3 Former Top 5 Twins Prospects Sent to Minor-League Camp

[stringer bell]

31 minutes ago, RpR said:

Apparently?

Says what or whom?

Tell ByoungHo Park or Castro that Spring Training means nothing.

I'm not saying that Spring Training doesn't matter, but stats accrued are far less a direct indicator of whether the player can help the team. Willi Castro didn't hit a lot in the spring, but showed he was versatile and capable of holding his own at the plate.

Hitting early in the spring isn't nearly as important as when major leaguers are pitching the majority of innings and using all their pitches. 

[RpR]

10 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Hitting early in the spring isn't nearly as important as when major leaguers are pitching the majority of innings and using all their pitches. 

IF, one cannot hit pitchers, in Spring Training , of which a lot are AAA, which Wallner is not capable of doing by what miracle will he be able to hit Major League pitchers who are at least 50 percent more serious in how they pitch regular season.

Gallo ST 2024

Wallner ST 2024

 

[Doctor Wu]

The versatile Niko Goodrum, Michael Helman, Anthony Prato, and Brooks Lee remain in big-league camp as well.

Goodrum is indeed versatile, but I can't see a place for him on this team, even if injuries happen all of a sudden. What sort of contract did he sign? Was it a standard minor league deal, or does he have some sort of opt out?

[Doctor Wu]

No surprises with these cuts, but it was good to see Miranda healthy and hitting better in spring training. I hope he lights it up in AAA and can come back up and help the big boys sooner than later. Larnach remains the odd man out. Not sure if he really has a future with the Twins at this point. 

[Whitey333]

Great article.  Just goes to show that most of the continued hype we hear about all of the great prospects is just that, hype.  IMO the Twins mess up the potential careers of many young players.  Launch angle, lije many of the new analytics is b.s.  heaven forbid if a player hits the ball on the ground.  He may actually get a hit.  Strikeouts?  Twins don't care at all about this unproductive and very boring out offensively.  It's also funny when a player has a great spring training statistically we get excited.  When a player has a poor spring training we are told spring training stats don't matter.  Strange game this baseball.  But I still love it.  Go Twins.

 

[nlites09]

I think it's sad the way players like Larnach, Martin and Miranda have been handled.  Last xear it was Michael Taylor, now Santana.  The Twins haven't given them a true opportunity, in my opinion.  I realize injuries have hampered the last two, but Larnach was leading the team in RBI's early last year and they still sent him down. 

Trade em, if you don't want to give them true chances.  And, if they aren't that good (in mamagement's opinion) don't ask a lot for them.

[Fezig]

19 hours ago, mnfireman said:

System failure. Not all batters are the same, but the team seems to be coaching them that way....launch angle = HRs.

Some guys are more adept at hard hit line drives, with some of those becoming HRs, instead of the highlight reel, tape measure shots.

Maybe coach to the players strengths, or trade them for guys that fit the system. 

Could you imagine how much they would have screwed up early Joe Mauer? "Stop hitting all of those gap doubles to left center, Joe!" "Everything must be pulled and if you strike out we'll change the terminology and call it a productive at-bat"

Don't get me started on Carew and Oliva. Their exit velo and launch angle had much to be desired.

[bean5302]

21 hours ago, h2oface said:

Better to have Wallner getting no hits and striking out all April, eh? I think, since all have options, you would do well to let the worst performing player suck in AAA until he warms up and starts hitting. No need to have in left field striking out all month. 

Larnach (34.0%) struck out more than Wallner (31.5%) last year.

[PDX Twin]

16 hours ago, David HK said:

And dang, it looks like the Keoni Cavaco Era gets pushed back another year, too.

It must be out to, what, 2054 now?

[bean5302]

Balazovic's spin rates and movement on his pitches don't play at the MLB level. The numbers from Statcast are very pessimistic on him being a legitimate MLB caliber arm of any type.

Larnach was drafted after a sudden home run surge at Oregon in his Junior year. He never showed that kind of home run result at any level before or since. He's got a line drive style swing which is more Joe Mauer than Joey Gallo so to expect him to generate OPS through home runs isn't reasonable at this point. Unfortunately, Larnach struggles to recognize almost all MLB pitches other than the 4 seam fastball or a curveball which results in his Joey Gallo-like contact problems. He's decent depth or probably a good enough emergency starter.

Miranda is the only one of the three who might be every day starter material. The Twins are clearly interested in getting a last look at Kirilloff at the plate against MLB right handed pitching so Miranda starts the year in the minors.

[Shaitan]

7 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

The versatile Niko Goodrum, Michael Helman, Anthony Prato, and Brooks Lee remain in big-league camp as well.

