Jim Thome

The Minnesota Twins clinched the American League Central earlier this week.  Every year, the Twins seem to make the playoffs even if they don't have the best talent.

Joe Mauer is the best player and linchpin of this Twins team, but there are many other players you don't know that are crucial to the success of this team.

Here are five players who need to have a big postseason for the Twins to have a shot at winning the World Series.

Minnesota Twins fans have an unusual luxury that they have not enjoyed in quite some time.  Instead of sweating it out until the final week or final day of the season as to whether the Twins would get into the playoffs, Twins fans can sit back and enjoy some quiet time of reflection on the season.

In looking back at the season, one question that fans are going to argue and debate over their favorite beverage in the next few days is who was the most valuable player for the Minnesota Twins this year.

The Minnesota Twins were the first MLB team to punch their postseason ticket on Tuesday night after defeating the Cleveland Indians 6-4 at Target Field.

The Twins are currently a game back of the Yankees for the best record in baseball after their division clinching victory improved them to 91-60 on the year.

Minnesota clinched their second straight AL Central title, and they will be one of the top World Series contenders when the playoff get underway in October. 

For Minnesota, the magic number for clinching the American League Central title (8) is smaller than the Twins' lead in the division (9).

Since the All-Star break no one has been better than the Twins this year—and over the past 50 years there are only two teams that have been this good. 

At 88-58, they are but one half-game from the best record in all of baseball and home-field advantage through the American League Championship Series.

The Twins are near the top of the team leader boards for defense, offense and pitching. 

Coming into this week's series against the Chicago White Sox, it was a do-or-die situation for the Sox. They needed to take at least two from the Twins to stay afloat in the American League Central pennant race.

The Twins went ahead and stepped on the head of the White Sox. Race over.

We have finally reached the payoff portion of the fantasy baseball season: the playoffs! It’s been a grueling 22-week season, but if you’re lucky enough to still be reading fantasy baseball articles, now is the time to really ramp it up.

This is the point in the year where one hot bat could decide your season—or a dead-armed pitcher could ruin it no matter how well his team has done thus far. Below are ten guys who are either destroying your championship dreams or carrying you to the promised land.

With 18 home runs for the season going into Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers, there was no doubt that Jim Thome would advance up the all-time home run list.

Just as he did to surpass former Minnesota Twin Harmon Killebrew, Thome blasted two home runs at Target Field, to tie and then move past Mark McGwire for eighth place on the all-time home run list.

Celebrity gossip reporter, Perez Hilton, posted on his website that Alex Rodriguez broke a home run world record on Wednesday afternoon. (Sorry, I thought Perez Hilton breaking the A-Rod story is funnier and more entertaining then Peter Gammons doing so.)

Here's a quick look at last week's Fantasy Baseball top performing, least owned players on the waiver wire.

Jim Thome hit four homers. Clint Barmes' hit streak continues. Max Scherzer dominates yet again. Dexter Fowler is back and on a mission. Can they really keep it up for another week?

Check out who's a Must or a Bust.

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It was just a matter of when Jim Thome would tie, and then surpass Harmon Killebrew for 10th place on the all-time home run list—not if.

With two outs in the bottom the second, on hot and humid Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis, Thome drove a 1-0 fastball off of Tampa Bay Rays' pitcher Wade Davis 345 feet to left field for his 573rd home run in his 20-year career.