Fangraphs (and other national publications) on the Twins

[Mr. Brooks]

 

Also, the only reason I could think of for ownership to meddle is to sell more tickets, and clearly they already saw Dozier doesn't sell tickets.

That's not the only reason.

Pohlad might view Dozier as being extremely loveable.

[nicksaviking]

 

That's not the only reason.
Pohlad might view Dozier as being extremely loveable.

 

Good thing we invented Facetime then. Long-distance lovability is much easier than it used to be.

[Mr. Brooks]

Good thing we invented Facetime then. Long-distance lovability is much easier than it used to be.

I don't think you can do FaceTime via fax machine.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I don't think you can do FaceTime via fax machine.

 

That's a whole other kind of loving right there.

[Mike Sixel]

Prospect chat today:

 

12:03   Twins Fan: Thoughts on Fernando Romero?
12:03   Eric A Longenhagen: Good stuff, up to 100, relief delivery.

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

Interested in 1 person's thoughts on the Dodgers system, just in case of a trade? You won't like what he thinks of DeLeon much....

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/top-21-prospects-los-angeles-dodgers/

 

[Mike Sixel]

12:34
Luke: Obviously the Twins are in full rebuild mode, how do you feel about the front office moves?

 

12:34
Dave Cameron: Falvey and Levine both have good reputations. This should be an improvement for the decision making in MIN.

[Vanimal46]

 

Interested in 1 person's thoughts on the Dodgers system, just in case of a trade? You won't like what he thinks of DeLeon much....

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/top-21-prospects-los-angeles-dodgers/

A mid-rotation arm... Oh boy! 

[nicksaviking]

 

A mid-rotation arm... Oh boy! 

 

To be fair, I'd think nearly all prospects should project as such. Even most of the top prospect arms would be lucky to hit that mark.

 

I thought his FB had more zip though, that prospect round up did turn me off a bit also.

[Mike Sixel]

 

To be fair, I'd think nearly all prospects should project as such. Even most of the top prospect arms would be lucky to hit that mark.

 

I thought his FB had more zip though, that prospect round up did turn me off a bit also.

 

It was the lower ceiling that bothered me....not the "most likely outcome" part.

[Vanimal46]

Long article about pitching coach Neil Allen on Fangraphs today.  

[nicksaviking]

Really good article, and it half convinces me Allen should get another shot. It's interesting at the end when he implies he wasn't comfortable pushing his organizational philosophies until now. We all were critical of the "country club" mentality that might stiffle new voices, though I would like to think Allen would have been more assertive.

 

I also am a fan of changeups, but I'm not a fan of cookie-cutter players. Allen kind of makes it sound like changeups are going to be mandatory.

 

But overall encouraging stuff.

[Mike Sixel]

I just posted a comment on that article...

[Mike Sixel]

 

Really good article, and it half convinces me Allen should get another shot. It's interesting at the end when he implies he wasn't comfortable pushing his organizational philosophies until now. We all were critical of the "country club" mentality that might stiffer new voices, though I would like to think Allen would have been more assertive.

I also am a fan of changeups, but I'm not a fan of cookie-cutter players. Allen kind of makes it sound like changeups are going to be mandatory.

But overall encouraging stuff.

 

If he doesn't own the pitching philosophy, no one does. HUGE breakdown in leadership. YUGE.

[nicksaviking]

 

If he doesn't own the pitching philosophy, no one does. HUGE breakdown in leadership. YUGE.

 

Didn't we all kind of suspect that about the past leadership though? Why they couldn't just add a handful of new people from the outside and keep the main braintrust intact? Old policies and philosophies were so entrenched and unmovable that they needed to be dug out at the roots.

[Platoon]

I know you can't just completely gut the operation in a few days. But so far there is an awful lot of the old guard left in place to continue the TwinsWay. I wouldn't normally even say this, except the part about keeping TR on as a "special advisor" kind of threw me. Ryan might be an excellent talent evaluator, or he might not be. But having him around only complicates matters for his old sycophants.

[Lonestar]

Allen: On changeup ratios: “You had to throw a certain percentage of changeups. I forget what they were, but A-ball had a percentage, Double-A had a percentage, Triple-A had a percentage.

 

He forgot?  Perhaps we hired the wrong guy from Tampa.

[HitInAPinch]

 

He forgot?  Perhaps we hired the wrong guy from Tampa.

 

19 paragraphs on the successful Tampa Bay pitcher development program and that's what you got out of the article? 

