twins start putting things together, maybe the wins will start coming. Still, until they start feeling like they can win baseball games, they will continue to struggle.