April 18th

[Jason]

Link

 

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre vs Rochester 6:05 PM

SWB: Betances (0-1, 15.43) ROC: Vasquez, V (1-1, 6.30)

 

New Hampshire vs New Britain 5:05 PM

SWB: Betances (0-1, 15.43) ROC: Vasquez, V (1-1, 6.30)

 

Fort Myers vs St Lucie 5:35 PM

FTM: Boer (1-0, 7.56) STL: Syndergaard (0-0, 2.00)

 

Cedar Rapids at Peoria 6:35 PM

CR: Rogers (0-0, 0.00) PEO: Hernandez, H (0-1, 4.50)

[SydneyTwinsFan]

Sano with No. 5 for the year. No one (at least in the last 10 years) has hit 30 HR in the Florida State League. Can Sano do it this year? Or will he get moved up if he's hitting well enough to be on track for that sort of number?

[PseudoSABR]

Sano with No. 5 for the year. No one (at least in the last 10 years) has hit 30 HR in the Florida State League. Can Sano do it this year? Or will he get moved up if he's hitting well enough to be on track for that sort of number?

He probably gets moved up. Though his promotion is probably contingent on the evolution of his defense.

[PseudoSABR]

Meyer's went 6 innings, 5ks, 4BBs, 1H, 0Rs. Pitches 86 (50 strikes).

[cmb0252]

Needs to cut down on those walks. If he can do that he is going to be a stud

[SydneyTwinsFan]

Goncalves up to NBR? Didn't see that reported anywhere.

 

EDIT: Looks like Bigley to Rochester, presumably as a result of Arcia being called up. Does Goncalves leave a spare OF spot in FTM? Too early for Buxton I guess.

[drjim]

Needs to cut down on those walks. If he can do that he is going to be a stud

 

That and the development of a merely average changeup makes him a legit #1.

[Riverbrian]

Colabello and Sano homer again. Meyer 6 innings of shut out ball. Buxton with another multiple hit game.

 

Its starting to make me dance... And I dance like Elaine Benes.

 

I don't remember wanting to dance last year.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Meyer's went 6 innings, 5ks, 4BBs, 1H, 0Rs. Pitches 86 (50 strikes).

 

50 strikes in 86 pitches... really trying to figure out how 4 people got free passes in that situation.

[kab21]

If Sano is on 30+ HR pace then I think he will get moved up unless the K's skyrocket. It was nice to see that Sano hit his HR off of Syndergaard (top 50ish) prospect.

 

Not a great night from Meyer but he will have nights like this since his control isn't perfect (better than Mays).

 

NBR scored 17 runs and I still don't really care about the boxscore. Pinto had a nice game but their bats are completely uninspriring.

 

CR had a rough night but Buxton just keeps hitting and both Polanco and Goodrum are around .300 BA.

[jokin]

If Sano is on 30+ HR pace then I think he will get moved up unless the K's skyrocket. It was nice to see that Sano hit his HR off of Syndergaard (top 50ish) prospect.

 

Not a great night from Meyer but he will have nights like this since his control isn't perfect (better than Mays).

 

NBR scored 17 runs and I still don't really care about the boxscore. Pinto had a nice game but their bats are completely uninspriring.

 

CR had a rough night but Buxton just keeps hitting and both Polanco and Goodrum are around .300 BA.

 

Good take, kab! I too find NBR's positional roster pretty uninspiring, but each day we keep hearing about more great pitching performances up and down the organization- guys we expect it from like Meyer and Jones, but also from guys we don't necessarily expect it from- like Albers, Lee, O'Rourke. And Berrios and Baxendale will soon be in the mix, too.

[TRex]

In regards to Meyer, I think his ground ball rate is also really revealing. Tonight he got 12 GB outs and NO AO! This following his first two starts of 5:2 and 8:1. He must really be staying tall and 'pitching downhill'. Are there any MLB pitchers who combine a high octane fastball with such high ground ball tendencies?

 

I also have to take the blame for the CR loss as I jinxed Rogers by mentioning that he had a no-hitter in the 5th... he didn't record another out! I wonder if he tired or what happened.

[Ncgo4]

If Buxton stays at .400 for another week, assuming the weather allows them to play more than 2 or 3 games, they need to move him up. He was a raw talent out of high school and this initially is a process to see just what level he is at, not unlike a college player. Clearly after 12 games a 476 average we'll know that he is misplaced where he is. If, after 60 or 75 AB's he is near this level, it's time to move him. He is currently at a similar pace to Joe Mauer, but Mauer was learning to control the game behind the plate as a catcher. There is no such learning requirement for Buxton.

[TRex]

You had my hackles up after comparing Buxton favorably to Mauer (who hit .400 for E-ton the year before)... but that last statement packs a lot of weight.

 

I still like the pacing angle brought up earlier in that what is your most optimistic goal for advancing Buxton? If it is just to get to FM, why promote him before mid-season... if it is to get to AA, how are you not going to call him up in Sept. if he is playing well?

[pioneers3]

You had my hackles up after comparing Buxton favorably to Mauer (who hit .400 for E-ton the year before)... but that last statement packs a lot of weight.

 

I still like the pacing angle brought up earlier in that what is your most optimistic goal for advancing Buxton? If it is just to get to FM, why promote him before mid-season... if it is to get to AA, how are you not going to call him up in Sept. if he is playing well?

 

He will be in FM, question is, will it be after the 1st half? If the twins want the Kernels in the play offs, I don't think they move him until they clinch. But the minors aren't all about winning, it's about getting guys ready to play in the bigs, so they may move him before the Kernels clinch. I would be very shocked, I mean really shocked if he is still in Cedar Rapids come mid July.

[kab21]

A Kepler promotion (when healthy) could set off a Buxton promotion but I really don't see a reason to promote before midseason. I don't think Buxton figures into the Twins 2014 plan at all and that would be the only reason to push him that aggressive. He would be able to play the whole season (2014) at AA and be ready for a cup of coffee that year if they wanted to push him (still unlikely).

[Ncgo4]

Pioneer, v g point about the team. I (maybe most of us) tend to think of the prospect moving to the majors and forget that there are minor league teams that warrant at least some consideration. Thanks for the reminder.

[diehardtwinsfan]

In regards to Meyer, I think his ground ball rate is also really revealing. Tonight he got 12 GB outs and NO AO! This following his first two starts of 5:2 and 8:1. He must really be staying tall and 'pitching downhill'. Are there any MLB pitchers who combine a high octane fastball with such high ground ball tendencies?

 

I also have to take the blame for the CR loss as I jinxed Rogers by mentioning that he had a no-hitter in the 5th... he didn't record another out! I wonder if he tired or what happened.

 

I remember another hot prospect a few years back named Francisco Liriano that was doing that. It's definitely exciting as Meyer really looks like he could be something special, but there is good reason to keep expectations a bit tempered just yet.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Good take, kab! I too find NBR's positional roster pretty uninspiring, but each day we keep hearing about more great pitching performances up and down the organization- guys we expect it from like Meyer and Jones, but also from guys we don't necessarily expect it from- like Albers, Lee, O'Rourke. And Berrios and Baxendale will soon be in the mix, too.

 

Weren't a lot of these guys the college relievers we took last year? Perhaps there was something to that strategy, especially if the Twins can teach a 3rd pitch... That said, we will see what happens when they move up and get challenged. I fully expect guys like Baxendale to get promoted somewhat aggressively as long as they succeed. Once they make AA though, it will be time to see if the strategy paid off.