What the Heck Happened to Kyle Farmer, and Is It Fixable?

[Ted Schwerzler]

The Minnesota Twins brought back Kyle Farmer this season with the thought that he could play multiple positions and be a positive influence in the clubhouse. Those realities remain, but he’s been a scratch mark in the lineup, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better any time soon.

 

With Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis locked into the left side of Minnesota’s infield, there was never going to be a desire for Rocco Baldelli to consistently start Kyle Farmer. As a rotational infielder, he has value in multiple spots, and if he could keep up with career averages, he'd have a pulse at the plate. The problem for Minnesota, and Farmer, is that he’s been pushed into a starting role and completely lost his way.

With injuries taking Correa and Lewis out of the lineup, Farmer has consistently drawn starts at the hot corner. Willi Castro has assumed shortstop duties, and while José Miranda has gotten run at third base as well, it’s been Farmer more often than the production would warrant. That production, namely, is a 3-for-45 start in which he has just one extra-base hit and a 13-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

It’s not as though Farmer is getting unlucky, either. He has a ridiculous .094 BABIP, but somehow, he deserves it. He hasn’t found a single barrel, with 32 batted balls. His hard-hit rate is a career-worst 21.9%; that checks in 13% below his career average. When putting the ball in play, he’s generated a truly horrible 62.5% ground ball rate, and his 12.5% line drive rate gives him almost zero chance to find success through trajectory.

It’s not as though pitchers are doing anything entirely different to him. He’s seeing the same diet of pitches he always has, and for a guy who has played 431 big-league games, the book is well-established. His chase rate isn’t out of whack, and his whiff rate is largely in line with career averages, as well.

If there is something that stands out, it may be a level of passivity. Swinging at just 54% of pitches in the zone, and with a career-low 44% overall swing rate, Farmer seems to be up at the dish searching. He’s seeing a career-high 67.9% first-pitch strikes; opposing pitchers are immediately putting him behind in the count. If he’s looking for one pitch, or one location, the results certainly aren’t bearing fruit.

It’s unlikely that a 33-year-old suddenly became quite this cooked, but nothing about how Farmer is going right now works. The Twins wouldn’t have had to pay $6 million on the open market to keep him, and he looked like an unnecessary expense even before the year began. Playing like he is now, the veteran utility player isn’t worthy of a roster spot, and if Miranda does anything to seize the opportunity, that may come to fruition when Correa returns from the injured list.

Right now, it’s just an 18-game sample, and a month that Farmer will want to rip from his record book forever. A -9 OPS+ really doesn’t even do the futility justice, and generating an RBI while doing a Javier Báez impression on Wednesday night all but sums it up.

If Farmer is going to remain on this roster all season long, the production has to turn a corner, no matter who else is available.

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[Doctor Gast]

It'd be a shame if it isn't fixable, soon. He's been so steady in the recent past. A real head-scratcher.

[umterp23]

I like the Farmer version from last year and it is baffling how night and day difference this year is for him.  Tough to watch, can't say a bad word about the guy and hope that something triggers the light to turn on and he breaks out of this massive slump to the season.  

 

[CRF]

He's really lost at the plate right now. Almost makes you wonder if there's something physical or personal going on, that hasn't been revealed or discovered yet. Hopefully, he's ok and snaps out of it soon. We sure could use him being back to his norms.

[Peter]

Hope he breaks out of slump asap

[DJL44]

It is important to acknowledge that even though Farmer may have been a slight overpay this past offseason there is no reason for anyone to have expected him to perform this poorly. Unfortunately, due to injuries the Twins have little option but to play him regularly hoping he breaks out of this slump.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

If I were Farmer, I would have a voo-doo ceremony and burn all of my bats and batting gloves. At the same I time I'd buy a complete set of new, lighter bats and a complete set of new heavier bats. Then I would try to bunt some. Then I'd grow a mustache and shave my head. I'd immediately see several sports psychologists by zoom on a regular basis. Finally, I'd try a BF Skinner experiment. I'd donate $100 to the campaign of the candidate for President of the United States, whom I want to lose, for each out I made. Without saying who I am voting for, it would be very painful for me to have to donate any money to that fool's campaign. BF Skinner was the father of Operant Conditioning. If something results in pain, one tends to stop doing it. 

[arby58]

The underlying stats are really bad, which makes you wonder if it is fixable. Of course, Max Kepler looked really bad until his recent return, and now he looks much better.
 

