Twins' hitter's rank by position

[Obie]

The following list shows Twins' hitter's OPS rank per position. Minimum 300 PA. All MLB.

 

Suzuki  C .610 OPS 25th out of 28.

Mauer  1B .718 OPS 31st out of 35

Dozier 2B .751 OPS 14th out of 38

Escobar SS .754 OPS 7th out of 32

Plouffe 3B .742 OPS 20th out of 30

Rosario LF .748 OPS 14th out of 30

Hicks CF .721 OPS 17th out of 30

Hunter RF .702 OPS 29th out of 34

Sano DH .916 OPS 2nd out of 11

 

Overall team .704 OPS 13th out 15 AL, 23rd out of 30 MLB.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Interesting data.

 

Some time ago (last year?) someone at FanGraphs wrote an article about how the Oakland A's had no position player who was below average at their position. They didn't have very many really well known names, but they were usually playing guys who were above average.

 

For the Twins, that would be (in order) Sano, Escobar, Dozier and Rosario.

 

Pretty small group. Small enough to generate some concern from the GM?

[Thrylos]

This is probably a better way of looking at it, because it takes into account of all players who played in every position.  Look at the right-most column (sOPS+) relative to the league. 100 is average.

[jorgenswest]

 

This is probably a better way of looking at it, because it takes into account of all players who played in every position.  Look at the right-most column (sOPS+) relative to the league. 100 is average.

Thanks.

 

Looks like they can make strides by addressing RF, C and the bench. CF is also low but Schafer's at bats will not be in the mix next year.

[Oldgoat_MN]

I like both of these charts. 

A position can look bad but a player at that position can look good. Is that player ready to field that position every day?

 

I will admit to a little grin at Escobar's stats. While he certainly hasn't gotten much love at this site, some folks are coming around.

 

Good, not great. But consistently good would be wonderful to have at a position like SS.

 

[Shaitan]

I respect the data but evaluating by position feel silly. Evaluate by bating order if nothing else. One team's  catcher or 1B or is another team's 3B or RF. It's a team sport and evaluating by position is faulty.

[Rosterman]

Looks like people will be calling general manager Terry Ryan non-stop to pull players away from the Twins!

[Major League Ready]

 

I respect the data but evaluating by position feel silly. Evaluate by bating order if nothing else. One team's  catcher or 1B or is another team's 3B or RF. It's a team sport and evaluating by position is faulty.

Looking at offense in terms of position might not be perfect but there is definitely a correlation between position and offensive production.  SS in general do not have the same production as corner infielders.  CF do not produce offensively as well as corner OFers.

[Danchat]

It's nice to see how high Escobar ranks. Turns out SS is the one position we don't need to address. 

[Obie]

One more stat from a slightly different vantage. Twins overall #3 hole in the batting order OPS .683 29th out of 30 teams.

[diehardtwinsfan]

The good news is that most of the guys who were above average are younger.  The bad news is that several of the below average guys are older and still under contract.

 

Hopefully Mauer can recover a bit of his old self next season.  That would help things a lot.  Same with Suzuki (though I think he'd be helped by simply getting a competent backup).

[Mike Sixel]

I think I read they were last in OBP as a team......that seems like it could be bad.

 

And, no, you don't compare by batting order. You play a position, you need to compare players at positions to other players at that position. You can't sign a number three hitter, but you can sign a 1B (just an example), because you need players to play positions.

[Platoon]

I am nowhere near the stats guy that some on here are, so correct me if I am wrong. This appears to be a very very average team, with the middle of the order considerably below that? My perception of the Twins this year, and in the recent past is that they have no "true" #1,3, or 4 hitters in the generally defined definition of those spots in the order. Hopefully as the roster turns over in the future, some players will emerge to fill those slots. A baseball season is a long drawn out affair. And if you have a roster of nice, average, solid players you will always be competitive. But that is not the same as being a legitimate contender for one of, at least, the final four teams in the playoffs.

[DaveW]

The thing that jumps out to me is Dozier, in the first half we were talking MVP candidate, by the end of the year he was mearly average. Gotta improve.

Plouffe, no reason whatsoever to keep him around, put Sano at 3B and have Vargas or another bat at DH.

 

Hunter, no reason whatsoever to keep him around either, Arcia can match those numbers and if he can't you have Kepler. Or you can sign about 40 different FA that can beat those numbers as well.

