Twins Finish 77-85, Oust Two Pitching Coaches as MLB Playoff Field Set

Minnesota closed a third-place AL Central season by winning its final two series, then cut ties with two pitching coaches and its athletic trainer ahead of a long winter.

The Minnesota Twins closed the book on the 2026 season Sunday with a 77-85 record and a third-place finish in the American League Central. The ending at least brought a reward: the club won its final two series, including two victories over the Texas Rangers that carried stakes in the AL West race.

First baseman Royce Lewis supplied one last highlight in Sunday's finale at Target Field, going deep for a solo home run against Texas in the eighth inning. The broader numbers were less kind: Minnesota finished seven games shy of the final AL wild-card berth and with the majors' 11th-worst record.

Coaching-staff changes followed almost immediately. The Twins announced the departures of pitching coaches Pete Maki and Luis Ramirez, along with athletic trainer Jason Kirkman.

Personnel questions now dominate the winter agenda. The organization faces a call on Royce Lewis, while catcher Ryan Jeffers could be saying goodbye as a free agent. Lou Hennessey of Zone Coverage made the case for re-signing midseason pickup A.J. Minter. Writing at The Athletic, Dan Hayes laid out why the club still views its outfield as a strength going forward despite the disappointing year.

Beyond roster business, the sport itself heads into an uncertain stretch. Negotiations between the players and the owners over a new collective bargaining agreement loom over the calendar, and the talks carry the potential to turn contentious before a new season begins.

The playoff field is now settled. In the American League, Tampa Bay and Cleveland secured byes into the Division Series. The Yankees and Red Sox will meet on the Rays' side of the bracket, with the White Sox and Astros matching up on Cleveland's side.

In the National League, Milwaukee and Los Angeles earned the byes. The Brewers will face the winner of the Padres-Cubs series, and the Dodgers will take on the survivor of the Phillies-Atlanta matchup.

Managerial changes around the majors have already begun. The Seattle Mariners moved on from manager Dan Wilson on Sunday, getting an early jump on the firings that traditionally follow the final day of the regular season.

The season's individual races were decided as well. Yordan Alvarez claimed the AL batting title, but Pete Alonso's September — 11 home runs and 22 RBI — denied him the Triple Crown, with Alonso topping him in both homers and RBI and Alvarez finishing second in each. Alvarez is nonetheless regarded as the likely AL MVP. In the NL, Gabriel Moreno edged Luis Arraez by a single point for the batting crown, PCA finished first in home runs and the Cardinals' Alec Burleson led in RBI. Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski, who topped the majors in ERA, strikeouts and opponent batting average, now turns to the playoffs with the Brewers.