Raising the Mauer panic level...

[Pius Jefferson]

In May he's got a .214..298/.238 with one extra base hit and just five walks. He's struggled even more the last ten games and the strikeout numbers are up. I'm afraid he's reverting back to weak hitting .275 Joe Mauer.

[gunnarthor]

Years ago, there was a comment by Gardy that some interpreted to mean that Mauer didn't like being moved out of the 3-spot in the line up and it would affect him, mentally. 

 

In any event, slumps happen.  Hopefully, he'll be fine.

[notoriousgod71]

HE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS!

[DocBauer]

Disconcerting to say the least. But is a very long season. Slumps happen for everyone at different times. I think it would be a big mistake to panic at this point. Really, we're talking about a bad couple of weeks. That isn't much in the great scheme of a season.

 

Frankly, I'd be more worried if he had two great weeks to start the season and then slumped to these kind of numbers for the past four weeks. But it doesn't escape notice, after the past couple of down and disappointing seasons, that April's hope could be an abberation. Still, we need a longer sample size before we panic or announce such.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I'd move him back to second. Nunez or Polanco can lead off, or Santana.

[Linus]

Look at the lineup. The Twins have much bigger problems than Joe.

[Old Twins Cap]

The Twins have worse players than Joe, for sure.  But not any that are as highly paid to perform well and lead the team.

 

That's the problem.  He's the Twins iconic on-field, off-field presence, and currently, and for the last three years, he is simply an Average Joe.

 

Not worth $23MM, not by a long shot.

[Linus]

Repeat after me. The Twins have plenty of money. Joe's contract doesn't matter.

[USAFChief]

Repeat after me. The Twins have plenty of money. Joe's contract doesn't matter.

It does matter, if ownership makes it matter.

[notoriousgod71]

 

It does matter, if ownership makes it matter.

 

Mauer could make a dollar and ownership would make it matter.

[Mr. Brooks]

Funny how when ownership wanted us to build them a stadium, they said they needed the revenue to field a competitive team.

Now they say money can't fix this mess.

[USAFChief]

The Twins have worse players than Joe, for sure.  But not any that are as highly paid to perform well and lead the team.

 

That's the problem.  He's the Twins iconic on-field, off-field presence, and currently, and for the last three years, he is simply an Average Joe.

 

Not worth $23MM, not by a long shot.

To me, and this is not a recent observation, he has such little actual impact on games it's like he's almost not there.

 

The numbers themselves aren't the whole story. Not what any of us were hoping for, but hardly terrible. They don't actually capture his lack of impact though. Few extra base hits, and the doubles he gets tend to be soft and to left, limiting the bases runners can advance. Same for his singles, usually fielded on one or two hops by the left fieder moving towards the infield. Walks that up the OBP, but move any runners only one base. He refuses to change his approach, letting hittable fastballs sail by, even with a RH pitcher and a RH hitter up next, so you end up with a worse matchup, and often no runs result.

 

Add it all up, and his OPS has less impact than similar OPS's from "worse" hitters.

[Linus]

Funny how when ownership wanted us to build them a stadium, they said they needed the revenue to field a competitive team.

Now they say money can't fix this mess.

I'm hardly an ownership defender but nobody is saying that.

[Mr. Brooks]

I'm hardly an ownership defender but nobody is saying that.

“The money thing for 30 years has been the same theme from time to time: ‘We don’t spend enough money,’” Pohlad told Scoggins in discussing the Twins’ payroll. “I probably know something, I believe, more than the average fan in that regard. Money does not fix the issue.”

 

http://www.1500espn.com/news/2016/05/zulgad-talk-about-a-total-system-failure-pohlads-message-is-latest-blunder-by-twins/

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

Strobe glasses battery went dead. 

 

I'd keep him #1, with Sano batting #2 behind him with his high OBP and would help protect Joe. After that something in the mix of Arcia, Park, Dozier, and Plouffe depending on the matchup. 

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

 

HE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS!

 

All the talk of Joe's "great" start were totally overblown. Hitting for a high average with mostly singles and almost no power. I think it was a bunch of people blindly hoping that he'd return to his glory days form.

 

With the OBP, though, I'd keep him in either the #1 or #2 spot in the lineup. Under no circumstances would I slot him back at #3. You're 3-hole hitter has to have at least some power and be somewhat of a threat to go yard or make a pitcher pay for a mistake. I couldn't care less about walks from my #3 guy.

[JaleelWhite FanClub]

 

Strobe glasses battery went dead. 

 

I'd keep him #1, with Sano batting #2 behind him with his high OBP and would help protect Joe. After that something in the mix of Arcia, Park, Dozier, and Plouffe depending on the matchup. 

 

Joe really doesn't need all that much protection. Who's pitching around him? Someone afraid of a single or a walk?

 

Power = need for protection.

[theBOMisthebomb]

To me, and this is not a recent observation, he has such little actual impact on games it's like he's almost not there.

The numbers themselves aren't the whole story. Not what any of us were hoping for, but hardly terrible. They don't actually capture his lack of impact though. Few extra base hits, and the doubles he gets tend to be soft and to left, limiting the bases runners can advance. Same for his singles, usually fielded on one or two hops by the left fieder moving towards the infield. Walks that up the OBP, but move any runners only one base. He refuses to change his approach, letting hittable fastballs sail by, even with a RH pitcher and a RH hitter up next, so you end up with a worse matchup, and often no runs result.

