Twins Yankees Odds

Last season the Twins eclipsed even the Yankees as the representation of the new slugging teams in the MLB. They hit a record 307 homers and scored 939 runs, with Nelson Cruz (41 HRs) leading a cast of 17 players that slugged at least one dinger. Mitch Garver also posted the highest slugging percentage (.630) in franchise history for a catcher and hit 30 of his 31 homers when he was behind the dish.

The Twins pitching staff was also stellar and their bullpen finished 10th with a 4.17 ERA. Their biggest weakness might have been a subpar infield defense, which is now stronger with stud 3B Josh Donaldson signed to a hefty contract. The Twins are expected to use LHP Taylor Rogers as their closer, and they have plenty of situational options with veterans Sergio Romo and Tyler Clippard available – along with promising young gun Randy Dobnak.

• The Yankees and Twins are meeting in the 2019 American League Divisional Series. We’ve got a rundown of key odds, including Game 1 money line, and series odds.
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• The Yankees are lined at 96 and have the biggest gap between the highest and second-highest win totals, but the White Sox are modestly lined at 91.5 wins and the Twins are listed with 90 wins. In the AL West, the Astros are still the team to beat per the win total odds, but only by a few games over the much improved Angels with Houston at 90.

Minnesota Twins +1500 Unlike a moneyline bet, where there would be a clear favorite and underdog, the team with the lowest odds is the closest thing to a fave. In this case, it’s the Dodgers and Yankees. The team with the highest odds would be the closest thing to a dog. 2019 Minnesota Twins Playoff Odds. AL East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays.

Note that the Twins went an incredible 55-26 on the road last season, which bodes well for how they will play in empty stadiums. They went 50-26 against AL Central foes as well.

The Twins are the fifth favorite to win the 2020 World Series, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re listed with +1600 odds at that book, trailing the Dodgers (+375), Yankees (+400), Astros (+650), and Braves (+1200). That means a $20 bet on the Twins to win the World Series would profit $320 if successful.

The Twins are tied with the Rays with +800 odds to win the American League, trailing only the Yankees (+175) and Astros (+350) at DK Sportsbook. Oddsmakers seem to think it will be easier for teams to get out of the AL and the AL Central is the arguably the easiest division in that league, so the Twins have a clear path to a potential pennant. Minnesota has been given -130 odds to win the AL Central with the Indians (+265) and White Sox (+285) expected to challenge them.

The Twins are projected to win 34.5 games during this 60-game season, with -143 odds on the Over and +115 odds on the Under at DK. That indicates how oddsmakers believe the AL Central is soft and therefore assumes that Minnesota can win close to 35 or more games with 40 of their 60 games in division.

Despite all their success last season, the Twins don’t have a primary MVP contender returning. Donaldson (+2000), though, is being given the best odds to win some hardware with Jorge Polanco (+8000) well behind at DK.

The Twins were hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with four players having tested positive in 1B Miguel Sano, INF Nick Gordon, INF/C Willians Astudillo and RHP Edwar Colina. Sano has been cleared to return to the team.

Twins odds: Futures

Minnesota Twins betting breakdown

2019 Record: 101-61

Key losses: C Jason Castro, RP Kyle Gibson, 1B C.J. Cron, RP Ryne Harper, LP Martin Perez, 2B Jonathan Schoop, IF Ronald Torreyes, RP Juan Minaya, RP Brusdar Graterol

Key additions: 3B Josh Donaldson, RP Kenta Maeda, RP Homer Bailey, RP Jhoulys Chacin, RP Tyler Clippard, LP Rich Hill, RP Cory Gearrin, C Alex Avila,

Projected starters/lineup:

1. SS Jorge Polanco (S)

2. 3B Josh Donaldson (R)

3. DH Nelson Cruz (R)

4. RF Max Kepler (L)

5. 1B Miguel Sano (R)

6. LF Eddie Rosario (L)

7. C Mitch Garver (R)

8. 2B Luis Arraez (L)

9. CF Byron Buxton (R)

Projected rotation: RP Jose Berrios, RP Jake Odorizzi, RP Kenta Maeda, RP Homer Bailey, RP Jhoulys Chacin

Projected closer: LP Taylor Rogers

Bullpen strengths: Sergio Romo comes back after posting a 3.18 ERA in 27 Games with 27 SO in 22.2 IP in 2019. He will be relied on along with fellow veteran Tyler Clippard to lead the youngsters. Clippard posted a 2.90 ERA in 53 games with the Indians last season. The right-hander had 64 SO, 15 BB, 38 HA in 62.0 IP.

