After limping by the final impactful collection of the season towards the Cleveland Guardians over the weekend, Minnesota’s postseason hopes have been all however cooked. Having led the division for a overwhelming majority of the season, accidents mounted and finally ruined any potential to hold on. That’s to not say accidents have been the defining consider falling brief, Minnesota contributed to that lots on their very own as effectively.

Comparatively early on within the yr, it was obvious that the AL Central was going to fade behind the competitors. Chicago’s ineptitude was injury-related as effectively, however they have been additionally horribly managed by Tony La Russa, and constantly performed unhealthy baseball defensively. Cleveland has a terrific supervisor in Terry Francona, and as anticipated, their pitching stored them in it whereas younger gamers acquired their toes moist. Minnesota’s place in all of that acquired shuffled early after a powerful Could, but it surely shouldn’t be misplaced that nobody appeared to wish to win this division down the stretch.

Therein lies the definition of the 2022 Minnesota Twins season: A failure to capitalize.

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine didn’t throw all of Jim Pohlad’s sources on the 2022 season to counsel it was World Sequence or bust. Nothing a few bullpen addition of solely Joe Smith stated, “We’re all in.” Nevertheless, what was carried out ought to’ve been sufficient and at each juncture, the Twins got here up brief.

When the commerce deadline got here round and there was a chance to enhance a successful ball membership, the entrance workplace added a top-level starter in Tyler Mahle. They addressed the bullpen by bringing in Michael Fulmer and Jorge Lopez. Then, because it had all season lengthy, it shortly was worn out on and off the sphere.

Each group has accidents, however only a few had as many and people as impactful because the Twins. Byron Buxton performed damage from the soar. Pitching was always in flux. Alex Kirilloff by no means acquired higher. They gained by them, for a time. When Minnesota would create their very own fortunes, producing base runners and placing guys in scoring place, they constantly did not capitalize. Baserunning was unhealthy, protection equally so.

All season lengthy the Twins discovered themselves with the chance to regulate their very own future, run away and conceal with the division, and create noise. As an alternative, they responded with extra journeys to the injured record, poor situational hitting, and an general lack of execution.

If we have been to mirror on the season as an entire, taking a little bit of a step again from the feelings down the stretch, perhaps we must always’ve seen this coming. In spite of everything, a .500 file was largely what was projected from the get-go. For a great portion of the season, all this group amounted to a .500 ballclub. Finally although, after creating their very own success, a wilting occurred and nothing was carried out to substantiate it.

There’s actually a handful of various methods to get the place Minnesota completed, however as The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman put it, the Twins took the least fulfilling method to get there. Good groups capitalize on their alternatives, and though this one was masked as a great group for some time, they merely by no means capitalized on what was in entrance of them.