 

Mauer, it is what it is. I hope he can bounce back next season.

[HitInAPinch]

 

I think I read they were last in OBP as a team......that seems like it could be bad.

And, no, you don't compare by batting order. You play a position, you need to compare players at positions to other players at that position. You can't sign a number three hitter, but you can sign a 1B (just an example), because you need players to play positions.

Twins are at 23 of 30.  Room for improvement.

[HitInAPinch]

 

 

This is probably a better way of looking at it, because it takes into account of all players who played in every position.  Look at the right-most column (sOPS+) relative to the league. 100 is average.

 

Hey, thanks for clearing up sOPS+ for me.  Relative  to the League.  Now it makes sense.

[puckstopper1]

I like both charts as well.  Pretty obvious that the biggest offensive issues are catcher and first base / 3rd spot in the batting order.  The third spot in the order can be addressed by moving Joe to the 2-hole or down in the order.  But then, who do you put around Sano?  Do you move him up to 3rd in the order?

 

Also, those who are clamoring to trade Plouffe and use Vargas or Arcia at DH, why?  Neither one of them has proven consistent enough to be handed that spot. Unless they can get another consistent power hitter in return, Plouffe at 3B and Sano at DH is stronger than Sano at 3B and Vargas or Arcia at DH, and the above charts/stats shows that.

[mikelink45]

This is a great stat comparison that shows we are really below average except for the young who we hope continue to improve (some will).  We have to move out the old dead wood.  Then we have to add fielding.  On fangraphs we are 27 out of 30 teams in fielding.  Remember we were only one game over 500 despite the excitement.

 

Our catchers came out 30th - last

1B was 16 - the top of the bottom half

2B was 26 - do we overrate Dozier?

SS was 7 - I guess Escobar was good in all measurements

3B was 10  Plouffe held his own

RF was 26  time for Hunter to retire

CF was 18 - I expected better, except the position 1st half was questionable

LF was 30 - last - I thought Rosario would pull this up.

 

Combine hitting and fielding and pitching where we ranked 25 and you can see why ESPN and others were wondering how we were achieving our .500 level.  

[nytwinsfan]

 

The thing that jumps out to me is Dozier, in the first half we were talking MVP candidate, by the end of the year he was mearly average. Gotta improve.

Plouffe, no reason whatsoever to keep him around, put Sano at 3B and have Vargas or another bat at DH.

 

Hunter, no reason whatsoever to keep him around either, Arcia can match those numbers and if he can't you have Kepler. Or you can sign about 40 different FA that can beat those numbers as well.

 

Mauer, it is what it is. I hope he can bounce back next season.

In Terry Ryan/Dave St. Peter's mind, basically .030 of every rookie's OPS gets attributed/allocated to Hunter, Plouffe, or Dozier, for their veteran presence/leadership. I'm only half joking.

[nytwinsfan]

 

 

I like both charts as well.  Pretty obvious that the biggest offensive issues are catcher and first base / 3rd spot in the batting order.  The third spot in the order can be addressed by moving Joe to the 2-hole or down in the order.  But then, who do you put around Sano?  Do you move him up to 3rd in the order?

 

Also, those who are clamoring to trade Plouffe and use Vargas or Arcia at DH, why?  Neither one of them has proven consistent enough to be handed that spot. Unless they can get another consistent power hitter in return, Plouffe at 3B and Sano at DH is stronger than Sano at 3B and Vargas or Arcia at DH, and the above charts/stats shows that.

Oswaldo Arcia, career OPS: .741, career SLG. .437

Trevor Plouffe, career OPS: .728, career SLG. .420

 

Now that being said, Arcia's problems in the minors the second half of this season are troubling, and probably sufficient to hedge on whether he would be expected better than Plouffe in 2016. However, based on past major league statistics, which is what you seem to be going on, Sano plus Arcia would be better than Sano plus Plouffe. I don't understand how the charts/stats above possibly say otherwise.

[howieramone2]

 

The thing that jumps out to me is Dozier, in the first half we were talking MVP candidate, by the end of the year he was mearly average. Gotta improve.

Plouffe, no reason whatsoever to keep him around, put Sano at 3B and have Vargas or another bat at DH.

 

Hunter, no reason whatsoever to keep him around either, Arcia can match those numbers and if he can't you have Kepler. Or you can sign about 40 different FA that can beat those numbers as well.

