Countdown to Opening Day: #26 Minnesota Twins

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#26: Minnesota Twins: Minny Youth Movement in the Making

PROJECTED LINEUP
LF Alex Presley
2B Brian Dozier
1B Joe Mauer
DH Josh Willingham
3B Trevor Plouffe
RF Oswaldo Arcia
C Kurt Suzuki
CF Aaron Hicks
SS Pedro Florimon

PROJECTED ROTATION

Ricky Nolasco
Phil Hughes
Kevin Correia
Mike Pelfrey
Kyle Gibson

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Glen Perkins

Set-up: Jared Burton

Top Prospect: Byron Buxton (OF)

The cavalry is on the way in Minnesota, but top prospects Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton (MLB.com's #1 overall) are still probably a year away, at the earliest September call-ups. So the Twins went with a "stop

Ricky Nolasco

gap" philosophy this season.
Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes are better than the starters than they had last year, but it is unclear whether they are enough to make Minny competitive. Nolasco pitched solid last season, 13 wins and 3.70 ERA, and if you are going to the American League at least it's the Central. The worst scenario would have been the A.L. East, where Phil Hughes is coming from. There is no pressure on these guys and they could excell away from the bright lights of New York and Los Angeles.
It is going to take one of the younger Twins taking it to the next level for there to be any playoff hopes in Target Field. Some deep sleepers and game changers are outfielder Aaron Hicks and pitchers Kyle Gibson and Alex Meyer.

Joe Mauer

THEY CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - All it takes is Joe Mauer putting up MVP numbers and one of the starting pitchers pitching like an ace to turn the goals around in Gopher Town. All of the sudden Sano and Buxton come up to help contend and they are buying at the deadline. Moving Mauer to first base was the best decision Minnesota has made in a long time.

REAL TALK - The Twins are a year or two away. They continue to revamp how they tool the Twins thanks to their new digs. They no longer playing in the Metrodome and homers are not the way to build this squad. The Twins have already got more speed on the lineup and once they strengthen the pitching the will be back in the mix. Just not this year.

Breakout: Kyle Gibson (RHP)

Bust: Josh Willingham (OF)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Jared Burton (RHP)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 66-96 (4th in AL Central)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 71-91 (4th in AL Central)

**Check back tomorrow for the Chicago Cubs*