In Praise of .........Willi Castro and Ryan Jeffers

[stringer bell]

As we approach the halfway point of the 2023 season, the Twins hold a small lead in the AL Central despite having a record hovering around .500. Offense has been a culprit, with the Twins scoring two runs or less almost half of the time. There have been several disappointments among the position players. In fact Baseball Reference has pitchers with five of the top six players in WAR. The only player in the top six for the Twins is.....surprise, surprise....Willi Castro. 

Castro was picked up by the Twins after being non-tendered by the Tigers. He made the 2023 Twins as the final bench player after both Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff started the season on the Injured List. Willi played sparingly in April, logging only 40 plate appearances and hitting .176 Injuries yielded more opportunities in May and Willi picked up the pace. He hit .319 with an .855 OPS in May and also stole nine bases. He's leveled off in June with a more pedestrian .226 average (.596 OPS), but he has continued to provide good defense and good base running wherever and whenever he plays. Overall, Willi has a .256 batting average and .712 OPS, not superstar numbers, but solid and he has continued to play all over the field. Castro has started games at all three outfield positions, third base and second base. He has played seven games at shortstop. He leads the team with 14 stolen bases (successful on his last 13 attempts) and he's played good defense wherever he's lined up. 

Ryan Jeffers came in 2023 as a bit of a lightning rod. Many in the Twins Daily community thought of him as suspect with the bat, a weak throwing arm and questionable defense. Some saw him as trade bait or simply a backup catcher to play behind Christian Vázquez. Jeffers has shown up well in limited at-bats this year. His 1.3 WAR in 46 games and 138 plate appearances is second best among position players and would equate to about 4 WAR over the course of a season as a full-time catcher. Jeffers has hit much better this year (.824 OPS thus far) and all parts of his defensive game seem improved over last year. 

The Twins offense has been subpar much of the year but these two guys have contributed much more than they were expect to at the start of the season. Are there other position players who deserve credit for exceeding expectations? 

[nclahammer]

Good read & good points.  I love how Castro has been a spark plug for the Twins and Jeffers has always been a pretty good hitter, who's worked hard to improve on defense.  They've both been fun to watch.  As of today, IMO noone offensively on the Minnesota Twins would get my all star game vote.

[Parfigliano]

I wish Jeffers would get the majority of starts at C.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

6 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

I wish Jeffers would get the majority of starts at C.

It’s been 50/50 since May 1, needs to be Jeffers 60/Vazquez 40

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

As we approach the halfway point of the 2023 season, the Twins hold a small lead in the AL Central despite having a record hovering around .500. Offense has been a culprit, with the Twins scoring two runs or less almost half of the time. There have been several disappointments among the position players. In fact Baseball Reference has pitchers with five of the top six players in WAR. The only player in the top six for the Twins is.....surprise, surprise....Willi Castro. 

Castro was picked up by the Twins after being non-tendered by the Tigers. He made the 2023 Twins as the final bench player after both Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff started the season on the Injured List. Willi played sparingly in April, logging only 40 plate appearances and hitting .176 Injuries yielded more opportunities in May and Willi picked up the pace. He hit .319 with an .855 OPS in May and also stole nine bases. He's leveled off in June with a more pedestrian .226 average (.596 OPS), but he has continued to provide good defense and good base running wherever and whenever he plays. Overall, Willi has a .256 batting average and .712 OPS, not superstar numbers, but solid and he has continued to play all over the field. Castro has started games at all three outfield positions, third base and second base. He has played seven games at shortstop. He leads the team with 14 stolen bases (successful on his last 13 attempts) and he's played good defense wherever he's lined up. 

Ryan Jeffers came in 2023 as a bit of a lightning rod. Many in the Twins Daily community thought of him as suspect with the bat, a weak throwing arm and questionable defense. Some saw him as trade bait or simply a backup catcher to play behind Christian Vázquez. Jeffers has shown up well in limited at-bats this year. His 1.3 WAR in 46 games and 138 plate appearances is second best among position players and would equate to about 4 WAR over the course of a season as a full-time catcher. Jeffers has hit much better this year (.824 OPS thus far) and all parts of his defensive game seem improved over last year. 

