Miracle Surgery: Filipino Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated After 20-Hour Operation — Watch Their First Steps

From Target Field to the Draft Room, Minnesota Twins Momentum Keeps Building for 2026 Opening stretch accelerates playoff hopes Minnesota’s 11-3 run since late June has vaulted the club into first place in the AL Central, powered by a resurgent offense that launched six homers in a single blowout of Cleveland this week. Ryan Jeffers’ refined swing plane and Royce Lewis’ league-best hard-hit rate (59 percent) have turned the middle of the order from liability to lethal, while Byron Buxton’s return from an early-season rib fracture has restored elite outfield defense and plus baserunning. Rotation depth goes from concern to cornerstone Pablo López owns a 2.31 ERA over his last seven starts, but the biggest surprise is rookie right-hander Zebby Matthews. The 24-year-old has filled the Bailey Ober void during rehab, spotting a sweeper that opponents are batting .118 against. Ober, who threw a pain-free bullpen Monday, is penciled in for a July 15 activation that could push the staff from good to dominant. High-leverage bullpen hierarchy settles Manager Rocco Baldelli confirmed after Sunday’s win that fireballer Jhoan Durán will reclaim exclusive ninth-inning duties, allowing Brock Stewart to anchor the eighth. Since May 1 Durán’s four-seamer has averaged 100.9 mph with a 45 percent whiff rate, quieting early panic that a forearm strain might linger. Draft dominoes favor Minnesota at No. 3 Twins brass believe a bona fide ace will still be available when they pick third overall on July 17. Georgia prep left-hander Caleb Owen, whose fastball has touched 99 mph, headlines the short list alongside Arizona State slugger Mason Greer, already compared to Paul Goldschmidt for his all-fields power approach. Sources indicate the club leans pitcher if both remain, citing internal projections that target a 2029 MLB arrival. Five factors fueling sustainable success 1. Elite contact quality: Minnesota ranks second in MLB in barrels per plate appearance. 2. Improved chase discipline: Team O-Swing down six points from 2025. 3. Defensive run-saving duo: Buxton and Lewis have combined for +14 Outs Above Average. 4. Depth starters with swing-and-miss: Six pitchers own a 25 percent+ strikeout rate. 5. Prospect pipeline: Six of MLB Pipeline’s current top-100 belong to the organization, the most since 2019. Looking ahead A nine-game road trip through New York and Houston looms, but confidence is sky-high inside a clubhouse suddenly defined by swagger rather than caution. If the bats stay hot and the rotation gains Ober, Minnesota could enter August not just leading the division but eyeing a first-round playoff bye—something Twins fans haven’t dared dream since the Target Field inaugural season.