Time to panic?

Are the Minnesota Twins in panic mode? If not, maybe they should be. The Twins are a mess right now, just like their 6-12 record might suggest. Last year the Twins didn't lose their 12th game until May 11. This year the 12th loss came on April 20.

Offensively, the Twins are in a collective slump with a team batting average of about .235. Meanwhile the pitching staff is giving up home runs in droves and too many runs. The Twins have been out homered 22-6 this season.

Perhaps worst of all, the team's stars (Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan) are either hurt, ineffective or both. Injuries have already taken a big toll on the team. Some of the lineups manager Ron Gardenhire has filled out seem like a spring training lineup.

The Twins are in last place in the A.L. Central Division, a division they have won two straight years and six of the past nine. 

The one bit of good news is the other two projected top teams in the Central Division (Chicago and Detroit) are also off to sub-.500 starts. The Twins are not going to win 90-plus games like they did a year ago. But they might be able to rebound to win in the high 80s, which could be enough to sneak away with another division title in a division that seems void of a standout team.

— Guy N. Limbeck