Article: Don’t Sleep on Jorge Polanco

[thegambler]

The Machado/Harper rumors are just BS, planted by their agents to push other teams into paying more, and quicker. Twins probably put a call in, just to test the waters, now they are "the big mystery team". Sorry, not buying it. Twins need to give Gordon a chance. Very exciting player. Would you take Dee Gordon on your team? Of course you would. Nick Gordon is a splitting image. Give him the shot.

[Doomtints]

Among Twins fans, Polanco has generally been slightly underrated. I think he will be fine and will have a couple of very good years in his career.

[Doomtints]

 

 

The Machado/Harper rumors are just BS, planted by their agents to push other teams into paying more, and quicker. Twins probably put a call in, just to test the waters, now they are "the big mystery team". Sorry, not buying it. Twins need to give Gordon a chance. Very exciting player. Would you take Dee Gordon on your team? Of course you would. Nick Gordon is a splitting image. Give him the shot.

 

The Twins are rumored to be in the loop on these things every year but nothing has ever transpired from it. We don't need to spend any time thinking about this. If it happens, great, we can all be shocked at that time.

[yarnivek1972]

I have been waiting for someone to do a poll as to how many home runs the Twins will hit this year. Or maybe an over/under poll.

 

Personally, I put the number of home runs somewhere between 225 and 240.

That’s 60-80 more than last year. Schoop probably makes up Dozier’s. Cron, Sano and Nelson would have to combine for 100-120 to hit that number.

[jorgenswest]

I have two wonders about Polanco before being convinced he is a top of the batting order hitter.

 

I wonder if PEDs were a factor in his huge spike in power (as shown by ISO) the second half of 2017.

 

I wonder if his relatively high BABIP in 2018 gave a more favorable perception of his performance than his true skill level.

 

One thing that has been very consistent is a DRC+ that is 3%-7% below league average.

 

He is young. He should improve. I just wonder about the baseline where that improvement starts.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Per the Whizzanater (won't ask for any background on that name lol).

If I recall correctly, that was the contraption a former Vikings RB got caught with (in the airport), to smuggle “clean” urine in to use to beat drug testing in the NFL.

[yarnivek1972]

Polanco is a good choice for the top of the order because he puts the bat on the ball consistently. He swung and missed about 10% of the time last year. Among Twins with more than 100 PA, that put him behind Mauer and Logan Forsythe. And that mark is consistent with his career to date. In an era of hitters that swing and miss a lot, Polanco is a contact type hitter.

[DocBauer]

Polanco is a good choice for the top of the order because he puts the bat on the ball consistently. He swung and missed about 10% of the time last year. Among Twins with more than 100 PA, that put him behind Mauer and Logan Forsythe. And that mark is consistent with his career to date. In an era of hitters that swing and miss a lot, Polanco is a contact type hitter.

I really liked him hitting in the 3 spot where Molitor had him. But with the way the team is constructed currently, he sure seems the natural choice for leadoff.

[rdehring]

 

That’s 60-80 more than last year. Schoop probably makes up Dozier’s. Cron, Sano and Nelson would have to combine for 100-120 to hit that number.

Yup.  But shouldn't we expect 100 home runs from Sano, Cruz and Cron?  I will be disappointed if they don't hit that many.

[Mr. Brooks]

Yup. But shouldn't we expect 100 home runs from Sano, Cruz and Cron? I will be disappointed if they don't hit that many.

They'd have to average 34 HR's each to surpass 100 HR's combined. Only 8 players in the AL hit that many last year. So no, I don't expect anything close to that. 61 is their combined career average. I'll hope for some improvement, but a 70% increase across the board seems highly unlikely.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

They'd have to average 34 HR's each to surpass 100 HR's combined. Only 8 players in the AL hit that many last year. So no, I don't expect anything close to that. 61 is their combined career average. I'll hope for some improvement, but a 70% increase across the board seems highly unlikely.

Steamer projects 77 homeruns for the trio. The Bat projects 92.

 

Only 8 players hit 34 dingers last year but Cruz was one of them and Cron was in striking distance with 30. Big if, but Sano has 30 homer power if he can stay healthy.

 

100 homers isn’t impossible

Edited January 27, 2019 by Sconnie

[Mr. Brooks]

Steamer projects 77 homeruns for the trio. The Bat projects 92.

 

Only 8 players hit 34 dingers last year but Cruz was one of them and Cron was in striking distance with 30. Big if, but Sano has 30 homer power if he can stay healthy.

 

100 homers isn’t impossible

Not impossible, no.

But I was responding to the idea that it is expected.

It's always fun this time of the year to imagine everyone on our favorite team having a career year, but that's not very likely.

[Mr. Brooks]

They'd have to average 34 HR's each to surpass 100 HR's combined. Only 8 players in the AL hit that many last year. So no, I don't expect anything close to that. 61 is their combined career average. I'll hope for some improvement, but a 70% increase across the board seems highly unlikely.

Quoting myself because it's too late to edit. These career averages are wrong, I accidentally used Schoop instead of Cruz.

[rdehring]

 

They'd have to average 34 HR's each to surpass 100 HR's combined. Only 8 players in the AL hit that many last year. So no, I don't expect anything close to that. 61 is their combined career average. I'll hope for some improvement, but a 70% increase across the board seems highly unlikely.

If everyone hits the number of home runs management is paying for, they easily are in the 225-240 range.

 

Catchers (Garver/Castro)-15, Cruz-35, Cron-25, Schoop-25, Polanco-15, Sano-40, Rosario-25, Buxton-15, and Kepler-25.   That's 220.  Add 15 from the bench (mostly Cave) and you are at 235.  Are all these career years, a few yes...most good years but not career.  

 

Granted, this puts each player on the team hitting what we should expect from them.  But it also doesn't include someone coming up and doing what Cave/Austin did last year if one of the above is injured or doesn't perform.  Now if Sano doesn't play like he has been expected to for several years, then it is less likely to get to 225+...or impossible. 

 

But if Sano doesn't have a good year, we are all gonna be talking about something else come summer anyway.  But it is almost the first of February, isn't now when we are supposed to be positive about the coming season?

Edited January 27, 2019 by rdehring

[Platoon]

Polanco has always been able to hit, and likely will continue to do so. But he has never been, is not, nor ever will be a SS around whom you could build an infield if you intend to be a competitive baseball team. In a normal environment, those types of SS's end up at second base. I hope that's what happens with Polanco, since that also means we have improved the quality at the SS position. A win win. It's issues like this that allow me a little extra patience with the FO. Polanco is just one of many players on this team that need to move from prospect to player. Until that happens, adding a reliever and say, and OBP guy, isn't going to make us a truly competitive baseball team. But it could make us the second WC entry! Fodder for the Yankees or Red Sox.