Patrick Reusse's season outlook for Twins

1. Final record: 87-75. Sorry. I refuse to accept idea that what we've witnessed in Florida means nothing. The Twins' feeble effort as hitters in exhibitions means something when you remember the pitching had to carry the Twins' subpar hitting in the 2020 mini-season. Those Twins were ninth in batting average and 10th in runs scored in the AL. These Twins in spring training will be 30th out of 30 MLB teams in batting average and on-base percentage. With Sano, Kepler leading the way, the hitting has been too futile to ignore. The rotation and Jose Abreu's greatness leading the lineup will give the White Sox the AL Central by a half-dozen games.

2. Best case: Watching Josh Donaldson this spring, he makes everything a mission, a monster of preparation. Byron Buxton makes his team 20% better — and he's also the true speed on a slow team. Andrelton Simmons has magic hands at shortstop. Let those three all start 130 or more games — plus Jose Berrios tap into his full talent — and the Twins can return to the postseason.

3. Worst case: Donaldson pulls a calf muscle. Buxton breaks a bone. Simmons' ankle problem of the past two seasons returns. Berrios allows a couple of bad starts to turn into a six-start August funk. Then, the Twins lose more than they win.