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Minnesota Twins Won’t Get 89 Wins

MLB Season Win Futures

The Minnesota Twins have owned the American League Central for two years. They have won back-to-back division titles and have made three playoff appearances in the past four years.

The Twins are masters of scouting and developing talent. They have been able to own the American league Central because of their minor league domination.

Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins swings at a pitch during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images/AFP

BetUS sportsbook has the Twins’ regular-season wins listed at 88½ wins. The over and under both have -115 on the sportsbook.

The AL Central has improved a lot, and some teams are right on Minnesota’s heels.

I am going to take the under on Minnesota’s 2021 win total. I think it will be close, but I do not believe they will win over 88 games with the caliber of talent in the AL Central.

The AL Central

The Twins will play games against the entire American League, and I think they will have success. The most formidable team in the American League is the New York Yankees, but there are many average clubs on the Twins’ 2021 schedule.

However, the Twins will have to play 19 times against the four other AL Central teams, which will total 76 contests.

The Detroit Tigers are rebuilding at the bottom of the AL Central, but everyone else in the division should be competitive. The Royals are not in the three-way race at the top, but Kansas City is a fun club to watch, and it is tough.

The Twins should win most of their games against the Royals, but they will have to work for these victories. The Royals will steal a few wins over the year, helping the total stay under.

At the top of the division, the Twins will have to deal with the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland will be strong, but I still anticipate that the Twins will have the advantage in this series.

The Twins will not be favored against the White Sox in 2021. Chicago is loaded, and this could be the year it dethrones the Twins in the AL Central. The 19-game series with the White Sox is going to be the main reason why the Twins’ total will stay under 89 wins.

The core of the White Sox lineup with Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert should cause a lot of trouble for their opponents in 2021. Chicago also has a superior starting rotation compared to Minnesota.

I expect the White Sox to win the AL Central, and there will not be two 90-win teams in this division.

The Minnesota Twins

The Twins can hit with the White Sox. Chicago could have a slightly more robust lineup, but this is debatable. The Twins are not going to win 89 games in 2021 because of their pitching.

They are a very top-heavy rotation, with Kenta Maeda leading the charge. Last season, Maeda finished second in the Cy Young Award voting. He is a dominant pitcher that has been good for the majority of his career.

He has posted a 53-36 record over five years with a 3.75 ERA and 721 strikeouts. I expect Maeda to have a big year, but the talent drops in the back end of the rotation. When a 90-win team is observed, there are very few holes in the pitching rotation.

Three through five in the Twins’ rotation looks like an 80-win team with Michael Pineda, J.A. Happ, and Matt Shoemaker. All three of these pitchers will average well over a 4.00 ERA, and they are all ground ball pitchers. This will not help the Twins reach 89 victories in 2021.

When doing your MLB betting, take the under on the Minnesota Twins.

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