Bullpen weaknesses: There are a lot of young arms in the Twins’ pen. Randy Dobnak posted a 1.59 ERA in 2019 but only appeared in nine games. One scouting report says Trevor May often gets ahead in counts and then gets crushed when switching to off-speed later in at bats (Athlon Sports). Zack Littel is another younger arm who has appeared in 37 games in two seasons and may be relied on more as a multiple-inning option.

Key stats from 2019

• Catcher Mitch Garver led the Majors by hitting 30 of his 31 home runs as a catcher. Garver posted a .630 slugging percentage which was the highest for any catcher in Twins history.
• Twins hit an all-time record 307 home runs in the regular season in 2019. 17 different players hit homers. Nelson Cruz led the way with 41. Five players topped 30, eight hit at least 20, and 11 reached double-digits.
• 2B Luis Arraez led the team with a .334 BA in 2019.
• SS Jorge Polanco appeared in team-high 153 games.
• According to Statcast, 3B Josh DOnaldson was 8 outs above average in 2019. (3rd in MLB among third baseman).
• The Twins were -14 OOA as an infield in 2019.

After a delay of nearly four months, the 2020 MLB season will begin on Thursday night when the Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees (7 ET, ESPN). It's time to pin down our expectations for what we expect to happen in the abbreviated 60-game season.

Will the Nationals repeat? Is this the year the Los Angeles Dodgers end their long championship drought? Will Gerrit Cole pitch the Yankees to their first title since 2009?

From among our columnists, writers, researchers and editors, we polled 32 of ESPN's leading baseball experts to see what they expect, asking them about who's going to win their respective divisions as well as who's going to win their leagues and ultimately the World Series.

To see who our experts think will walk away with the MVP and other hardware at the end of the 2020 season, check out our award predictions.

Jump to predictions for: National League AL and NL champions World Series champion

American League

AL East

Our pick: Yankees (21 votes)

Who else got votes? Rays (11)

Why did you pick the Rays?

The Rays might be the league's most creative team, which makes them the team most likely to find hidden opportunities in these anomalous circumstances. I'd pick the Yankees' wealth and talent to win out in 162 games, but in 60 games, the gap is negligible, and the division could go to the team that first figures out how to make this once-in-a-lifetime schedule work for it. -- Sam Miller

AL Central

Our pick: Twins (24)

Who else got votes? Indians (5), White Sox (3)

Why did you pick the White Sox?

Among the trio of AL divisions, the Central is the most wide-open, and between Cleveland, Chicago and Minnesota, the White Sox possess the highest ceiling during this boom-or-bust season. Tim Anderson emerged as a legitimate offensive force at shortstop last season, winning the batting title despite playing in fewer than 130 games, while Lucas Giolito lived up to his former consensus top pitching prospect hype for the first time to the tune of a 3.41 ERA in 29 starts and an All-Star appearance. Toss in the free-agent additions of Dallas Keuchel and Yasmani Grandal, the continued development of Eloy Jimenez and the rookie season of Luis Robert, and this White Sox squad boasts the highest talent ceiling in the division. 2020 could be the year, amid the craziest of circumstances, the accumulation of top-tier young talent comes together on the South Side. -- Joon Lee

AL West

Our pick: Astros (17)

Who else got votes: A's (11), Angels (4)

Why did you pick the Angels?

While the Astros remain the team to beat, the Angels and A's have closed that gap significantly. I picked the Angels to win the AL West not only because of Houston's loss of Gerrit Cole to the Yankees but also because the Angels added Anthony Rendon and have a fully healthy Shohei Ohtani back in action. Their pitching is suspect, but anything can happen in a 60-game season, especially when you have Mike Trout. -- Marly Rivera

Why did you pick the A's?

I think the balance of Oakland's roster helps in the unbalanced schedule of the short season, especially going up against some shallow rosters in the two Western divisions -- outside of the Dodgers, of course. The Astros are definitely going to miss Gerrit Cole, and that makes the difference in a 60-game sprint. -- Christina Kahrl

AL wild cards

Votes: Rays (21), Yankees (10), Astros (10), Indians (5), White Sox (6), Twins (4), A's (4), Angels (3), Blue Jays (1)

Why do you think the A's will get one of the AL wild-card spots?

It's hard to make a numbers-based case that Oakland should be favored over the Astros in the AL West, but the A's have one of the best five or six rosters in baseball. What's more, their strengths -- team defense and relief pitching -- should help them find their way as every team seeks to quickly find a rhythm in this odd season. -- Bradford Doolittle

National League

NL East:

Our pick: Braves (16)

Who else got votes? Nationals (10), Mets (4), Phillies (2)

Why did you pick the Nationals?

