Anyone who has been a Minnesota Twins fan for the past 20 or so years has grown accustomed to being let down. Since the start of the 21st century, the Twins have made the postseason 10 times and won just two series. Minnesota has captured the American League Central nine times since 2002, and won 90 or more games six times in that span. The Twins notched 101 victories in 2019—one shy of a franchise record—then were swept by the New York Yankees in the ALDS as part of what would become an 18-game postseason losing streak that spanned 19 years.
So while this is an organization that has had plenty of success, disappointing finishes have become the norm. Last year’s squad got an early jump on the letdown by dropping 27 of its last 39 games to miss the playoffs completely. After a quiet offseason, Minnesota didn’t hear the 2025 starting gun and stumbled to a 13–20 start. In the parlance of our times, the vibes were bleak, and showing little sign of improving.
