Expectations for Joe Know Who

[jokin]

 

My expectations are that he plays hard every day and he helps this team win games. 

 

Have a plan at the plate each at bat and a plan that includes trying to turn on an inside pitch every once in awhile.

 

Whatever happens... happens and I'm simply not worried about Mauer anymore. 

 

Other than that.

 

My expectations will be focused on Molitor. Will Joe be creative with Mauer, Park, Plouffe, Sano and Arcia?  Will the guys who are hitting play more? Will the guys who are slumping watch more?

 

If Mauer has to sit because Park is at first and Sano is at DH or whatever combination. So be it. If it happens 3 games in a row. So be it. 

 

I guess... in a nutshell.

 

My expectation is that Joe understands that the team has quality options and he needs to out-play them.

 

If he doesn't... it's going to get weird for him for the rest of his contract. 

 

I'm also glad he's a Twin and I don't worry about it.

 

I worry more about Buxton right now. We need Buxton to be what he hope he will be. 

 

Buxton is the Twins player I worry least about. He will be a perennial All Star-caliber performer- lots of other players with this group more worthy of worry. The only worry with Buxton will be why he hasn't been called up yet when he's OPSing 1.150 at Rochester on May 15.

[Thrylos]

One number is worth mentioned:  666.  Joe Mauer's PAs in 2015 for a career high.

 

Another thing worth mentioning:  Mauer has digressed as a hitter the last couple seasons.  The Twins had the 13th best OPS out of 15 AL teams.   I think that Brunansky is getting a free pass here, and may be part of the problem.  Mauer under Bruno is swinging too much...

 

I expect about .300/.350/.450 as is, and maybe .025 points on each higher with a better hitting coach.

[Vanimal46]

I have no expectations for #7 next season. I wish I could remember which thread I read this in, but the quote fits where we are with Joe. "Joe's not the future, and he's barely the present."

 

There are other players that are more important to the success of the franchise. If he's better than the last 2 years, that's gravy in my eye. If he's the same, or worse, there needs to be a transition plan to make him a part-time player.

[Boom Boom]

Another thing worth mentioning: Mauer has digressed as a hitter the last couple seasons. The Twins had the 13th best OPS out of 15 AL teams. I think that Brunansky is getting a free pass here, and may be part of the problem. Mauer under Bruno is swinging too much...

I really don't understand how you pin any of this on the hitting coach when the guy who was hitting coach during Joe's batting title years is still on the coaching staff. If Mauer's approach under Bruno isn't working, what's to keep him from working with Vavra?

[Riverbrian]

 

Buxton is the Twins player I worry least about. He will be a perennial All Star-caliber performer- lots of other players with this group more worthy of worry. The only worry with Buxton will be why he hasn't been called up yet when he's OPSing 1.150 at Rochester on May 15.

 

I hope you are right

 

I really hope you are right

 

This team needs a CF who can go get it. 

[Halsey Hall]

I figured Joe was a shoo-in for the Hall, but that ship has passed.  The last couple of years taken care of that.  I thought the concussion had something to do with it, and probably did, but he really hasn't shown signs of shaking it.  So maybe it's something else.  His life has gone from making good money and dating Miss America and anyone else he desired to making a ton of money and being married with children. I have to wonder how much desire is still there. 

 

As noted by others, his approach hasn't seemed to change much.  But it looks like he's lost just a split second reaction time.  So when he does make contact the ball doesn't go where he wanted it to, and is resulting in outs.  I'd like him to just screw that approach, just step in the box and hit the ball hard wherever it is pitched and take what comes.  Maybe less weak ground balls hit at someone and instead blistering ground balls that just might still be at someone, or maybe get thru for a hit.  It wouldn't take many hits during the year to raise that average to .300.  If he could to that I just might start thinking Hall again. 

[Mike Sixel]

Such a thing of beauty, it was, to watch him before. That's what makes now so painful......

 

I expect him to get as many at bats as the 10 best 1B get, but to produce like a bottom third 1B hitter. I really hope I am wrong.

[Dr. Evil]

I expect that he will do little to nothing to alter his offseason strength program to help him compensate for his decline in bat speed. So, his stats will remain as they are now until his contract year. Then there will be just enough of an uptick in his stats to tempt a new contract from someone in free agency. More vanilla results on the horizon IMHO. I think he is a great guy but I'm not convinced that he is necessarily determined to put a stamp of excellence on the final 3rd of his career. I hope I'm wrong about that because when he is in the groove he is a pleasure to watch hitting a baseball. I miss that.

[Loosey]

I have mentioned this before and I think it was touched on in this thread comparing Mauer to Morneau as it relates to concussions.  Morneau had 3 bad season's both physically and actually statistically at the plate after his concussion.  We are now 2 1/2 years removed from Mauer's concussion issues.  I know that every person reacts differently and I know that Mauer is older than Morneau was when he had his brain injury.  But for at least one more season I am holding onto that glimmer of hope he can shake whatever has been ailing him and at least get back to an older version of the guy that was a perennial All-Star.

