Behind the Fence: Kohl Stewart Rehabs, Draftees in Camp, and Royce Lewis is Good

[Bob Sacamento]

Royce Lewis At Bat

 

In the last weekend before the Gulf Coast League opens up on Monday, the Twins played a five inning intersquad game.  With the Red Team taking on the Blue Team.  The Starters for the teams were lefty Matt Jones (Red Team) and 2013 first rounder righty Kohl Stewart (Blue Team).

 

 Jones threw three innings while Stewart went five.  Stewart's four seamer fastball was 90-93 mph with late life with his slider 79-83 mph and his cutter 85-87 mph.  He did make 2017 1st rounder Royce Lewis look silly on a cutter in his first at bat.  After the game Kohl said this was his last start down in Florida and is headed back to Chattanooga.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy2jePVlnIs

 

In the field were several of the latest draft picks, 13th Rounder Jared Akins, 18th Rd Colton Burns 30th Rder Alex Robles, 38th Rder Ben Rodriguez as well as Austin Bizzle in the stands.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3x8N7s0yJ0

 

 

 

The former first rounder raved about Lewis, saying the kid is the real deal.  "He's got great hands and he's going to be dangerous once he starts to trust them."  Kohl talked about Royce getting fooled on a cutter in his first at bat but then making the adjustment the next time he saw it driving it and was very impressed.  As far as Lewis' speed, he's fast, very fast, maybe faster than Buxton and has a long stride.  He stole a base on Stewart (near the 1:00 mark in video) and was practically standing on second by the time the ball was there despite a short lead.  In the field, I saw Rolls Royce make a couple of routine plays, showing good footwork and natural instincts in charging a weakly hit grounder.  His arm looked strong and accurate even when making throws on the run.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvVY_NEHLcw

 

Brusdar Graterol is slated to throw four innings in the GCL opener on Monday but he will not be the starter as that will go to an undisclosed rehab starter for one inning.

 

Ben Rodriguez and Alex Robles

 

Emmanuel Morel, Darling Cuesto, Victor Tademo, Dane Hutcheon

 

Jose Bermudez and Brusdar Graterol

 

 

Intrasquad Lineup Card 6/24/2017

 

[AZTwin]

Are they working with Rolls Royce on that leg kick?

[Thrylos]

 

 

 

 

Brusdar Graterol is slated to throw four innings in the GCL opener on Monday but he will not be the starter as that will go to an undisclosed rehab starter for one inning.

 

Good stuff.  Smells like it might be a certain undisclosed rehab reliever...

 

Hint: He is a lefty

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Good report, Doc. Keep the reports coming. The pictures were awesome.

[jokin]

 

 

As far as Lewis' speed, he's fast, very fast, maybe faster than Buxton and has a long stride.  

He stole a base on Stewart (near the 1:00 mark in video) and was practically standing on second by the time the ball was there despite a short lead.

 

Is there any way that this can be further verified? Wow!

 

Do the scouts post prospect times somewhere- ie, Home to 1st, Home to 2nd, 1st to 2nd, 1st to 3rd- &  40 YD times- like at NFL combines?

 

 

[jokin]

 

Good stuff.  Smells like it might be a certain undisclosed rehab reliever...

 

Hint: He is a lefty

 

O'Rourke? Too soon for Perk, right?

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Are they working with Rolls Royce on that leg kick?

At this point, not sure.  Usually, they like to judge and see how the player incorporates that into the rest of his swing after signing and then slowly adjust mechanical tweeks here and there.  But I wouldn't be surprised if by this time next year he still has a leg kick just not as prominent.

[Thrylos]

 

O'Rourke? Too soon for Perk, right?

 

I think Perkins.

[jokin]

 

I think Perkins.

 

Great to hear, if it turns out to be true. I wasn't even hoping to have a chance for a healthy Perk until August 1. If he could be 80-90% of his old form by the ASG that would be a big boost for the BP.

[drjim]

I think Perkins.

I thought he had more of a setback. Falvey didn't sound too optimistic on his interview in Sunday. Would be good news.

[clutterheart]

 

I saw Rolls Royce make a couple of routine plays, showing good footwork and natural instincts in charging a weakly hit grounder.  His arm looked strong and accurate even when making throws on the run.

 

How did his fielding look compared to when you saw Gordon, Javier and/or Miranda?

[laloesch]

 

Are they working with Rolls Royce on that leg kick?

