The New York Yankees nearly blew a nine-run lead yesterday as their bullpen struggles continued, and now they’ll look to continue pushing toward a playoff berth and secure a series win over the Minnesota Twins tonight.
My Yankees vs. Twins predictions break down why Minnesota will keep this one close in a matchup between two highly volatile pitchers.
Without further ado, let’s hand out some MLB picks for Wednesday, September 17.
First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m. ET from Target Field in Minneapolis, with the game airing on Prime Video.
Yankees vs Twins prediction
Yankees vs Twins best bet: Twins +2.5 (-118)
Despite some slight improvements, it’s just not happening for Taj Bradley. Since coming over from Tampa Bay in a deadline deal, he’s registered a 7.53 ERA in three starts for Triple-A St. Paul and has a 6.33 ERA in four major-league starts.
Bradley’s been somewhat impressive with his newfound swing-and-miss ability, racking up 18 punchouts over his last 16 1/3 innings to help him bring his ERA down to 4.41 over those three outings.
One of them did come against the stingy San Diego Padres, too, and while one was against the Chicago White Sox he did not have the same luck against them in his previous two outings, surrendering 11 runs over 6 2/3 innings with just one strikeout.
It's pretty evident that strikeouts are the key to Bradley’s success right now, as his Expected Batting Average resides on the wrong side of .250 with a .467 Expected Slugging since the start of August.
The New York Yankees have endured a terrible stretch at the plate, however, striking out in 26.7% of plate appearances in the last two weeks.
That could open the door for Bradley to keep this one in a reasonable spot for the Minnesota Twins, who nearly stole away a game last night from nine runs down.
This Yankees bullpen continues to struggle, and they succumbed to what’s ultimately been the fifth-best offense in baseball over the last 14 days by wRC+.
We haven’t seen enough of Luis Gil this season to make any rash judgements, but it’s also important to note that his horrific walk issues have reared their ugly head.
His counting stats may look neat and tidy, but he’s now walked 27 batters in 41 1/3 innings and his .262 xBA isn’t doing much to calm my fears here.
The Twins can hit, and Bradley might be finding something to lead him to a solid finish. We need to be a bit more fair to Minnesota.
Yankees vs Twins same-game parlay (SGP)
We’ve covered most of this above, but just to ensure you even more in Bradley’s strikeout total, he’s generated a whiff on a third of the swings he’s induced over the last two games and did manage to strike out 18 in just 14 1/3 innings down in Triple-A.
The numbers may not be as neat as we want, but he’s now eclipsed this number in two of his last three and will have a juicy matchup with a Yankees team that can’t help themselves from striking out.
We also back Ben Rice here, who is 4-for-6 off Bradley in his career with two doubles and no walks. That last part is imperative, given Bradley’s not the cleanest in that department and a free base does us no good, as is the fact that he’s now picked up seven hits in his last four starts.
Yankees vs Twins SGP
- Twins +1.5
- Taj Bradley Over 5.5 strikeouts
- Ben Rice 1+ hits
Yankees vs Twins odds
- Moneyline: New York -190 | Minnesota +155
- Run line: New York -2.5 (+135) | Minnesota +2.5 (-180)
- Over/Under: Over 9 (-105) | Under 9 (-115)
Yankees vs Twins trend
New York has hit the F5 moneyline in 23 of its last 33 games (+15.90 Units / 30% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Twins.
How to watch Yankees vs Twins and game info
| Location | Target Field, Minneapolis, MN |
| Date | Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
| First pitch | 7:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | Prime Video |
| Yankees starting pitcher | Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA) |
| Twins starting pitcher | Taj Bradley (6-7, 4.88 ERA) |
Yankees vs Twins latest injuries
Yankees vs Twins weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
