1 player who must step up for the Twins amid AL Central race with Guardians, White Sox

The Twins need to make their move on the Guardians in the AL Central now, and this player is going to have to step up for his team

The Minnesota Twins are smack dab in the middle of arguably the most competitive division race as we near the end of the 2022 season. The Twins are right alongside both the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox in the race for the top spot in the American League Central, and with less than a month to go on the season, any one of these three teams could reasonably end up winning the division.

Heading into play today, the Guardians hold a one game lead over the Twins, and a two game lead over the White Sox. The status of the AL Central playoff race is so interesting because chances are the two teams that end up falling short in the division will miss the playoffs entirely. Those are some pretty high stakes to say the least.

For the Twins, the fate of their season still rests in their hands. But it's clear they are going to need some of their players to step up if they want to walk away with the division title this season. In particular, this star player needs to get going for Minnesota as soon as possible if they intend on earning a playoff spot this season.

Minnesota Twins player who needs to step up: Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa was one of the top free agents available during the 2022 MLB offseason. Correa ended up waiting out the MLB lockout, and signed a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins. This was a big move for the Twins, and it immediately put them among the favorites to win the AL Central.

Correa built a reputation as one of the best all-around shortstops in the league during his time with the Houston Astros. Correa can do a little bit of everything, and he always seemed to get better for Houston during the playoffs. Of course, Correa was caught up in the sign-stealing scandal that dragged the Astros franchise, and has been working to shake that label ever since the scandal came to light.

For as good as Correa has been throughout his career, he chose a great time in 2021 to have the best season of his career. His numbers were among the best of his career (.279 BA, 26 HR, 92 RBI, .850 OPS) and helped Correa leverage himself with a large deal in Minnesota.

Correa's first season with Minnesota hasn't been awful, but it's left a lot to be desired. Correa has taken a pretty big step back from last season (.270 BA, 16 HR, 47 RBI, .786 OPS) and hasn't produced in the way the Twins were expecting him to when they handed him a massive deal in free agency.

It's clear that while Correa has been a big part in Minnesota's success this season, he's going to need to be better as the 2022 campaign enters the homestretch. Correa hasn't been able to produce like he had done in the past seasons with Houston. If the Twins want to earn a playoff spot, Correa will have to be better.

Of the more concerning aspects of Correa's season is his lack of run production. He has driven in just 47 RBIs, which is on pace to be the lowest of his career, aside from the COVID shortened 2020 season. Correa even had 59 RBIs in the 2019 season when he played just 75 games. Correa has already played 109 games this season, and he should be a regular in the lineup over the final few weeks of the season.

Correa has still been productive when it comes to getting on base and playing solid defense in the field at shortstop, but he had high expectations after his strong 2021 campaign, and he's failed to meet them so far this season. The Twins have a strong lineup, but it needs Correa to play like he did during his time with Houston if they intend on accomplishing anything this season.

Of course, the thought many folks will have is whether or not Correa not being on the Astros is hurting him. He obviously played a role in their sign-stealing scandal; could his regression be tied to that? He played well in the aftermath of that scandal, but it's strange to see him struggle now that he's no longer in Houston.

Chances are that isn't the case for Correa's struggles, but whatever the reason, he needs to flip the switch now. With Byron Buxton on the injured list, all eyes in the Twins dugout are going to look to Correa to lead the way. Whether he can or can't may determine whether or not the Twins can find their way into the playoffs this season.