 

Was thinking the same thing.  Yikes!

[Loosey]

 

I think Perkins.

I thought I read recently Perkins was only throwing 86-88 Mph.  Don't know where I read that, but I thought I did.  If true, has that jumped up?  Or was the person posting that not seeing a full effort yet?  If he is healthy that would be a very nice surprise addition to the pen.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

How did his fielding look compared to when you saw Gordon, Javier and/or Miranda?

In order of at this stage in development so (age 18 for all of them):  Gordon > Javier > Lewis > Miranda. Personally, I think Lewis turns into a CF the further he develops and matures.

[Parker Hageman]

 

At this point, not sure.  Usually, they like to judge and see how the player incorporates that into the rest of his swing after signing and then slowly adjust mechanical tweeks here and there.  But I wouldn't be surprised if by this time next year he still has a leg kick just not as prominent.

 

LET THEM BE ATHLETES.

 

Love this story on Bo Bichette, who is hitting the snot out of the ball and has movements all over the place in his swing:

 

When dealing with players at the stage Bichette’s at right now, baseball’s traditional persuasion is to quiet their swings as much as possible, eliminating any unnecessary movements so the athlete can quickly and efficiently put the bat to the ball. But Bichette’s swing is the anti-quiet. He’s never still in the batter’s box; he’s layered mechanisms on mechanisms. That’s why, in the lead up to the draft, Bichette says one team told him they thought he was the best hitter in the country but, simultaneously and somewhat confusingly, they hated his swing and couldn’t work with it.

 

 

Bichette went on to say he turned down teams in the draft because they didn't encourage individuality with hitter's swings. 

 

Now, in regards to Lewis, maybe the swing will work the way it is and maybe it won't. Frankly, I would rather see the organization try to enhance the current model then quiet everything. I do believe the Twins have gotten better at allowing hitters to be themselves rather than tone everything down, but I would rather have them become an org like the Blue Jays who embrace the quirks.  

 

 

[prouster]

Lewis finished his pro debut 2-4 with the homer and a single. No walks, no strikeouts. An excellent first effort. Hopefully there's more of the same to come. Here is footage of the dinger:

 

 

 

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Lewis finished his pro debut 2-4 with the homer and a single. No walks, no strikeouts. An excellent first effort. Hopefully there's more of the same to come. Here is footage of the dinger:

 

Definitely the Twins' own cam from Centerfield, I'll be out there Friday and Saturday with some video.

[Guest]

LET THEM BE ATHLETES.

 

Love this story on Bo Bichette, who is hitting the snot out of the ball and has movements all over the place in his swing:

 

 

 

Bichette went on to say he turned down teams in the draft because they didn't encourage individuality with hitter's swings. 

 

Now, in regards to Lewis, maybe the swing will work the way it is and maybe it won't. Frankly, I would rather see the organization try to enhance the current model then quiet everything. I do believe the Twins have gotten better at allowing hitters to be themselves rather than tone everything down, but I would rather have them become an org like the Blue Jays who embrace the quirks.

 

No, no, no, no, haven't you learned anything? If a player won't hit the system way, let him go somewhere else if he wants to get his number retired!

[Guest]

Bob, is it my imagination and/or my untrained eye, but does Stewart look stronger than he did in your spring training videos and doing a better job of repeating his delivery? It would be huge if he got turned around.

[Hrbowski]

 

Now, in regards to Lewis, maybe the swing will work the way it is and maybe it won't. Frankly, I would rather see the organization try to enhance the current model then quiet everything. I do believe the Twins have gotten better at allowing hitters to be themselves rather than tone everything down, but I would rather have them become an org like the Blue Jays who embrace the quirks.  

Funny thing is that Bichette has changed his swing considerably since he got drafted. During the summer showcase circuit before his senior year he was using a toe tap with hands that were nowhere near being direct to the ball. Now he is using a leg kick similar to Donaldson and Bautista's, except when he gets to two strikes, when he uses almost no lower body movement. Also, his hands are less leaky.

 

I don't think that the Blue Jays have a whole lot of individuality in their organization. It seems like everybody has a swing similar to Bautista's. Except maybe Vlad Guerrero Jr.

[Parker Hageman]

 

Funny thing is that Bichette has changed his swing considerably since he got drafted. During the summer showcase circuit before his senior year he was using a toe tap with hands that were nowhere near being direct to the ball. Now he is using a leg kick similar to Donaldson and Bautista's, except when he gets to two strikes, when he uses almost no lower body movement. Also, his hands are less leaky.

