Article: Twins Minor League Report (4/21): Shine Bright Like Scott Diamond

[Jeremy Nygaard]

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php/2879-Twins-Minor-League-Report-(4-21)-Shine-Bright-Like-Scott-Diamond

[halfchest]

Does anyone else wonder if Parmelee is just going to end up one of those guys who you see claimed on waivers via mlbtraderumors and are like "holy crap, how did that guy not stick with the team" due to big numbers at AAA? It seems like I see that every year a couple times some 1B/DH type that gets claimed and I see them and think dang, Twins shoulda got him only to realize the guy just couldn't make the jump for some reason.

 

Hopefully he can keep it up and at some point get up here if a bat cools down or when someone gets injured. It just seems unlikely at this point with both Arcia and Willingham waiting to get back on the roster again and Kubel and Colabello hitting so well.

[Joe A. Preusser]

I have a theory that if you can rake at AAA, you have the potential to be a good hitter in MLB. There just isn't a large enough gap in talent between the leagues to allow someone to dominate AAA but not be pretty good in MLB. Given enough time everyone can figure it out, it's just that not everyone is allowed that time.

[Siehbiscuit]

@JoeAP, I understand what you're saying but, I think many players and coaches would disagree with you. Most baseball people would say the jump from AAA to the Majors is the biggest and most difficult jump to make. Second is the A+ to AA jump. True, an adjustment period (like what Hicks is given) would help a ton of hitters and pitchers, but at the MLB level these guys need to win and win soon. The minor league affiliates want to win, but not at the expense of development.

[nicksaviking]

I have a theory that if you can rake at AAA, you have the potential to be a good hitter in MLB. There just isn't a large enough gap in talent between the leagues to allow someone to dominate AAA but not be pretty good in MLB.

 

Well some would argue the jump from AAA to the majors is easier if you happened to face the 2013 Minnesota Twins rotation. Unfortunately Parmelee never got that chance last year.

[Mike Sixel]

What is up with the offense this year? I know three top prospects aren't playing, but not much else appears to be going super well....or am I just not reading these reports correctly?

[Jeremy Nygaard]

What is up with the offense this year? I know three top prospects aren't playing, but not much else appears to be going super well....or am I just not reading these reports correctly?

 

I don't think anyone expected the Kernels offense to be great. Walker and Kepler are off to slow starts, but the rest of the Miracle offense is doing ok. The Rockcats without Sano, Buxton and Rosario are left with Vargas, who's been slow out of the gates. Rochester has been getting offense from Bernier, Beresford and other non-prospect types.

 

Similar to the Twins offense, kinda, no Mauer, Willingham, Arcia, but unlikely contributions from others.

[Mike Sixel]

thanks jeremy.

 

edit: not really thrilled that the offense is being carried by guys most don't think are MLB players.....this minor league system needs to produce some good players (more Pinto, less Hicks/Floriman)

[70charger]

Jorge Polanco went 0-for-3, but is still batting .333. He hasn’t been without struggles though. Tonight he committed his 10th error, and was picked off/caught stealing. It’s a tribute to him that he’s been able to keep his troubles out of the batter’s box though, and you have to wonder how long he’ll get a shot to continue at shortstop (especially when neither Michael or Goodrum would be any worse).

 

If he continues to hit does it matter much whether he's committing lots of errors in A ball? I'm reminded of Miguel Sano whose errors at third were just piling up in A ball. Every night it seemed like he got another one. But scouts thought he could stick, so the team kept putting him out at third, growing pains be damned. After all, think of how his bat will play if he sticks at third.

 

Same thing with Polanco - think of how his bat will play if he sticks at short. At this point, I don't think either Goodrum or Michael are in the same class of prospect as Polanco; if either of those two make it at all, it will likely be as a backup or utility type. I'm all for giving Polanco a long time to work out the kinks.

[Halsey Hall]

Yesterday in extended the Twins played the Orioles and Manny Machado was at 3rd. He popped out twice and struck out twice, the last one on 3 nasty changeups, swinging. This morning Mark Hamberber threw live bp.

[blindeke]

What do the Twins do if Parmalee keeps mashing?

[Dantes929]

What do the Twins do if Parmalee keeps mashing?

Promote him if there is room. Trade him if there is a good offer. Let him keep mashing until there is room or until there is a good offer. I am all for promotions when earned and he is earning it but there still has to be a spot available and no, Mauer would have to bat .267 all year before that spot should be considered. Parmalee can hardly complain about lack of opportunity.

[Dantes929]

Any news on Buxton or Rosario? How about just a status update.

[DJL44]

this minor league system needs to produce some good players (more Pinto, less Hicks)

 

Kind of ironic statement since Pinto was never on a top prospect list and Hicks has the 1st round draft pedigree

[DJL44]

Any news on Buxton or Rosario? How about just a status update.

