Twins Prospect Named Minor League POY Finalist

[BoomBoom]

USA TODAY has named Adam Brett Walker II amongst the Five Finalist for Minor League National Player of the Year Honors.  Walker leads Double AA in HRs; RBI; TB; and XBHs;  Walker also just broke the Chattanooga Lookouts single season home run record 2 days ago and is 1 RBI shy of breaking their single season record in that category.  

 

Sitting at 29 HR and 100 RBI as of today, Walker has a chance for the Bauman Award for the minor league top home run hitter.  Twins nation needs to vote early and often for their very own.

 

VOTE for ADAM BRETT WALKER II

http://usat.ly/1WUJ3o3

 

[TNLooky2015]

Helluva season.  My votes in..........

[Platoon]

Luckily the FO is not fooled by peripheral numbers like these and is able to drill down to the only numbers that matter, productive outs and strike outs!

[clutterheart]

 

Luckily the FO is not fooled by peripheral numbers like these and is able to drill down to the only numbers that matter, productive outs and strike outs!

 

Booo

This thread is in celebration of a great season by a prospect who has his warts but accomplished great things.  

We all know he has work to do, but we also all know his power is elite and despite his bad peripheral he is putting up great counting stats.

 

[Seth Stohs]

#VoteWalker

[Thrylos]

HRs and RBIs (and .312 OBP)

 

I refuse...

 

I'd rather vote for the best player in that team, Kepler...

[BoomBoom]

 

HRs and RBIs (and .312 OBP)

 

I refuse...

 

I'd rather vote for the best player on that team, - You mean Sano?

Just kidding.  

 

Tell USA Today - They selected Walker (a Twins Prospect),  I voted for Walker because I appreciate what he brings to the table.  

 

I also look to who would have had the biggest negative impact on the Lookouts, if they were not in the line up during the first half, of their playoff clinching, surge?  That would have been with Sano and Buxton there too?  I say Walker was probably the unanimous 1st half MVP of the entire Southern League.  Walker had two horrible months in July and August and still leads the league in XBHs; TB; HRs; and RBI.  He is the only league player with 15+ HRs and double digit stolen bases.  He has 4 less doubles than Kepler and 3 less runs scored.  And he has been durable as hell (knock on wood), which should be rewarded at some point.  Being second in minor league baseball in HRs and RBI is special.  

 

You might find a guy here and there who had that kind of success and failed, but NO,  the minor leagues are not filled with players who have led their respective leagues in both HRs and RBI for 3 consecutive seasons and by the age of 23.  What Walker has done is special and it's nice to see him appreciated for his accomplishments.  #Vote Walker

 

 

[Turd Furgeson]

I mean, there doesn't seem to be any question that Kepler has been the better player this year. 

 

Adam Brett Walker has an .817 OPS which is nice in AA but compared to Max Kepler's .968 OPS in AA? They aren't even in the same stratosphere. I also am perfectly comfortable with thinking that Kepler provided a lot more defensive value too. 

 

Also I'd think Max Kepler succeeding seems to be the far bigger story here. The Twins took a flier on a kid from Germany and it turns out he may have some legit baseball skills. How many German baseball players are there in the MLB? 

 

I like Adam Brett Walker, not sure if he'll make it in the big leagues but I'm a Twins fan, I want him to succeed. This is just a case where antiquated statistical evaluations rate Walker higher so Kepler is not getting the recognition he deserves. 

[BoomBoom]

 

I mean, there doesn't seem to be any question that Kepler has been the better player this year. 

 

I like Adam Brett Walker, not sure if he'll make it in the big leagues but I'm a Twins fan, I want him to succeed. This is just a case where antiquated statistical evaluations rate Walker higher so Kepler is not getting the recognition he deserves.

 

I agree with your theory regarding evaluators.  

 

Note:  Although there are no German baseball players in the MLB,  there are no players from Milwaukee, WI (30th largest city in USA) either in the MLB and Milwaukee is in the USA.  Not exactly the hotbed for future baseball players there.   There have only been 2 players period, from Milwaukee, WI  to debut in the MLB this century.   On top of that Walker could will be the first African American player ever to come out of Milwaukee, WI.  In a joking way, Walker has been a long shot to start just like Kepler.

 

An underdog is an underdog..........

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?order=Birthplace&loc=Wisconsin

 

[twinssouth]

I voted but we have to vote 4,000 more times to beat Ray's Blake Snell

[Jham]

 

I mean, there doesn't seem to be any question that Kepler has been the better player this year. 

 

Adam Brett Walker has an .817 OPS which is nice in AA but compared to Max Kepler's .968 OPS in AA? They aren't even in the same stratosphere. I also am perfectly comfortable with thinking that Kepler provided a lot more defensive value too. 

 

Also I'd think Max Kepler succeeding seems to be the far bigger story here. The Twins took a flier on a kid from Germany and it turns out he may have some legit baseball skills. How many German baseball players are there in the MLB? 

