2019 Minnesota Twins season
The 2019 Minnesota Twins season was the 59th season for the Minnesota Twins franchise in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, their 10th season at Target Field and the 119th overall in the American League. It was the first year under new manager Rocco Baldelli who was hired on October 25, 2018 following the firing of previous manager Paul Molitor on October 2. It was also the first season since 2004 without longtime Twin Joe Mauer on the roster, as he announced his retirement on November 9, 2018 after 15 seasons. His number 7 was retired on  June 15, 2019. They improved upon their record from the previous season, and clinched the AL Central division for the first time since 2010 on September 25. On September 26, the Twins scored their 99th win with a victory over the Detroit Tigers, the highest number of wins for the franchise since 1965, and the third highest in franchise history. Despite winning 101 games (the second most since moving to Minnesota), the Twins were still the 3rd seed in the American League, the best record ever for a 3rd seed. With 307 home runs by their hitters, the Twins also  set a new major league record for most home runs by a team in a season. They opened the playoffs by playing the New York Yankees in the Division Series, however they were swept 3 games to 0 in a best-of-5 series, extending their record for the longest playoff losing streak in MLB history to 16 games.