[DJL44]

5 minutes ago, arby58 said:

Max Kepler looked really bad until his recent return, and now he looks much better.

Kepler was playing hurt.

[Riverbrian]

The optics are not fixable.

Will he get better... yes he will. 

I have no expectation at all that he will remain .067 BA or .297 OPS. I have no expectation that Carlos Santana will remain at .147 OPS. They are going to start getting some hits and drag those numbers upward. 

The question is: Can Farmer change the optics and make up the significant amount ground needed after being lapped by his peers with 1/7th of the season complete? I don't believe he can and at the end of the year... his numbers are going to look... unjustifiable and there is absolutely nothing that he can do about that. The back of his baseball card is going to look bad for 2024.  

I know that I end up in this location a lot but I must go here again because the Twins constantly go here. 

He needs AB's to get his numbers close to presentable. He won't get enough AB's to make the stat sheet respectable against left handed hitters alone and hitting lefties is what he does well. He's going to have to hit right handers and he has never  really shown that he can do that.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NotAboutWinning]

I wonder if the fastball to the face last year has anything to do with it. He came back fine, but he may have been running on adrenaline and resolve. There was most of a season left to play. However, the off-season spent with his family, and time to think, may have let some PTSD in. Just a theory.

[umterp23]

11 minutes ago, NotAboutWinning said:

I wonder if the fastball to the face last year has anything to do with it. He came back fine, but he may have been running on adrenaline and resolve. There was most of a season left to play. However, the off-season spent with his family, and time to think, may have let some PTSD in. Just a theory.

There might be something to this logic for sure.  In my playing days of college baseball, we had a sophomore pitcher for us who could hit upper 90's, big, tall, strong kid.  In a fall scrimmage inter squad game fastball got away from him and his pitch broke a teammates jaw and nose.  The pitcher no matter how many times he tried, had a tough time throwing fastball strikes and was relegated to the bullpen.  The hitter in the spring who ironically was our starting 2nd baseman, never hit above .150.  Both of the careers kind of went south as Juniors, especially the pitcher.  

It was tough for both them and maybe just maybe, Farmer can work through it.  

[Patzky]

18 minutes ago, NotAboutWinning said:

I wonder if the fastball to the face last year has anything to do with it. He came back fine, but he may have been running on adrenaline and resolve. There was most of a season left to play. However, the off-season spent with his family, and time to think, may have let some PTSD in. Just a theory.

Thanks for mentioning that incident. I also feel there's some connection..

[Major League Ready]

Correa getting healthy will be a big boost for this team.  Castro / Miranda cover 3rd and Farmer will not need to be used against RHP.   We will essentially be swapping Correa for Framer in the lineup.  The offense should pick-up especially if Kepler hits like he has recently.

[LambchoP]

I don't think there's any reason that Farmer should be starting over Miranda right now....let's see what Miranda can do until Lewis comes back.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, NotAboutWinning said:

I wonder if the fastball to the face last year has anything to do with it. He came back fine, but he may have been running on adrenaline and resolve. There was most of a season left to play. However, the off-season spent with his family, and time to think, may have let some PTSD in. Just a theory.

An injury like that could definitely have an effect on his vision, which would explain zero barrels this season.

[DJL44]

46 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Correa getting healthy will be a big boost for this team.  Castro / Miranda cover 3rd and Farmer will not need to be used against RHP.   We will essentially be swapping Correa for Framer in the lineup.  The offense should pick-up especially if Kepler hits like he has recently.

That would put Farmer into his familiar role as the platoon mate for Edouard Julien. However, I am seeing less reason to use Farmer in that role. Farmer's defense has declined and his hitting has been terrible while Julien has taken a step forward offensively and defensively.

Farmer should play as little as possible until he's seeing the ball better. The best scenario is he's playing hurt and goes on the IL when Correa returns. Then he can get healthy and get some rehab at-bats in AAA.

[LA Vikes Fan]

I think the choice is going to be Farmer or Miranda when Correa comes back. Julien is hitting .333/.375/.600 against LH pitching in a very small sample size. That won't last but it shows that he can and probably should be an everyday player for now, not a platoon player. Julien's defense has improved such that he is at least as good as Farner if not better. We also have Castro and Martin who can play 2B and both are much better hitters than Farmer. No reason to keep Farmer to be a 2B option. It also looks like the Twins have decided we don't need him as a backup SS. Castro has apparently own that job since he's playing there every day. 

