James Beresford - 2015

[Steven Buhr]

I've "adopted" James every year we've had this program a TD and I'm not giving up until either he does or the Twins do.

 

I'll be honest - I've liked James since I first saw him in the field with the Beloit Snappers in a series against the Kernels - but I was half-hoping he would take advantage of his minor league free agency this past offseason and sign with another organization. There are a lot of highly touted middle infield prospects in the Twins organization at this point and I have to wonder if he wouldn't have a better shot at getting at least a look as a possible MLB utilitiy infielder with some other team.

 

Regardless, James chose to re-sign with the Twins (and they were at least interested enough in him to want to re-sign him), so it's back to Rochester for a third go-around with the Red Wings.

 

Beresford is an excellent fielder and makes regular contact, but he's never going to show a ton of power. That said, he did significantly increase his XBH totals last season.

 

He rode the pine for the first two Red Wings games this year, I believe, but has made an appearance in each of the eight games since.

 

He's hitting .240 and has a .310 OBP, thanks to three walks. He's also K'd three times.

[Steven Buhr]

Hesitate to jinx him, but James is having himself a bit of a week!

 

Beresford is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak going back to the Red Wings' game of April 22. He's got 11 hits (including a pair of doubles) in 23 ABs in those games, for a .478 batting average.

 

This stretch of productivity has raised his BA on the season to .340, second on the team only to Eric Fryer's other-worldly .500 (in just 7 games).

[Shane Wahl]

I thought he should have been a September call up last year. I have always liked him too. Now he is going to be a victim of a combination of the Twins holding onto *both* Plouffe and Escobar, and also the love affair with Doug Bernier.

 

One wonders what they would do if Dozier, Santana, or Escobar went down with an injury. Beresford is not Polanco, which is precisely why he should be next in line to fill in for the big club.

[Steven Buhr]

Beresford continues to hit at an above-.300 clip (BA on the season now .313) and an OPS just above .700. Oh and no errors at all on the season so far (jinx alert).

 

he has hit safely in 8 of his last 10 games, but after seemingly collecting multiple hits almost every night for a stretch in late April-early May, he hasn't had a multi-hit game in the past week.

 

Essentially, Beresford has been what he is - a reliable, productive, mistake-averse middle infielder.

[Steven Buhr]

James with the walkoff hit, driving in the tying and winning runs tonight for the Red Wings in the bottom of the 9th!

 

 

 

 

[Steven Buhr]

Excuse the lack of updates recently, but Beresford just keeps chugging along.

 

He cooled off for a week or so toward the end of May, but since the calendar turned to June, he's back to being his normal productive self.

 

In 5 games (17 PAs) so far this month, he's hitting .375 and has an OPS of .787.

 

Yes, that's a very small sample size. But over the course of the entire season, he's hitting .329 and has an OPS of .753.

 

I'd love to see James get a shot with the big club at some point this season, but it's hard to see that happening, given all of the other middle infielders the FO seems to have a preference for. Playing the same primary position as Brian Dozier doesn't help his chances, either.

 

At this point, I'm just hoping Beresford continues looking good, leading to him getting a real chance to help a MLB club, Twins or otherwise, later this year or next.

[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

Did the organization completely give up on Beresford playing shortstop? I remember reading that he's playing second base now and wondering whether that's holding back his chances at a big-league utility infielder job.

[Steven Buhr]

 

Did the organization completely give up on Beresford playing shortstop? I remember reading that he's playing second base now and wondering whether that's holding back his chances at a big-league utility infielder job.

It sure seems that way. There has been a parade of guys come through Rochester getting time at SS the last couple years. Beresford has made two appearances at SS this season and those are the first 2 times he's played the position at the AAA level.

 

He played a couple games at 3B last year, but if he was being considered as a possible utility infield option, it sure seems like they would have worked him some around the infield in Rochester.

[Guest]

Beresford continues to lead the Red Wings in the BA department with a .325 average accumulated over 240 at-bats on the season.

