2017 Minnesota Twins Breakout Candidate — Eddie Rosario?

[snepp]

 

Similar, but a little bit worse. Francoeur has a lower swing rate outside the zone and a higher contact rate inside the zone.

 

The "but a little worse" part is what really hurts, because Francoeur was/is one of the poster children of having zero selectivity at the plate.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

The "but a little worse" part is what really hurts, because Francoeur was/is one of the poster children of having zero selectivity at the plate.

Yep, which was kinda the point I was making with the above comparisons. There are a few ways Eddie can improve, each of which will result in different, better performance. He can either reel in his pitch selection or improve his in-zone contact or both.

[Dr. Evil]

Eddie was a stud at most levels in the minors. I think he will turn out to be a stud in the majors too. I think the guy is David Justice waiting to happen. Plus, he has a cool name just like Justice. One can hope, right?

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

 

I don't believe he needs a decent BB rate, which I would consider somewhere in the 7-8% range.

 

If Rosario puts wood on the ball more often and walks 5-6% of the time, he could be a valuable player. He needs to improve his BB rate a bit but I see it as more of a swing decision issue than pursuing walks. If Eddie stops swinging at sliders in the dirt a foot wide of the plate, his BB rate will increase a bit but more importantly, he'll stop striking out on unhittable pitches and start putting the ball in play with more frequency. Rosario likes to swing and that's fine - not everything is about the BB - but Eddie needs to stop swinging at pitches he cannot hit.

 

But he'd also be the kind of player you usher out of the organization while he has value, because players like that tend to nosedive hard and fast as they approach or pass 30 years old. A loss of a step and/or a loss of bat speed turns them into pumpkins in a hurry.

I think he settles in between where he was the past two seasons. Not bad, but not great. An average 3rd OF. With stretches of greatness, and stretches where people are screaming for him to be benched or sent down.

[Bark's Lounge]

You cannot ignore past results - some have been darn ugly and some have been a thing of beauty.

 

This season he will play all but a couple of games at the age of 25... 25 is YOUNG!!!

 

My gut tells me he is going to have a break out year and he will make enough adjustments going into the future to the point where he will be considered one of our top 3 position players.

 

When I watch him play, I see an edge that I don't see in most players. Right now he is chaos, he just needs to wrangle in his chaotic tendencies into a holding pen to a certain extent, and go play some baseball!

[David HK]

 

You cannot ignore past results - some have been darn ugly and some have been a thing of beauty.

 

This season he will play all but a couple of games at the age of 25... 25 is YOUNG!!!

 

My gut tells me he is going to have a break out year and he will make enough adjustments going into the future to the point where he will be considered one of our top 3 position players.

 

When I watch him play, I see an edge that I don't see in most players. Right now he is chaos, he just needs to wrangle in his chaotic tendencies into a holding pen to a certain extent, and go play some baseball!

I concur in toto.  I really, really, dig that edge.

[Bark's Lounge]

 

I concur in toto.  I really, really, dig that edge.

Hell Yeah David! We should be excited!

[Steve Lein]

 

Except he doesn't when you look at it. The guy had a 78% contact rate inside the zone last season.

 

Suberb bat control would be Mauer-esque with a low 90s contact rate inside the zone. Or even Ben Revere, who is also in the low 90s IIRC.

 

I wouldn't consider anyone elite with that contact rate below 87-88. Eddie has a long way to go to get to that point.

 

You misinterpret what the "guessing" part plays in that, as that is why he also misses a lot in the zone.

 

-> "That's why you see him swing at pitches he has no business swinging at and looking silly for doing so, and missing a lot of other pitches because he's guessed wrong.

But, he's also very good at putting the bat on the ball on pitches he is able to touch when he's right, e.g.: the superb bat control."

[Mike Sixel]

 

You cannot ignore past results - some have been darn ugly and some have been a thing of beauty.

 

This season he will play all but a couple of games at the age of 25... 25 is YOUNG!!!

 

My gut tells me he is going to have a break out year and he will make enough adjustments going into the future to the point where he will be considered one of our top 3 position players.

 

When I watch him play, I see an edge that I don't see in most players. Right now he is chaos, he just needs to wrangle in his chaotic tendencies into a holding pen to a certain extent, and go play some baseball!

 

25 isn't all that young in MLB anymore. 

[drjim]

 

25 isn't all that young in MLB anymore. 

 

It's still pretty young. About 2 years younger than the average age on the youngest team (Arizona) from 2016. Average age of mlb player was 28.4 in 2016.

[Bark's Lounge]

 

25 isn't all that young in MLB anymore. 

What!? We will have to disagree on that.

 

This is Rosario's 3rd season. He was 23 in year one, 24 in year two. In those two seasons we have seen a lot of potential and some troubling things.

 

He has been marinading the last 2 years and year 3 is when he is pulled out of his marinade and thrown on the grill. I am hungry and I need to be optimistic that this going to be a tasty meal this year. I'll even share some with you Mike.

