Thread: Hicks

Well if you don't think Doumit can start then he can back up herrmann. Either way I like it.

Originally Posted by Chance

2014 lineup?

CF- Hicks
LF- Benson
1B- Mauer
DH- Willingham
RF- Arcia
3B- Plouffe
C- Doumit
SS- Dozier
2B- Rosario? Not impossible but highly unlikely. Stopgap for Rosario the following year.

What happened to Parmalee?

Originally Posted by Turd Furgeson

I'm interested to see if Tom Brunansky can get even more out of Aaron Hicks in AAA next year, given his recent success with guys like Plouffe and Revere. This recent performance with Hicks has been very reassuring after last season.

Brunansky never coached Trevor Plouffe.

Brunansky was credited a lot for Benson's year last year (even though Benson was the minor league player of the year the year before too)... Bruno coached Benson in Rochester this year too.

Brunansky was credited a lot for Dozier's year last year... Bruno coached Dozier in Rochester this year.

Rochester has a really bad offense.

Bruno is probably a good hitting coach. We don't know. But he's never been the hitting coach for two MVP hitters... Vavra has done a pretty good job too.

Final point... how much do hitting (or pitching) coaches have to do with it?

Originally Posted by diehardtwinsfan

What happened to Parmalee?

If Willingham and Mauer are still around in 2014, he's not going to play in front of him, and he's not in the same caliber of prospect as Arcia... bench or traded?

Originally Posted by Turd Furgeson

I'm interested to see if Tom Brunansky can get even more out of Aaron Hicks in AAA next year, given his recent success with guys like Plouffe and Revere. This recent performance with Hicks has been very reassuring after last season.

Not sure how you link Plouffe and Brunansky together. I didn't think he spent any time in the minors this year.

I assumed trade bait but I was in a rush so I didn't mention that part sorry. I assumed parm would be good to trade when mauer moved to full time first/emergency 3rd catcher

Aaron Hicks was foolishly discounted over the past two seasons.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

If Willingham and Mauer are still around in 2014, he's not going to play in front of him, and he's not in the same caliber of prospect as Arcia... bench or traded?

I'd argue that the lineup is wrong... Doumit won't be a full time catcher, nothing close to it, nor should he be. Parmalee should be the every day 1B in 2014 with Mauer spelling him occasionally and spelling Willingham at DH occasionally, but still catching.

This is encouraging news!! The problem is the Twins could have a lineup full of great position players but they still need 1-3 pitchers who can actually get people out on the mound. They have nobody right now at the major league level who can do this. The minors are completely depleted as well.

Originally Posted by shanewahl

Aaron Hicks was foolishly discounted over the past two seasons.

Foolishly? Did you follow basis? His seasons were very underwhelming. Its one thing to have tools, its another to grow and utilize them. Look at some of the toolsy OF in the past 5 years that have failed. Hicks had some real issue. I haven't read any scouting reports on what has changed, but he certainly turned something around. I'm interested to see if he can keep it up the rest of the year and earn a promotion, and what scouts have to say about him now.

Originally Posted by Badsmerf

Foolishly? Did you follow basis? His seasons were very underwhelming. Its one thing to have tools, its another to grow and utilize them. Look at some of the toolsy OF in the past 5 years that have failed. Hicks had some real issue. I haven't read any scouting reports on what has changed, but he certainly turned something around. I'm interested to see if he can keep it up the rest of the year and earn a promotion, and what scouts have to say about him now.

Hicks is doing a "struggle, succeed, struggle, succeed" through the minors. I am relatively high on the kid and never got too down on his struggles outside of his ineptitude from the left side of the plate. He also never really "wowed" me as a prospect, either. I've always been more of an Arcia guy.

I think people have a tendency to jump the gun far too quickly on prospects. One bad year happens. If he starts to fail a second year at the same level, then there should be real concerns. Besides, Hick's "failures" were still relatively decent (730-ish OPS) for his position.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

Brunansky never coached Trevor Plouffe.

Brunansky was credited a lot for Benson's year last year (even though Benson was the minor league player of the year the year before too)... Bruno coached Benson in Rochester this year too.

Brunansky was credited a lot for Dozier's year last year... Bruno coached Dozier in Rochester this year.

Rochester has a really bad offense.

Bruno is probably a good hitting coach. We don't know. But he's never been the hitting coach for two MVP hitters... Vavra has done a pretty good job too.

Final point... how much do hitting (or pitching) coaches have to do with it?

I don't know how much a hitting coach impacts the performance of a hitter. Ultimately, I suppose a lot of it really depends on how well a hitter implements the changes that they are given. He's not going to turn turds (which is mostly what resides at AAA) into gold, I don't think any hitting coach past, present, or future will be capable of that.

I do know that Brunansky started with this organization in 2010 with the Twins rookie league team and is now the hitting coach of their AAA affiliate. That speaks pretty highly to his abilities.

Brunansky never coached Plouffe, my mistake.

The fact is that Aaron Hicks has been a very toolsy player with legit 5 O'clock power since he's been drafted, but he hasn't done very well to convert his hitting tools into in game action, though he is making strides this year. I assume that he'd benefit from what is probably the best level of hitting instruction that we have in the minors. Do you disagree with that?

Hicks continuing to play very very well. His OPS is now up to .836 and he is showing some legit HR power by hitting his 10th on the season. While 30/30 type production is a reach I think 20 HR 30 SB type production, can be expected in the majors at some point as he continues to grow. Couple that with elite defense in CF and the ability to have a high OBP...wow... this kid could be one of the best leadoff hitters in all of baseball.

Originally Posted by SpiritofVodkaDave

Hicks continuing to play very very well. His OPS is now up to .836 and he is showing some legit HR power by hitting his 10th on the season. While 30/30 type production is a reach I think 20 HR 30 SB type production, can be expected in the majors at some point as he continues to grow. Couple that with elite defense in CF and the ability to have a high OBP...wow... this kid could be one of the best leadoff hitters in all of baseball.

From your lips to gods ears... I really hope you are right. I would love to see a monster come from the farm and just tear it up.