Last year, the Twins’ rotation unraveled down the stretch, as José Berríos and Jake Odorizzi declined after great first halves, Kyle Gibson and Martin Pérez pitched their way out of the playoff mix, and Michael Pineda got suspended. What had been a vastly improved, above-average rotation was in shambles for the ALDS, leading to Randy Dobnak starting Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.
This season has been a different story. Injuries struck almost immediately and basically never stopped, knocking out Odorizzi, Homer Bailey and Rich Hill for large chunks of the abbreviated 60-game schedule, but the Twins’ rotation looks as strong heading into the playoffs as it has at any point in the past three months. And maybe in the past three decades.
Kenta Maeda has been an elite starter all season, paying immediate dividends on the bold trade with the Dodgers and giving the Twins a new No. 1 starter. Berríos has reversed his usual trend of starting…