 

I would like to see the MLB network use their new StatCast tool to measure Joe's bat speed last year versus earlier in his career.  My thought is if the bat speed is still there then the difference could be visual or timing which could be a lingering/permanent side effect of a brain injury.

[gmarais66]

I'm not technically inclined enough to post videos on here, nor am I sure its possible with this forum, but if you compare Mauer's 2009 swing to his 2015 swing, there are some differences, especially with his front foot. To me, it would seem that his hips aren't coming through like they used to, which would certainly result in a reduction in power. Maybe someone else could post this so everyone could see the difference.

[Willihammer]

From my couch, it looks like Mauer has been in denial about the changing strikezone. He seems more often to be complaining about strike calls at the knees and borderline strikes where he used to get the benefit of the doubt. IMO needs to do a better job with learning and commanding the modern strike zone in order to return to being the high OBP / average guy that is clearly his strength as a hitter.

[EddieMatthews]

I agree with Halsey.  I want Mauer in the HOF.  The first half of his career earned it.  The second half needs to maintain that luster.  So far, he's has 3 bummer years out of the last 5.  It wouldn't take much to get above .300 in 2016.  Only one hit per week more.  

 

I am hoping that Mauer gets extensive help and takes a holistic approach, much like Morneau did to recover his career.  This means strength and speed training, diet (vegan?), mental exercises and counseling, etc.  

 

I think that Mauer was derailed from his HOF track by injuries that included a concussion, and being forced to change positions from Catcher to First Base.  Morneau did an incredible amount of work to revive his baseball career.  Joe's past track record makes the same investment a requisite for his career.

[lukeduke1980]

 

 

I am hoping that Mauer gets extensive help and takes a holistic approach, much like Morneau did to recover his career.  This means strength and speed training, diet (vegan?), 

 

So no more Kemps?

[EddieMatthews]

Another poster discussed the changed strike zone and the effect this has had on Mauer's batting and approach.  I would like to see Twins Daily take up this discussion topic in depth.

 

In looking at statistics from prior years, it appears that there has been a significant uptick in strikeouts per game, about 0.5 more from 2011 to 2012 and part of a broader trend that increased K's by 1.5 more per game since 2000.  This trend shows in both the AL and NL.  

 

Why is this happening?  Is it cause or effect?  Is the pitching better?  Is it more use of relief pitching?  Is it a changed strike zone?  Are umpires calling a tighter zone because of the threat of automated strike  / ball technology?  

[Blake]

I am not a Joe Mauer fan, by any stretch of the imagination. And I, for one, seriously thought the Twins could do without the services of Joe Mauer.

 

However, if you look at Mauer's BA with runners on, last year, things look a lot different.

 

With RISP, Joe's average was a rather robust .352. With RISP and 2 outs, Joe batted .311. However, with the bases loaded, Joe's average was .533.

 

Without runners on, Joe batted a pathetic .232.

[Willihammer]

Another poster discussed the changed strike zone and the effect this has had on Mauer's batting and approach.  I would like to see Twins Daily take up this discussion topic in depth.

 

In looking at statistics from prior years, it appears that there has been a significant uptick in strikeouts per game, about 0.5 more from 2011 to 2012 and part of a broader trend that increased K's by 1.5 more per game since 2000.  This trend shows in both the AL and NL.  

 

Why is this happening?  Is it cause or effect?  Is the pitching better?  Is it more use of relief pitching?  Is it a changed strike zone?  Are umpires calling a tighter zone because of the threat of automated strike  / ball technology?

The Hardball Times has been tracking the zone changes in the past few years. Basically, umpires prior to the pitchf/x era were terrible. Since pitch tracking and umpire reviews have evolved, umpires are calling what is closer to the rulebook zone, which has caused the zone to expand, esp. downward.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/the-strike-zone-expansion-is-out-of-control/

[Mike Sixel]

Basically, imo, the zone has changed, and Mauer has not adjusted to the change, nor to the fact that he doesn't unfairly get all/most of the calls his way anymore. As it should be. Everyone should play by the same rules, that's what makes it a fair competition. 

[savvyspy]

My expectation:

 

Offensively: If he is roughly the same as last year, my expectation is he's batting 6th or 7th in the lineup

 

Defensively: I expect him to be replacement level and not trend towards being a liability

 

I have no faith he gets any better than we've seen the past couple of years. It would be easier to stomach if he was hitting lower in the lineup and had a little position flexibility. I would love him to play RF on occasion along with 1B and DH. I think it would increase his value and help the team avoid the disaster that would be Sano out there. 

[jokin]

 

I hope you are right

 

I really hope you are right

 

This team needs a CF who can go get it. 

 

Buck is that CF.