New York Yankees (63-55) at Minnesota Twins (62-52) MLB Prediction: Is it time for the New York Yankees to press the panic button yet? With a record of 63-55, 8½ out of first place in the American League East, 4 games behind in the Wild Card, and fresh off of a sweep at the hands of the LA Angels of Anaheim, I’ll say it’s getting to that point.

Tonight, the Bronx Bombers begin an almost make-or-break series at the Minnesota Twins starting at 8:10 PM ET, live from the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At BodogLife.com, the New York Yankees are -107 betting odds favorites to beat the Minnesota Twins (-103) at home in the opener.

So far, both of these teams have had very contrasting easons to say the least. The Minnesota Twins have been one of the feel-good stories of 2008: second in the AL Central, trailing the Chicago White Sox by a ½ game (1.5 behind in the Wild Card).

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees –with the biggest payroll in the majors– haven’t quite played like the New York Yankees. Not only has there been more confusion in this team than ever before, as far as starting pitching is concerned, but to make matters worse, they’ve been bitten by the injury bug time-and-time-again.

The biggest problems I see with the Yankees is that, despite the fact that they are the highest paid team in all of baseball, they are also the team that has invested the least amount of money in the most important position of all, pitching.

What ever happened to going after CC Sabathia and getting him, at whatever cost? How come Johan Santana wasn’t worth the money? These are both questions that Yankees fans will be demanding answers to, if/when the Yankees don’t make it to play in October.

Tonight, RHP Sidney Ponson (7-2, 4.23 ERA, 42 K, 33 BB) faces off against the Twins’ LHP Glen Perkins (8-3, 4.38 ERA, 52 K, 26 BB). The OVER/UNDER for this New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins MLB Prediction has been set at a combined run total of 9½.

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