What is the Biggest Question at the Second Base Position for 2024?

[Hunter McCall]

On 3/2/2024 at 11:22 AM, DocBauer said:

I understand the premise here, but not sure I agree that there is any issue. Seldom does a team ever have all 13 position players healthy and rostered at all times. You run with the top/best 13 and try to have some depth available. 

Like last season when Julien was brought up, Lee will get his shot initially...more than likely...due to injury. How long he stays up, maybe for good, maybe for a few weeks, maybe a month, depends on how healthy the roster is. 

Julien can play 2B/1B/DH and Lee can play all 3 INF spots, (I'm not counting 1B). With Julien a primary DH, Kirilloff is the predominant 1B. Santana fills his best role which is a RH bat off the bench and rotating in at 1B.

Santana and Farmer will almost undoubtedly be gone for 2025, suddenly there is room for Lee AND Julien, and possibly Miranda too if he gets healthy and gets his bat right again. Julien remains in the lineup almost every day but rotating spots. Lee and Lewis can cover SS, as can Castro, and Castro can also cover 2B/3B. 

I just don't see a real problem here unless everyone is healthy all year long and doing great and we we're trying to play with 14 or 15 guys. And how often does that happen?

Yes, there will be injuries. The point though is that how the team handles Lee will be the biggest question surrounding the second base position.

[Hunter McCall]

On 3/3/2024 at 2:38 AM, 2Twins1Puck said:

I would trade Julien over trading Lee.. Lee has promise of being a generational talent & is a switch hitter. Julien really doesn't hit Lefty's well and Farmer won't be around to platoon forever.. (maybe Austin Martin) but I think you could get the same kind of quality arm in a trade by throwing Julien and some other young prospects like say De Andretti, Schobel kind of level. If it really came down to it maybe Rodriguez or Gonzalez.. Jenkins and Lee could be a real force in the organization, and compliment Correa, Lewis, and Buxton well. I personally would avoid trading them at all costs.

I don't think anyone has ever thought of Brooks Lee as a "generational talent". He may be an all-star someday, but let's not get our expectations too sky high. Also, Lee has struggled hitting left-handed pitching to this point as well so the platoon need wouldn't just go away if Julien is traded.

[Hunter McCall]

13 hours ago, DocBauer said:

Just an interesting note about Julien. Just read a piece...Sports Illustrated maybe?...that Julien worked hard this offseason on facing LHP back home in Canada. He set up a pitching machine to approximate balls coming from that side, and hired a local LHP to throw to him as well. I don't recall all the details about location of pitches he was specifically working on to make better contact on, or hold up on, but this kid seems to be a real grinder. He's worked very hard on his defense previously to go from sometimes awkward to decent. And he recognizes that he's got work to do to improve his bat against same side arms. While Lee is almost certainly going to be the primary 2B in the future, Julien just keeps working to make himself better. 

I saw this as well. Really excited to see what he does this year.

[Major League Ready]

13 hours ago, DocBauer said:

Just an interesting note about Julien. Just read a piece...Sports Illustrated maybe?...that Julien worked hard this offseason on facing LHP back home in Canada. He set up a pitching machine to approximate balls coming from that side, and hired a local LHP to throw to him as well. I don't recall all the details about location of pitches he was specifically working on to make better contact on, or hold up on, but this kid seems to be a real grinder. He's worked very hard on his defense previously to go from sometimes awkward to decent. And he recognizes that he's got work to do to improve his bat against same side arms. While Lee is almost certainly going to be the primary 2B in the future, Julien just keeps working to make himself better. 

You have to root for a guy that works hard to get better.  He did get better defensively, and I doubt he is done improving on defense.  While I think there is a good chance Lee is the 2B of the future, I am just not as certain as the consensus here.  There are just too many possible scenarios to conclude this is the only outcome.    

[bean5302]

The biggest question about 2B in 2024 is Julien. How does his sophomore campaign at the MLB level go, how does his defense look? Regardless of whether or not Julien has worked hard on his hitting against lefties, Baldelli has very much loved platooning so I'm not sure Julien will be given a lot of opportunities there. Julien has limited range, and a limited arm, and his swing has a lot of holes in the zone. That said, Julien understands his weak areas at the plate and uses his exceptional plate discipline to maximize his offensive value. I have reservations about what pitchers are going to be able to do with the scouting reports which are undoubtedly going to continue to evolve on Julien. If pitchers aren't able to successfully attack Julien this year, he'll probably solidify himself as a 3-4 WAR second baseman. An equal to the departing Polanco, and a truly valuable MLB player.

Lee was drafted because of how polished he was, and his very high baseball IQ. There was a rare high floor type of guy just out of high school. His instincts and fundamentals are excellent, but it's yet to be seen whether or not he'll develop beyond his floor. He was 22 until a few days ago, and he's not on the 40 man roster. There's plenty of time for Lee to develop a little more power, and lift the ball into the air a little more. Lee is an afterthought for me at the moment, and I'd think he's well down on the depth chart. Julien, Farmer, Castro, Martin, Lee. Something like that for 2B, and I don't think the Twins would add Lee to the 40 man and the 26 man to have him ride the bench 1/2 the time.

Let's not forget, it wasn't that long ago Austin Martin was considered just as much of a sure thing as people think Lee is right now. Best hit tool in the 2020 draft. excellent plate discipline, athletic enough to potentially play CF or stretch at SS, 5th overall draft selection, but projected to go #1-2 overall. Two years later, Martin was viewed as a probable utility guy.