Twins Leapfrog Indians in AL Central Odds Amidst Latest Winning Streak

• The Twins have jumped the Indians as the AL Central favorites after the Indians were the favorites just two weeks ago
• At 32-16, the Twins now have a seven game lead over the Indians
• The Twins have scored the most runs in baseball, and are second in home runs, hits, batting average, and slugging percentage

In a two-week span, the Twins have seen their AL Central odds improve from +130 to -210. What a difference a dozen games of baseball make to the standings. The Twins have won seven of their last eight games, scoring runs at will and doing it all. They currently have the most runs in baseball, and are right there in the top two in many statistical categories.

2019 American League Central Odds

*Odds taken 05/22/19

Twins Mash the Baseball

The Twins lineup can flat out hit. The craziest part about it is that they are getting it from a few unlikely heroes in Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver, who are hitting .339 and .329 respectively. Eddie Rosario and CJ Cron have combined for 25 home runs and Rosario already has 37 RBIs. This team is truly getting it offensively from top to bottom and have been able to have success recently even with Nelson Cruz on the IL.

Most homers in MLB history through 45 games:
94 — 2000 St. Louis Cardinals
91 — 1999 Seattle Mariners
87 — 2019 Minnesota Twins
84 — 2019 Houston Astros
83 — 2019 Seattle Mariners

On a related note: https://t.co/WBISFw6obd

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) May 19, 2019

Starting Rotation, Bullpen Surprising People

The Twins starting rotation has surprised a lot of people in their hot start to the season. Jose Berios, Jake Odorizzi, and Martin Perez each have six wins and all are on pace for 18-plus wins. Kyle Gibson and Michael Pineda have been the two questions marks, pitching up and down so far.

Jose Berios, Jake Odorizzi, and Martin Perez each have six wins and all are on pace for 18-plus wins.

The biggest surprise may come from their bullpen, where Blake Parker has stepped in as a dominant closer. This is a team who had no idea who their closer was going to be and Parker has pitched to the tune of a 1.10 ERA in just over 16 innings.

The Rest of the AL Central is a Disaster

It’s actually sad how poor the rest of this division is. The White Sox, Tigers, and Royals are all still a ways away from being contenders again, making this a two-team race since the season started. As appealing as it is throwing five bucks on any of those three teams to win a nice chunk of change, you’re much better off using that $5 to get some chicken nuggets or a happy hour beer.

Terry Francona: we won’t let injuries derail our season.#Indians | #RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/ChB4EeEsXT

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) May 17, 2019

Indians’ Injuries Causing Issues

Terry Francona is as good of a manager as it gets in baseball, but the Indians just did not have a strong offseason. Because of that, they lack depth, and with injuries taking over they haven’t had an answer. Losing Corey Kluber was a monster blow to their rotation. Add in losing Mike Clevinger and Danny Salazar and you’re asking a weak roster to step up and do things it can’t.

Corey Kluber will undergo an X-ray on Thursday. If the bone is healing as expected in his forearm, then he’ll get his cast taken off and will switch to a removable splint.

— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) May 20, 2019

Don’t write the Indians off just yet, but it’s going to be difficult them to climb from the hole they are in with how well the Twins are playing.

Best Bet

The Twins are not a fluke. Rocco Baldelli has done a magnificent job so far in his first season managing Minnesota. The Twins are like the Spurs of baseball. They get it done with a ragtag group and aren’t exactly flashy.

It’s been a fun baseball team to watch that can mash the baseball and get quality starts. Bet the Twins now before their odds keep going up. Their lead in the division continues to get bigger.

Pick: Minnesota Twins (-220)