FanGraphs has the Nats' odds with the Braves to win the division as a coin flip, and that's about where I landed as well. I'm leaning toward the rotational power the Nats have with their Max Scherzer/Stephen Strasburg/Patrick Corbin trio, but the Braves do have a little more youth and upside. -- Kiley McDaniel

NL Central

Our pick: Reds (14)

Who else got votes? Brewers (7), Cubs (6), Cardinals (5)

Why did you pick the Reds?

The NL Central appears to be the most wide-open division. When in doubt, default to starting pitching, and the Reds should be the class of the division with Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, Wade Miley and Anthony DeSclafani. Add in new power sources Mike Moustakas and Nicholas Castellanos, and the Reds' lineup should be improved as well. -- Dave Schoenfield

NL West

Our pick: Dodgers (32)

Everyone picked the Dodgers in the NL West, but if one team were to catch them, which would it be?

The Padres are a chic pick, but I'll go with the Diamondbacks, who have an excellent defensive team anchored by shortstop Nick Ahmed, a star in Ketel Marte and a potentially top rotation with Madison Bumgarner, Robbie Ray, Zac Gallen, Luke Weaver and Merrill Kelly. -- David Schoenfield

NL wild cards

Votes: Nationals (12), Mets (8), Diamondbacks (8),Braves (7), Padres (7), Cubs (5), Brewers (5), Cardinals (5), Phillies (4), Reds (3)

Why do you think the Padres will earn a wild-card spot?

In a conventional sense, the Padres are probably at least a year or two away. But shorten the season to 60 games and all of a sudden a lineup featuring Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. could be a major difference-maker, and young starters like Chris Paddack, MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino can pitch without much restriction, and a dominant reliever like Kirby Yates can be used more freely. -- Alden Gonzalez

AL and NL champions

American League

Our pick: Yankees (14)

Who else got votes: Rays (7), Twins (3), Indians (3), A's (3), Astros (2)

Why did you pick the Astros as AL champs?

If we were making these picks in March, I'm not sure I would have gone with the Astros. Dealing with packed stadiums getting on you every road trip for six months in the immediate aftermath of the winter's sign-stealing news is a lot to shoulder. And I'm also not sure Houston could cover all of the innings it lost when Gerrit Cole left town for a full season. But the shorter season in front of empty stands really plays in the Astros' favor. They still have a very formidable lineup with lots of extra motivation to prove they can hit without any trash cans banging in the background, and a Justin Verlander-Zack Greinke-Lance McCullers Jr. rotation trio is enough to compete with anyone in October. -- Dan Mullen

National League

Our pick: Dodgers (24)

Who else got votes? Braves (2), Nationals (2), Brewers (2), Diamondbacks (1): Reds (1)

Why did you pick the Braves as NL champs?

If you had any doubts about the incredible talent of Ronald Acuna Jr. before last season, his 2019 campaign promptly silenced any doubters. Between Acuna and Ozzie Albies, the Braves possess one of the best talent cores in the league. Toss in the emergence of Mike Soroka last year and the signing of Marcell Ozuna, and Atlanta brings a team with offensive depth -- and that's without including star first baseman Freddie Freeman, one of the most high-profile players to test positive for the coronavirus. Atlanta lost Josh Donaldson to free agency but brings back much of the core that led to 97 wins last season. It'll need a healthy Freeman to make a run at the World Series title, but the talent Atlanta brings to the table is among the best the National League has to offer. -- Joon Lee

Why did you pick the Reds?

The Reds aren't a perfect team but have no major weaknesses. A stacked lineup will only be aided by the DH as this team is no longer Joey Votto and a bunch of no-names. The additions of Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos alone make them the offense to beat in the NL Central. And they have just enough pitching to come out on top. -- Jesse Rogers

World Series champion

Our pick: Dodgers (18)

Who else got votes? Yankees (6), Rays (3), Brewers (2), Braves (1), Nationals (1), Indians (1)

Why did you pick the Dodgers?

