Article: Twins Minor League Report (7/13): Futures Game Impressions

[Cody Christie]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3229-Twins-Minor-League-Report-(7-13)-Futures-Game-Impressions

[pierre75275]

Who is Alex Swim? He is looking good. Max Murphy and Nick Gordon are killing it for the E twins. If that continues is there a chance either get promoted this year?

[righty8383]

Sample size isn't so small anymore. It appears the Appy League just isn't a challenge for Max Murphy. Time to see what the local boy can do in the MWL I think.

[Seth Stohs]

Who is Alex Swim? He is looking good. Max Murphy and Nick Gordon are killing it for the E twins. If that continues is there a chance either get promoted this year?

 

Swim was a late-round pick out of Elon University just last year. He just moved up to Cedar Rapids (actually down because he went from EST to FM, but then down to CR) a month ago. He's athletic behind the plate, and I think he's got a good approach and swing at the plate.

[Seth Stohs]

I was at the Futures Game today with Jeremy Nygaard. Berrios was impressive! Fastball 94-95. Slider at about 85-86, and changeup around 82.

 

Meyer was 97, 98, 97, 97, 97... and done. Ha! Got hit hard, but threw strikes and didn't mix it up at all (not enough pitches).

 

Vargas looked OK at 1B... The double was impressive! Short-hopped the wall.

[John Kelsey]

Who is Alex Swim? He is looking good. Max Murphy and Nick Gordon are killing it for the E twins. If that continues is there a chance either get promoted this year?

 

Gordon has slowed down a bit but Murphy is absolutely crushing it. He should get moved up soon if he continues to hit like this.

[VandyTwinsFan]

From Keith Law:

Minnesota's Kennys Vargas, who stood around first base but is awful over there, showed no ability to cover the outer half or to handle offspeed stuff inside, though he did hit a "double" off the right field wall on a fastball; the throw beat him to second, but the shortstop, Corey Seager, couldn't hold on to it.

 

Pretty scathing in regards to Vargas.

Not much to say on Meyer, other than his two Futures appearances have totaled 10 pitches combined.

He stated Berrios wasn't finishing his curve, the change was better, and his delivery is tough to repeat and that Berrios might not be using his lower half enough.

[Tibs]

From Keith Law:

Minnesota's Kennys Vargas, who stood around first base but is awful over there, showed no ability to cover the outer half or to handle offspeed stuff inside, though he did hit a "double" off the right field wall on a fastball; the throw beat him to second, but the shortstop, Corey Seager, couldn't hold on to it.

 

Pretty scathing in regards to Vargas.

Not much to say on Meyer, other than his two Futures appearances have totaled 10 pitches combined.

He stated Berrios wasn't finishing his curve, the change was better, and his delivery is tough to repeat and that Berrios might not be using his lower half enough.

If I remember correctly, Law has never had many good things to say about Vargas.

[twinsfan34]

If I remember correctly, Law has never had many good things to say about Vargas.

 

Correct. "AAAA Player" at best.

[Dantes929]

Law is like most experts in that he is right half the time which is better than the amateurs who are wrong half the time.

[jokin]

From Keith Law:

Minnesota's Kennys Vargas, who stood around first base but is awful over there, showed no ability to cover the outer half or to handle offspeed stuff inside, though he did hit a "double" off the right field wall on a fastball; the throw beat him to second, but the shortstop, Corey Seager, couldn't hold on to it.

 

Pretty scathing in regards to Vargas.

Not much to say on Meyer, other than his two Futures appearances have totaled 10 pitches combined.

He stated Berrios wasn't finishing his curve, the change was better, and his delivery is tough to repeat and that Berrios might not be using his lower half enough.

 

Scathing? Sounds more like vindictive. Vargas hit a rope off the wall and actually looked good while running the bases, and aggressive in going for 2 and challenging a tremendous RFer in Hunter Renfro with a cannon 80/80-rated arm. My respect for Klaw just dropped a bit- why not just review what happened, instead of trying to prove something you said previously?

[James]

Scathing? Sounds more like vindictive. Vargas hit a rope off the wall and actually looked good while running the bases, and aggressive in going for 2 and challenging a tremendous RFer in Hunter Renfro with a cannon 80/80-rated arm. My respect for Klaw just dropped a bit- why not just review what happened, instead of trying to prove something you said previously?

Agreed. Vargas hit that ball hard, and it took a great play to make it close at second. Despite what KLaw says, Vargas beat that throw, just barely.

[TKGuy]

If I remember correctly, Law has never had many good things to say about Vargas.

 

Nor Berrios if I remember

[pierre75275]

I don't believe that Keith Law has good things to say about any of the twins prospects generally. But its just his opinon.

