That said, there are signs of life. He’s been more selective at the plate in recent weeks, and he has posted an .827 OPS over his last 20 games. If the Twins are going to make noise in the Wild Card chase, Correa has to be more than just steady. He needs to be the centerpiece. That might sound like a lot but it’s what he was brought here to do.

Ryan McMahon's two-run homer capped a four-run first inning, Jordan Beck homered and finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle and the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies opened their second half of the season with a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins.

You have to squint a little bit to find them, but reasons for optimism as the Minnesota Twins head into the "second half" of the season are out there. At 47-49, the Twins are four games back of an AL Wild Card spot in a season that is more like 60 percent complete.

As you can see, every projection system basically eliminates the Angels from contention. Sorry yet again, Mike Trout. The Guardians and Royals each have less than half the chances of the Twins as well. The Rangers are just ahead of the Twins, and both the Rays and Red Sox have roughly twice the odds of the Twins.

The Twins are four games out of a berth with five teams in front of them, one tied with them and two right behind. But, anything could happen in the second half of the season, and FanGraphs gives them a 23 percent chance to make the playoffs.

With a successful All-Star week now in the rearview mirror, the Twins will kick off the "second half" of the season — really, there's about 40 percent of the campaign left — on Friday in Colorado. At 47-49, they certainly have work to do to get back in the heart of the playoff chase. But they also have the talent to do it.

With the July 31 trade deadline nearing, the Twins must figure out quickly how they fit into the playoff picture.

This MLB season has plenty still to be written as the sport returns from an entertaining All-Star break. The trade deadline will go a long way in understanding what's to come down the stretch. For now, here are four bold predictions for the remainder of the season.

Joe Ryan posts the best first-half ERA by a Minnesota Twins pitcher since Johan Santana in 2007, earning a long-overdue All-Star recognition.

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 7, 2023. ... Twins hitters are swinging at slightly fewer pitches in the second half (46.3 percent) than in the first half (47.0 percent).