The Minnesota Twins Are For Real, Tigers Beware!

It seems everything has gone the Twins' way as of late.

After being pummeled by the Royals and countered by the resilient Twins, the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers find themselves only two games ahead of the field. Two weeks ago, the Tigers were in. Now, they'll have to fight off the red-hot and playoff-hungry Twins.

The Twins would be a sportswriter's dream if they made the playoffs this season. I implore you to find a major league team that has been counted out more than the Twins this year. The AL Central has tightened up, and we've seen a third-place team for the majority of the season show it has what it takes to make the playoffs. 

As a Twins fan, this would be all too perfect for me. After last season's heart-breaking loss to the White Sox, I would love to be able to root for my boys again in October. 

If they can keep this pace up (which seems unlikely, especially with 10 of the last 13 games on the road), the Twins would be a team with a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs. I'm not calling the huge upset just yet, but I can't help but taste it. 

Another valid point is Michael Cuddyer's MVP status. With Justin Morneau out, Cuddyer has absolutely exploded. Adding a big collection of hits seemingly every night, Cuddyer boosts his season totals to a .274 average with 28 home runs and 84 RBI.

I'm not saying he's a better candidate than Joe Mauer, who should absolutely win the award, but I hope he gets some consideration. Cuddyer has carried the Twins on his shoulders for the last two weeks' turnaround, and he may just hoist them into the playoffs. 

So here's to a sweet-sweet sweep of the Tigers, and another pennant in Minnesota. My homer hankies are getting dusty...