Let's use the All-Star break to pause and look at where things stand for the Twins before the second half gets underway. This year's 48-49 record through 97 games is nearly identical to last season's 47-50 mark, with two key differences that help explain why the 2026 version at least feels more hopeful.
First, the Twins reached the break playing their best, most consistent ball of the season, winning eight of their last nine series and going 17-10 during that stretch, the American League's second-best record since mid-June. At this point last year, they were in the middle of a 13-23 stretch and then the wheels fell off completely.
Second, the AL is a mess, and getting dominated in interleague play has siphoned off a huge number of wins from the entire league. Only two AL teams are on pace for more than 85 wins, and both are in the AL East division, which means the AL Central and two of the three wild-card spots are just sitting there for the taking.