Twins Video
By the end of the 2024 season, the Minnesota Twins found themselves watching the playoffs from home. After a promising start, injuries and critical failures piled up, derailing what could have been a division-winning campaign. These moments, in particular, stand out as the turning points that cost the team a chance to defend their AL Central crown and return to October baseball.
Opening Day Omen
Every team starts the season with high hopes, but the Twins’ dreams took a gut punch right out of the gate when Royce Lewis suffered a right quad injury on Opening Day. The disappointment was amplified because he had homered in his first at-bat of the season. After an electrifying 2023 season, Lewis was expected to be a centerpiece of the lineup and one of the most dynamic players in the division.
Minnesota got off to a terrible start to the 2024 season with a 7-13 record, and one has to wonder if that ghastly stumble cost the team the playoffs. Lewis’s injury left a gaping hole at third base, disrupting the lineup’s balance. The Twins tried to patch things together, but the ripple effect was felt for months. Without Lewis’s bat and energy, Minnesota's offense struggled to find consistency, setting an ominous tone for the year.
Losing the Team’s MVP
Carlos Correa had been Minnesota’s heart and soul through the first half of 2024. His first-half performance was All-Star-caliber, potentially the best stretch of his career, reminding fans why the Twins made him their highest-paid player. He hit .308/.377/.520 with 16 doubles, three triples, and 13 home runs in 75 games. But just days before the All-Star break, Correa went down with plantar fasciitis, which sidelined him for two months and effectively killed the Twins’ momentum heading into the second half.
His initial self-prognosis was positive, and there was some discussion about how quickly he could return to the field. However, the injury lingered, and Correa was forced to undergo painful treatments while also trying to find a cleat that worked with his injury. The Twins lacked a capable replacement and limped into and out of the break without their franchise player, their record slipping in the process.
Ryan’s Late-Summer Setback
Despite the above injuries, Minnesota played like one of baseball’s best teams after the rough start to the year. The rotation took its biggest hit at the beginning of August, when Joe Ryan was placed on the injured list with right triceps tightness. Ryan had been the team’s best starter for much of the season, with a career-best ERA+ (115) and WHIP (0.99). Other pitcher injuries to Anthony DeSclafani and Chris Paddack forced the team to turn to younger internal options, and that can result in volatility.
Without Ryan, the Twins’ rotation depth was exposed. David Festa and Zebby Matthews were called upon, but the team limited their workload. This forced the bullpen to face more strain, and the team couldn’t find the same rhythm. Ryan’s injury came at the worst possible time, right when the Twins were pushing to stay in contention, and the pitching staff’s cracks began to show.
Alcalá’s Meltdown in Texas
Later in August, the Twins had a chance to finish off a four-game sweep against the Texas Rangers. After taking the first three games, they held a commanding 4-0 lead in the series finale, looking to head on to the next leg of their road trip riding high.But in a disastrous seventh inning, Jorge Alcalá allowed five runs, letting the Rangers storm back to take the lead in under 15 minutes. At the time, it was a bad loss, but it became the tipping point that started their second-half spiral.
This blown game symbolized the bullpen’s inconsistency throughout the season. Alcalá, who had been entrusted with high-leverage innings, failed to deliver. That loss deflated the team, as they never fully regained their footing in the following weeks, dropping series to division rivals and losing ground in the standings.
Buxton’s Second Half Absence
Byron Buxton has long been a player who can change a game on his own, but staying healthy has been his bugaboo. Buxton managed to play over 100 games in 2024,silencing some doubters, but injuries once again marred his second half. A leg injury in late July limited his availability, and he spent much of August and September on the injured list.
Minnesota missed Buxton’s offensive punch in the lineup and his tremendous defense in center field. Before the injury, he had posted an .862 OPS, with 42 extra-base hits in 90 games. Buxton and Correa returned to the lineup for the final fortnight, but it was too late. The Twins had fallen apart without their two stars, and the Tigers roared past them into playoff position.
A Season Defined by “What Ifs”
The 2024 season will be remembered as one filled with "what ifs" for the Twins. What if Lewis hadn’t been injured on Opening Day? What if Correa had stayed healthy all year? What if Alcalá hadn’t imploded in Texas? What if Ryan and Buxton could have made it through the second half unscathed? Each of these injuries compounded the team’s struggles, and despite flashes of brilliance, the Twins couldn’t keep up with the competition.
Minnesota entered 2024 with expectations of reclaiming the division title, but these critical moments and injuries proved too much to overcome. Instead of playing in October, the team and its fans are left to wonder what could have been. As the offseason begins, the Twins must address the durability issues that haunted them this season. They have the talent to compete in the AL Central, but 2024 served as a harsh reminder that even the best-laid plans can be undone by the unpredictable nature of the game.
Which moment is the biggest reason the Twins didn’t make the playoffs? Leave a comment and start the discussion.
