Twins Finish 2026 With Win, Young Core Gives Glimpse of What Could Be Ahead

By Troy Geary 

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network 

The Disability Channel 

MINNEAPOLIS :

The Minnesota Twins ended a disappointing season on a positive note, and perhaps more importantly, gave a glimpse of why there is still reason to believe in what this young team can become.

The Twins defeated the Texas Rangers 6-4 Sunday at Target Field in the final game of the regular season, finishing 77-85.

While the record won't be what Minnesota wanted when the season began, the 77 victories mark a seven game improvement from last season's 70-92 finish.

And with several young players playing important roles throughout the season, the final game provided another reminder that this team has pieces it can build around heading into 2027.

Dean Kremer gave Minnesota exactly what it needed on the mound, delivering seven strong innings. Kremer allowed just three hits and one run while walking nobody and striking out four to earn the victory and finish the season 5-5 with a 4.68 ERA.

Josh Bell provided the big blow offensively.
Bell launched a two run home run in the third inning and finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs and a walk. His 21st home run of the season gave the Twins an early lead and capped a season in which he drove in 96 runs. Royce Lewis also finished the season on a high note, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the eighth inning, his 15th of the season, while Ryan Jeffers added two hits, including a double, and an RBI.

Walker Jenkins went 2-for-4 and scored a run, while Kody Clemens added a hit and an RBI.
Luke Keaschall didn't record a hit, but reached base twice with two walks and scored three runs.

That group represents a large part of the optimism surrounding Minnesota going into 2027. Keaschall, Jenkins, Lewis, Clemens, Brooks Lee and Kaelen Culpepper all saw significant opportunities this season, giving the Twins valuable experience that could pay off moving forward.

There is still plenty for Minnesota to address.
The starting rotation will need to be strengthened, the bullpen needs consistency and the offense will need more production if the Twins want to turn improvement into a postseason push. But 77 wins is still progress.

After winning just 70 games a year ago, the Twins found seven more victories this season while giving several young players valuable major league experience.

The 2026 season ends without October baseball, but it doesn't have to be the end of the rebuilding process.

Instead, the Twins head into the offseason with a younger core that now has a full season of experience and a clear opportunity to take another step forward in 2027.

For Minnesota, the work toward next season starts now. 

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

The Disability Channel

MINNEAPOLIS:

The Texas Rangers kept their playoff hopes alive Saturday, putting together a much needed 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.  After the Twins dominated Texas 10-2 in Friday night’s series opener, the Rangers answered with a strong all-around performance, getting timely hitting and a solid effort from their pitching staff. 

Texas collected 13 hits in the victory, with the offense getting contributions throughout the lineup. Jake Burger, Brandon Nimmo and Danny Jansen were among the Rangers leading hitters as Texas avoided another offensive struggle against the Twins. 

The Rangers jumped on Minnesota early and continued to add pressure throughout the game, building a lead the Twins could not overcome.  Minnesota finished with eight hits but struggled to turn those opportunities into runs. The Twins scored twice but were unable to produce the big inning that helped them pull away in Friday’s 10-2 victory.  The loss was a reminder of how different the two games were.

Minnesota scored 10 runs on 11 hits Friday, with Luke Keaschall going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and Kody Clemens going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and his 27th home run of the season. 

Saturday was a different story as Texas limited the Twins to two runs while its offense provided enough production to keep the Rangers in the playoff fight. 

Texas improved to 80-81 with the victory, while Minnesota dropped to 76-85.  For the Rangers, the importance of the victory went beyond simply evening the series.

With their postseason hopes still hanging in the balance, Texas needed to respond after Friday’s loss, and Saturday’s performance gave them another opportunity to keep the season alive. 

The Rangers will now head into the series finale looking to finish the job in Minnesota, while the Twins will look to play spoiler once again with the postseason picture coming down to the final days of the regular season. 

By Troy Geary 

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network 

The Disability Channel 

MINNEAPOLIS:

The Minnesota Twins may be out of the playoff picture, but they are not going quietly. With the Texas Rangers arriving at Target Field with their postseason hopes on the line, the Twins delivered one of their biggest spoiler performances of the season, rolling past Texas 10-2 Friday night.

The Rangers entered the final weekend knowing every game mattered. Instead, Minnesota turned the opening game of the three game series into a statement that the Twins still have plenty to play for, even if it is now about keeping another team from reaching October. 

Texas jumped on Joe Ryan for two runs in the first inning, but the lead lasted only one inning. The Twins exploded for six runs in the second against Jacob deGrom, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 advantage and never looking back.

