Twins Are +700 Longshots to Win AL Pennant; Nationals Have Shorter Odds as Wild Card Team

• Twins just won their first division title since 2010
• Minnesota hasn’t won a playoff series since 2002 and have lost an MLB record-tying 13 consecutive postseason games
• Twins take on Yankees in ALDS, a team against which it has a combined regular-season and playoff record of 37-94 since 2003

Despite an explosive offense that set the single-season home run mark with 307 bombs in powering the Minnesota Twins to a 101-61 record and a first division title since 2010, the Twins enter the playoffs an underdog.

Part of this is down to the fact that they will face the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, a team that has beaten the Twins in all five playoff meetings between the teams.

But at +700 in the current 2019 AL pennant odds, is there any value with this year’s Twins squad?

MLB 2019 Pennant Odds

*Odds taken on 10/02/19

Bombs Away

This Minnesota team makes no bones about it – it lives and dies on the power and frequency of its home runs. The Twins became the first team to eclipse 300 home runs in a single season with 307, narrowly edging the Yankees’ 306, and finished second in the major leagues with 5.80 runs per game.

And the Twins weren’t afraid to share the long-ball wealth, becoming the first team to have five players hit 30-or-more homers in a season.

💣 Official: The #BombaSquad takes the @MLB home-run crown with 307 #Bombas in 2019! 💣

Cruz 41
Kepler 36
Sanó 34
Rosario 32
Garver 31
Cron 25
Schoop 23
Polanco 22
Gonzalez 15
Castro 13
Buxton 10
Cave 8
Adrianza 5
Arraez 4
Astudillo 4
Wade Jr 2
LaMarre 2 pic.twitter.com/UOr1mSAFZM

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 29, 2019

As the quality and intensity of the opposition pitching increases in October, it will be interesting to see if the Twins can thrive with their dependency on the long ball.

Tough Road Ahead

For the first time in baseball history, there were four 100-win teams, and the Twins will likely have to go through two of them (Yankees and Houston Astros) if they are to win the AL pennant.

All three AL teams boast some of the best offenses in major-league history. The Yankees scored 943 runs, the Twins 939 and the Astros had 920. But while the Twins and Yankees were fairly similarly defensively, giving up 754 and 739, the Astros conceded almost 100 runs less than either of them, giving up just 640.

The Minnesota Twins have become the first team to hit 300 home runs in a single season! 💣 pic.twitter.com/14F9QtM1rN

— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) September 26, 2019

Interestingly though, Minnesota has a mixed record against the other two contenders in the season series this year, with a 4-3 record against the Astros, but trailing 2-4 to the Yankees.

Premium on Pitching

While there seems little doubt that the Twins’ offense is set up to succeed, doubts remain over the legitimacy of their pitching, so often the key to postseason success … or the lack thereof.

In terms of earned-run average, Minnesota’s staff actually has a leg up on New York’s, with a 4.18 ERA to the Yankees’ 4.27, with both having a combined WHIP of 1.30.

Baldelli, Cruz, Garver, Polanco, and Rosario address the media prior to the Twins Postseason workout day at Target Field. #BombaSZN https://t.co/l8ufS0Aie9

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 1, 2019

The Twins’ top two starters, Jose Berrios (3.68 ERA) and Jake Odorizzi (3.51), have actually outperformed their Yankees counterparts this season as James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka had ERA’s of 3.82 and 4.45. respectively.

The X-factor is the return of Luis Severino, and it remains to be seen how he holds up after missing the majority of the season through injury.

Of course, if they manage to make it through the ALDS matchup with New York, a possible pitching matchup with one of the greatest playoff rotations of all time, according to Sports Illustrated, may well await them in the championship round.

Prediction: In the unlikely event that they overcome the weight of history and defeat the Yankees, it seems almost unlikely they’d be a good bet to win the pennant at +700, as the Astros will most likely be awaiting them.