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I bought a Twins baseball cap recently. Every now and then I choose a team other than my home team to root for, too. Once the Twins re-signed Carlos Correa, I knew something was happening. The club earned a superb score of A-minus by The Athletic on its offseason moves list, highlighting Correa, pitcher Pablo López and catcher Christian Vázquez. (The Guardians are pegged at only a B-minus.) I recognized the Twins would be a fun team to watch.
I also truly believe they'll win the AL Central Division — contrary to what some may think after the disenchantment of the 2022 season. Sizzling center fielder Byron Buxton has a long-term contract with the club, providing stability when paired with Correa's. Manager Rocco Baldelli expects increased innings from his broad starting pitcher staff.
A recent sports column ("Deep dive: How Twins roster is shaking out," Feb. 23) voiced concern about the middle third of the batting order. I can't speak to that, but there are 162 games to figure that out before the postseason begins.
We hear annually about payroll discrepancies across Major League Baseball, but how does one measure potential chemistry and leadership — or the variables of a reshuffled schedule and fresh playoff format?
The analytics sites and casinos have already figured out exactly how many games the 2023 Twins will win. (More than last year, but nothing seismic.)
They can have their predictions, and I'll keep my hat. We'll see.