Pissed or impressed: How should fans feel about the 2026 Twins?

The Twins enter play Sunday at 64-72, and they have fallen out of favor rapidly in the American League playoff races. Are they dead? Not technically, but they’re certainly on life support.

Going 8-17 in August and losing seven of their last eight has put them 8 1/2 games behind the White Sox in the division. They’re also four games behind the second-place Cleveland Guardians, who also control the third and final wild-card spot in the AL.

Not only are the Twins chasing Cleveland, but they’re tied with the Mariners, two games behind the Rangers, 2 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays, and three games behind the Orioles. It’s a jumbled mess and the Twins are sprinting in the wrong direction.

On Aug. 19, the Twins had sole possession of the third wild-card spot. It’s been whiplash since the Field of Dreams Game on Aug. 13, with excitement vanishing over the past 10 days.

• Swept at home (one Field of Dreams game) by the Phillies Aug. 13-16
• Responded by sweeping the Braves Aug. 17-19
• Swept in San Diego Aug. 21-23
• Lost two of three in Sacramento against the Athletics Aug. 24-26
• Dropped two straight at home in a pivotal series against the White Sox

One minute, the Twins look like the terrible team everyone predicted them to be. The next minute, they turn right back around and start playing like a club that’s capable of making the playoffs. It’s been chaotic, to say the least.

A lot of Twins fans are just happy to be here. Those fans probably didn’t have high expectations to start, so for the Twins to have come this far and remain in the picture has been a pleasant surprise.

Those fans have no reason to be angry. But for the fans whose expectations change while riding the roller coaster, it’s been an aggravating experience. And you can bulletpoint the reasons for hope, even if they aren’t all trustworthy, long-term options:

• Kody Clemens wasn’t supposed to have nearly 50 extra-base hits
• Brooks Lee wasn’t expected to blast 22 homers
• Josh Bell wasn’t expected to have 81 RBI — his most since 2019
• Ryan Jeffers wasn’t expected to be one of the best hitting catchers in the league
• Taj Bradley was supposed to be good, but not on a pace for 200 strikeouts
• Yoendrys Gomez wasn’t even on the team to start the season, and he’s been an incredible closer
• Andrew Morris, albeit some hiccups of late, has been a terrific reliever
• Nobody thought Jeff Hoffman, Tommy Nance, and AJ Minter would be added to secure the bullpen

Those are among the reasons the expectations changed as the Twins stayed in the hunt. However, expecting all of those players to continue playing so well when they haven’t historically is risky business. And when you couple that with Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan getting injured, and the Twins failing to call up Walker Jenkins for so long, the bleep can hit the fan and send the season spiraling in a hurry.

That’s exactly what’s happened to the Twins. Buxton and Ryan have given the Twins nothing since July. The offense went from averaging 1.67 doubles and 1.23 homers per game before the All-Star break to averaging 1.62 doubles and 0.95 homers per game.

The team’s pitching went from posting a 3.91 ERA in July to 5.03 in August. The starters have a 5.16 ERA in August, and the relievers have a 4.83 ERA. Both rank 26th in the majors in August.

It’s always felt like pitching would doom the Twins.

Joe Ryan is throwing a bullpen session Sunday, and if all goes well, he’ll have a rehab start next week, likely at Triple-A St. Paul, before maybe rejoining the rotation. The Twins also play the next 13 games against AL Central foes. The division isn’t good, so they could rattle off a bunch of wins.

I’d argue everybody should be pretty impressed that this roster, given the circumstances created by the ownership group, has carried fan interest as long as it has.

The biggest disappointment isn’t the losing streak. It’s that the Twins didn’t do more to help themselves before the season began, and that they waited so long to call up Walker Jenkins, who looks like an absolute stud — then batted him ninth in his first two games back.

How do you feel: Piss or impressed?

We are in the age of big media consolidation and content networks. But even with the proliferation of AI, nothing can beat the quality and inherent knowledge of local sports journalism. Our writing room consists of a Tommy, a Gopher, and even a Mustang. We know the Minnesota towns and the great names that played on its diamonds, courts, fields or rinks. Subscribe NOW to the new Bring Me The Sports newsletter. We would appreciate your readership and support!

This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Twins section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.