[HitInAPinch]

 

Long article about pitching coach Neil Allen on Fangraphs today.  

Thanks for posting this.  Really great stuff that we seldom, if every, see.  Development Priorities.  I like the focus on the fastball and integration of breaking pitches and seeing actual plans for each MiLB level.  Location over "more power" that seems to have absorbed everyone's attention. 

 

I was always wondering my pitchers were using more cutters.  Very interesting.

 

Time is up Allen.  Do it your way   

[Vanimal46]

Here are Fangraphs' projected FA salaries and the top 50 FA available. They used crowdsourcing along with Dave Cameron's projected figures as well. 

[Dantes929]

 

He's still only 22 years old so anything is possible but I wouldn't hold my breath over Gonsalves picking up speed on his fastball. It's more likely he learns to control it better and add movement.

Quick check on velocity of the 20 best starter ERA's last season says 8 have fastballs below league average in velocity and at least 4 are decidedly so.   Hendriks (1), Bumgarner (4), Tanaka (12) and Pomeranz (20).   Of course that means 12 are slightly to significantly faster but I still think too much emphasis is on velocity unless you have one that is way up there.

[crapforks]

 

Quick check on velocity of the 20 best starter ERA's last season says 8 have fastballs below league average in velocity and at least 4 are decidedly so.   Hendriks (1), Bumgarner (4), Tanaka (12) and Pomeranz (20).   Of course that means 12 are slightly to significantly faster but I still think too much emphasis is on velocity unless you have one that is way up there.

Half of the starters will be below and half above average. Thats just how it works. I think the Twins fans here just long for a starter to show a team some different things over a three game stretch. We have been watching 87-92mph pitch to contact guys for what? A decade plus? Throw just one pitcher who brings it at 96 and has some wildness and it *could* throw the opposition off their game. 

If I'm looking at a three game stretch vs Hughes, Santana and Gibson, there isn't much I have to study up on. They aren't exact clones, but I know I'm going to have to swing, and I know I'm going to only be patient enough to get that pitch to drive. Watching the team build a pitching staff in hopes that the opposing batters get themselves out is tiring.

[nicksaviking]

Quick check on velocity of the 20 best starter ERA's last season says 8 have fastballs below league average in velocity and at least 4 are decidedly so.   Hendriks (1), Bumgarner (4), Tanaka (12) and Pomeranz (20).   Of course that means 12 are slightly to significantly faster but I still think too much emphasis is on velocity unless you have one that is way up there.

I don't much care about velocity, just the strikeouts.

 

Usually they correspond but not always.

[Vanimal46]

MLB Trade Rumors just posted their Off-season Outlook for the Twins. 

[Mike Sixel]

KLAW is doing a series, beyond his top 50 FAs, about trade options....

 

ESan is in the latest. He doesn't say what he could return, but he clearly thinks he's pretty valuable. Production and durability. 

[Vanimal46]

Twins Fan
12:11 Regarding Fernando Romero, Do you think he is a starter? What would you put his potential at?

 

Eric A Longenhagen
12:12 I'm knee deep in the Twins list right now and he's probably not a starter based on my current notes.

[Vanimal46]

For the Alex Meyer followers.... 

Dumpster Fiers

12:22 Will Alex Meyer live up to his once top prospect ranking in LAA?

 

Eric A Longenhagen
12:23 I do not. Could do well in relief, though.

[Mike Sixel]

van....you missed this one:

 

John
12:11 Berrios... ugh... say it ain't so. Odds of making some solid progress in year 2?

 

Eric A Longenhagen
12:11 Just looked like a different pitcher last year than he did as a prospect. I have very little idea what to expect.

[Mike Sixel]

Erik
12:23 One thing I've learned from reading your reports is that a player with an initially unimpressive-looking report of a bunch of 50s and 55s is actually an excellent prospect, especially if one of those 55s is game power and the player plays an up-the-middle defensive position (like Brendan Rogers). Can you give some examples of proven major leaguers who are 50-55 across the board to have in mind when thinking about that sort of prospect?

 

Eric A Longenhagen
12:24 Maybe Brandon Belt, Logan Forsythe, Nick Gordon is that kind of prospect but with less power than Rodgers. Denard Span.

[Mike Sixel]

Dude Abides
12:39 Do you prefer Kiriloff or Rutherford and why?

Eric A Longenhagen
12:39 Rutherford. More confidence in the bat.