 

While he's had good weeks and bad, like everyone, overall he's been extremely consistent. His BAs month-by-month have been .340 in April, .316 in May and .326 in June (with a couple of games remaining in the month).

 

I don't know how much the Twins value him, but the Red Wings almost certainly would not be contending this season without him.

[Guest]

Congratulations to James Beresford for being named as one of 3 Red Wings headed to Omaha in a couple of weeks for the AAA All-Star Game!

 

From the Rochester press release: "Beresford has ranked among the league leaders in batting average since late April and currently ranks third with a .317 mark thanks in part to his team-high 25 multi-hit games. James has 12 doubles and a triple among 80 hits this season along with 27 RBI and 31 runs scored."

 

The other Wings are AJ Achter and Taylor Rogers.

[Guest]

I didn't realize it d been a month since I updated James' page here. That's my bad.

 

Beresford just keeps producing. He hit a bit of a skid for a while, seeing his BA drop below .300 on July 20 for the first time since April. He has roared back in the past 10 games, though, with a .432 average and seven multi-hit games among those most recent 10 games played. He has 3 doubles and a HR, as well.

 

I was kind of hoping Beresford would find himself included in a trade at the deadline to a team that would give him an opportunity to get some big league infield time, since the Twins are clearly uninterested in him.

[Shane Wahl]

 

I didn't realize it d been a month since I updated James' page here. That's my bad.

 

Beresford just keeps producing. He hit a bit of a skid for a while, seeing his BA drop below .300 on July 20 for the first time since April. He has roared back in the past 10 games, though, with a .432 average and seven multi-hit games among those most recent 10 games played. He has 3 doubles and a HR, as well.

 

I was kind of hoping Beresford would find himself included in a trade at the deadline to a team that would give him an opportunity to get some big league infield time, since the Twins are clearly uninterested in him.

 

It boggles my mind how they haven't made movement, somehow, to clear up this infield situation, either by trading guys at the top and then promoting from below, or trading from below.

What do you think about Beresford-at-short for some team?

[Guest]

 

It boggles my mind how they haven't made movement, somehow, to clear up this infield situation, either by trading guys at the top and then promoting from below, or trading from below.

What do you think about Beresford-at-short for some team?

From what I saw of him at SS at lower levels, I thought he played it well. But the Twins haven't used him there in years.

[Guest]

Beresford just keeps being Beresford. Hitting .343 in his last 10 games, with 4 multi-hit games.

 

On the season, he's sitting at .314 with a .717 OPS.

[wagwan]

Beresford just keeps hitting over .300. There should be a place for him somewhere!

[Shane Wahl]

The truth is that there is no pop and no speed here, while being cast as basically a second baseman only. That's the situation he is in, and I have to wonder how he has or has not advocated for himself as an actual utility player. And, yes, in this organization, that includes OF.

 

I have been a fan for years of James, and I am sure that the Twins like his consistency (he is *really* consistent, and looks like a .670+ OPS in the majors guarantee). I don't really understand what is going on with this situation, but I certainly wish that for all parties involved they would just add him to the 40-man and bring him up with Santana in September. 

 

Beresford could be a legitimate starting second base option for some teams in the league. So, show him off a bit in September, please!

[Guest]

Just a quick note about my 2015 Adopted Prospect, James Beresford.

 

He's leading off and playing SS for the Australians in their WBC Qualifyer tourney this week and he went 4-5 with 3 RBI in game 1 last night.

 

Hopefully, it indicates he'll be hitting his stride as spring training opens later this month.

 

[Steve Lein]

I also keep waiting for James to get a chance as a Utility Guy with the Twins. I've mentioned him a few times in my articles where I list players who you might see make their MLB debut in the upcoming season (he'll be in that post again this year!). Keeps hitting around .300, is a strong defender at multiple spots. I see a lot to like.

 

There is the issue about having literally no power, but I'm also happy to say I've seen it from him before in person. Think it was Spring Training a couple of years ago before they had the walkway all the way around the outfield at Hammond. He came in late in the game and hit one out to right center! Was very cool to see!

