How much will the absence of Justin Morneau hurt the Twins?
Not as much as you might think. After losing their perennial MVP candidate to a concussion in early July, the Twins went an A.L.-best 49-29. Michael Cuddyer filled in at first, while Delmon Young picked up the offensive slack and finished the season with a career-high 112 RBI. And remember, the Twins also played the entire season without closer Joe Nathan, one of the best in the game and still posted the A.L.’s third-best record. This is a resilient team with the unflappable Ron Gardenhire steering the ship. 5. Will Derek Jeter conjure up past playoff magic? This is the wild card in this whole scenario. The Yankees’ captain embarks on his 14th quest for baseball’s Holy Grail. After failing miserably in the Yankees first-round oust in 2007, going just 3-for-17, Jeter led the team with 22 hits in 15 games last season en route to the title. While he’s starting to show some wear at 36, he finished strong with a .342 average in his final 19 games, getting at least one hit in all but one con