 

Mauer, it is what it is. I hope he can bounce back next season.

At this point in time, Arcia, Vargas, and Kepler are nothing more than shiny new things, not unlike your amigo Berrios. The quickest way for our favorite team to regress, is to load up on unproven shiny new things. The multi-year rebuild is officially over, let the shiny new things kick in the door. Our much malinged FO just so happen to have the best seats in the house to determine the right time.

[Shane Wahl]

Dozier plays almost every game again and falls quite flat during the second half again. I think there is a lesson to be learned there.

 

You just gotta believe Mauer gets it back. It doesn't make sense for him to just fall this far without it being concussion-related and a loonnnggg recovery. Maybe one more offseason makes the difference like it did for Morneau.

 

The OF is fixed, overall (likely outcome is slightly above average OPS+ and top notch defense for 2016--I take that in a heartbeat).

 

I would take a chance on the catcher position by going after a young catcher (anything is likely to improve on 2015).

 

I will favor Arcia over Plouffe, especially given the latter's going to be worth a bit more in a trade and he is also going to be aging soon. And he bats from the wrong side to be behind Sano. Hicks-Mauer-Sano-Arcia (unless offseason and ST go terribly)-Dozier-Rosario-Escobar-Catcher-Buxton looks nice to me. Let it fly.

[DaveW]

 

At this point in time, Arcia, Vargas, and Kepler are nothing more than shiny new things, not unlike your amigo Berrios. The quickest way for our favorite team to regress, is to load up on unproven shiny new things. The multi-year rebuild is officially over, let the shiny new things kick in the door. Our much malinged FO just so happen to have the best seats in the house to determine the right time.

Arcia isn't a "shiny new thing" he has 850 PA in the major leagues with an above average OPS and above average power.

Vargas has over 400 PA, is young, has struggled but even so has a better OPS then Hunter did this year! (And he is 10 mil cheaper)

[DJL44]

My takeaway from the sOPS+ data - how in the world were they that bad at pinch hitting. Did they go up blindfolded?

[bluechipper]

 

My takeaway from the sOPS+ data - how in the world were they that bad at pinch hitting. Did they go up blindfolded?

I think Paul Molitor was blindfolded when he made some of his pinch hitting decisions.

[diehardtwinsfan]

That and he didn't exactly have good options.  This is where I think a guy like Torri would still have value.  He's old and wearing down, but I think as a pinch hitter he's still very dangerous and could probably maintain some good production over the course of a season. We need a Jose Offerman type player off the bench.

[DaveW]

 

That and he didn't exactly have good options.  This is where I think a guy like Torri would still have value.  He's old and wearing down, but I think as a pinch hitter he's still very dangerous and could probably maintain some good production over the course of a season. We need a Jose Offerman type player off the bench.

Again, until he changes his mind and would be willing to accept that role its a moot point.

But filling that role isn't hard anyways (bench bet)

 

Plenty of guys will be available on the cheap:

Mike Napoli (platoon him at DH with Arcia?)+ bench bat

Marlyn Byrd

John Jaso

 

etc

 

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

The Twins should have a contingency for first base should Mauer not improve for a third year. Maybe Mauer can move to full time DH sometime in 2016 and that might be less taxing on him mentally. Just an idea.

[SF Twins Fan]

What makes me the most nervous about getting rid of Plouffe and Hunter is losing the HR's (44) and RBI's (167). Most likely Sano's numbers will increase with a full season, but I doubt he's going to hit 40 HR's and 138 RBI's, which is what he'd need to hit to cover his stats from this season plus Plouffe's. Then you also have to replace Hunter's numbers. Counting on Arcia really scares me. Yes he has HR's and a solid OPS, but he played terrible this season and can't be trusted in the field. It seems like Hicks has figured it out, but I'm not fully convinced yet. Rosario was great this season, but is he another Santana or Vargas? Buxton will likely start the season in AAA unless he comes to spring training and is hitting the cover off the ball. 

 

So really the Twins have Rosario and Hicks for the outfield to start next season. Who will play RF and please don't say Arcia? He shouldn't even be given a glove next season.

 

 

[DaveW]

The Twins should have a contingency for first base should Mauer not improve for a third year. Maybe Mauer can move to full time DH sometime in 2016 and that might be less taxing on him mentally. Just an idea.

You could sign Chris Davis and have him and Mauer basically split 1st and Dh on a nightly basis.