| 11 September 2010
I'm about the commit the cardinal sin among American League Central baseball bloggers: assume my team makes the playoffs. A lot can happen in the next 21 games, but I'm feeling fairly confident in Minnesota's 93 percent playoff probability.
Even though the Twins will likely win the division, though, there doesn't seem to be much optimism among Minnesota fans. The general consensus, at least from where I sit, appears to be that if the Twins manage to qualify for the MLB postseason, the tough American League East will be more than happy to knock them right back out.
It happened last year, and many seem to think it will happen again.
In 2010, though, the Twins have a better team than last year, and could manage to clinch home-field advantage. This squad, the first in Target Field's history, is much better than last year's team. And the 2010 Twins are much better than the average playoff team.
Here's how the Twins stack up against all teams that have qualified for the playoffs in the last 50 yearsb.
| Team | Batting Average | On-Base | Slugging | Team ERA | Walks per 9 IP | Strikeouts per 9 IP |
| Average Playoff Team | .268 | .338 | .419 | 3.77 | 3.12 | 6.18 |
| 2010 Minnesota Twins | .277 | .345 | .428 | 3.84 | 2.3 | 6.4 |
| Average WS Winner | .266 | .333 | .410 | 3.55 | 3.07 | 6.01 |
Minnesota may not stack up well against the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays, but the neutralizing Target Field could prove to be a big advantage.
So let's get Justin Morneau back on the team, wrap this division up, and take this show to the playoffs.
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