Twins and Yankees emerge as winners from 2020 MLB schedule release

The Minnesota Twins haven't repeated as AL Central champions since 2010, but they are -130 favorites to do so on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook, and the schedule sets up nicely for them as Minnesota has the easiest slate of any team in the majors this year if you add together each opponents' betting win total for the season at William Hill -- it adds up to 1,700, compared to 1,903 for the Orioles' opponents and the league's toughest schedule.

In this 60-game truncated season, the Twins play 40 games inside their own AL Central, which has two terrible teams in the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers. They also play 20 games vs. the NL Central, which doesn't have a superpower team like a Houston, NY Yankees or LA Dodgers. By 2019 winning percentage, the Twins also have it easier than any club with a combined foes' number of .449.

Minnesota catches a break in that the designated hitter will be used in every game in 2020. That means the Twins will not lose the bat of slugger Nelson Cruz (barring injury, etc.) for their 10 interleague road games. The Twins have an Over-Under win total of 34.5 (both options at -110) and open July 24 at the Chicago White Sox.

The New York Yankees are the +170 favorites to win the AL pennant, and they could be in good shape to earn the top seed in the AL playoffs with an incredibly easy final month. The Yankees play 20 of their final 23 games against the Blue Jays (10 games), Orioles (seven) and Marlins (three) – those clubs all lost 95 or more games last year.

The Yankees obliterated the Orioles in 2019, winning 17 of 19 matchups and setting an MLB single-season record for home runs vs. one opponent with 61. New York homered in every game, including seven on April 7, 2019 at Camden Yards.

The Yankees obviously benefit from a strength of schedule perspective in that they don't have to face themselves or the Twins, Astros, Cubs/Cardinals or Dodgers. The Bombers have an Over-Under win total of 37.5. Only the Dodgers (38.0) are higher. 

Ariel Cohen's Fantasy baseball projections are extremely high on a first baseman some are overlooking. He's set to hit double-digit home runs during the 60-game 2020 MLB season, but is being picked well outside the top 200 in early Fantasy baseball drafts. You ABSOLUTELY need to see what the ATC system has to say about each player before going on the clock.