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Spring Training is here and that means that the 2023 MLB season is around the corner for the Minnesota Twins and other teams. The Twins, who won just 78 games in 2022, had an active offseason that saw them bring in slugger Joey Gallo, catcher Christian Vazquez, talented starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and outfielder Michael A. Taylor.
In a huge twist, the Twins also ended up winning the Carlos Correa sweepstakes by default, as the star shortstop's free agent deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets fell through due to concerns with his physical.
With Correa returning and some nice additions around him, the Twins look poised to make some noise, not only in their division but also in the American League in the 2023 MLB season.
That said, let's get to our Twins predictions for the 2023 season as the excitement of Spring Training continues.
Joey Gallo rediscovers home run stroke with Twins in 2023
Joey Gallo arrives with the Twins on a one-year, prove-it deal after struggling mightily with the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers after trade deadline deals to both clubs.
Gallo, who hit as many as 41 homers in a season as recently as 2017, looked like a shell of himself in New York and Los Angeles, posting a combined .638 OPS with just 19 home runs and 163 strikeouts in 410 plate appearances.
He took the harsh criticisms he heard from the impatient Yankees fanbase particularly hard.
While a bit more forgiving in Los Angeles, the fans still expected more than what they got from Gallo.
In Minnesota, Gallo will find a fan environment and media market much more similar to his Texas Rangers days, where he thrived and made two All-Star teams.
Plus, Gallo, who posted a max exit velocity in the 89th percentile as well as a hard-hit rate in the 94th percentile last year, still hit the ball plenty hard.
Hitting in a Twins lineup that includes top-tier hitters in Correa and Byron Buxton, Gallo will have a huge rebound year, clubbing 35-plus home runs in 2023.
Twins quietly finish in the top-5 in the MLB in team ERA
This is bold. But that's the idea with an article like this, isn't it? The Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers all have more star-power in their respective rotations.
But after the Twins went out and dealt for Miami Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez, there might be no rotation that's deeper than Minnesota's.
In Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Lopez, the Twins have four pitchers who posted ERA+ marks of 100 or better.
There's balance to this staff as well, with above-average strikeout guys and pitchers who excel at getting the ball on the ground.
The Twins ranked 19th in the majors in team ERA last year.
This year, they'll jump into the top-five, thanks to breakout seasons from Ryan and Lopez.
Minnesota wins a playoff series for the first time since 2002
First, they'll have to get to the playoffs. But with a balanced roster and a division with only one team that has shown any sort of consistency recently, the Cleveland Guardians, the path to October baseball is there.
Sure, the Chicago White Sox could enjoy a bounce-back year under new manager Pedro Grifol. The Detroit Tigers could finally see some young talent propel them to the top of the division.
But more than likely, it will be the Twins and the Guardians atop this division.
One way or another, the Twins will make the postseason.
And led by Correa, an elite postseason performer, Minnesota will finally end this drought and win a playoff series.
