Twins 2024 Position Analysis: Left Field

[KirbyDome89]

6 hours ago, bean5302 said:

I really can't comprehend the hate for Wallner here. There's nothing in his profile from last year suggesting he won't be a great to elite bat moving forward.

Almost the entire team sucked at the plate against the Astros in the playoffs. Basically, the entire team was overwhelmed by the atmosphere and they were collectively swinging at junk. Only Lewis & Correa actually forced the Astros pitchers to throw strikes at all if my recollection serves me well. Wallner wasn't some exception. Not sure why the sky isn't falling from the 5-10 PA other Twins players got?

I'm not seeing any actual "hate," in this thread, more so concern for the floor and whether or not Wallner makes adjustments if necessary. We're talking about a guy with 300 career PAs, suggesting anything seems premature. 

The Twins sat him against a right handed starter in a deciding game. In that sense he was an exception. If we're going to exclude guys who are viewed as everyday players is there a fair comparison left? Kirilloff? He's received plenty of ****.  Taylor, Solano, Castro, Polanco, or Kepler? They're some combination of gone, going, or part time. Julien hit. I guess there's Jeffers at C if that's the route you want to go. 

[RpR]

On 3/11/2024 at 1:09 PM, jkcarew said:

The ridiculous power means he will get more attention and game-planning from opposing pitchers. Still, his K% is not starting from a super horrible level…31+%l. Gallo’s (for reference) was in the high 30’s at the same age, despite more mlb experience.

I am optimistic on the bat. A one-step-back, then two-steps-forward type of progression wouldn’t surprise.

Wallner

Gallo

I have said Wallner hints at becoming K batter like Gallo; sadly at the same age, 25, in a similar number of At Bats, Gallo had twice as many BB, but nearly 50 percent more Ks, yet Gallo's total at bats were quite superior to Wallner as was his defense.

So , actually, we should hope Wallner becomes a Gallo II

[gman]

I would love to see him as a regular LF/RF batting seventh and scaring pitchers who face him with anyone on base. There should be enough hitters throughout the lineup to cover him and so we don't go through years with only 1 or 2 hitters in the lineup that pitchers can just pitch around. I hope he shows up this year as a 30 homer guy with 80-100 RBI's.

[RpR]

Wallner got a two run home run today, March 13, 2024, so maybe he is getting it together.