Ober the Limit

 

Gotta hand it to the AL Central this year, there is genuine tension. There's a clear frontrunner in Cleveland and two great teams heading right towards them in Minnesota and Kansas City. A lot like the AL West last year, this could be a real tussle to see who gets 1st by the end of the year, and while it very well could be the Guardians...the Twins have been looking extremely good lately. They're 6-4 in August, they have Buxton, Lewis and Miranda healthy and surging, and they've completely erased the memory of their extremely rough May/June run.

I gave the Guardians credit for utilizing failed starters as great relievers, and credit where credit is due, the Twins do this as well. Griffin Jax didn't work in 14 starts in 2021, but he's got a 1.97 ERA in 52 relief appearances this year. Cole Sands was pressed to start in 3 games in 2022, he's 6-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 45 relief appearances this year. Josh Winder came up as a starting option and in 3 games in relief so far he's been strong as hell.

The only issue with this is that with Joe Ryan and Chris Paddack hurt, there's really only four proven starting options remaining. Granted, they're all pretty good. Bailey Ober's provided stability like no one else this season, and he's 12-5 with a 3.52 ERA and 137 Ks. When Lopez is less accurate, Ryan is less healthy and Gray is...in St. Louis, it helps that someone like Ober has stepped into a big position like this and delivered. Same with Simeon Woods-Richardson, who's finally performing consistently at the MLB level and has a 3.78 ERA in 20 starts. Again, after Festa their options include calling Louie Varland back up, trying Winder as a starter again, or...something we haven't thought of. This is the downside of not getting rotation help at the deadline, because now you have to try something out. All while the Royals are literally in town looking to lap them in the race.

I think the Twins might still be the favorite, because even if the Royals have Bobby Witt and a great rotation, the Twins might have the stronger lineup. When Carlos Santana is your lower lineup guy, you're doing something right. Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, and even Jose Miranda, have proved themselves essentially members of this team. And they're delivering this much intensity without Carlos Correa, undoubtedly their centerpiece.

Genuinely, the Twins could be a postseason spoiler this year. They could outdo what they did in 2023, because they hit more than they did last year. And if enough people get back in time for September, the Twins could really have something great on their hands.

Coming Tonight: One of the greatest players of the last fifteen years, even leaving his prime.