Postseason Playing Pepper: Minnesota Twins

I'll admit it.  I started contacting bloggers about the time the Tigers had just finished splitting with the Twins, so I didn't even contact those diehard Minnesota guys. Silly me!  Seth of Seth Speaks, though, didn't hold it against me and filled me in on those AL Central champs.

C70: What is the Twins' strength going into October?

SS: The strengths of this team are in three of their left-handed bats. Denard Span is the definition of a leadoff hitter. Jason Kubel has taken his play to another level, hitting right around .300 with 27 home runs and over 100 RBI. And obviously Joe Mauer is the AL MVP. He led the league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage this year. He is the perfect hitter, and a very good defensive catcher. The other thing that the Twins have going for them is that they have been playing playoff games for the last couple of weeks. They have already been playing must-win games. Oh, and Michael Cuddyer had an amazing September, and even Delmon Young has been a major contributor of late.

C70: What worries you about the team?

SS: The Twins haven't beaten the Yankees in like 13 years (slight exaggeration), but that isn't my biggest concern should the Twins make the playoffs. The fact is that their late season run (won 16 of final 20 games) was so amazing and so unlikely, I would be worried that they accomplished what they could and could take a deep breath. Also, because of their late season run, their pitching staff has really been used and will not be set up as they would want for the playoffs.

SS: Matt Tolbert is probably the most unlikely starter you'll find. He was hurt at the end of August in AAA Rochester and came up later. He soon became the Twins regular 3B. He is exactly the opposite of your prototypical 3B. He's small, a slap-hitter with little power, and some speed. But he has done a very nice job defensively and for the most part held his own at the plate.

C70: Who is the one key player for the Twins, the player that, if they don't go well, the Twins go home early?

SS: Tie between Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer. The Twins 4th and 5th hitters have both been playing and hitting well of late, and really all season. But if they can hit well in the playoffs, it will mean that teams will have to at least consider pitching to Joe Mauer.

C70: How do you think the battle down the stretch with the Tigers will either help or hurt their postseason chances?

SS: Like I said above, the Twins stretch run against the Tigers could have two very different effects on the team. They could be so exhausted from their month-long run to the playoffs and simply have nothing left. You could also say that they are the hottest team in baseball, and like the Colorado Rockies just a couple of years ago, it could last to the World Series. We just don't know.

Thanks to Seth for catching us up on such short notice!