Game 16: Twins at Blue Jays

TORONTO, ON - October 20 The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 at the Rogers Centre to win the ALCS in game 7 in MLB baseball actionPDOctober 20 2025 Richard Lautens/Toronto Star (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images

First Chuck: 12:37 PM CDT (click here each week for a new anthem!)

The Tube: Twins.TV

The Dial: Treasure Island Baseball Network

Spies ‘R Us: Bluebird Banter

With the Minnesota Twins battling the 2025 AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays this weekend, it got me thinking how our boys have historically fared against the previous year’s American League pennant-winning squad. A little Baseball-Reference.com research and some simple math later, and the result is: not good—at all.

Going back to 2001, the Twins are 90-142 against the reigning Junior Circuit champion. That’s a .388 winning percentage (or a 63-99 regular season pace) if you are Bert Blyleven-ing the math at home.

The worst offenders…

• 2002: 0-6 against the New York Yankees (gee, what a shock)
• 2016: 4-15 against the Kansas City Royals

• 2022: 0-6 against the Houston Astros

In fact, only three times have the Twins even been over .500 against the league champs…

• 2001: 4-2 against the Yankees (this was a pre-Chuck Knoblauch $1 hot dog curse world)
• 2011: 5-3 against the Texas Rangers
• 2024: 5-2 against the Rangers

But this afternoon, the Twins have a chance to flip the script and take the series from the defending champs!

Click here for Lineups!

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