Luke Keaschall led the offensive attack, going 4 for 5 with three runs and three RBIs, including a double and triple. Kody Clemens added three hits and three RBIs, including his 27th home run of the season, a two run shot in the sixth inning.

Royce Lewis chipped in two RBIs, while Brooks Lee, Walker Jenkins and Ryan Jeffers each added a hit.

Minnesota finished with 11 hits and went 6 for 10 with runners in scoring position, repeatedly putting pressure on a Texas club that could not find an answer after the first inning.

Ryan settled down after the rough opening frame, keeping Texas off the scoreboard the rest of the way. He earned the victory to improve to 7-10 with a 3.79 ERA, while deGrom took the loss after allowing the six run second inning.

The Rangers managed just six hits after their early start and were held scoreless over the final eight innings.

For Minnesota, the victory improves the Twins to 76-84 and gives them another opportunity to impact the postseason race despite their own playoff hopes having already faded. 

Texas falls to 79-81, with the Rangers now facing even more pressure heading into the final two games of the series.

Minnesota has nothing to lose.

Texas has everything to lose.

And with two games still remaining at Target Field, the Twins have already made the final weekend much more uncomfortable for a Rangers team fighting to keep its season alive.

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network 

The Disability Channel 

MINNEAPOLIS :

The New York Yankees continued their push toward October Tuesday night, while the Minnesota Twins were left looking more toward what comes next.

The Yankees defeated the Twins 8-1, collecting 14 hits while Minnesota managed just seven.

Max Fried kept the Twins’ offense in check, allowing one run on six hits over seven innings while striking out six and walking none. Bailey Ober took the loss after allowing three runs on nine hits over 5⅓ innings, with three strikeouts and two walks.

The Twins briefly made it a one-run game in the second inning. Royce Lewis reached on an infield single and scored when Emmanuel Rodriguez followed with an RBI single. 

Rodriguez finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Luke Keaschall went 3-for-4. Keaschall and Rodriguez combined for five of Minnesota’s seven hits.

The Yankees broke the game open in the sixth. Heliot Ramos doubled home a run before Spencer Jones followed with a three-run homer to give New York a 7-1 lead. Cody Bellinger also homered earlier in the game and finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

New York finished 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while the Twins were just 1-for-6.

For Minnesota, the final weeks of the season are becoming increasingly important for evaluating the roster heading into 2027. Keaschall, Rodriguez and Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins are among the younger players getting valuable major-league experience.

At the same time, Tuesday’s loss showed areas the Twins will need to address, including more consistency offensively and additional depth in both the starting rotation and bullpen.

The Yankees are focused on October. The Twins are beginning to focus on what comes after 2026.

By Troy Geary

Geary Sports & Entertainment Network

The Disability Channel

MINNEAPOLIS:

The New York Yankees clinched a playoff spot Monday night, and they did it at the expense of a Minnesota Twins team watching its own postseason hopes fade even further. New York erupted for six runs in the eighth inning to turn a close game into an 8-3 victory over the Twins at Target Field, officially securing its place in the postseason while dropping Minnesota to 70-80 with only 12 games remaining. 

The Yankees looked every bit like a team headed for October. After Minnesota briefly took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning, New York answered and eventually broke the game open in the eighth. Aaron Judge delivered the biggest blow, launching a three-run home run off AJ Minter to give the Yankees a 6-2 advantage. It was Judge's 18th homer of the season and capped a six-run inning that effectively ended any chance of a Twins comeback.

José Caballero gave New York an early spark with a solo homer in the third inning. He finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Ben Rice added two hits and two RBIs, while Austin Wells provided the final blow with a solo home run in the ninth. New York finished with nine hits and took advantage of virtually every important opportunity, going 4-for-5 with runners in scoring position. 

The Yankees' pitching also kept Minnesota from building any sustained momentum. Minnesota finally broke through in the sixth when Emmanuel Rodriguez delivered a two-run triple, giving the Twins a brief 2-1 advantage.

Josh Bell added his 20th home run in the eighth, but by then New York had already taken control. Bell finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Rodriguez collected two hits and two RBIs. The Twins had seven hits overall but went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners.

For New York, the night was about much more than another victory. It was a celebration. The Yankees improved to 87-63 and officially punched their ticket to the postseason.

For the Twins, it was another painful reminder of where the two teams stand. One club is preparing for October. The other is trying to find a reason to believe it can still get there. With Minnesota sitting at 70-80 and only 12 games left, that gap has never looked wider.