No Lefties In The Rotation: Should We Care?

[Shaitan]

At least 7 pitchers (and probably closer to 10) will start games for the Twins this year. Not concerned about this at all.

[Doomtints]

No lefties is only an issue for facing Cleveland and probably the AL East (though I haven't looked in the latter case).

 

The Twins should be able to dominate the rest of the division with good righties, and they have a couple now.

[Lee-The-Twins-Fan]

Keep in mind that the Indians are not the only team in the AL Central with a dominant lefty-hitting lineup: The Twins have one too. So those games when the Twins and Indians are facing off, most (if not all) of the starters will be right-handed; many of the hitters will be left-handed on both squads. 

 

Meanwhile, we will have (along with the Indians) an advantage when facing most other teams which do not have strong left-handed bats. 

[USAFChief]

 

I dispute that managers are platooning now more than ever. It just isn’t feasible with 3 and 4-man benches. I remember Gene Mauch strictly platooning three or four positions. How many do the current Twins platoon now? Answer—whole number less than one.

Ideally, teams want to have a bench with players both flexible enough to cover one position and who hit from the opposite side of the regular player. For the Twins that would be a righty hitter to back up Kepler/Rosario and another RH hitter behind Mauer and Morrison.

yup, platoons are virtually extinct.

[notoriousgod71]

 

What if it's possible for a player to improve upon his rookie season?

 

That's his track record at every level is right around 5 innings per start. I'm not holding my breath.

[Rosterman]

But, then again, they could have three lefties in the bullpen. Enough to make managers do line-up changes.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

yup, platoons are virtually extinct.

 

Guess that means Gardy was a visionary...

[Mr. Brooks]

That's his track record at every level is right around 5 innings per start. I'm not holding my breath.

Well he did average 6 IP per start in 2016, so I think he's shown he's capable.

Just seems really odd to suggest he's a finished product after his rookie season.

[Oxtung]

 

That's [Mejia's] track record at every level is right around 5 innings per start. I'm not holding my breath.

 

I'd move Mejia to the pen. We can't have a starter averaging less than 5 innings per start. We just can't.

 

The average starter in MLB pitched 5.5 innings which means back of the rotation starters pitched significantly less. Mejia isn't all that different from other back of the rotation pitchers last season with the exception that he was a rookie and might very well improve this year, IMO.

 

 

[Riverbrian]

 

The most vulnerable team to LH pitching in the AL? That would be the biggest OPS disparity between OPS facing right handed pitching and left handed pitching. I’m guessing it will be the Twins in 2018.

 

Yeah... Therefore we need to grab as many left-handers as possible to keep them off the rosters of the other teams.   

[Riverbrian]

 

yup, platoons are virtually extinct.

 

Mark my words... In the Future... Not only will platoons be something you will have to explain to your grand kids like rotary phones. the bench player will also be gone... the getaway day guy will no longer be part of the 25 man roster.

 

With each passing year... with improved training, the sport of baseball will over flow with increased numbers of capable talent. 

 

Lefties will hit Lefties... Righties will hit Righties. 25 Man Rosters will have strong talent from top to bottom. 

 

Positional Flexibility will be the thing so Managers can work everyone into the lineup. 

 

That is why I founded the "Baseball Player Positional Flexibilty Club" in April of 2016. Just two members so far but I expect there to be a rush from the next generation. 

[kab21]

 

The Indians strong lefty lineup is largely based on Lindor and Ramirez, both of whom switch hit anyway. Not much you can do in terms of matchups. In fact, when you throw a lefty you then have Ramirez, Lindor, an. Encarnacion to contend with. I'd probably like my chances stacking righties against them more than lefties.

the Indians have Encarnacion and Gomes from the right side and Brantley, Kipnis, Zimmer, Alonso and Chisenhall from the left side. In addition to Lindor and Ramirez as switch hitters.

The point of my post wasn't if the Indians were better against lefty or righty pitchers. The point was that they are basically the only team in the division (other than the Twins) that have more than 1-2 lefthanded hitters. Against all other AL Central teams right handed pitchers should have an advantage.

[ashbury]

That's his track record at every level is right around 5 innings per start. I'm not holding my breath.

Maybe that's how it looks in aggregate, but if you go a little more granular to his game logs, in his last couple of years in the high minors he was getting through the 6th inning often enough.

 

In 2017 for example he had only 6 AAA starts. Two he went well into the seventh, completing it in one case and getting two outs in the other. One start in May was bad and he was yanked after four. Then his other start in May was apparently some kind of tune-up for getting the call to the majors, because he went three innings with good results. Then in August-September he went down to AAA again, and had two very short starts with good results, again apparently to work something out. That brings the IP/GS number down, but the usage pattern doesn't suggest he's a 5-inning pitcher when right.

 

There are some rough edges and he's not a finished product, but I can't quite see such a level of pessimism around him that I would simply flush him as a starter.

[ScottyB]

At a minimum I expect there will be doubleheaders with 26 man rosters with Gonsalves/Mejia getting a start.  More likely injuries.  I am a little surprised that Mejia was sent down so early, but then the season does start in a couple of weeks and they are going with a four man rotation most of April, so Berrios, Lynn, Odorizzi and Gibson.  Here's hoping for the second half Gibson.

[twinscowboysbulls]

I said this about 5 years ago, you can look it up. We should always be employing RHP at Target Field. It’s a RHH Park.

[Doubles]

No.