Why the Return of Jorge Polanco Came at the Right Time

[Hans Birkeland]

Let's list the reasons that make him so essential to this lineup right now. 

Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

 

Coming off of a brutal series loss to the lowly Washington Nationals, the Twins are in an odd predicament. They are pitching quite well, and were delivered two more excellent outings by Tyler Mahle and Bailey Ober in the Nats series. But they can’t hit themselves out of a paper bag, scoring two, four, and three runs against a team with nothing to play for. I mean, Patrick Corbin is still making starts for them, and even he didn’t look bad against the Twins’ hitters. 

They’re in need of a spark, and despite little fanfare, they got one in the return of Jorge Polanco, who had been sidelined by a knee injury he sustained last August.

That is arguable based on Polanco’s 2022 results. He had a much lower batting average than usual at .236, and his defensive metrics weren’t great, either. He also had the highest strikeout percentage of his career, going down on strikes 21.4% of the time. That may have been part of a shift in approach, as he also walked a career high 14.4% of the time, while his isolated power numbers were in line with his career totals at 17.1%.

So what’s so great about that?

For starters, striking out 21.4% of the time is still better than league average, while a walk rate of 14.4% is elite. Two things the Twins are struggling with offensively are striking out way too much and hardly drawing any walks, ranking 24th in walks drawn, with the fifth most strikeouts in baseball. Maybe Polanco won’t be a savior for this lineup, but in terms of what he provides and what the team has been lacking, he is a perfect fit.

On Sunday he proved that, going 3-4 with a game-tying home run and an opposite field single to score the team’s final run. All of this came from the right side of the plate, which has historically been his weaker side. His defense has been okay in the early going, with a bobble on a double-play ball and a ground ball under his glove on Saturday showing he still has rust to shake off. With Polanco, his performance goes as his health does. If he tries to play through something, both his power and his defense suffer, as evidenced last year when he fought through back and knee issues during the second half.

Another guy who frequently tries to play through maladies that shouldn’t is Trevor Larnach, who was open about that tendency to the detriment of both his performance and his health. Much was made about how this year he made a concerted effort to tell the training staff what he was dealing with early. Hopefully Polanco is following that same gameplan, with his knee setback in spring training serving as a positive example. 

While the team’s public relations insisted there was no setback well into March, Polanco openly admitted there was. This choice, intentional or not, provided transparency to a fanbase that might have wondered why a player who had eight months to recover from an injury that didn’t require surgery, needed just a few extra weeks to prepare for the season without any setbacks.

Now Polanco looks like he’s running well, at least from the eye test of seeing him run out ground balls. The knee may still be an underlying issue for him, and we have no way of knowing otherwise. But the early returns suggest the extra time in spring training and on his rehab assignment did him some good. As he has spent the better part of four seasons banged up to some degree, it is encouraging to see a player so determined to play through anything, take his time ramping up for the season and start contributing to the lineup right out of the gate.

The other aspect of Polanco that makes him so valuable is his role in the Twins clubhouse. He is generally quiet and non-effusive, but nonetheless commands the respect of his teammates. He’s earned that by being the longest tenured Twin while having a warrior’s reputation on the field. He is without question one of the most important leaders on the team, and certainly a leader of the Spanish-speaking contingent, especially with the departures of Nelson Cruz, Jose Berrios, Luis Arraez, Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela in recent years. 

That’s hard to quantify and even harder to confirm, but cohesive teams generally need one or more leaders who speak Spanish and one or more who speak English. The Twins are well represented in this regard with, in addition to Polanco, the hard-nosed and reserved Byron Buxton and the outspoken, bi-lingual Carlos Correa. Maybe having that trio in place will unlock some of the offense beyond what Polanco provides individually.

