Thread: Question about skipping AAA (for the Twins)

Does anyone have easy access to a list of players that the Twins have promoted straight from AA? I believe Hicks will be the newest addition to that list (I will explain more in a later thread or blog post). I know Mauer spent a tiny amount of time in 2004 . . .

Without looking, I believe Mauer's 2004 AAA stint was injury rehab. I don't think he played in AAA before playing in the majors.

No list, but take a look at the 1982 Twins.

I believe Hrbek, Eisenreich and Wynegar jumped from A ball.

Gaetti, Havens, Castino, Laudner and Johnson from AA.

Brunansky and Viola had a small stint in AAA. Viola was drafted the year before. Redfern was on the team and he may have went from the draft to the big leagues.

In addition:

Roger Erickson
Knoblauch
Radke
Milton (AA with Yankees, straight to majors next year)
Guzman
Mientkiewicz
Becker 3 games in majors at 21 before AAA, played 107 G at AAA next two seasons as well as with Twins

Forgot:

Scott Erickson
Puck played 21 G at AAA in '84 before being called up, skipped AA

Originally Posted by jorgenswest

No list, but take a look at the 1982 Twins.

I believe Hrbek, Eisenreich and Wynegar jumped from A ball.

Gaetti, Havens, Castino, Laudner and Johnson from AA.

Brunansky and Viola had a small stint in AAA. Viola was drafted the year before. Redfern was on the team and he may have went from the draft to the big leagues.

Add to that list - Santana played 1 season at AAA after 2 seasons with the Twins in the majors; Radke never played above AA; Knoblauch never played above AA; same with Guzman and Mauer had a 5 game rehab stint only at AAA.

Edit: Sorry I was typing when Physics Guy was posting.

Thanks, everyone. Some takeaways: it has happened enough to not make it so terribly out of character for the Twins to do again, and some of those cases are pretty hilarious! Guzman!?

Given that Hicks isn't going to have to worry much about defensive adjustments, I think he is the guy with the job to lose in ST.

In just the last few years, Ben Revere, Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee all debuted in the big leagues with no AAA time.

I believe both Mijares and Neshek were called up straight from AA. Same with Burnett. I think all three were later sent back to AAA but originally skipped it.

Originally Posted by Shane Wahl

Thanks, everyone. Some takeaways: it has happened enough to not make it so terribly out of character for the Twins to do again, and some of those cases are pretty hilarious! Guzman!?

Given that Hicks isn't going to have to worry much about defensive adjustments, I think he is the guy with the job to lose in ST.

Yeah, I think he probably gets it in April but I wouldn't be shocked if he does poorly and was sent to AAA.

Let me clarify, I do mean skipping in terms of starting in April the following season or at some point in the season besides September. September call-ups are a different animal than what would occur in Hicks' case.

I believe it will be Hicks too simply because his defense is solid. The Twins have Benson to fall back on if he struggles. Now that I think about it, Benson or Arcia will probably start in RF too. Don't see any reason to let Maestro start the season, we know he's a 4th OF and that should be his role on this team for the next few years.

Neshek was not promoted straight up from AA.. He was one of the ones that they let sit in the minors too long.

I think they sign someone like Nyler Morgan to compete in spring training for a job. If Hicks is their equal or less compared to Benson, Mastroianni, and Morgan then he goes to AAA. Hicks will need to be better than everyone as all things being equal he goes to the minors.

I think CF and 4th OF will go to Morgan and Mastroianni initially Benson could sneak in there too.

Unless HIcks is head and shoulders better then Benson there really isn't a point of Hicks over Benson. Its not like he lit up AA in the first place, and second you have the service time issue. If Benson is healthy I let him run with it through April and then re-evaluate the situation. The club will need to have a 4th outfielder who can play center anyways and I get the impression they don't want to put a place holder out there, so I look at it as Benson or Hicks, as Mastro will either be the starting CF or 4th OF. If its Hicks though I think he has to play everyday, and I just look at his AA numbers and everything else and I just think AAA would do him some major help.

I do wish though they would have called up Hicks last September because of this situation.

Hicks posted an OPS of .844 in AA...
Hunter's was below .800

Hicks posted a .829 OPS in A ball
Hunter's was below .800.

Hicks minor league slash line: .271/.379/..421 (makes a .800 OPS)
Hunter's was: .270/.334/.417 (OPS .751)

Originally Posted by ThePuck

Hicks posted an OBP of .844 in AA...
Hunter's was below .800

Hicks posted a .829 OPS in A ball
Hunter's was below .800.

Hicks minor league slash line: .271/.379/..421 (makes a .800 OPS)
Hunter's was: .270/.334/.417 (OPS .751)

Exactly, and Hicks has certain skills like plate discipline that helps out quite a bit. We are talking about a BB/K ratio for Hunter of 2/5 and for Hicks 3/4 in the minors. That means something for a team needing help at the top of the lineup.

Originally Posted by ThePuck

Hicks posted an OPS of .844 in AA...
Hunter's was below .800

Hicks posted a .829 OPS in A ball
Hunter's was below .800.

Hicks minor league slash line: .271/.379/..421 (makes a .800 OPS)
Hunter's was: .270/.334/.417 (OPS .751)

Awesome. Guy has the talent to be a perennial all-star. All the more reason to leave him in the minors until we get an extra year of control.

Sorry, that's the biz.

Originally Posted by Brandon

I think they sign someone like Nyler Morgan to compete in spring training for a job. If Hicks is their equal or less compared to Benson, Mastroianni, and Morgan then he goes to AAA. Hicks will need to be better than everyone as all things being equal he goes to the minors.

I think CF and 4th OF will go to Morgan and Mastroianni initially Benson could sneak in there too.

Oh please no.....

Nyjer Morgan is a friggin' D-bag.....there is a reason he has been on like 19 different squad's in the past few years


Million dollar talent with a ten cent head.

Don't waste money on a guy like that, just let the young bucks come up and play.

I like the comparison to Hunter, but I remember how bad Hunter struggled his first year. Actually watched him live 1 year where he was called up in August I think and remember him having a .192 (or something like that) batting average and many of the people at the game thought he was a bust and wouldn't amount to nothing.

I'm dead against getting a placeholder though. There is too many outfielders with high upside in the system to have to put up with a guy with a major league contract who isn't any better.