When does Terry Ryan do something about this offense?

[SwainZag]

 

They were lucky to win before. instead of building on that luck, they are standing still. If you all think rookies need to acclimate, why not this year, so they are ready next year? Or is next year the acclimation year, and more lising, and we wait until 2017?

 

They weren't necessarily luvcky as they were...timely.  The team was 17th in batting average, yet third in batting average with RISP.  The bullpen was near the bottom in all stats except LOB% which they were 5th..they were doing the things they REALLY needed to do right to have a great stretch of baseball.

 

Not all rookies need a year to "acclimate" to the pros. It's strictly player by player, some obviously take more time than others to adjust to a higher level, there is no set benchmark.

[Gene Larkin]

Yeah except Rosario has a 30% strikeout rate and 2% walk rate.

He's basically Danny Santana with a less speed and a bit more pop.

The fall will not be graceful unless he starts taking better at bats

Rosario has much more upside as a hitter than Santana and his speed is just as good. In his minor league career Rosario showed more plate discipline with a SO rate of around 20% and BB rate of around 7%. He's clearly still learning MLB pitchers and strike zone and has cut down on strikeouts from his first few weeks while hitting nearly .300

[twinsnorth49]

 

And yet these guys aren't responsible for the losing streak.  Changing the butts on the bench won't solve anything.

They may not be the reason for losing but they definitely aren't going to help win very much either.  

 

Nobody is saying the main contributors don't have to get their act together and contribute but I'm not sure what sitting on your hands and writing in the likes of Robinson in the 2 hole, Suzuki at #5, Escobar as a DH/LF and putting Nunez anywhere in the infield is intended to accomplish. People are just discussing what they think could be viable alternatives and if it takes a little while to show results, are we any further behind than sticking with that motley bunch? That's why I'm ok with Rosario sticking around, let him figure it out at the plate and continue to play good defense instead of pretending Escobar or Nunez will ever be the answer.

 

Nobody said saviour or anything of the sort…………..and don't get me started on the bullpen.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

And yet these guys aren't responsible for the losing streak.  Changing the butts on the bench won't solve anything.

Actually, changing the butts on the bench could be a sign of real improvement for this team.  Getting Vargas back put Escobar/Nunez/Santana on the bench.  Sano could do similarly if Vargas isn't up to par.

 

Likewise, a Buxton call-up could make Hicks or Rosario the 4th OF -- that's actually way better, and way more useful, than Robinson in that role.  Finding a hot hand in the setup reliever role would reduce our dependence on Boyer etc.

 

More difficult is finding a catcher with Pinto struggling, but again, Suzuki as a backup would represent real progress for the lineup and the team's depth.

[jokin]

Rosario has much more upside as a hitter than Santana and his speed is just as good. In his minor league career Rosario showed more plate discipline with a SO rate of around 20% and BB rate of around 7%. He's clearly still learning MLB pitchers and strike zone and has cut down on strikeouts from his first few weeks while hitting nearly .300

I'm with you, except that Rosario's speed does not equal Santana's.

[jokin]

I disagree.  You don't put stress on a rookie by placing him in the #1 or #2 hole.  You bring them up, put them at #8 or #9.  Let them get comfortable hitting ML pitching, then inch them forward as the progress.  Putting Hicks at lead off was one of the worst moves of the Gardy era and showed his inability to handle young players.

Defending Doc here, I don't believe he advocated immediate placement of Buck into the leadoff spot. The ideal scenario would be that he "grabs it" after acclimating to big league pitching, presumably from the 9 hole.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Defending Doc here, I don't believe he advocated immediate placement of Buck into the leadoff spot. The ideal scenario would be that he "grabs it" after acclimating to big league pitching, presumably from the 9 hole.

 

is there a shred of evidence that you shouldn't start a guy in the leadoff spot?

[jokin]

is there a shred of evidence that you shouldn't start a guy in the leadoff spot?

I don't know the data, but I'd move him up into that leadoff spot just as soon as there is a decent likelihood that he could handle it. For me, that time is now, for Doc, and not necessarily speaking for him, perhaps a couple of games or a week or two's worth might be what he's thinking.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Yeah except Rosario has a 30% strikeout rate and 2% walk rate.

He's basically Danny Santana with a less speed and a bit more pop.

The fall will not be graceful unless he starts taking better at bats

Yeah, this. He might get by on smoke and mirrors for awhile - even close to a full season like we saw with Santana last season - but ultimately, he needs to show more discipline or pitchers are going to start throwing him junk non-stop.

[GACbaseball]

I think one of the biggest reasons we lose games is that we have a giant black hole in the 7-9 spots every single game. That puts so much pressure on Hunter, Plouffe, Mauer and Dozier to hit every single game, so when we they get cold for a little bit we go through a huge losing streak. We simply can't have Nunez, Robinson and Herrman consistently producing 9 outs per game if we want to be successful.

 

It makes me so mad to see Pinto and Meyer in AAA and have to watch Hermann and guys like Stauffer play. They are both 26!! They aren't getting younger, you might as well see what they have while having them develop with major league coaches and mentors. Besides, they can't be worse than what we already have

[Willihammer]

I think the offense misses Arcia's bat. He needs to get it going.

