Minnesota Twins Tickets

2010 Minnesota Twins Season Preview The Minnesota Twins squeaked into the playoffs last year after rallying to chase down the Detroit Tigers in the final weeks, but they hope to win the division by a more comfortable margin in 2010.

The big news in Minnesota will be their new home in 2010. The Twins will move into Target Field, a beautiful outdoor ballpark that will certainly be a little chilly at the beginning and end of the season.

Catcher Joe Mauer won the MVP award last season, and the Twins are trying their best to lock him into a long-term contract before he hits the free agent market. Mauer would likely get a crazy deal from the New York Yankees, who desperately need a catcher to eventually replace Jorge Posada.

For now, Mauer isn't going anywhere, and that's great news for the Twins. His high batting averaged and skills behind the plate make him one of the most valuable players in all of baseball.

Teams can't pitch around Mauer because former MVP Justin Morneau offers plenty of protection. Morneau is equally as good with the glove as with the bat, making him a terrific, all-around player.

The young starting rotation is led by Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey, who each show a lot of promise but remain inconsistent.

The wildcard is Francisco Liriano, who at one time was among baseball's best young pitchers. An arm injury has since derailed his career, but the team remains hopeful that he is slowly working his way back toward stardom.

The good news for Minnesota's starters is that any lead that they have going into the late-innings is likely to result in a win. Closer Joe Nathan is considered the best in the big leagues and has a very promising career ahead of him.

Minnesota made some small upgrades to their lineup in the offseason, bringing in designated hitter Jim Thome and shortstop J.J. Hardy.

Thome is getting up there in age and has a history of back problems, but he should give the Twins another left-handed power bat. Hardy was a disappointment with the Milwaukee Brewers, but a change of scenery might jump-start his career.

There's no reason to think that the Twins won't be right back in the thick of things this year in the American League Central chase, which is usually more than just a two-team race.