 

I don't think that the Blue Jays have a whole lot of individuality in their organization. It seems like everybody has a swing similar to Bautista's. Except maybe Vlad Guerrero Jr.

 

The Blue Jays don't take those things away. They don't try to strip all of the movements out. That's the difference. 

 

Obviously hitters are going to change to some degree. That comes with trying to improve efficiency as they face more challenging pitching. The difference is when a team drafts a player who has had success hitting in an "unconventional" manner and tries to make everything still right away. It should be an organic process for the player, not something that is forced. 

 

During the summer showcase circuit before his senior year he was using a toe tap with hands that were nowhere near being direct to the ball. Now he is using a leg kick similar to Donaldson and Bautista's...

 

I don't know what he was doing in the showcases but in high school, he had a big leg kick (and 80 grade flip skills - pimp everything).

 

 

Also, here's some good stuff on his approach and why he opts for the two-strike toe-tap:

 

 

The Blue Jays’ familiarity with that kind of swing made them “one of the few teams that I was very, very comfortable going to … with the way they teach hitting,” he says.

 

“I have a lot of similarities to guys like Bautista and Donaldson and this organization is very lucky to see them up close everyday so they can learn from those guys,” says Bichette, who says he declined offers to be selected earlier in the draft. “They’re able to teach us in the minor-leagues to be athletic and be as natural as we can in the batter’s box – help us be the best version of ourselves. I was really comfortable with that.”

 

Bichette feared other organizations would force him to eliminate the leg kick and the Blue Jays haven’t done that, although they do feel he’s toned it down on his own since signing. In part that’s to do to his focus on improving his two-strike approach, a point of emphasis for him 2017. In 82 at-bats last season he struck out 17 times, a K-rate of 20 per cent, and now when down in the count, his approach is to “take away my leg kick and let the ball get as deep as I can, and that helps me with my plate discipline and picking up breaking balls.

 

“I think that’s probably the most important thing in baseball, if you can squeak out a few hits with two strikes, that can really make a difference in your season,” he continues. “Everybody can hit without two strikes. Two strikes is definitely tough. These pitchers can put you away.”

 

 

But enough about Bo. Sorry to hijack this thread.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Bob, is it my imagination and/or my untrained eye, but does Stewart look stronger than he did in your spring training videos and doing a better job of repeating his delivery? It would be huge if he got turned around.

The delivery was more repeatable that's for sure and he said so after the game.  But his biggest problem of the day, and for the betterment of the last year, was leaving pitches up in the zone and for him to be successful he needs to be a bottom third pitcher.  

[Respy]

 

Is there any way that this can be further verified? Wow!

 

Do the scouts post prospect times somewhere- ie, Home to 1st, Home to 2nd, 1st to 2nd, 1st to 3rd- &  40 YD times- like at NFL combines?

 

Best I think we can go off of for now, is that the PerfectGame website had Buxton running the 60 in 6.57 seconds in 2011, while Lewis did it in 6.64 seconds in 2016.  I think all we can conclude is that we know Buxton has top-class speed, and Lewis is at least very, very fast.

[Parker Hageman]

 

Best I think we can go off of for now, is that the PerfectGame website had Buxton running the 60 in 6.57 seconds in 2011, while Lewis did it in 6.64 seconds in 2016.  I think all we can conclude is that we know Buxton has top-class speed, and Lewis is at least very, very fast.

 

We need to get Bob a stopwatch. 

[Bob Sacamento]

 

We need to get Bob a stopwatch. 

LOL, I got one, I just never use it outside of catcher pop times for the prep players I watch.  Now Mike Ratcliff, that man has a stopwatch attached to his hand.

[Seth Stohs]

Why would 'The Twins' take away his leg kick... Certainly not any time soon. Rick Eckstein isn't going to push for them. I think he's a "let them be athletes" guy. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Why would 'The Twins' take away his leg kick... Certainly not any time soon. Rick Eckstein isn't going to push for them. I think he's a "let them be athletes" guy. 

 

I would also note that it's much easier to make minor adjustments than big ones. He can clean up one item that allows him to do things better, and coaches can help him effectively utilize other items to the swing to accomplish things like timing that he probably doesn't realize he's doing. It doesn't mean scrap the leg kick, but I would be very surprised if it wasn't muted quite a bit by the time he reaches the majors.