Trevor Plouffe: From Fan Favorite to Media Star

[Cody Christie]

Trevor Plouffe made his first appearance on the Bally Sports North team this week. Let's look back at his playing career and how he's helped build a media empire.

Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Twins drafted Trevor Plouffe with the 20th overall selection in the 2004 MLB Draft out of high school in California. He moved quickly through the Twins' system and reached Double-A in 2007, where he was over four years younger than the average age of the competition. Offensively, he never posted an OPS higher than .740 until his third season at Triple-A. In his age-25 season, he finally seemed to put it all together in 2011 when he hit .313/.384/.635 (1.019) with 11 doubles, three triples, and 15 home runs 

Plouffe's big-league debut came in 2010 when he struggled through his first 22 games. He went 6-for-41 (.146 BA) with three extra-base hits and a 14-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2011, he got his first extended look at the big-league level and posted a 91 OPS+ in 81 games. Over most of the next decade, he became a regular in the Twins' line-up. Plouffe posted an OPS+ of 102 or higher in three out of four seasons from 2012-2015, including two seasons with 20+ homers. His most valuable season was in 2014, when he finished with a 4.2 WAR, which ranked third on the Twins behind Brian Dozier and Phil Hughes. 

He bounced to four organizations over his final two seasons, including Oakland, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Texas. He played 100 games in 2017 for the As and Rays but struggled offensively by hitting .198/.272/.318 (.590) with 16 extra-base hits. His final seven big-league games came in a Phillies uniform, where he went 3-for-12 with one home run and six strikeouts. His final home run was a 16th-inning walk-off home run versus Dodgers' Kike Hernandez. In 2019, he was a non-roster invitee to Phillies spring training and informed them that he planned to retire instead of toiling at Triple-A. 

Plouffe searched for his place in the baseball world in his post-playing career. The Twins and Bally Sports North initially approached Plouffe about a television role before the 2020 season. Unfortunately, the pandemic changed many plans for baseball that year, and Plouffe found a different media avenue. He started collaborating with Jomboy Media because of the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal, and his role grew from there. 

He has become a regular on Talkin' Baseball to give insights into a former player's perspective on issues (sign stealing, labor negotiations, etc.) while also interviewing current players about the game. Jomboy has over 1.75 million subscribers on YouTube and is regularly ranked as the most downloaded baseball podcast. Media has continued to evolve in recent years, with baseball fans searching for other avenues to consume content. Jomboy is one of those outlets, and Plouffe has helped to continue the company's growth. 

Plouffe's role with BSN will continue to evolve throughout the season. While the Twins are in California, he will provide on-field insights similar to what fans have seen in the Dodgers series. BSN also plans to use him for spots after the Twins leave the West Coast. These appearances could be part of the pre- and post-game shows or for in-game insights. Hiring Plouffe is a forward-thinking move for BSN that can bring a new lens to analyzing Twins games. He has kept his pulse on baseball since retiring, and how fans consume the game will continue evolving in the coming years. It will be interesting to see what he can bring to the broadcasts for the remainder of the season. 

What have your initial impressions been regarding Plouffe? What is your favorite Plouffe memory from his time with the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

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[nclahammer]

Trevor Plouffe was always a class act, and is my daughter Audrey's favorite Twins player of all-time.  She melted when he waved at her during TwinsFest.  I look forward to his contributions and insight during Minnesota Twins games.

[Doctor Gast]

Always liked Plouffe as a player & a personality, a true Twin. He was so stiff & straight lace in his 1st presentation but sure that'll change.

[chaderic20]

3 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

He was so stiff & straight lace in his 1st presentation but sure that'll change.

This was my impression too, hopefully after a few more appearances he'll loosen up some and feel more comfortable and natural.

[Monkeypaws]

Still have a Plouffe t-shirt jersey.

 

Fun Fact: Plouffe is the French word for splash.,

[jimbo92107]

Remember his thumb injury? Trevor Plouffe was a major reason players now wear a rubber gasket on their front thumb when hitting. If he'd worn one from the start, he might have been a monster power hitter. 

Great guy, all the best to him. 

[Drew]

I thought he was pretty good and I have a feeling he'll be excellent with some time. I'd love he, Justin and Dick as our regular trio. 

[milkytoast]

Was he a fan favorite? I remember him as just another guy...

 

I thought he was very low energy during the BSN broadcast. And honestly very hard to hear. I had to literally turn the volume up on my TV every time he talked the hear him at all. 

[dcswede]

seems like a nice enough guy - but not exactly a natural on the air. Single-A talent inexplicably playing in the show. Almost enough to make me miss Bert.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

@Cody Christieyou missed THE pivotal moment in Trevor Plouffe’s media career!

January 2020 he was guest at the Twins Daily Winter Meltdown with some guy named Kent Hrbek that jump started his podcasting career

im sure it was Gleeman and The Geek and not Jomboy that launched the empire :)

[Thegrin]

Time will tell.  I would like to hear Cuddyer also. 

[Dave Borton]

I am waiting for Twins or someone to go after Chris Archer for on air work. Always gave such clear, articulate interviews. Could do good color broadcasting next to Provus.

[Teflon]

Wasn't Trevor Plouffe the first Twins player to sing the Sheboygan Sausage jingle for the radio ads?

[h2oface]

Yes. Anybody is going to be better than Hawkins. One for one trade?