[DJL44]

Predicting AAAA for Vargas is pretty safe. His glove is poor and it is really hard to stick in the big leagues solely as a DH. He might be one who beats the odds but Ortiz was in AA two years earlier than Vargas. Daryle Ward is a lot more likely.

[Mike Sixel]

I don't believe that Keith Law has good things to say about any of the twins prospects generally. But its just his opinon.

 

 

Besides rating Buxton number 1 overall, from the time he was drafted, and loving Sano, and the numerous other prospects he has liked.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Alex Meyer pitched the fifth inning for the US and earned a hold. The first two batters made decent contact against him but luckily one of those hits was right at a fielder. Meyer got a double play to end the inning and he only needed four pitches to get his job done.

 

That's pitch to contact, par excellence! He'll be in the 2nd half Twins rotation for sure!

[nicksaviking]

Scathing? Sounds more like vindictive. Vargas hit a rope off the wall and actually looked good while running the bases, and aggressive in going for 2 and challenging a tremendous RFer in Hunter Renfro with a cannon 80/80-rated arm. My respect for Klaw just dropped a bit- why not just review what happened, instead of trying to prove something you said previously?

 

He does seem vindictive when he is less than enthused about players. Mike is right in that he does praise the few Twins prospects he likes, but if he doesn't like a guy, he does go out of his way to trash someone. I could care less if Vargas had gotten thrown out at 2B, I really only care that he made hard contact and knocked one off the wall.

 

To be fair, I don't think he's picking on the Twins, and if Berrios is like 95% of other Twins pitchers, he likely isn't using his lower body enough, however, KLaw does seem to have some kind of complex where he thinks if he is going to write something unfavorable, he better be as derisive and snarky as possible just so the reader makes no mistake of his opinion.

[jokin]

Predicting AAAA for Vargas is pretty safe. His glove is poor and it is really hard to stick in the big leagues solely as a DH. He might be one who beats the odds but Ortiz was in AA two years earlier than Vargas. Daryle Ward is a lot more likely.

 

The 2 year age difference in development is partly on account of his limited PAs due to suspension and injury. There is encouragement in comparing Ortiz to Vargas's plate discipline and high contact rate:

 

Vargas AA: K%- 15.6% BB%- 10.1%

Ortiz AA: K%- 26.7% BB%- 14.0%

 

I don't think it's fair to expect Vargas to be a future Hall of Fame bat like Ortiz or in turn, to brand him so soon to the likes of a mediocre Ward career, but his AA numbers are pretty close to Kendrys Morales, with double the BB% of Morales, and unlike Ward or Ortiz, Vargas switch hits, with nearly an identical split against both RHP and LHP.

 

I think it's worth letting it ride awhile with Vargas and see how he adjusts to the low and outside stuff at the upper levels of the minors- he's acquitted himself quite well to this point, and all indications are he's a plus in the clubhouse The Twins must see something in him, as they felt confident enough to give him a 40-man spot.

[Mike Sixel]

I'd love to see Vargas in AAA, getting more consistently challenged. While AA may have more high upside arms, AAA has more consistently really good arms.

[Seth Stohs]

People worry too much about what Keith Law says. He's one person, one evaluator... a guy who just saw Vargas take four at bats...

 

It'd be like watching Kris Bryant strike out twice yesterday and then saying that he's unable to hit with two strikes. Can't make too much of the results of and exhibition game.

[twinstalker]

People worry too much about what Keith Law says. He's one person, one evaluator... a guy who just saw Vargas take four at bats...

 

It'd be like watching Kris Bryant strike out twice yesterday and then saying that he's unable to hit with two strikes. Can't make too much of the results of and exhibition game.

People in Minnesota have a tendency to rate the quality of an evaluator by whether or not he says nice things about our people, players, organizations, or programs. It's pretty funny and somewhat obviously reflects an inferiority complex.

 

My biggest concern of the Vargas front Sunday was that he thought he hit the ball a lot farther than he did (it was only off the wall after a bounce or bounces). The carry at Target Field is quite different, and it's intimidated more than one player. It's also the reason why Vargas was almost thrown out. He didn't really run after hitting it. He jogged to first and then picked it up. I'm not sure they showed that on TV.

[Seth Stohs]

My biggest concern of the Vargas front Sunday was that he thought he hit the ball a lot farther than he did (it was only off the wall after a bounce or bounces). The carry at Target Field is quite different, and it's intimidated more than one player. It's also the reason why Vargas was almost thrown out. He didn't really run after hitting it. He jogged to first and then picked it up. I'm not sure they showed that on TV.

 

Also, he's not very fast... that's the bigger issue.

[JB_Iowa]

Also, he's not very fast... that's the bigger issue.

 

No he isn't but I asked in a different thread if anyone else had noticed it took him a long time to get out of the box so I'm glad twinstalker bought it up.

 

It was one of those David Ortiz moments for me -- and one part of Ortiz' game that I hope he doesn't emulate.