Arcia returns to Caribes lineup with a walk, then a bang

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

 

First, Eduardo Escobar missed his third straight game.  Seth PMd me tonight and said he was looking into the situation, hopefully it's nothing serious.

 

.

 

Escobar is scheduled to be at TwinsFest, was it maybe team related and not an injury?

[jokin]

Escobar is scheduled to be at TwinsFest, was it maybe team related and not an injury?

 

Maybe he was planning on hitchhiking from Venezuela?

 

The good news is that we've heard no news, but it was odd that he was pulled from the game last Thursday in the 1st inning.

[jokin]

As has been anticipated, Arcia is out of the Caribes lineup tonight in their last postseason game, after clinching the round robin tournament on Tuesday evening vs. Johan Santana's team, Magellanes.  Presumably, he's on his way to Twins Fest by Friday-  he's scheduled for autographs @ 4:15.  

 

Any sightings in Ft Myers, Halsey?

[jokin]

Escobar is scheduled to be at TwinsFest, was it maybe team related and not an injury?

 

It turns out that Pinto's last game in Venezuela was on Sunday, after a strong Winter League showing-  which makes this tweet all the more curious-

 

 

 

Mike Berardino  10:54 AM - 19 Jan 2015

‏@MikeBerardino

Also scheduled to return from Venezuelan Winter League for TwinsFest: Oswaldo Arcia and @escobarmaracay.

 

Pinto, Oliveros not scheduled.

Seriously?

[jokin]

Berardino with an Arcia update:

 

 

 

 

Twinsights: Twins granted fourth option year on Oswaldo Arcia

Starting left fielder Oswaldo Arcia has been optioned out the past three seasons since being added to the 40-man roster after 2011, but the Twins were granted a fourth option year on him after he spent fewer than 10 days in the minors in 2014.                                                                                                                                                                 Arcia, coming off an injury-marred campaign (back, hand) in the Venezuelan Winter League, flew into the Twin Cities on Wednesday ahead of his first-ever TwinsFest appearance. The 23-year-old slugger is healthy (for now) and said to be in great spirits as he prepares for his third season in the majors.

 

Hopefully, Arcia won't need that 4th option year, but given his injury and slump history, it's a nice cushion to gain that 4th option year.  Going back to the minors has proven to be very beneficial for Arcia to get his groove back in the past two seasons.

[jokin]

Where's Waldo, today? 

 

Back in Venezuela, tonight. Starting and playing DH for Caribes in Game 4 of the VWL final playoff series.

[SydneyTwinsFan]

Pinto in the lineup for Magellanes

[jokin]

Pinto in the lineup for Magellanes

 

Both Pinto and Arcia DHing tonight.  Pinto reaches twice on hit and HBP (but leaves the game after being hit).  Arcia goes 1-4.

[JB_Iowa]

Morrie Silver @MorrieSilver8 
  ·  23m 23 minutes ago  
Oswaldo Arcia smashed a 2-run HR in the 8th inning of today's #CaribbeanSeries game between Mexico and Venezuela.

 

 

Morrie Silver @MorrieSilver8 
  ·  17m 17 minutes ago  
Video of Oswaldo Arcia's go-ahead, 2-run HR...http://instagram.com/p/yxob49Nvu9/

 

 

 

Helped Venezuela to a 4-2 win.

[jokin]

Morrie Silver @MorrieSilver8 

  ·  23m 23 minutes ago  

Oswaldo Arcia smashed a 2-run HR in the 8th inning of today's #CaribbeanSeries game between Mexico and Venezuela.

 

 

Morrie Silver @MorrieSilver8 

  ·  17m 17 minutes ago  

Video of Oswaldo Arcia's go-ahead, 2-run HR...http://instagram.com/p/yxob49Nvu9/

 

 

 

Helped Venezuela to a 4-2 win.

 

Arcia's first game in the Carribean Series, played the game as the DH.  The win for Venezuela clinched an undefeated first place finish in the round robin portion of the tournament, heading into the single elimination playoffs.  