Goodrum is indeed versatile, but I can't see a place for him on this team, even if injuries happen all of a sudden. What sort of contract did he sign? Was it a standard minor league deal, or does he have some sort of opt out?

Those players are likely there until the end of ST for depth/rest, then off to MiLB.

No idea on Goodrum's contract, but I think it's minor league. That's where he played last year.

[h2oface]

21 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

Spring training stats shouldn't be a factor. 

And yet, unless you are paid the big money, are an inked in "vet" (or even a Miranda resume after a half season last year), or have just been traded for and are pre-ordained to be given a shot, if nothing else but to prove that your FO decision was a good one - ST stats do seem to matter. They are cited on why Willie Castro made the team last year. Because Spring Training WAS a factor! The main factor. So what is the line that makes ST matter? We all hope he is the real deal and has a great year, but has Wallner has earned pre-selected status, already, and St shouldn't be a factor for him? 

I guess he has. A little soon, if you ask me. Remember Danny Valencia?

[USAFChief]

4 hours ago, Fezig said:

Don't get me started on Carew and Oliva. Their exit velo and launch angle had much to be desired.

I obviously can't prove it, but I'm gonna go out on a pretty strong limb here and claim Oliva  lived at or near the top of the league in exit velo.

His signature hit was a screaming line drive to right that would get to the wall almost before the RFer could take his first step. 

[chpettit19]

4 hours ago, Fezig said:

Could you imagine how much they would have screwed up early Joe Mauer? "Stop hitting all of those gap doubles to left center, Joe!" "Everything must be pulled and if you strike out we'll change the terminology and call it a productive at-bat"

Don't get me started on Carew and Oliva. Their exit velo and launch angle had much to be desired.

Imagine if they had a slap hitter now who tried to come up through the minors as a high BA, low walk, "sprinkler" type sprayer of baseballs around the field. That guy could even have a fun nickname like "La Regadera." They'd definitely force him not to hit that way. No way he'd ever be called up and win a batting title or anything because they're just so single-minded in their approach that they only produce 1 kind of hitter.

(If you didn't pick up on it this was sarcasm because they didn't "screw up" Luis Arraez at all)

[h2oface]

On 3/20/2024 at 7:44 AM, Fezig said:

Could you imagine how much they would have screwed up early Joe Mauer? "Stop hitting all of those gap doubles to left center, Joe!" "Everything must be pulled and if you strike out we'll change the terminology and call it a productive at-bat"

Don't get me started on Carew and Oliva. Their exit velo and launch angle had much to be desired.

Well of course you don't mess with a guy like Mauer when he was in his prime. BUT - I will always wonder why Mauer didn't work on evolving when he was moved to first. He wasn't able to hit for averages he had before, and he was so big. A huge guy. A strong guy. A lot of great hitters and pitchers keep growing and evolving with age. It would have been great to see 6'5" Mauer hit 30 and 40 dingers a year (like little 5'11" Dozier evolved), as long as he was only hitting .265 and playing first base. It made no sense to me that he didn't really give it a committed try to evolve and be a different kind of great hitter in his last 5 years. A hitter that hit for power had a great eye. Even little Altuve hits 20 and 30 homers a year, instead of 6-10, and still hits for a fine average and OBP with low Ks and a generous walk rate. I think Mauer is a valid comparison in regards to a seasoned great hitter. Evolving doesn't have to screw a hitter (or pitcher) up. It might have even helped him get into the HOF. Oh, that's right, he did anyway. But still........ 

[Fezig]

7 hours ago, h2oface said:

Well of course you don't mess with a guy like Mauer when he was in his prime. BUT - I will always wonder why Mauer didn't work on evolving when he was moved to first. He wasn't able to hit for averages he had before, and he was so big. A huge guy. A strong guy. A lot of great hitters and pitchers keep growing and evolving with age. It would have been great to see 6'5" Mauer hit 30 and 40 dingers a year (like little 5'11" Dozier evolved), as long as he was only hitting .265 and playing first base. It made no sense to me that he didn't really give it a committed try to evolve and be a different kind of great hitter in his last 5 years. A hitter that hit for power had a great eye. Even little Altuve hits 20 and 30 homers a year, instead of 6-10, and still hits for a fine average and OBP with low Ks and a generous walk rate. I think Mauer is a valid comparison in regards to a seasoned great hitter. Evolving doesn't have to screw a hitter (or pitcher) up. It might have even helped him get into the HOF. Oh, that's right, he did anyway. But still........ 

I agree with you on the end of Mauer's career. He refused to make any adjustments and it was frustrating as ...