 

I think Rosario showed up at extended spring.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

What do the Twins do if Parmalee keeps mashing?

 

If he mashes all year and there isn't room until September, add him back to the 40-man and make him compete for an OF spot. There could be both Hammer's and Kubel's spots open next year. He'd still be a cheap. Otherwise, yeah, if there's a market for him, listen.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Any news on Buxton or Rosario? How about just a status update.

 

Buxton should be showing up in EST games soon, I would think.

 

Rosario has been in FM for over a week and he should also be playing in EST games soon.

[Seth Stohs]

Kind of ironic statement since Pinto was never on a top prospect list and Hicks has the 1st round draft pedigree

 

Certainly not unusual to the Twins organization... and, I still wouldn't give up on Hicks becoming a solid regular.

[Dantes929]

Certainly not unusual to the Twins organization... and, I still wouldn't give up on Hicks becoming a solid regular.

I would not give up on Hicks either and of course Pinto is no sure thing either. Anyone remember Valencia and Parmalee's start? Problem I had with Hicks is that there didn't seem to be enough upside to his being a switch hitter and also that he never really dominated (much as I dislike that word) at the lower levels. He had the one nice year at AA but was hardly busting out. Same thing happened with Plouffe. He was being given a shot at the twins without really earning the promotion until he busted out a bit in 2011. He is now looking pretty good and Hicks might be capable of the same path but might not have the same extended opportunity with Buxton and other prospects vying for the same spots.

[Thrylos]

His six solid innings, where he allowed seven hits and two walks, were enough for Rochester’s bats to pick up the win.

 

I would not call a 1.500 WHIP performance "solid" by any means. I would call it below average. The fact that this performance was Diamond's best of the season does not make it "solid"...

[Jeremy Nygaard]

I would not call a 1.500 WHIP performance "solid" by any means. I would call it below average. The fact that this performance was Diamond's best of the season does not make it "solid"...

 

You are probably the most nit-picky person on the face of the planet.

 

"Solid" is arbitrary. Between my timeline and the game recap, the working out of trouble, it qualified as a "solid start" for me.

 

Your starter goes six and gives up two runs. That's "solid".

[abnormal_1]

I must admit to not following obsessively, but it seems to me Levi Michael seems to be putting some things together. As a whole the Twins organization has a dearth of middle infield options. Be nice to see some options matriculate through the system.

[ashbury]

@JoeAP, I understand what you're saying but, I think many players and coaches would disagree with you.

 

If only someone would keep some records, we could compare over the long run using a large enough sample size of hundreds if not thousands of players, to see whether there was a correlation between doing well in AAA to doing well in the majors.

[TRex]

At the risk of sounding snarky, correlations will not disprove the idea of AAAA players... the whole point is that they are the outliers!

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

The title of today's article is based on Rihanna's "Diamonds", which I heard on KDWB today and which was written in less than 15 minutes. Not a coincidence, it took longer than 15 minutes to write the following report.

 

I kind of like this title set to Floyd's Shine On Crazy Diamond instead, the syllables fit perfectly

[Joe A. Preusser]

If only someone would keep some records, we could compare over the long run using a large enough sample size of hundreds if not thousands of players, to see whether there was a correlation between doing well in AAA to doing well in the majors.

 

 

My whole point was that of timeline. Some players are not given enough consistent ABs at the MLB level to mature into a solid MLB player. But I believe that those who crush it at AAA can eventually do just that. For some, though, the timeline just doesn't work. Say, for example, Plouffe has actually figured it out and will continue to be a good/great MLB player for years to come. He just doesn't get several years to work out the kinks on many other MLB teams. My whole theory is that everyone who crushes at AAA can eventually be good/great at MLB, but only a smaller percentage actually gets the time they need to do so.

Or, put more succinctly, the notion of a AAAA player is bunk. Given a long enough timeline, all "AAAA" players will eventually bear fruit at the MLB level.

[ashbury]

My whole point was that of timeline.

 

In case I was unclear, I was responding to someone who was in disagreement with you. I think you and I are on pretty close to the same page.

[TRex]

Or, put more succinctly, the notion of a AAAA player is bunk. Given a long enough timeline, all "AAAA" players will eventually bear fruit at the MLB level.

 

So you think the ideas of a 'slow bat' or 'long swing' are bunk? How do you think the average fastball speed at AAA compares to the majors (I wonder if that is known)? Not only that, but many MLB starters with below average fastballs are veterans who have lost velocity over time.

 

Maybe instead I need to ask you to clarify what 'bear fruit' means... e.g. the player will end up with a positive WAR value for his career? Also, I think most of the players who are considered AAAA players are also poor (or limited) defensively, so that plays into the 'chances' they are given.

 

I think Plouffe got extra time to figure it out because he 'could' play third base. Now, we might all think he is a butcher at third... but how bad do you think Chris Parmalee would look at third?