Will Kody Clemens Transition into Minnesota Twins' Primary Starting First Baseman Post All-Star Break?

[Trov]

I got no issue of Clemons over France, but neither are that amazing and would be fine with bring up someone else to fill in there as well.  I do disagree with one statement that clutch hitting is "random".  I get the thought on it, but I do believe there is such a thing as a clutch hitter and not a clutch hitter.  Now for a guy like France who seems to only get hits in those situations may be a little more random.  It in part could be their ability to hit off-speed pitches.  I say this because many times in non-clutch you see more fastballs and pitches to get ahead in counts and try to get balls in play.  However, when guys are are on base in high leverage situations, pitchers will mix in more pitches, try to keep them off balanced and try to hit more corners.  Doing well in those at-bats can help you be clutch. 

[MMMordabito]

If he keeps producing, batting left-handed and there continues to be more right-handed than left-handed pitchers, then, yes.

[twinstalker]

Clemens is a semi-platoon/PH type.  He's 29.  That he's this important to the Twins tells you all you need to know about where Twins hitting is at.  If he plays much, it's sad for Twins fans, though it probably doesn't matter.  It means the organization is at a place where it doesn't have true starters, which we know is the case.  But that's the deal.

If he plays more, it's not going to help his stats.  If he comes close to maintaining his slash, he will be on a team next year, probably without the risk of being DFA'd like he was this year.  As far as being a Twin next year, I guess it represents a floor for his positions.

[Sjoski]

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Has he played there? I have no idea. 

He actually has played 1st. Screenshot shows his minors/college fielding states.

 Between college and the minors, he logged 22 games there and started 13. In 2024 at Wichita, he started 13 games at 1B and didn’t commit an error.

Mauer was moved there due to concussions. Morneau ended up at 1B because he didn’t cut it behind the plate. So it's common position for a player to settle to for one reason or another. In the Twins case, they need him there.

[Major League Ready]

5 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Maybe if he hit earlier in games they'd be ahead more. 

DFA France. Promote Sabato and see what happens for three weeks. 

Like you, I really want to get a look at Sabato but I might be inclined let Sabato prove it for another month.  I would still definitely DFA France because we have Clemens / Julien / Keaschall and Sabato as potential replacements.  Julien has a .989 OPS the last month.   Clemens does not need to be the everyday 1B to get a significant number of PAs the rest of the season.  He could be a valuable bench player next year so I want to see him get a chance.   We could also see one or two of Castro, Bader, and Larnach traded so hopefully there will be a few spots opening up.  We need to start looking for long-term solutions now.

[NYCTK]

33 minutes ago, twinstalker said:

Clemens is a semi-platoon/PH type.  He's 29.  That he's this important to the Twins tells you all you need to know about where Twins hitting is at.  If he plays much, it's sad for Twins fans, though it probably doesn't matter.  It means the organization is at a place where it doesn't have true starters, which we know is the case.  But that's the deal.

If he plays more, it's not going to help his stats.  If he comes close to maintaining his slash, he will be on a team next year, probably without the risk of being DFA'd like he was this year.  As far as being a Twin next year, I guess it represents a floor for his positions.

I assumed he'd be DFA'd by June 1st, and if we're being honest the only reason he hasn't is because the Twins organization is...lacking. 

He's hit 179/261/449 since June 1st. Fans shouldn't be so desperate that they're concocting ways to get him more playing time. 

Bad Times in Twins Territory. 

[stringer bell]

6 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Which Kody Clemens are they getting? May? June? 1 week of July? If he keeps hitting he should keep playing. If he stops hitting he should stop playing. Let the play on the field determine things. Unfortunately, the team doesn't have enough talent/production to let competition rule right now. And this regime has never been all that into letting the play on the field dictate much anyways. 

As others have said, Keaschall should be back soon and take ABs from this Jeckell and Hyde 1B pairing. Kody had a great month of May and an unplayable month of June. Let his play dictate his playing time.

Kody Clemens has been the second most productive hitter for the Twins. Yes, it is rather a small sample size and his career and pedigree don't give us much confidence that he will sustain that production. I guess the most promising part of his profile is that his swing speed has gone from average to near elite and that could explain his power surge and could perhaps be a reason that he will continue to be well above average at the plate. 

Ty France has been subpar as a hitter over the course of this season and he's slumped noticeably in the past month or more. France has been a surprisingly good defender at first base and was the Twins' best hitter in clutch situations for the first third of the season. Clemens has definitely been the better player since he was acquired by the Twins and should be getting at-bats over France unless or until he turns into a pumpkin. 

[RpR]

9 hours ago, LambchoP said:

Clemens, Julien and maybe Sabato should get looks at first to see if any of them are viable starters there next year. If nobody runs away with the job, we know that we AGAIN, need a first baseman. I like Clemens. Good power, good defense. If he can raise his AVG a bit we could do a lot worse.

Leave Julien where he is, for the rest of the season.

[RpR]

32 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Kody Clemens has been the second most productive hitter for the Twins. Yes, it is rather a small sample size and his career and pedigree don't give us much confidence that he will sustain that production. I guess the most promising part of his profile is that his swing speed has gone from average to near elite and that could explain his power surge and could perhaps be a reason that he will continue to be well above average at the plate. 

