- The American League Division Series (ALDS) begins on October 4 for the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins.
- The Twins were knocked out of postseason runs when they’ve played the Yankees on four separate occasions; in 2003, 2004, 2009, and 2010.
- Minnesota has odds of +1300 to win the World Series, a huge difference from the odds awarded to New York.
NEW YORK – The New York Yankees (103-59) could take home a World Series title if bookies have any say over the matter. New York is currently holding odds of +350 to win the Championship. Coming in first are the Houston Astros (107-55) with odds of +190 and then the Los Angeles Dodgers (106-56) with +250 at NY sportsbooks. The Yankees have not won a World Series Championship since 2009.
New York clinched their division title in the AL East, even with a season where 30 separate players were on the Injured List at some point during the year. On their trek to the Series, they first must play the Minnesota Twins (101-61) of the AL Central division to seal a chance at the American League Pennant. The Yankees and the Twins will participate in a round of five games. Whichever team wins three games first will move on to the AL Pennant championship.
Back in July, the Yankees and the Twins had a battle that went into extra innings, ultimately handing New York the win 14-12. However, it shows what a formidable opponent Minnesota is for the dynasty. Aaron Boone, the head coach for the Yankees has said of the July meetings that the Twins are a beast of a team. The Twins refer to the Yankees as a dragon they have to slay. The series between the two looks to be one of beasts and dragons. And you thought the “Game of Thrones” was over.
“We’ve got to play our best baseball. Period. End of story,’’ said Brian Cashman, Yankees’ General Manager. “Do everything in our power to find a way to get past them. We’re really excited for the opportunity. Our first step in this process was to win the division so we didn’t have to deal with the wild-card issue. That’s Phase I. Phase II is to try to find a way to get through this series. They happen to be our opponent and they’ll be a handful.’’
With the New York Yankees having such favorable odds when it comes to the World Series compared to the Minnesota Twins, they could very well be the first team to win three out of five and advance to the Pennant series. Game One starts on October 4 in the Bronx. Based on their July meetings, it’s sure to be a slugfest you won’t want to miss.