Spring Training Game Thread: 2/26 vs. Orioles

[woolywoolhouse]

Was looking for a thread because I'm listening to the game and I've wanted to share thoughts, and I didn't see one, so now I created one. Because I'm a go-getter. 

 

Highlights thus far (through 5) in no-particular-order:

 

- Polanco is 2 for 3 leading off with a double, RBI, and run scored;

- Rosario has two doubles;

- Buxton has 5 RBI AGAIN with two homers and a double;

- Cave stole a base;

- Astudillo hit the ball hard and has played a decent third;

- Berrios pitched two good innings, giving up a wind-aided homerun to right;

- Both Rogers and Romero pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

 

Just happy in general that spring baseball is back during the weekday so I can listen at work!

Edited February 25, 2019 by woolywoolhouse

[ashbury]

Those naysayers who didn't believe the 5-RBI per game projection to a full season for Buxton must be feeling pretty foolish right about now.

 

The #6 slot in the lineup appears to agree with Buxton. Don't move him.

[RichReese]

Buxton singled and his OPS went down.

[stringer bell]

Encouraging start for BB. I hope he keeps hitting when they start throwing sliders.

[ashbury]

Encouraging start for BB. I hope he keeps hitting when they start throwing sliders.

Shhhhhhh! _{^{Don't tell the opponents what his weakness has been!}}

[Linus]

Shhhhhhh! _{^{Don't tell the opponents what his weakness has been!}}

In all seriousness it would be interesting to know what the pitches were. I am also curious if he is still using the minimal leg kick swing

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Encouraging start for BB. I hope he keeps hitting when they start throwing sliders.

Mmmmm...

 

Been a while since i went to White Castle.

 

Am i setting a good example by laying off them?

[BoofBonser]

Spring Training stats may or may not matter at all in the grand scheme of things, but Byron Buxton's scorching start should NOT be taken with a grain of salt. Unless pitchers are absolutely tubing pitches and working on secondary pitches they likely wouldn't throw in situations during the regular season (which is often the case), Byron is really seeing the ball well. Let's hope it can continue the rest of the spring and into the start of the season where he often struggles. Nevertheless, this is exciting stuff. 

 

"Several years ago, John Dewan of Baseball Info Solutions determined that hitters with more than 100 career at-bats and 36 spring training at-bats that produce a spring slugging percentage in excess of their career average by 200 points or more will often experience a power spike during the regular season."

 

The study above has been proven to be flawed in some ways, but it is something. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by BoofBonser

[big dog]

If it predicts a big year for Byron, I'm all in.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

In all seriousness it would be interesting to know what the pitches were. I am also curious if he is still using the minimal leg kick swing

 

This. He's been pretty good the last two springs. I'd like to see that he's doing more than clubbing fastballs. 

[South Dakota Tom]

Already (twice already) in a single game exceeded his 2018 totals for rbi's and hr's; look out Hack Wilson!

[SomeGuy]

 

In all seriousness it would be interesting to know what the pitches were. I am also curious if he is still using the minimal leg kick swing

His homerun was off Hunter Harvey who threw 98 MPH at one point today according to the Baltimore radio team.  They were not very on top of what each pitch was though so I have no idea what pitch he hit.

 

 

[mazeville]

Angry Byron Buxton is Good Byron Buxton. Nice start to get us all excited about the season. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

And just to be "attentive to detail" don't we play the Pirates on the 26th?

 

But hooray for the threads of the game!

[Old Twins Cap]

So, what's Buxton's leg kick like this year?

 

They say he retooled his swing. Anyone got any video or descriptions of what Buxton looks like in the box?

 

Let the animal out Byron.

 

 

[ashbury]

In all seriousness it would be interesting to know what the pitches were. I am also curious if he is still using the minimal leg kick swing

There were two leeeeetle beeeeety things that Buxton was doing wrong last season.

• Not laying off unhittable pitches outside or in the dirt
• Swinging clean through on strikes down the middle

Other than that, he was sound.

 

Early spring results probably don't tell us a thing about his eye for the breaking stuff. But apparently when the ball is laid in there for him, he can turn on it.

 

That's a start.

[Dave The Dastardly]

Wait a minute... I'm confused. This report is from tomorrow's game?

 

I don't suppose you also know the winning powerball numbers for the next drawing...

