2017 MLB Playoff Predictions: CBS Sports picks for Twins-Yankees AL Wild Card Game – CBSSports.com

The 2017 postseason gets started in a matter of hours with the AL Wild Card Game. That game of course pits the Twins against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium for the right to advance to the ALDS and face the Indians. Naturally enough, your stable of CBS Sports MLB scribes made predictions on pain of termination for this game. We now unfurl these predictions with the opposite of pride …

As you can see, all five of us expect the Yankees to prevail. That stands to reason. The Yankees of course bested the Twins by six wins in the standings, and they put up a run differential of +198 to Minnesota’s +27. As well, the Yankees took four of six from the Twins during the regular season. With Luis Severino starting for the hosts in front of a deep lockdown bullpen, runs might be hard to come by for the Twins. Also, slugging third baseman Miguel Sano won’t be on the Twins’ wild-card roster because he’s still not fully recovered from his August shin injury.

Obviously, predicting the outcome of a single game of baseball is a bit of a fool’s errand, and it wouldn’t be surprising in the least if the Twins prevailed. Heading in, though, we’re all leaning Yankees.