 

Note: For some unknown reason, I really could not help myself from using a ridiculous and stupid analogy.

[Mike Sixel]

 

It's still pretty young. About 2 years younger than the average age on the youngest team (Arizona) from 2016. Average age of mlb player was 28.4 in 2016.

 

you realize the youngest players are 21 or 22....and there are plenty of guys over 30. Of course the average age is around 28. It can't really go LOW. What's the median?

 

He's also been in the league how long?

[drjim]

 

you realize the youngest players are 21 or 22....and there are plenty of guys over 30. Of course the average age is around 28. It can't really go LOW. What's the median?

 

He's also been in the league how long?

 

I do, but those 21 and 22 year olds are also generally the really talented outliers. I would be hesitant to compare Rosario to them.

 

Median age is about 27 (fluctuates a little). So he's still younger than that. This is probably the year he needs to show something.

[DocBauer]

I'm a big believer in Rosario. His biggest problem to this point, other than general inexperience with about 750 AB I believe, is himself. He dies have a edge about him, an excitement, a want and need to excel and produce. Really, when you look at what he has flashes and the overall talent level, he doesn't have to do much.

 

He just needs to relax a bit. Don't try so fan hard all the time. He dies that, some of those ridiculous out of done swings and misses Will disappear. When they do, contact rate goes up, SO numbers go down...slightly at least...and BB rates go up...slightly at least.

 

He will probably always be a bit streaky, but just a little more calm, a little less crazy, will help even out a couple of his numbers, which should help him realize his potential. I say he's a legitimate. 280/.310-.320 hitter with every/almost every year 30+ doubles, hand and a half worth of triples and legit 20/20 type of producer.

[Vanimal46]

 

What!? We will have to disagree on that.

 

This is Rosario's 3rd season. He was 23 in year one, 24 in year two. In those two seasons we have seen a lot of potential and some troubling things.

 

He has been marinading the last 2 years and year 3 is when he is pulled out of his marinade and thrown on the grill. I am hungry and I need to be optimistic that this going to be a tasty meal this year. I'll even share some with you Mike.

 

Note: For some unknown reason, I really could not help myself from using a ridiculous and stupid analogy.

 

What have we been marinating for 2 years? Filet Mignon? NY Strip? 

 

Edit: If you can't tell I am starving right now. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

What!? We will have to disagree on that.

 

This is Rosario's 3rd season. He was 23 in year one, 24 in year two. In those two seasons we have seen a lot of potential and some troubling things.

 

He has been marinading the last 2 years and year 3 is when he is pulled out of his marinade and thrown on the grill. I am hungry and I need to be optimistic that this going to be a tasty meal this year. I'll even share some with you Mike.

 

Note: For some unknown reason, I really could not help myself from using a ridiculous and stupid analogy.

 

sounds good, where should I fly when?

[Mike Sixel]

 

I do, but those 21 and 22 year olds are also generally the really talented outliers. I would be hesitant to compare Rosario to them.

 

Median age is about 27 (fluctuates a little). So he's still younger than that. This is probably the year he needs to show something.

 

Fair. 

[Bark's Lounge]

 

What have we been marinating for 2 years? Filet Mignon? NY Strip? 

 

Edit: If you can't tell I am starving right now. 

I hope it is one of those two and not the sole of a shoe.

 

It's 11:30 in Austin, go get yourself an early lunch!

[Bark's Lounge]

 

sounds good, where should I fly when?

When the time is upon us, I will send one of my many personal jets to pick you up and then fly you to my private island in the Aegean Sea - "Barkos". Then we will feast.

[David HK]

Well, this right here makes me more excited than anything-  to wit:

 

 

 

[jimbo92107]

I've been a Rosario fan for two reasons: First, the man's got game. You can see him scheming ways to beat the other team, whether it's a surprise bunt, a pretend nonchalant fielding play, or a bluff steal.

 

Second, when he hits the ball, he nails it in every direction. Power to all fields means Rosario has fantastic balance and poise at the plate. All that's been missing is to go up there with a more professional plan, which takes experience.

 

Now it's year 3...he's got some experience. As Brandon mentioned, sometimes a great player doesn't really find his game until a few years in. I think Eddie Rosario is going to be a great player. This could be the year it starts to happen. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

I was just looking at his minor league numbers. He was quite the hitter in the lower minors, destroying rookie ball and A ball, but his first taste of the high minors did not go so well for him. I'd add that there was a suspension in there too that we tend to forget about. He did quite well in Rochester last year though and holds a minor league OPS of .825.

 

I think he can improve, and that target OPS is probably reasonable. The formula is pretty obvious, as he needs to do a better job laying off pitches he cannot hit well and concentrate on pitches in the zone. He will get more strikes that way, and given his skills, I think that ultimately leads to more hittable pitches.