[ashbury]

Wait a minute... I'm confused. This report is from tomorrow's game?

 

I don't suppose you also know the winning powerball numbers for the next drawing...

Three stellar games from Buxton in a row! Kewl!

[ewen21]

 

Those naysayers who didn't believe the 5-RBI per game projection to a full season for Buxton must be feeling pretty foolish right about now.

 

The #6 slot in the lineup appears to agree with Buxton. Don't move him.

We are going to start this "eat crow" stuff in February?  Anyone who has criticized his offensive game to this point had every right to.  No need for anyone here to feel foolish about saying his bat was terrible last year.  No need for anyone to feel foolish about having concerns about his offense, his propensity for injuries and slamming into walls needlessly.  

 

We all want the same thing for him: success

 

And that's about all I want to say about that

[ashbury]

I guess it's not good satire unless it takes in a reader or two.^*

 

And that's about all I want to say about that.

 

 

 

^{* _{OK, the reverse isn't necessarily true.}}

[h2oface]

Spring Training

 

All future and no past.

 

I for one, won't be spending it trying to downplay the hot starts by the players that need to be leading this team. Good for Buxton. Good for Kepler. Good for Rosario. Good for Polanco. Sure means something a lot better than o-fers, eh?

Edited February 26, 2019 by h2oface

[Doomtints]

It's amazing how Buxton is always either feast or famine.

Let's see how he's doing when the pitching gets better.

[yarnivek1972]

In the “old days” (oh, maybe 30 years ago) pitchers were always ahead of hitters in the first week of ST. Pitchers have always had an earlier reporting date and that long ago a majority of players had done little to nothing baseball related in months by the time ST started. These days, I’d wager most MLB hitters are in the cage for at least an hour a week. But pitchers typically don’t pitch in the offseason. They do strength and conditioning of course, but certainly not “full up” pitching unless they are playing winter ball.

 

Point being, hitters are WAY ahead of pitchers and will be for a couple weeks. Most pitchers are probably at 75-80% fastball velocity and for the first time or two out they are probably not throwing anything else.

 

Does anyone remember how Buxton (or anyone else) did during the first week of ST games last year?

[notoriousgod71]

 

In the “old days” (oh, maybe 30 years ago) pitchers were always ahead of hitters in the first week of ST. Pitchers have always had an earlier reporting date and that long ago a majority of players had done little to nothing baseball related in months by the time ST started. These days, I’d wager most MLB hitters are in the cage for at least an hour a week. But pitchers typically don’t pitch in the offseason. They do strength and conditioning of course, but certainly not “full up” pitching unless they are playing winter ball.

Point being, hitters are WAY ahead of pitchers and will be for a couple weeks. Most pitchers are probably at 75-80% fastball velocity and for the first time or two out they are probably not throwing anything else.

Does anyone remember how Buxton (or anyone else) did during the first week of ST games last year?

 

The way pitchers are treated at this point it takes them until mid-May to get in midseason form.

[ashbury]

The way pitchers are treated at this point it takes them until mid-May to get in midseason form.

I always wondered why batters hit a collective .400 during April. Now I know.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

The way pitchers are treated at this point it takes them until mid-May to get in midseason form.

I' m just happy if they are in midseason form by... midseason.

 

Hopefully midseason form involves getting batters out without allowing runs.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

And...

 

Twins win their first game that doesn't involve Buxton batting 5 in, 6-5 over the Pirates.

 

But it is still a home game.

 

0-2 on the road, 3-0 at home.

[ashbury]

 

And...

Twins win their first game that doesn't involve Buxton batting 5 in, 6-5 over the Pirates.

But it is still a home game.

0-2 on the road, 3-0 at home.

I wonder if home-road advantages are more pronounced during Spring Training. Especially where there are split squads, don't teams usually send the scrubs on the road, and keep the stars for the home fans to enjoy?

[Circus Boy]

 

I wonder if home-road advantages are more pronounced during Spring Training. Especially where there are split squads, don't teams usually send the scrubs on the road, and keep the stars for the home fans to enjoy?

Stars? We have stars? That would be great!

[ashbury]

Stars? We have stars? That would be great!

I'm pretty sure autocorrect turned "starters" into "stars". That's my story and I'm sticking with ithaca.