My theory on the 2020 season: Health is the single most important variable in a 60-game season. The antidote to the possibility of poor health is depth. There is no deeper team than the Dodgers. And it's really talented, high-ceiling, star-caliber depth too, with prospect capital to supplement via August trades or September roster additions. -- Jeff Passan

Small samples are usually terrible for the favorites, but thanks to a weak division and an outrageous roster -- the NL's best stars at the top, the NL's most depth at the bottom -- the Dodgers are the one team that should be fluke-proof in the regular season. They're the best team in baseball, and the next four, in my opinion, are all in the AL, a gauntlet the Dodgers get to avoid until the World Series. -- SamMiller

While I'm concerned that further decline from Kenley Jansen could really undermine things, I also don't want to overthink it. The Dodgers won 106 games last season and outscored opponents by 273 runs. Then they traded for Mookie Betts. I know the arithmetic never works out that straightforward, but the bottom line is that arguably baseball's best team added one of baseball's best four or five players. -- BradfordDoolittle

Of the three comparable top contenders, I can't pick the Astros given all the uncertainty and acrimony around their offseason, while the Yankees have to get out of the harder league (featuring six of the top seven teams in FanGraphs' projected team WAR). Even apart from those two factors, the Dodgers are probably my slight preference for the best pick of these three anyway. -- Kiley McDaniel

Why did you pick the Yankees?

The Tampa Bay Rays are a deep and dangerous team, and I intended to pick them to win the 2020 World Series. But in watching the Yankees in the summer camp, in seeing the staggering accumulation of talent -- amplified by the return from injury for Miguel Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge -- picking against them would be like picking against the Harlem Globetrotters. Or picking against the Alcindor/Walton UCLA Bruins, or the '98-'00 Yankees. Luck is a greater factor in a 60-game season, but the Yankees' roster advantages will significantly mitigate the chances for derailment by misfortune. They are stacked. -- Buster Olney

Twins Yankees Betting Odds

Even in a shortened season, Gerrit Cole is able to dominate, leading the Yankees to a championship in his first season in pinstripes. New York's depth up and down the lineup and in the bullpen also prove to be major factors, as the Bronx Bombers end up on top for the first time since 2009. -- Harrison Marder

Why did you pick the Rays?

I project the Rays to have the best pitching staff in the majors, led by Charlie Morton, 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell and potential 2020 Cy Young winner Tyler Glasnow. The bullpen is deep and the lineup better than people realize with 2019 All-Stars Austin Meadows and Brandon Lowe and the ability to platoon at several positions. -- David Schoenfield

Insert your own joke beaten into the ground about the Rays being used to playing in front of no crowd at Tropicana Field. Now, sure sure, Tampa Bay's roster has plenty of experience playing in front of sparse crowds, but it also means some of its roster's bright spots go undercovered.

Meadows, acquired in the Chris Archer deal with Pittsburgh, emerged as one of the best bats in the division, and there's a potential bounce-back on the horizon from Snell, who struggled in 2019 to repeat the success of his 2018 Cy Young campaign. Throw in Morton and a perennially strong bullpen pieced together by the team's analytically driven decision-makers and Tampa Bay has everything needed to make a strong run in a small-sample-size season. Tampa Bay dealt away one of its top offensive threats in Tommy Pham and hope Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, who hit 29 homers for the Yokohama BayStars in the NPB in 2019, can replace some of that production.

Baseball's postseason is always chaotic -- the midseason punch line-to-wild card-to-champions Nationals being proof of that last year -- and the Rays seem positioned to navigate all of it. -- Joon Lee

Why did you pick the Braves?

Atlanta approached 100 wins last year and arguably improved this offseason, adding solid vets (Marcell Ozuna, Travis d'Arnaud, Cole Hamels) to one of the best young talent cores in baseball. The Braves also end the year with 10 of 20 games against Miami and Baltimore. With sneaky depth to take advantage of the new DH, they're a top-five talent right now and are the team best equipped to take on the Dodgers in October. -- Kevin Pulsifer

Why did you pick the Indians?

People seem to overlook the Indians winning 93 games a year ago, despite myriad issues with the lineup (Jose Ramirez, the outfield) and rotation (Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco). The upgraded lineup is deeper and more powerful, led by a motivated MVP candidate in Francisco Lindor; the rotation appears healthy; and with a rather attractive schedule, Cleveland should cruise to the postseason, where a veteran manager with several World Series rings adds another. -- Eric Karabell

Why did you pick the Brewers?

Mn Twins Vs Yankees Odds

It's an unusual year, so why not an unusual pick? Someone's going to get hot come October, so why not a team that has advanced to the postseason in back-to-back seasons, has a strong lineup and is willing to maximize matchups at any point in the game on the pitching side? Christian Yelich is an MVP favorite, the DH role seems perfect for Ryan Braun and the team has one of the best closers in the game in Josh Hader. -- Tristan Cockcroft