Twins vs Red Sox Pick: Can Boston Keep Pace in the AL East?

• For our Twins vs Red Sox pick, we ask whether Boston can keep pace with the 1st place Yankees in the AL East
• Boston sends righty Hunter Dobbins to the mound
• Struggling Minnesota counters with 6’9″ righty Bailey Ober
• The Red Sox are solid, but inconsistent; the Twins are playing terribly

Twins Send Towering Ober to Tame the BoSox

Minnesota’s Bailey Ober stands 6’9″ and has the potential to dominate. In 2024, he posted almost a 3.0 bWAR on his way to a 12-9 record with 191 K’s in 178.2 innings.

Thus far in 2025, he is 3-1 in 6 starts. His ERA is 4.25, but that’s solely because of a ghastly first start against the Cardinals in which he surrendered 8 earned runs in 2.2 innings. Since then, he has been excellent, particularly in his last 4 starts when he pitched at least 6 innings in each.

For the Red Sox, only Connor Wong has had any level of success against Ober. He is 2 for 3 with 2 singles.

Minnesota’s offense is problematic. Byron Buxton is tied for the AL lead in strikeouts. Carlos Correa is batting around .220 with no power. Edouard Julien is hitting around .200. They don’t hit for much power in general. The only thing saving them from falling into last place in the AL Central is the presence of the hideous White Sox.

Boston is Dangerous if It Hits On All Cylinders

The Red Sox are on the verge of being one of MLB‘s most dangerous teams, but their shaky starting pitching behind Garrett Crochet and several key batters having trouble getting on track, they are hovering around .500. Tristan Casas is batting under .200. Ceddanne Rafaela is barely above .200. Rafael Devers is leading the AL in strikeouts. But he’s also leading the AL in walks.

Against the Twins, Hunter Dobbins gets the start. This is his third start of the season, but they have been intermittent. He started on April 6 and gave up 8 hits and 2 runs in 5 innings. On April 18, he pitched 6 innings against the White Sox, throwing 6 frames, giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, walking none and striking out 6.

Dobbins has never faced the Twins.

Twins vs Red Sox Pick: Minnesota Gets the Win Behind Ober

Ober has pitched very well this season, and several BoSox batters are still having trouble getting their games together. The Twins will take this one at Fenway and keep Boston floating around the .500 mark.