Or maybe not. Clubhouse leadership can be over-emphasized, and perhaps I am guilty of falling into that trap. You can have the greatest clubhouse chemistry in the world but if all that means is you can score three runs off Patrick Corbin, maybe you’re lacking elsewhere. But leadership can also be under-emphasized, with our friends the Chicago White Sox serving as a good example. With a great lineup, great starters and a pretty good bullpen, why have they been so thoroughly mediocre the past thirteen months? Does Lance Lynn’s crotch-grabbing testosterone show wear thin when it comes with a Emilio Pagán-esque 1.6 HR/9? Was Jose Abreu holding that team together this whole time? How difficult has it been working with known jerk, distraction-heavy and below-average pitcher Mike Clevinger?

Definitive answers won’t be available, but ask any current Twin about Polanco’s impact, and they will gush about his preparedness, seriousness, and the way he can impact the game in so many ways, whether by popping a homer from both sides of the plate, stealing a base, or making a tough throw from second base that appears to come from underneath his feet. His teammates believe in him, and as George Costanza once said, “It’s not a lie, if you believe it.” 

He isn’t perfect, and that is confirmed both by his 2018 PED suspension and his cursed flip to Luis Arraez in the 2020 playoffs. But with Arraez now gone, name me one Twin who you would rather have up with the game on the line. It won’t be the boom-or-bust Byron Buxton, or the jumpy double-play machine Jose Miranda. It could be Correa, but definitely not in April. It isn’t Trevor Larnach, who the book is out on regarding his ability to hit offspeed. Donovan Solano can really hit, but he isn’t selective. Joey Gallo has been good, but there’s also a 40% chance his at-bat ends in a strikeout.

The answer is Polanco, the gold standard in reliability, clutch genetics, heart and soul. His injury issues may be chronic, he’s pushing 30, and he only has two team option years left on his contract, so his time in Minnesota may be drawing near. Let’s appreciate him while we can.

 

 

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[Doctor Gast]

Polanco injury & playing hurt really hurt his #s that you quoted in '22, at a time he'd really take off. Now that he's healthy watch out. Beside having good #s he's a good clutch hitter. He gets a hit when you need it, not only racking up HRs & RBIs when you don't & SO when you do. He's a steadying influence. I'm glad he's back. Go get 'em Jorge! Hurray for Jorge!

[tony&rodney]

Jorge Polanco is the Twins best position player until someone else proves them selves more valuable.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Your article is quite prophetic when we look at Polo's performance in tonight's game against the Evil Empire.

[Karbo]

Early in the season many thought Polo should be traded to make room for Julian. IMO that would be a mistake. Polo has been good since his 1st taste of the majors, and possibly the MVP of the team before the injury problems. He is on a reasonable contract and out playing his contract value. Julian is probably the next in line, but IMO needs more time to develop in the minors.

[jmlease1]

Polanco is one of the top 3 position players on this team until someone knocks him off the perch, so it's fantastic to have him back and looking healthy. Even in a bit of an off year last season where he tried to fight through injury (and offense was down all across the league anyways) he was still a dang good player and one of the best offensive players in the league at 2B. I'm thrilled to have him back in the lineup and his switch-hitting is important.

It's a little unfortunate that several of our best prospects all play his position, but they're going to have to take his spot not get it on scholarship.

[Blyleven2011]

Give credit where credit is due ...

Polanco has been a very good asset for the twins  and will continue to do so , even if there are doubters  out there , he should be fine barring injuries  ...

[TwinsDr2021]

Well he has played 4 games and tied for 7th on the team in RBI and is 15h in at bats, so yes he coming back was the right time.

[TwinsDr2021]

3 hours ago, Karbo said:

Early in the season many thought Polo should be traded to make room for Julian. IMO that would be a mistake. Polo has been good since his 1st taste of the majors, and possibly the MVP of the team before the injury problems. He is on a reasonable contract and out playing his contract value. Julian is probably the next in line, but IMO needs more time to develop in the minors.

Agreed, at his worst he is better than Gordon at his best.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Polanco is an excellent baseball player but is often overlooked when one considers the Twins' lineup.  When he's been healthy he adds a ton on both offense and defense that makes his presence felt in many tangible and intangible ways on the field.  He's not a hall of famer, but he's a hall of really good and really consistent for quite a long time member.  I'm hoping that they don't trade him anytime soon.  Those prospects need to develop in the minors before we crown them stars and starters on a good baseball team.