The 2017 Minnesota Twins defied odds in just about every way imaginable. One year after setting the record for the most losses in team history, the Twins found their way into the American League Wild Card game in the Bronx before being summarily dismissed by the nasty bullpen and power bats of the New York Yankees.

Over the last three years, the Twins have won 83, 59 and 85 games, and between the 2017 season and this offseason, the team has done enough to make sure that the creme filling of this Oreo is the aberration.

Not only have Derek Falvey and Thad Levine managed to make the playoffs without largely changing an existing roster that had a lot of good things going for it — especially after losing so many games — they’ve now managed to supplement that young talent with some capable veterans, with the vision of getting to the next label firmly within reach.

Of course, the cruel irony about the whole thing is that the Twins are just getting good as the Yankees are as well, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see Minnesota punching up against New York like we saw a decade ago. But with a new power tandem in place and an increasing reliance on analytics in the front office, the Twins are as well-equipped as ever to bring October baseball back to Minneapolis, and back to Target Field for the first time since its inaugural season.