TWINS EYE END TO THEIR PLAYOFF INFAMY, WHILE CHISOX TURN TO OLD FACE

1 MINNESOTA TWINS

O/U WINS: 88.5

PLAYER WHO’LL NEED TO STEP UP: Jose Berrios. Kenta Maeda nearly won the Cy Young in his first Twins season. But Berrios is still probably the most talented Minnesota starter. Like Buxton, the skill with Berrios is so overt, you try to imagine what it would look like if he maximized what he has.

NAME YOU’LL GET TO KNOW: Alex Kirilloff. The rare player who has started a playoff game but never appeared in a regular-season game. Kirilloff failed to win the left-field job in spring training, but his time is coming.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Can Josh Donaldson stay healthy? Calf problems that devastated Donaldson’s 2018 season did the same in 2020, limiting him to 28 games and keeping him out of the playoffs. Donaldson still can have a difference-making bat, but obviously only if he is in the lineup.

HOW IT’LL GO DOWN: The Twins have lost 18 straight postseason games — the longest streak ever among the four major North American team sports — dating to 2004. The addition of Andrelton Simmons’ defense at short and Alex Colome’s craftiness in the endgame will give Minnesota yet another chance to win in October.

PROJECTED LINEUP

RF Max Kepler

3B Josh Donaldson DH Nelson Cruz 2B Jorge Polanco 1B Miguel Sano

C Mitch Garver CF Byron Buxton SS Andrelton Simmons LF Jake Cave

ROTATION

RHP Kenta Maeda RHP Jose Berrios RHP Matt Shoemaker RHP Michael Pineda LHP J.A. Happ

KEY PLAYER: Byron Buxton. No Twin can change the team’s fortunes more by putting together his abundant skills with health. Last year he became less patient and more powerful to the point that if Buxton had qualified for the batting title, he would have led the majors in highest homer percentage and lowest walk percentage. There is an MVP candidate here with his defense, speed and power. He has to stay off the injured list and be on the bases more.