First-place teams are taking each other on, with the Minnesota Twins (40-39) taking on the Atlanta Braves (49-27) for the first time since 2019. The Twins haven't played in Atlanta since 2016. That all changes on Monday night when this series gets underway. Truist Park is set to host, with a 7:20 p.m. EDT first pitch. Here's a look at these two division leaders.
It hasn't been easy, but Minnesota's hold on the AL Central remains. An extra-innings win over the Detroit Tigers made sure of that on Sunday afternoon. Pitching has been the team's strength, and Sonny Gray's dominance is a major part of that. He gets the ball to begin this series. Gray leads MLB in HR/9 and owns the best FIP in the American League. He hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start all season. Minnesota always has a chance when it's a Gray day.
Royce rollin' #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/MGfNouKpgm
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 25, 2023
Scoring hasn't been as easy in the Twin Cities, with the team ranking 21st in runs per game. Although, that's royalty among the AL Central's clubs. The Twins have a lot of work to do at the plate, beginning with shrinking their league-worst strikeout rate. There's also no excuse for only having 37 stolen bases (29th) with a success rate of 86.0%. Minnesota can clear fences, but they don't help themselves in a lot of other ways.