 

I like Adam Brett Walker, not sure if he'll make it in the big leagues but I'm a Twins fan, I want him to succeed. This is just a case where antiquated statistical evaluations rate Walker higher so Kepler is not getting the recognition he deserves. 

 

Hmmm...  I didn't see where Kepler was nominated...

 

I just shouldn't vote then?  Either would be fitting nominees or recipients.  On the aside, ABW has put together great RESULTS so far at every level.  Kepler not so much.  This isn't a prospect ranking.  This is recognition for a great year.  They've both had outstanding seasons.  I'm almost as skeptical of Kepler's ability to continue mashing at this rate without hitting more HR's as I am in Walker's ability to continue putting up league leading numbers while striking out every 4th PA.  But this post is about celebrating accomplishments.  Well done ABW.  Keep refining the approach and turn those doubters into believers.  

 

 

 

[Turd Furgeson]

 

Hmmm...  I didn't see where Kepler was nominated...

 

I just shouldn't vote then?  Either would be fitting nominees or recipients.  On the aside, ABW has put together great RESULTS so far at every level.  Kepler not so much.  This isn't a prospect ranking.  This is recognition for a great year.  They've both had outstanding seasons.  I'm almost as skeptical of Kepler's ability to continue mashing at this rate without hitting more HR's as I am in Walker's ability to continue putting up league leading numbers while striking out every 4th PA.  But this post is about celebrating accomplishments.  Well done ABW.  Keep refining the approach and turn those doubters into believers.  

 

That's your choice, you can vote if you want to but I won't be. I think Thrylos made an excellent point, Kepler was the much more deserving player and it's not like it's close either. You literally have to ignore the triple slash line to nominate ABW for his season over Kepler's. I'm happy that ABW had a good year, and he's been on my prospect radar for a couple years but Kepler was better and he's not on the ballot so I won't be voting. 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Yay! Minor league baseball RBI totals! Yay!

 

Uh, did we warp back to 1956 and I missed it? If so, I always wanted to see Mays, Mantle, and Robinson play.

[Seth Stohs]

I'll vote for Walker every day. I don't think he'll be the top Twins minor leaguer in our TD Minor League Hitter of the Year, but since he's the Twins player nominated, I'll vote for him!

[Old Twins Cap]

So, in every other matter this site and almost every analytical baseball blog examines numbers and in strict rational terms provides the best thinking about how to view the player and numbers in question.

 

But now, because, what, it's a Twins prospect, we throw that out the window and  just start clicking --  we bum-rush ABW to the top of MiLB.

 

I kind of like it, it's old fashioned and flies in the face of what baseball statheads believe in, and I don't even know who he is up against or what they did, but I got a keyboard. 

 

Like the All-Star Game, maybe we can get the top 5 slots for Twins prospects.  It's the Internet.  Let's do this!

[TNLooky2015]

Kepler is having a Tony Gwynn type season and if he continues to play at this level, he could have a HOF career.   Walker is having a Ryan Howard type season and if he continues to play at his level, he could have an All Star type career.  But despite Gwynn being in the HOF, he has never won an MVP because voters don't find his type of player MVP worthy (right or wrong).  Players like Howard on the other hand win all the time.  That's baseball.  Trout led the American League in strike outs last year and won an MVP.  Voters generally go for production (right or wrong) and sprinkle in the higher average among the sluggers.  Kepler better prospect - Walker more productive season IMO

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I'll vote for Walker every day. I don't think he'll be the top Twins minor leaguer in our TD Minor League Hitter of the Year, but since he's the Twins player nominated, I'll vote for him!

It's fine to vote for him but what his nomination tells me is USA Today is completely clueless about baseball and prospects. They should be embarrassed for themselves right now.

 

The Twins system isn't even that stacked right now and they have two players more deserving of the nomination (Kepler and Berrios).

[DaveW]

The Outrage!

[TNLooky2015]

 

If you didn't know:

 

34 2B - 12 3B - 9 HR - .327 BA - 73 Runs Scored - 69 RBI

 

30 2B - 3 3B - 30 HR - .243 BA - 72 Runs Scored - 103 RBI

 

You could honestly say clueless decision to pick Walker over Kepler.  I love Kepler, but what about his numbers scream much more deserving for National Player of the Year than Walker.  At least 2 of Walker production numbers are among the top 2 in baseball.  His SO numbers will surely keep him from winning along with his BA, but he does have eye popping numbers in certain categories that are not like many others in the game.

 

I'd rather look at them as a great tandem and future of the Twins as pitting them against each other all the time.  Both talented in own areas and both with major upside. AND BOTH YOUNG (23 & 22).  Not like Walker's an old man.  AND BOTH FROM NON BASEBALL HOTBEDS (Milwaukee & Germany). Lol