Written by Joel Sherman at New York Post.com
There were four terrific teams in the American League this year, but five playoff teams.
The Red Sox, Yankees, Indians and Astros each won at least 91 games and all outscored their opponents by at least 117 runs. The Twins are the gatecrashers here.
Of the 58 teams that have qualified as wild cards since the format was installed in 1995, none has had a lower winning percentage than the 2017 Twins’ .525 — and that includes the last six seasons, when two wild cards have reached in both leagues.
These Twins outscored opponents by 27 runs, but were 12-26 against the other four AL playoff teams, outscored in those 38 contests by 104 runs.
One of these AL playoff clubs is not like the other.
There were just five AL teams above .500 and Minnesota is one almost because some team had to be the best of the worst. The Twins could be offended by such a statement, except even their front office didn’t believe in the team, trading closer Brandon Kintzler at the July deadline and also Jaime Garcia to the Yankees.
If the Yankees and Twins played 100 times, my suspicion is the Yanks would win at least 65. But they are going to play just once on Tuesday night, and let’s face it: You wouldn’t want me to tell you that you had a 35 percent chance of getting hit by lightning tomorrow. But that is the situation the Yankees are in. A bad three hours, and the Yankees’ season is over.
To continue reading this article, click here.
