Twins fall five spots in ESPN power rankings

Minnesota came in at No. 14 after being No. 9 in the previous rankings.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (27) talks to starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson (78) in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on May 17, 2024. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a season of ups and down so far for the Twins.

It was a rough start to the season, but they followed it up with a stretch in which they won 17 of 19 games. Most recently, they were swept by the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians before rebounding to win two of three against the Washington Nationals.

But the back-to-back sweeps saw the Twins fall from No. 9 to No. 14 in the latest edition of ESPN's MLB power rankings. The Guardians, who are 6.5 games ahead of the Twins in the American League Central standings, came in at No. 6. The Twins are currently 26-23.

"After winning 17 of 19 games, the Twins' rally sausage magic ended last with with a reality check," ESPN reporter Jorge Castillo wrote. "The club was swept by two of the American League's three best teams — the Yankees and the Guardians — and lost (seven) consecutive games."

Castillo wrote that the American League Central is now the Guardians to lose. But he did note that the impending return of Royce Lewis is a reason to be optimistic. Lewis continues to progress his way back from a quad strain that he suffered during Opening Day, and he appears to be nearing a rehab assignment. His bat back in the lineup could certainly big a big boost for the Twins.

In the meantime, the Twins will just need to continue to chip away at the Guardians' division lead little by little. They begin a three-game home series against the Texas Rangers at 6:10 p.m. on Friday.