Article: Three Twins Breakout Candidates For 2018

[bird]

 

where he also owns Maier Chev.

 

 

and is Chagrois pronounced Jaguar?

[DocBauer]

A great list, but really, I'm not so sure Hildenberger didn't "break out" second half of last season.

 

A full season from Buxton and Polanco would be HUGE. As well as the next step for Berrios and Kepler. 

 

I know that's cheating...but I'm sticking with 4 instead of 3. 

 

Honestly, I'm expecting bigger and better seasons from all 4 of these guys.

[caninatl04]

Thank you for the article. If I had to quibble, I'd suggest that your choices were not breakout stars but were "logical next step" players.

 

I am looking forward to revisiting this exact topic on, say, August 1st. I know I will be surprised.

[Darius]

The obvious candidate is Kepler. I think he'll have a good year.

 

I think Gibson finally turned a corner in the second half, and will put together a good season.

 

Garver is another candidate, assuming he gets a good number of innings as the second catcher/DH/1B.

 

As far as Hildenberger goes, I think he already "broke out." He was the team's best reliever last year, IMO, and it wasn't really close. I think what we saw out of him is about as good as it'll get....which is pretty good.

 

Maybe a guy like Chagrois gets healthy and puts some things together in a role similar to Presley's last year,

 

My top breakout candidate that I haven't seen mentioned much: Duffey. That hammer has already proven to be an asset, just needs to find consistency. I think that'll come. If he can put it together, Duffey, May, Hildenberger, Rodgers, and Rodney could make a high quality group to lead into Reed in the back end.

[Darius]

I've completely given up on hoping that The Tease (Kyle Gibson) will take the long-hoped for "step forward". I've been burned too many times. I'd love for it to happen, I'm rooting for him...but I expect nothing other than being a back of the rotation innings eater at this point.

 

Kepler and Berrios are both good choices. It's so hard to tell with relievers, but Rogers is a guy I'll be watching this year. I'd consider Granite, but I don't know if he makes the roster at the start of the season, absent a trade of Grossman. (there's a real possibility we'll start the season with a 3-man bench and 13 goddamn pitchers, so there's going to be a huge roster crunch for position guys)

Gibson was pretty excellent for an extended period of time last year. I think we saw that step forward.

 

Also, I don't think he ever really "teased" anyone prior to that. He was just bad.

 

Just my opinion on the matter.

[Mr. Brooks]

Gibson was pretty excellent for an extended period of time last year. I think we saw that step forward.

 

Also, I don't think he ever really "teased" anyone prior to that. He was just bad.

 

Just my opinion on the matter.

He combined for a 3.90 FIP over 373 innings across '14 and '15. He definitely teased us a few times over those two seasons.

[Monkeypaws]

Oh, love me some very early spring optimism! :-D

 

 

[Platoon]

My top three would be P. Jones, B. Smith, and D. Toles. Now some may question whether these names appear on either the Twins MiLB or MLB payrolls. I have no idea, but with the spelling Police out in full force, I considered this much safer than someone like Hosae Berriohs .

[Jham]

Will somebody teach Phil Hughes a knuckle ball already?

 

Trevor May. Byron Buxton. Berrios. Same as last year. And the year before... fool me once...