Chip Scoggins' pick for most important Twin in September: Jose Berrios
Any debate over the Twins' season MVP revolves around position players. Plenty of contenders exist within their lineup of long-ball bashers.
But there is no debate as to the team's most important player as the season enters the final month: Jose Berrios.
Any hopes of a meaningful postseason run will be doomed if Berrios can't regain his ace form and bring an air of confidence to Game 1 of a playoff series.
His August swoon (7.57 ERA) is cause for concern, but a positive step in his most recent outing against the Chicago White Sox might be a sign that he is starting to rebound.
Berrios at his best takes pressure off the offense. If he's locked in and keeping hitters off balance with his mix of pitches, the offense won't need to score eight runs to win.
The Twins need Berrios to be a tone-setter in September as their No. 1 starter, and not a tone of angst.