It's that time of the year. The 2023 MLB Playoffs will officially begin on Tuesday and one of the most intriguing series of the lot will see the Toronto Blue Jays face the Minnesota Twins in a best-of-3 series in the AL Wild Card. These two teams met six times this season, both winning three games apiece. The Jays finished with an 89-73 record, which meant they locked down the third and final Wild Card seed. As for the Twins, they were actually 87-75 but since the AL Central was atrocious, Rocco Baldelli's squad won the division. Below, we'll make a few Blue Jays vs Twins bold predictions for the AL Wild Card.

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3. Kevin Gausman twirls gem in Game 1

When you first look at the in-depth statistics, this prediction doesn't exactly line up. Gausman had a 6.30 ERA against the Twins in 23′, giving up 11 hits and seven earned runs in just 10 innings while walking nine hitters. Not exactly the Gausman we've seen for most of the year. But, the righty will surely get some Cy Young votes after posting a 12-9 record and 3.16 ERA, striking out an AL-best 237 hitters in 185 innings. In other words, Gausman has been dominant and it wouldn't surprise me the least to see him deal in the AL Wild Card.

Gausman hasn't pitched since last Tuesday, which means he'll have a full week of rest. He also just had a magnificent September, compiling a 2.43 ERA in five starts. Another reason for positivity? He had a 2.60 ERA in seven outings against AL Central opponents this year, including the two appearances against the Twins.

The reality is Gausman has never really pitched much in the playoffs. He is the main man in this Blue Jays rotation and will be relied upon to give his team the best chance to win on Tuesday. He'll step up and keep the Minnesota offense at bay.

2. Bo Bichette continues to rake

It's common knowledge that Bo Bichette has been the Blue Jays' best hitter in 2023. Despite missing a bit of time through injuries, the shortstop slashed .307 with 20 homers, 30 doubles, and 73 RBIs. He actually led the AL for most of the campaign in hits but did hit a small cold spell in early September. That being said, there's reason to believe Bichette is going to rake against Minnesota.

He's hitting .381 in his last five games and heads into the AL Wild Card with boatloads of confidence. Bichette also batted .333 vs. the Twins in 23′ in six contests. He clearly swings it well when Minny is the opponent. Bichette is honestly the only consistent hitter in this lineup unfortunately and if the Jays are going to have a chance at advancing, he'll need to keep producing. And all signs point to him doing just that.

1. Minnesota wins the series in three games

This pains me since the Blue Jays are Canada's team. But, I just don't see them getting past the Twins. On paper, Toronto has a slightly better pitching staff and defense. That's not the problem. They're just far too inconsistent offensively, as previously mentioned. Hitting with runners in scoring position was a major issue all year while Minnesota has been very impressive at the plate since the All-Star break.

The Twins have scored the most runs in the AL since the festivities in Seattle, with rookies Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien thriving. While Carlos Correa and Lewis are dealing with minor injury ailments at the moment, Baldelli's group is hot, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Blue Jays meanwhile just got spanked by the Rays.

Pitching-wise, Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray are definitely capable of slowing down the Blue Jays lineup while Bailey Ober pitches well against the Jays and the AL East overall. Also, when it comes to Correa, he also tends to step up when the lights are brightest in the postseason. This will be an entertaining series that will come down to Game 3. In the end, though, the Twins will move on to the ALDS for the first time in 19 years.