Colorado Rockies vs. Minnesota Twins: 5 key players to watch

The Colorado Rockies will play at Target Field this week — Apr 3, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Fans surround Target Field as they await the gates to open for the game with the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies open interleague play for the 2017 season with a trip to the Twin Cities to take on the Minnesota Twins.

Like the Rockies, the Twins sit atop their division … to the surprise of some pundits and prognosticators. Minnesota leads the American League Central with a 19-15 mark. However, the Twins are just 8-10 at Target Field this season.

Colorado, meanwhile, has fared quite well away from home this season, going 11-5 away from Coors Field. It’s part of Colorado’s 24-15 overall record, one that has them perched atop the National League West. Part of that comes from a 6-4 mark in Colorado’s season-long 10-game homestand that just concluded.

It’s a matchup of division leaders that few saw coming, but it will also be a pivotal series for one of these teams. The Cleveland Indians entered Monday just one game behind the Twins while the Los Angeles Dodgers lurked just 1.5 games behind the Rockies.

The Twins are 18^th in Major League Baseball with an overall .241 average while the Rockies are ninth with an overall .260 average. Minnesota has a slight edge in team ERA, coming in 17^th with a 4.23 ERA while Colorado is 21st with a 4.35 ERA.

Those are the stats, but who are the players who will make a difference during this three-game series? Let’s take a look…

The Colorado Rockies open interleague play for the 2017 season with a trip to the Twin Cities to take on the Minnesota Twins.

Schedule