The only thing left for Farmer is to be the backup 3B for Lewis, starter until he comes back. That's an important role since Lewis is an injury risk and will probably see some significant time as a DH. Either Farmer or Miranda will get that job and Miranda starts in the lead since he offers much more as a DH/PH when Lewis is on the field. Farmer may be a better 3B, but he isn't a gold glove type and 3B is an offensive position especially next to a gold glove type SS like Correa. Hard to see a fit for Farmer on this roster if Miranda hits and Santana stays. Frankly, might be smarter to pull up an OF from AAA like Wallner or Kiersy even if Miranda doesn't hit too much to improve the offense by improving the DH options, send Miranda down and trade or DFA Farmer.  

[IaBeanCounter]

Last year I thought he was one of the better "clutch" hitters.  This year he can't buy a hit, whether him having weak contact or on the few occasions he has solid contact the defense makes a great play (thinking of Mullins in the Balt series).  He seems to have brought his hitting woes into the field in not making the plays he could make.  The only bright spot I can find is that last year he hit much better in odd months than even (.814 OPS in May, July & Sept vs. .601 OPS in Apr, Jun & Aug) 

Farmer was acquired to play SS before the Twins signed Correa.  Is Castro a better SS or is Farmer better at 3rd?

 

[Fatbat]

He needs to talk with a sports psychologist.  That ball to the teeth is taking a toll on a good guy. 

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, IaBeanCounter said:

Farmer was acquired to play SS before the Twins signed Correa.  Is Castro a better SS or is Farmer better at 3rd?

 

Shortstop is the far more important defensive position. The superior defender at short should play there. The Twins think that is Castro. 

[old nurse]

Aging curves and fall off in talent with players is a mystifying and individual thing. Nelson Cruz defied age until he over to Tampa in his 40s. That is the lucky end. Chuck Knobllauch dropped off at age 30. Each player is different. Power lasts longer than speed.  Middle infielders seem to go soon shortly after 30. Maybe Father Time got another victim . 

When the Twins signed Correa I looked at a moderate size of players to notice that. Derek Jeter was the high end at 35 before he started falling off. One does have to remember 2 things for this. One is that the higher the skill level there is still a useful player, as Jeter was still above aver for a couple of years. The other? Don’t look at the outliers . 

[USAFChief]

 

(Farmer)...generating an RBI while doing a Javier Báez impression on Wednesday...

I can't believe I need to say this--in a TD article no less--but a hitter isn't given an RBI on a WP or PB.

 

 

 

[ashbury]

Farmer feels like we are witnessing a rapid-aging scene from a movie in real time.

[wabene]

17 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Farmer feels like we are witnessing a rapid-aging scene from a movie in real time.

The best David Bowie movie

 

[Fritzderkat]

At the age of around 30 having played fastpitch softball since high school, I took a rise ball in the face one night while guarding the dish with two outs, runners on, and a 3-2 count. I was never the same after that, washed up, and heading for the bench after anything thrown inside or even remotely at my head. 'course, I'd never been better than a .250 hitter in anybody's league before that and had been playing ball since fifth grade.

[ashbury]

6 hours ago, Fatbat said:

He needs to talk with a sports psychologist.  That ball to the teeth is taking a toll on a good guy. 

My bit of snark regarding his seemingly aging to dust before our very eyes is not meant to obscure the ton of absolute respect I have for how he came back from that horrific beaning.  People misuse the word bean for any HBP, but what he endured is the scary side of the game.

[JD-TWINS]

It’s the Top of 5th on Friday night.

Didn’t read the article - didn’t read any comments.

Just wanna say that if SANTANA can hit HR in back to back games, anything is possible. 50 AB’s in …… let’s look again June 10.

[h2oface]

3 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

It’s the Top of 5th on Friday night.

Didn’t read the article - didn’t read any comments.

Just wanna say that if SANTANA can hit HR in back to back games, anything is possible. 50 AB’s in …… let’s look again June 10.

And then just after that there was Farmer's brain freeze and mental mistake on the relay that cost a run. It is just tragic to watch him bat, and even more so when Baldelli pulls one of the hot hitting lefty's and gives the at bat to Farmer instead of the lefty that even has better results against the left handed pitchers now than Farmer.

[stringer bell]

Farmer will probably get starts Sunday and Monday. If he is still lost, I’m betting an injury will pop up, causing him to go on the IL.