[Kwak]

 

I think the offense misses Arcia's bat. He needs to get it going.

The offense is basically missing everybody's bat--that's why there is a problem.  Arcia has gone from a one-dimensional player to a zero-dimensional player--there is no reason to place him on the Active Roster much less insert him in the line-up.

 

What I would like to know is why this "awesome" MiLB system is loaded with prospects that either hit well but display poor defense, or hit sporadically (and generally without HRs), but play solid defense, and damn near nobody who excels at both offense and defense and simply lacks experience to be promoted.

[Linus]

One thing at play here is all of a sudden, everyone thinks it is the norm to call people up from AA.  This wasn't the typical practice for this club (or others I am guessing) but has happened in the last couple of years due to desperation.

 

In a healthy system, this should not be the norm except in the situation where the prospect is other worldly or they have no other choice due to injury.  AAA is a valuable step in the progression and I hope one that the Twins get back to.

[dxpavelka]

 

Every other org in baseball that is "in it" has no problem calling up top prospects, meanwhile good old conservative terry Ryan lets us watch players like Robinson etc hack there way through at bats against our divisional rivals.

At what point does he actually show a tiny bit of aggressiveness and call up Buxton?

Mike Trout was hitting .403 in AAA ball when he got the call.  Buxton's hitting .274 in AA with over 150 fewer career plate appearances than Trout had when he came up.  Maybe Buxton's the one who needs to show a tiny bit of aggressiveness and force the issue.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

One thing at play here is all of a sudden, everyone thinks it is the norm to call people up from AA.

I can't speak for others, but I don't think that.  It's why I'd actually like to see Buxton and Sano promoted to AAA already -- there are spots open there and they'd be incrementally closer to the bigs.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Mike Trout was hitting .403 in AAA ball when he got the call.  Buxton's hitting .274 in AA with over 150 fewer career plate appearances than Trout had when he came up.  Maybe Buxton's the one who needs to show a tiny bit of aggressiveness and force the issue.

That was Trout's second recall to MLB.  His first came from AA when he was hitting .324.  Fangraphs graded his overall AA hitting at about a 155 wRC+ at that point (100 being league/park average), with 28-for-36 in SB over 75 games.

 

Buxton is currently sporting a 135 wRC+ with 20-for-22 in SB over 57 games, and that includes his slow start to the season.  I'd say he's very near Trout recall territory, even if like Trout he makes a return trip to the minors before sticking in the show.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

is there a shred of evidence that you shouldn't start a guy in the leadoff spot?

Maybe not.  But I'd approach it as if Buxton might have to get sent down again.  No sense reconfiguring the whole order before that.  (Trout batted 7-8-9 in his first recall from AA, but leadoff when he came up for good after AAA.)

[jokin]

Mike Trout was hitting .403 in AAA ball when he got the call.  Buxton's hitting .274 in AA with over 150 fewer career plate appearances than Trout had when he came up.  Maybe Buxton's the one who needs to show a tiny bit of aggressiveness and force the issue.

Not Trout's numbers (Trout had 2 trips to AA), but Buxton's line in his last 200 PAs is:

 

.309/.375/.537/(.912) wRC+ 155 wOBA .410

 

These are video game numbers.

 

You really have to throw out everything on Buck's 2015 numbers before April 27. Buck was coming off of wrist injuries to both hands, another hand injury that required surgery, plus a severe concussion in 2014. Even with the slow start included in his numbers, he is #1, or near the top, in the Southern League in PAs/Runs/Hits/Triples/RBI/SB/SLG/OPS.

 

Given that, and his elite-level defense in CF, I would say Buck is showing a remarkable amount of aggressiveness in forcing the issue.

[Linus]

 

I can't speak for others, but I don't think that.  It's why I'd actually like to see Buxton and Sano promoted to AAA already -- there are spots open there and they'd be incrementally closer to the bigs.

Agreed on the promotion to AAA - pretty much now or very soon.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

They weren't necessarily luvcky as they were...timely.  The team was 17th in batting average, yet third in batting average with RISP.  The bullpen was near the bottom in all stats except LOB% which they were 5th..they were doing the things they REALLY needed to do right to have a great stretch of baseball.

 

Not all rookies need a year to "acclimate" to the pros. It's strictly player by player, some obviously take more time than others to adjust to a higher level, there is no set benchmark.

their timely rabbit's foot wore off.

[stringer bell]

 

Agreed on the promotion to AAA - pretty much now or very soon.

When does the first half wrap up for the Southern League? It wouldn't surprise me that a lot of guys get moved after they wrap up the first half pennant. I just checked a minor league site and it says that the second place team's elimination number is five, so I would guess if the Lookouts win the first half, promotions will be forthcoming.

[stringer bell]

I commented on another thread that the best promotion replacements for the Twins are at AA. Buxton, Sano, Polanco, Jones, and Kepler and perhaps more could see action with the Twins this year. The major league club needs relief pitching (particularly left handed) and an upgrade at catcher and I think those things need to come from outside the organization.