 

(On a side note, Twins farmhand Eric Farris batted 3rd and played 2B tonight for Mexico, and is batting .400 for the Series.)

[jokin]

For the night, Arcia was 1-3 with a BB and no strikeouts.  More patience and making more contact appear to be things that Arcia has definitely been successfully focusing on.  In 284 PAs, Arcia has 40 BB and 60 K, a 2/3 BB/K ratio versus MLB 31/127 in 2014- or approximately a 1/4 ratio.

[JB_Iowa]

And Daniel Ortiz hit a walk off double for Puerto Rico.

[Willihammer]

Still looks like he's moving his head though, doesn't it?

[jokin]

Still looks like he's moving his head though, doesn't it?

 

This one definitely isn't as pretty as the one much further upthread, but this was his first look at live pitching in over a week and a half.  That was a borderline pitch, a little low and away, he did go out there and get all of it.  But I'm not sure if he will ever be able to make a living with that approach on major league off-speed pitching on the outside corner (BA of .182 in the outer half of the zone in 2014).

[Brock Beauchamp]

For the night, Arcia was 1-3 with a BB and no strikeouts. More patience and making more contact appear to be things that Arcia has definitely been successfully focusing on. In 284 PAs, Arcia has 40 BB and 60 K, a 2/3 BB/K ratio versus MLB 31/127 in 2014- or approximately a 1/4 ratio.

Those are much better than his MLB numbers and fairly better than his upper MiLB numbers.

 

Let's hope it's a trend.

[JB_Iowa]

"I'm trying to be more selective at the plate. That's really the only thing the Twins emphasized," Arcia said in Spanish. "They stressed being more selective, but not to lose my aggressiveness in the batter's box. It's no secret that the Venezuelan league is good, and it's allowed me to see some good quality pitching."

 

,,,,,,,,,,,

 

"I know he had a difficult year defensively in right, and that's not normal for him. He's a better outfielder than he's shown up here," Ryan said. "Some of that might have been, I don't know if he got intimidated by that overhang or just had trouble reading it. So we think he'll be better in left just because of that fact alone. But he's starting to get his feet on the ground up here. We just have to remind ourselves he's just a kid still. He has outfield skills, and there's no reason he can't become a solid defender."

 

http://m.twins.mlb.com/news/article/108616334/twins-outfielder-oswaldo-arcias-refined-plate-approach-already-paying-off

[jokin]

"I'm trying to be more selective at the plate. That's really the only thing the Twins emphasized," Arcia said in Spanish. "They stressed being more selective, but not to lose my aggressiveness in the batter's box. It's no secret that the Venezuelan league is good, and it's allowed me to see some good quality pitching."

 

,,,,,,,,,,,

 

 

Good quote from Waldo, and one of the infrequent instances where we can directly see that the numbers back up what is being claimed.  And Arcia kept his production and plate discipline at a high level (~ .940 OPS), even after coming back from another round of back and wrist injuries.

 

And he even improved on the pure apples-to-apples comparison, year-over-year, in the VWL Besides a ~60 point upgrade on his 2013 OPS, his 2/3 BB/K rate and percentages this year are significantly better than his ~1/2 BB/K rate (26 BB/46 K in 171 PAs) in 2013.

 

It remains to be seen if he's turned the corner, but Ryan and Molitor sure seem to be high on him offensively- the bulk of their concern appears to be in the outfield and playing a new position, and dealing with how Arcia wears his emotions on his sleeve.

[JB_Iowa]

He won't be 24 until May 9 - just have to keep remembering that.

 

He can turn the corner a little slowly if he needs to.

 

Sometimes I wish we could blend the emotional players with the stoic ones. 

[jokin]

Cuba turned the tables on the #1 seed in the Caribbean Series, Venezuela, getting the 8-4 win this evening.  The Cubans were taking no chances with the prospect of Arcia projecting his power again as he did so dramatically on Friday evening.  Oswaldo DHd again, and finished the night going 1-1, plus 3 walks,  w/ two runs scored, in 4 PAs.

 

On to Spring Training...