Twins: Too Many “Ifs” For Me To Fully Buy In [OPINION]

I share my motto for the upcoming Twins season with 90's science fiction TV show "The X-Files." I want to believe.

However, looking at this pitching staff, I am having a hard time suspending my disbelief to buy in with this team. Who the heck is going to pitch? Who will play in the outfield when Buxton and/or Kepler are inevitably injured at some point this season? Who is the closer?

Before the internet, folks would prepare for the upcoming season by reading one of the many preview magazines that cost an arm and a leg at the grocery store. My dad would always say that you could tell how good a team would be by how many times the preview of it said "if."

There are way too many "ifs" this year for me to take the Twins seriously. I don't think they will be awful, but I don't think they are in any way a World Series team this season. Of course I am also on record as saying I thought the Wild would stink this season. So it goes.

"If" Byron Buxton stays healthy...

"If" Bailey Ober can be successful...

"If" Dylan Bundy is one of the few reclamation projects this FO has tried that works...

"If" Ryan, Jax, etc can be stretched out for a full season...

"If" Chris Archer can provide competent innings, let alone return to his all star form...

"If" Alex Kirilloff develops into an impactful, everyday player...

"If" Gary Sanchez cuts down on his strikeouts...

"If" Jorge Polanco can repeat his monster 2021 season...

There are too many "ifs" this year. I think there will be high points this season and I hope that the team is competitive well into October. But they will need a lot of things to go their way.