Breaking News!! 5 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Keep Watching the Twins

Many fans have felt the pain of seeing their favorite Twins players in new uniforms. The wound is still fresh for a lot of us but there really are several good reasons to watch this ballclub? Here are five..

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The deadline happened. It has almost been a week. The front office determined, accurately, that the current roster wasn’t capable of winning a championship and pivoted to 2026 and beyond.

Was it the right decision? Was it good for the organization long-term? Only time will be able to tell us the answer. What are we left with as Twins fans? The current product on the field and maybe a slight sense of betrayal… but is this current product worth watching?

What is clear is that, at face value, this is not a playoff-caliber team. What are the redeeming qualities of the roster that may be a reason to spend your free time on this ball club? I’ll give you five reasons to tune in. You can certainly add more. Use the Comments below to discuss what it is that keeps you watching and following this Twins team?

Reason #1: The Joe Ryan Experience

The first and most obvious reason to watch occurs on Joe Ryan bump days. As fans, we begged and pleaded to leave the Joe Ryan Experience in Minnesota and (for now), he’s here. He has proven to be well worth tuning in for to see the high-level pitching and, of course, his antics. He has a shot at some milestone numbers as well such as 200 strikeouts, and a career-high in wins, WAR, and ERA (career-low, in this case).

Reason #2: Backing Byron Buxton

Although his health is unfortunately back in the headlines, the second reason to keep watching is Byron Buxton. He is on the doorstep of a 20/20 season and is within shouting distance of his career-high in homers. He will not be setting a career mark in games played or at-bats, but he has a shot at just about everything else.

It won’t result in a postseason appearance this year, but it’s a beautiful sight to see Buxton play a high level of baseball. (And just admit it, you like doing the Buck Truck while watching Buxton run out triples and mashing dingers.)

Reason #3: “Rubbernecking”

The next reason to watch the big-league club is out of morbid curiosity. It’s the same reason we watch true crime movies and documentaries or slow down to look at a car crash.

Like many of you, I have followed this team religiously for as long as I can remember, and there were guys in the lineup and bullpen on August 1st that I had never heard of. They’ve added more since then via the waiver wire.

With no Buxton, and on the days that Joe Ryan does not pitch, this squad has shown the capability of playing like they are one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball. There will be some plays and some games that are absolute disasters. People love having something to complain about. So this could be that thing that makes you want to tune in.

Reason #4: Who will step up?

Fourth, we will see players like Matt Wallner, Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers, Brooks Lee, and Trevor Larnach have the opportunity to seize leadership roles.

These guys have been around for a while, and it opens a window for them to rise to the occasion. There are only two months left of the season, but this is a pivot point with the franchise.

Guys that take this in stride can make themselves a part of the DNA of the Minnesota Twins going forward. The flip side is also true, if production falters and sentiment in the clubhouse goes south for certain guys, they may find themselves with a new organization.

Reason #5: Before They are Stars

Lastly, on a more positive note, there will be young players who emerge from this and begin big league careers.

There will be a guy or two who were late draft picks or maybe aren’t high-level prospects that get an opportunity and turn it into a rock-solid career. This career might not end up being with the Twins long term, but guys will find some traction because of this opportunity and for me, that is so fun to see.

We have seen it recently with Pierson Ohl looking solid in his first couple of big-league outings. Maybe Carson McCusker will get another opportunity, or they may decide to see what Aaron Sabato can do over a month. Could Payton Eeles get an opportunity? We are likely to see the Twins debuts for Taj Bradley and Mick Abel, maybe even Kendry Rojas, and that can be exciting.

There are some reasons to watch this team.

Let’s rip the band-aid off now: They will not win many games. They’ve had the worst record in baseball since June 13th. If you’re into finding some fresh faces to follow, it’s a good time to watch. If you’re looking for consistently good baseball your best bet is to tune into the Joe Ryan experience and hopefully Byron Buxton is in the lineup that day as well. The rest is all speculative and I, like many of you, will be following along to see how it all shakes out.