Today’s the Day!

Today’s the day. If you’re someone – maybe someone not very different from me – you’ve been waiting patiently for nearly four months for this day.

Opening Day! Baseball is back.

I used to blog a lot about the Twins but I don’t do that so much anymore because it’s not so much fun blogging about a lousy team. It’s kind of like blogging about politics in this modern world. Anyway, that might change this year because I’m excited about the 2019 Twins like I haven’t been excited about them in a long time. We got rid of a dull, unaffecting and ineffective manager who I thought had no business managing a baseball team at any level and we hired a new manager who looks to be exciting. We went out and picked up some interesting players, guys who can supposedly hit for power and who have tremendously high upsides. Byron Buxton played this spring like we’ve been waiting for him to play for the last four years. Pitching is always the key and I don’t think the pitching, especially the bullpen, is as bad or as worrisome as a lot of other people do. And Miguel Sano, well, he’s Miguel Sano and my excitement about the 2019 Twins ends where discussion about him begins.

So… if you’re interested, here are my predictions for the 2019 Twins –

1. The Twins win the American League Central with an 89-73 record.
2. Byron Buxton will become the player we’ve all been waiting four years for him to become and he will end the season with around 40 stolen bases and a batting average between .275 – .300.
3. Max Kepler will do well in the lead-off spot and put up a .305/.380/.410 line before an unfortunate injury in early June knocks him out of the lineup at which point Byron Buxton is moved into the lead-off spot where he will flourish.
4. Miguel Sano, for reasons that could range anywhere from injury to a continued failure to hit to an arrest will not finish the season with the major league team.
5. Kyle Gibson will shock everyone and win 16 games.
6. Nelson Cruz will hit 45 homeruns.
7. The Twins will lead the American League in homeruns.
8. And last but not least, the boldest of predictions: Byron Buxton will be named to the AL All Star team.

Come back in September so I can say, “I told you so!” If you’re kind I’ll see if I can’t hook you up with some World Series tickets.

Batter up. Go Twins!