AL Wild Card 2023: Blue Jays vs. Twins Hot Takes from MLB Twitter

On the surface, the idea of the Toronto Blue Jays traveling to Minnesota to battle the American League Central-winning Twins in the Wild Card round of the 2023 MLB Playoffs may not seem like the most appealing to X (formerly Twitter) users.

Or appealing at all, to some.

Some of that apathy may have to do with the fact that the Twins are essentially the worst team in the AL playoffs, both statistically and to the naked eye, with a record of 87-74.

The Mariners, for comparison's sake, missed out on the postseason with a record of 88-74, one win better.

It may also have to do with a Toronto team that failed to live up to lofty expectations in a season in which there were some who believed the Blue Jays were a legitimate World Series contender, only to watch them fight for a Wild Card spot as the third best team in their division.

Each team has a heavy-hitting veteran, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. starring for the Jays and Carlos Correa capable of belting balls out of the park. That keeps them in games with more explosive offensive teams while quality defense allows them to stunt opposing bats and win closer games.

If they can impose that element of their games against each other, fans of both squads should expect a low-scoring series in which the first team to score a run will instantly have a stronger chance that win.

There is also the shared stench of recent playoff appearances, something that did not go lost to those on the social media platform.

The Blue Jays have not won a series since their loss in the 2016 AL Championship Series while the Twins have to go back even further, to the 2002 AL Championships Series.

The playoff futility of the two teams likely weighs heavily on the lack of excitement from those fans outside of the cities themselves. Still, the match-up is closer than one may think.

As SportsNet astutely points out, the teams split their six games down the middle in 2023, with the Blue Jays taking two at Target Field.

If that is not enough reason to be excited if you are a fan of the birds from north of the border, the idea that you may avoid the No. 1 seed in the AL and a team that won the season series against Toronto, the Baltimore Orioles, should be.

The Blue Jays-Twins series may not be the most dynamic or explosive in the postseason but their ability to play defense may be the greatest weapon either has against the explosive, young, exciting teams elsewhere in the AL.

Whichever can limit the big plays will earn the win and a showdown with defending world champions, the Houston Texans, a team either one can beat by using their big bats and limiting runs.