Add it all up, and his OPS has less impact than similar OPS's from "worse" hitters.

Not to mention he never seems to be a 'real' cluthch hitter that changes the game in the 8th or 9th inning when he has a chance to tie the game, give te Twins the lead, or win the game. I remember at least 3 or 4 of these situations this year and ol' Joe is a big fat o-fer. He might have a decent average with risp, yet when the game hangs in the balance you just know Joe is going to hit a weak tapper.

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

 

Joe really doesn't need all that much protection. Who's pitching around him? Someone afraid of a single or a walk?

 

Power = need for protection.

They probably aren't too worried about Nunez or Dozeir batting behind him, but probably don't want someone on base with Sano coming up with no outs to start the game. Might not matter greatly, but it matters. 

[The Wise One]

Mauer signed a contract that no one would ever turn down. The complaints about him not being a 23 million dollar player . One too many bonks to the head and he is no longer the  5-7 WAR player he was.  When he signed the contract I do not recall that there was anybody much saying it was a bad contract.  That is the risk of long term contracts.  Life isn't very kind sometimes. Life isn't fair. Joe can't be what he was, he can't be what he is not.  Joe has never been considered a leader since he got done at Cretin.  That was known when they signed him to the contract. Again, as a 5-7 WAR player, no big deal.    From a leadership standpoint the Twins appear to have a big hole in their roster.  The problem is that  the veterans  they have at position players are not the leadership type. The young guys who could lead all have a bigger problem called hitting the ball well enough to stay in the majors. Could money have fixed that problem?   Maybe, Maybe not.

Money sure fixed the pitching, didn't it? Spending money in and of itself does not fix a problem. Santana has been worth the money so far. Hughes before they extended him, not so much after. Rickie ....   

Spending money on scouting so every other year you get a  Duffey, a decent reliever, and a position player fixes the problems. That is what you need to spend the money on.

[Pius Jefferson]

 

Look at the lineup. The Twins have much bigger problems than Joe.

 

That doesn't have anything to do with the contribution or recently lack of contribution from Joe Mauer. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

He's only struggled for the last week or so, which coincidentally or not, was when he started batting leadoff. 

 

If Mauer can bat .300 and draw some walks he will be a huge asset—next year of course, since this year is toast.

 

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

He's only struggled for the last week or so, which coincidentally or not, was when he started batting leadoff. 

Not really.  Mauer moved to leadoff on May 10th.  Here is his batting line for the 7 days prior to that: .133/.188/.133 (.321 OPS), 16 PA, 2 singles, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts.

 

If anything, the move to leadoff might have been an attempt to help Mauer out of his mini-slump as much as it was to help Dozier, Santana, etc.

 

Mauer's line since the move to leadoff has been more of the same: .167/.259/.167 (.426 OPS), 27 PA, 4 singles, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

The big thing is the strikeouts.  8.5 K% in April 2016 was exceptional, and made him a much more effective hitter overall even without incredible power or BABIP.

 

23.1 K% in May so far.  If that trend continues through the end of the month, his season K rate will have almost doubled, back to 15.7%, very near the same figures that sapped his effectiveness in 2014-2015.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Not to mention he never seems to be a 'real' cluthch hitter that changes the game in the 8th or 9th inning when he has a chance to tie the game, give te Twins the lead, or win the game. I remember at least 3 or 4 of these situations this year and ol' Joe is a big fat o-fer. He might have a decent average with risp, yet when the game hangs in the balance you just know Joe is going to hit a weak tapper.

 

You know, Fangraphs actually measures this......

 

This year, he's been below average. Last year, he was near elite. He's been above average more years than below average, but he's not been consistently great (or terrible) at all in high leverage situations.

[jimmer]

 

You know, Fangraphs actually measures this......

 

This year, he's been below average. Last year, he was near elite. He's been above average more years than below average, but he's not been consistently great (or terrible) at all in high leverage situations.

RE24 is a great stat for that.  Well, as good of a stat as there is.

[DrNeau]

Mauer:

* 5 for last 40

* 2 extra base hits in last 15 games

 

From what I'm reading, that's okay, because:

* Money doesn't matter

* Power doesn't matter

 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Mauer:

* 5 for last 40

* 2 extra base hits in last 15 games

 

From what I'm reading, that's okay, because:

* Money doesn't matter

* Power doesn't matter

 

Who said that doesn't matter about money? Where was it stated that production does not matter?

[DrNeau]

 

Who said that doesn't matter about money? Where was it stated that production does not matter?

 

1st page: "Repeat after me. The Twins have plenty of money. Joe's contract doesn't matter." 

 

Tired of hearing this kind of stuff. Of course both money and production matter. 

[twinsnorth49]

 

1st page: "Repeat after me. The Twins have plenty of money. Joe's contract doesn't matter." 

 

Tired of hearing this kind of stuff. Of course both money and production matter. 

Lol, Mauer's contract isn't preventing the Twins from doing anything. What do you suggest they do, ask for it back? They could bench him, Lord knows this team is good enough for that. Still have to pay him though.

 

Tired of hearing the Mauer bad contract stuff, could be the most beaten horse on this site.