The Twins offense has been subpar much of the year but these two guys have contributed much more than they were expect to at the start of the season. Are there other position players who deserve credit for exceeding expectations? 

Expectations have been smashed on both sides of the aisle and this happens every year on every team. It goes to show... All front offices not just the Twins get it wrong and they often get it wrong.

It's easy to know what the expectations are for front offices. Just look at who they chose and what the chosen ones have done.  

Castro wasn't supposed to make the roster. Polanco wasn't ready so Castro headed north out of Ft. Myers. 

Gordon, Miranda, Gallo and Kepler were opening day starters. Castro has been better than all 4 of them. Castro has also been better than our chosen SS and CF.  

Jeffers started the season playing 1 game out of 3 behind Vazquez. Jeffers had horrible splits against right handed pitching last season. Top OPS against RH pitchers on the team currently belongs to Jeffers so maybe he isn't a split candidate.  

All front offices get it wrong often, fans get it wrong often. You have to let players honestly compete and let the players decide.

Castro and Jeffers have won the competition as of June 26th. 

 

 

[Craig Arko]

7 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Expectations have been smashed on both sides of the aisle and this happens every year on every team. It goes to show... All front offices not just the Twins get it wrong and they often get it wrong.

It's easy to know what the expectations are for front offices. Just look at who they chose and what the chosen ones have done.  

Castro wasn't supposed to make the roster. Polanco wasn't ready so Castro headed north out of Ft. Myers. 

Gordon, Miranda, Gallo and Kepler were opening day starters. Castro has been better than all 4 of them. Castro has also been better than our chosen SS and CF.  

Jeffers started the season playing 1 game out of 3 behind Vazquez. Jeffers had horrible splits against right handed pitching last season. Top OPS against RH pitchers on the team currently belongs to Jeffers so maybe he isn't a split candidate.  

All front offices get it wrong often, fans get it wrong on often. You have to let players honestly compete and let the players decide.

Castro and Jeffers have won the competition as of June 26th. 

 

 

Of course, it’s always easier to get it wrong.

[Dman]

I really like how Castro fits this team.  As mentioned in the OP he can play almost anywhere can bat from both sides and has speed. If the bat holds up he is an absolute must have player as he he fits the super utility role to a tee.  I am still skeptical of his plate approach but given the Twins approach in general he can't be much worse.

Have to say I didn't have him making the team out of spring training but probably lucky he got some chances to prove he belongs and he could be a big part of this team again if the bat stays productive.  Really glad he chose the Twins after the Tigers let him go.  He has been fun to watch and a difference maker for this team in many ways.

[FlyingFinn]

1 hour ago, Parfigliano said:

I wish Jeffers would get the majority of starts at C.

I actually like the 50/50 split so neither catcher is getting worn down. If Jeffers plays more, he may not play this well in my opinion. Also, I think Vasquez is playing better since the 50/50 split started. Biggest benefit - neither catcher has missed a single game due to injury, that I know of.

[RpR]

3 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

I wish Jeffers would get the majority of starts at C.

Put him at DH and quit the Buxton thing.

Losing weight has given him speed.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Castro always seemed to kill the Twins when he was with Detroit, or at least he did last season. I was happy when they signed him and he's done way more than expected. Best part if he's under team control for a couple more seasons. Twins need to keep him around.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

6 hours ago, stringer bell said:

As we approach the halfway point of the 2023 season, the Twins hold a small lead in the AL Central despite having a record hovering around .500. Offense has been a culprit, with the Twins scoring two runs or less almost half of the time. There have been several disappointments among the position players. In fact Baseball Reference has pitchers with five of the top six players in WAR. The only player in the top six for the Twins is.....surprise, surprise....Willi Castro. 