[ashbury]

is a strong defender at multiple spots.

Beresford has played 2B and essentially nothing else since 2013. His minor league managers do not seem to embrace your opinion on this, since surely Utility would be a better ticket to the majors for him than pure Second Baseman.

[Steve Lein]

 

Beresford has played 2B and essentially nothing else since 2013. His minor league managers do not seem to embrace your opinion on this, since surely Utility would be a better ticket to the majors for him than pure Second Baseman.

 

I think it's more of a the managers know what they have with him type thing, not that he couldn't do it. They've needed him to be playing 2B.

 

Look at who else has been on those Rochester rosters: Danny Santana, Jorge Polanco, Pedro Florimon, Eduardo Escobar... All guys the Twins were trying to evaluate as potential SS's of the future. I know that's not Beresford, and this makes it obvious to me that's what the Twins think too.

 

Also, as an example of a Utility player, if the "why hasn't he been playing multiple positions in the minors, then?" argument is being used.

 

Nick Punto: Played essentially 421 minor league games before his MLB debut. His ratio of different positions played in those games was 420 to 1. When he became a full-timer for the Twins, he played all over.

 

 

[ashbury]

 

I think it's more of a the managers know what they have with him type thing, not that he couldn't do it. They've needed him to be playing 2B.

 

Look at who else has been on those Rochester rosters: Danny Santana, Jorge Polanco, Pedro Florimon, Eduardo Escobar... All guys the Twins were trying to evaluate as potential SS's of the future. I know that's not Beresford, and this makes it obvious to me that's what the Twins think too.

 

Also, as an example of a Utility player, if the "why hasn't he been playing multiple positions in the minors, then?" argument is being used.

 

Nick Punto: Played essentially 421 minor league games before his MLB debut. His ratio of different positions played in those games was 420 to 1. When he became a full-timer for the Twins, he played all over.

Punto getting reps at SS is a totally different matter. Second base is the booby prize for starting middle infield prospects. UT is nearly always a Plan B option for a legitimate SS prospect; not nearly always when it's 2B.

 

If SS was spoken for at Rochester, there still was third base. Beresford saw three games there in Rochester in 2014 and none in 2015. Preference was given to the illustrious likes of Deibinson Robinson and Doug Bernier and Jose Martinez. If Beresford was in the big club's plans as a UT, don't you think word would have come down to Gene Glynn, give this guy a few games at third?

 

If Rochester "needed" him at second base, it was to serve as a constant competent backdrop by which to judge the genuine SS prospects. Winning games, even in AAA, takes a backseat to prospect development.

[Steve Lein]

 

If Beresford was in the big club's plans as a UT, don't you think word would have come down to Gene Glynn, give this guy a few games at third?

 

No, I wouldn't expect it. Because like I said, I think they know he could do it already if ever needed.

 

And I'm not trying to imply that Beresford should be the Twins utility infielder. Just that he get a chance to fill that role if it's ever needed.

 

 

[Guest]

Check out Beresford's defensive play from SS at about the 30 second mark of this video from the final game of the WBCQ series.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/31426364/v543051783/21315-australia-advances-to-classic-with-victory

 

 

[ashbury]

Check out Beresford's defensive play from SS at about the 30 second mark of this video from the final game of the WBCQ series.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/31426364/v543051783/21315-australia-advances-to-classic-with-victory

Anecdotal, but a fair rebuttal. Thanks.

[Thrylos]

 

Check out Beresford's defensive play from SS at about the 30 second mark of this video from the final game of the WBCQ series.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/31426364/v543051783/21315-australia-advances-to-classic-with-victory

 

Nice catch, but if a hitter with even average speed was involved, he would have been safe.  Beresford's issue at SS has been his arm, and if you notice the ball kinda sailed in there...

 

BTW, the hitter was Twins' own Rowan Ebersohn who would loose a foot race to CC Sabathia