Souhan: Minnesota Twins’ early struggles were unsightly but not definitive

Former Twins pitcher LaTroy Hawkins recently graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern New Hampshire University, fulfilling a promise he made to his grandmother.

The blessing of this young baseball season is that you did not need an advanced education to comprehend that the Twins’ season was not doomed by their terrible April.

On May 2, they lost in Boston, extending their latest losing streak to four games and falling to 13-20.

Anger, or worry, was justified. Doomsaying was foolish.

With Saturday night’s 2-1 victory over the Giants, the Twins have won seven in a row. They are 20-20 and only one game out of the last wild-card playoff spot.

Want to worry about the Twins?

Don’t fret that the roster isn’t good enough. This remains the most quality pitching depth, in the big leagues and in the organization, that the Twins have had in decades, if not ever.

Their bullpen has moved past its inexplicable early incompetence, and the hitters, who were the primary culprits in the team’s first 33 games, have gotten back to the basics, hitting line drives and using the opposite field.

Byron Buxton is producing. Carlos Correa has escaped his slump. Royce Lewis (who should be this team’s best player) has returned, along with Willi Castro, who was their best all-around player last year.

The Twins can look forward to the return of two important bats: Matt Wallner, their best pure power hitter, and rookie Luke Keaschall, who might be their best pure hitter.

The Twins have a 4-6 record in one-run games, which is the reason they are not above .500 at the moment, and a run differential of plus-18. That’s 10 runs better than the Royals, who are 24-17, and 32 runs better than the Guardians, who are 23-16.

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The Twins’ statistical profile is an indication of too many concurrent slumps, bad luck and bad timing, not of the utter incompetence that their record suggested.

The legitimate reasons for concern are not the talent on the roster or in the organization.

The reasons for concern are these:

1. The division

There are still people in the world saying things like, “At least the Twins play in a lousy division,” which is the latest proof that facts are often beaten to a bloody pulp by indiscriminate perception.

Three of the last four teams in the American League playoffs last year were from the American League Central.

The Twins barely functioned after Aug. 5 last year, yet they still won 82 games, despite all of their injuries and season-altering slumps from some of their best players, including Lewis.

That’s frustrating to watch, but their finish wasn’t a commentary on the abilities of the roster, it was a commentary on the lack of seasoning of some of their best young players.

This year, the division looks even stronger. Detroit, Cleveland and Kansas City have built strong teams with strong farm systems.

The Twins’ record would have them within four games of the lead in three of the other five divisions.

2. Injuries

“Injuries” is not an excuse. “Injuries” may be the most important factor in any team’s season, and not just the Twins’.

The Wild were the best team in the NHL this season … before losing Kirill Kaprizov and other key players to injury.

The Vikings have averaged 13.5 victories per season under Kevin O’Connell when their starting quarterback stays healthy. They won seven the year Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson lost time because of injuries.

The Wolves’ trade for Rudy Gobert may have looked good immediately if Karl-Anthony Towns had been healthy when Gobert was adapting to his new team.

The Lynx have won less than 40% of their games once in the past 14 years — when Napheesa Collier missed most of the 2022 season because of her pregnancy.

If the Twins’ best players stay relatively healthy, they will be in position to make the playoffs in September, and their lousy April will be considered an almost-forgotten character-building exercise.