Can the Twins turn the page after a rough June and find their stride?

June 2025 was a brutal month for the Minnesota Twins. Not only did they go 9-18, the third-worst record in MLB, they allowed 169 runs in the process. That's 17 more than the next-closest team (the 19-65 Colorado Rockies) and 28 more than any other team in the American League. It's almost as many runs as they allowed in 53 games in April and May combined (173).

As the calendar gets set to flip to July, the Twins are 40-44 and 3.5 games back of a wild card spot in the AL (prior to other games around the league on Monday, which is an off day for Minnesota). Can they shake off their awful June, turn the page, and find their stride in July?

There may be some reasons for optimism, if you're looking for them. For one, start with the schedule. Of the eight teams the Twins played in June, six have a winning record and five are currently in a playoff position. Of the eight teams they'll face in July, sandwiched around the All-Star break, just three have a winning record. They play the Cubs and the Dodgers, yes, but they also get to play the four worst teams in the National League.

Twins July opponents (records as of Monday afternoon)

• Marlins (road): 37-45
• Rays (home): 47-37
• Cubs (home): 49-35
• Pirates (home): 35-50
• Rockies (road): 19-65
• Dodgers (road): 53-32
• Nationals (home): 35-49
• Red Sox (home): 41-44

Offense wasn't really an issue for the Twins in June. Again, this is prior to Monday's games, but they were tenth in runs scored, fifth in home runs, and seventh in wRC+ as an offense during the month. Byron Buxton has been playing like a man possessed, while Brooks Lee and Willi Castro also had excellent months, among others. And the lineup could get a boost with Royce Lewis coming off the IL and replacing Jonah Bride, who was DFA'd. Lewis has rough numbers this year, but things seemed to be clicking for him earlier in June before he suffered another hamstring strain.

So it's all about pitching. With Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews hurt, the Twins had a horrific 6.07 team ERA in June, the worst in baseball. Bailey Ober had a nightmare month. David Festa and Chris Paddack weren't much better. Justin Topa, Cole Sands, Joey Wentz, and Bride (who threw an egregious six innings) got shelled in low-leverage spots out of the Twins' bullpen, turning deficits into lopsided blowouts. It was a mess.

The glass-half-full view of the Twins' pitching situation is that they feel quite due for some positive regression to the mean, even if Lopez won't be back anytime soon. Joe Ryan has been a true ace for the Twins this season and is at least providing a reason, alongside Buxton, to hold out hope. Festa was sharp in his most recent start, going 5.2 scoreless innings on Friday night in Detroit. Simeon Woods Richardson has allowed three earned runs in his last three starts. Matthews could return to the mound in July. And if Ober can't figure things out soon, maybe Travis Adams gets an opportunity. The lighter schedule should help the Twins' pitching staff, which still features a dynamite back end of the bullpen with Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart, and Danny Coulombe.

Maybe it's foolish. But if you squint a little bit, there are reasons to believe the Twins might just be able to bounce back and put together a much better July. Their quest to get back into the heart of the playoff race starts with a very winnable series this week in Miami.

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