Castro was picked up by the Twins after being non-tendered by the Tigers. He made the 2023 Twins as the final bench player after both Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff started the season on the Injured List. Willi played sparingly in April, logging only 40 plate appearances and hitting .176 Injuries yielded more opportunities in May and Willi picked up the pace. He hit .319 with an .855 OPS in May and also stole nine bases. He's leveled off in June with a more pedestrian .226 average (.596 OPS), but he has continued to provide good defense and good base running wherever and whenever he plays. Overall, Willi has a .256 batting average and .712 OPS, not superstar numbers, but solid and he has continued to play all over the field. Castro has started games at all three outfield positions, third base and second base. He has played seven games at shortstop. He leads the team with 14 stolen bases (successful on his last 13 attempts) and he's played good defense wherever he's lined up. 

Ryan Jeffers came in 2023 as a bit of a lightning rod. Many in the Twins Daily community thought of him as suspect with the bat, a weak throwing arm and questionable defense. Some saw him as trade bait or simply a backup catcher to play behind Christian Vázquez. Jeffers has shown up well in limited at-bats this year. His 1.3 WAR in 46 games and 138 plate appearances is second best among position players and would equate to about 4 WAR over the course of a season as a full-time catcher. Jeffers has hit much better this year (.824 OPS thus far) and all parts of his defensive game seem improved over last year. 

The Twins offense has been subpar much of the year but these two guys have contributed much more than they were expect to at the start of the season. Are there other position players who deserve credit for exceeding expectations? 

Plus Castro and Jeffers can do something no other Twins player can do. BUNT!

[stringer bell]

1 minute ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Plus Castro and Jeffers can do something no other Twins player can do. BUNT!

Add Michael A to the proficient bunter's club.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Just now, stringer bell said:

Add Michael A to the proficient bunter's club.

Agreed.

[SwainZag]

4 hours ago, RpR said:

Put him at DH and quit the Buxton thing.

Losing weight has given him speed.

And then the Twins would carry a 3rd catcher and lose a bench spot.  And besides, Buxton does go thru streaks, but he's a much better option at the plate overall than Jeffers is. 

[wabene]

6 hours ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

just hope Julian notices the improvement in Jeffers and takes a similar approach by taking grounders and working on throwing accuracy this off-season

There is some truth to this, he can improve and I hope he does. I'm a little sceptical because he's been doing this his whole life, doesn't seem to have great hands and I'm questioning his instincts. I'll continue to root for him during his first stint under the bright lights because there is a whole lot to like with this guy.

 

6 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

I actually like the 50/50 split so neither catcher is getting worn down. If Jeffers plays more, he may not play this well in my opinion. Also, I think Vasquez is playing better since the 50/50 split started. Biggest benefit - neither catcher has missed a single game due to injury, that I know of.

This is a good point, but if Jeffer's bat keeps playing like this, slot him some at DH.

[Linus]

I was very critical of Jeffers last year, particularly his defense. He has improved noticeably more than I thought possible. Castro is a great fit for the 26th man on the roster. 

[Mike Sixel]

Jeffers is example 1000000 why fans and their impatience should not be GMs......sometimes you have to trust the process and your evaluation (if you are a FO).....It's why maybe people shouldn't conclude anything about young players with good pedigrees for a year or two....

[Shaitan]

I've been to one game this year and was happy Castro was in LF, where my seats were. He's fun to watch.

I'm curious if Jeffers is doing better because of the learning curve, more time off, or maybe he's motivated by the Vasquez signing, which likely felt like a slight. Either way, I'm happy with it.

[RpR]

4 hours ago, Linus said:

I was very critical of Jeffers last year, particularly his defense. He has improved noticeably more than I thought possible. Castro is a great fit for the 26th man on the roster. 

Castro should play every game.

[2wins87]

8 hours ago, RpR said:

Castro should play every game.

He's a below average offensive player. There's no reason a team with a decent offense should be finding time for him in a corner outfield spot.

Now, given the other options, it's fine that he gets the nod over other non-performing hitters, but he's still best suited for the utility role.

[JD-TWINS]

23 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

It’s been 50/50 since May 1, needs to be Jeffers 60/Vazquez 40

Vazquez has been hitting a bit better last couple weeks & decent defense. Assuming that being fresh all the time is helping Jeffer’s stat line! No need to alter yet - let’s keep him fresh through July & if stats are similar, we use him 70% down the stretch. He’s definitely getting more respect from the staff as at least a couple guys have mentioned him after solid outings.