Going into the season, most expected the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox to be the dregs of the American League Central. Short on talent and holding low budgets, it was marked as a rebuild year for both. But the White Sox remain over .500, and the Twins are flirting with .500 as well. That brings some extra juice to this rivalry matchup.
First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m. ET. The Twins are -156 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while a White Sox upset is priced at +129. The game total is set at O/U 8.5 runs.
Let’s get into a the best bets for this White Sox vs. Twins game.
White Sox vs. Twins Preview
First things first, let’s get to know these starting pitchers.
Erick Fedde steps to the bump for Chicago. A lot is going right for the White Sox, but Fedde has not been part of that equation. The veteran right-hander has a 5.40 ERA through seven starts and four relief appearances, and the advanced numbers affirm his struggles. One of the worst strikeout pitchers in baseball, Fedde is getting hit hard and often, posting a subpar ground ball rate. Giving up a line drive or fly ball to 50% of the hitters you face won’t hold up.
Opposite him is Taj Bradley. A big acquisition for the Twins at the last trade deadline, Bradley is off to a strong start to his first full season in the Twin Cities. He made a big adjustment to his arsenal, dropping his sinker entirely while ramping up four-seam fastball and splitter usage. As a result, he’s shaved almost two full runs off his ERA from last season. Bradley’s excellent strikeout stuff has carried him, and if he learns how to induce soft contact, the Twins could have a gem on their hands.
Chicago’s surprise offense has been one of the stories of the year. Munetaka Murakami, who had a lot of questions coming over from Japan, has hit the ground running with an AL-leading 20 home runs. Hopefully, he gets healthy soon. Miguel Vargas is taking a star turn, and Colson Montgomery continues to hit well at short. Despite the lack of veterans, this team has been in the top 10 in wRC+ and above average in defensive runs saved. Not bad for a bunch of kids.
Minnesota’s offense has been fine on the whole, largely due to a resurgent season from Byron Buxton, who has smashed 17 homers on the year. A strong year from Ryan Jeffers behind the dish has helped as well. Though Minnesota is still likely to fall into the seller category before the trade deadline, they’ll have some interesting decisions to make.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to take this one home?
White Sox vs. Twins Best Bets
While the Twins are bringing the better pitcher to the party, it’s hard to ignore how much better the White Sox gloves and bats are. I expect the Southsiders to put the hurt on Bradley, though Fedde will take plenty of damage himself, resulting in a high-scoring win for the White Sox.