Ty France has been subpar as a hitter over the course of this season and he's slumped noticeably in the past month or more. France has been a surprisingly good defender at first base and was the Twins' best hitter in clutch situations for the first third of the season. Clemens has definitely been the better player since he was acquired by the Twins and should be getting at-bats over France unless or until he turns into a pumpkin. 

France has a career  .998 fielding percentage at First Base.

[TheLeviathan]

I've seen all I need to from France.  He's cooked.....I wouldn't be shocked if he got DFA'd when Keaschall comes back.

[arby58]

9 hours ago, Patzky said:

Wallner can go to St Paul to make room if it's needed.. he needs to refresh or relearn.

Huh? What is it he has to 'relearn?' He's fourth on the team in OPS among regulars and 3rd in slugging percentage. He absolutely wrecked AAA pitching while he was down (1.330 OPS), and he hits the ball harder than anybody else on the team. Every player will have his ups and downs, but to suggest Wallner should be at AAA is bizarre.

[arby58]

4 hours ago, NYCTK said:

I assumed he'd be DFA'd by June 1st, and if we're being honest the only reason he hasn't is because the Twins organization is...lacking. 

He's hit 179/261/449 since June 1st. Fans shouldn't be so desperate that they're concocting ways to get him more playing time. 

Bad Times in Twins Territory. 

Clemens is 3rd on the team in HRs - in far fewer games than Buxton or Larnach. He is 3rd in OPS. He has a 1.1 WAR (also third among non-pitchers). Those aren't 'bad times in Twins Territory' numbers. 

It looks to me like you care a lot more about batting average than other aspects of the game. That game has passed - an over .700 OPS is about league average. He is far from the Twins offensive problem child.

[stringer bell]

11 minutes ago, arby58 said:

Huh? What is it he has to 'relearn?' He's fourth on the team in OPS among regulars and 3rd in slugging percentage. He absolutely wrecked AAA pitching while he was down (1.330 OPS), and he hits the ball harder than anybody else on the team. Every player will have his ups and downs, but to suggest Wallner should be at AAA is bizarre.

Wallner hasn't been good since he returned from injury. His OBP is way down and the strikeouts are up. I think a case can be made to send him to St. Paul for a quick reset, although I think the better answer is patience. He's been particularly disappointing with runners on base and when the game is on the line. I understand there are ebbs and flows in a career and a season, but I'm wondering if it would be good for him mentally to start mashing at St. Paul.

6 minutes ago, arby58 said:

Clemens is 3rd on the team in HRs - in far fewer games than Buxton or Larnach. He is 3rd in OPS. He has a 1.1 WAR. Those aren't 'bad times in Twins Territory' numbers. 

It looks to me like you care a lot more about batting average than other aspects of the game. That game has passed - an over .700 OPS is about league average. He is far from the Twins offensive problem child.

Totally agree on Clemens. He's hit with enough power and driven in enough key runs to be considered an asset despite the low OBP and high strikeouts. I don't think his leash should be too long, given his age, predigree and career to this point. He's versatile and an okay defender and could be somebody who finds himself rather late in his career. 

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, RpR said:

France has a career  .998 fielding percentage at First Base.

I guess having a .998 fielding percentage means that he catches what he gets to. I don't think it means much more than that. His defensive profile was considered pretty poor going into this season, but he's been very good at first base for the first half of the season. The subject of this thread has been rated a far better defender at first than France.

[Fatbat]

11 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Statistical studies have shown over and over that clutch is not a skill. 

Agreed, Cody did get something from his cold hearted father tho. A killer instinct.  Cody hasn’t shown it regularly but its developing and it might just bleed into his AB’s that aren't as high profile.  Anytime is a good time to start a scoring rally! 

[S Bart]

His batting average may not be great but check out his HR total as well as his SLG and OPS. He is near the top. My feeling is that he should be considered to receive a contract extension if he does well the rest of the season. If Castro departs, Clemens could be useful at many positions next year. He has done well at first, can play second as well as the outfield. The team should be careful pulling up individuals from St. Paul unless they know that the playoffs look bleak or injuries take place. Raya may be an exception. Also, Keaschall should be back soon. 

[KBJ1]

 Keaschall was the spark we needed at 2nd base. His injury was devastating to this lineup. IF he can do what he did when he came up, he should bat leadoff with his speed. C4 &Lewis really need to pock.it up and bat 2, 3 , with Buxton 4th.

Would be a great 1-4 if they ever all play to their capabilities.  Walner, Larnach, Castro Jeffers, Lee & Bader 9th to give us speed at the top & bottom would be ideal. That said, that lineup hasn't materialized and sadly probably won't. 

The hope this season of course was that if it did, this team could go far. Clemmons has been a nice surprise for a DFA pickup & should continue to see more reps at 1st base for now. Needs to be more selective at the plate. But as the Twins don't seem to have a long term answer at 1B and refuse to draft anybody, IDK what they expect long term at that position. They continue to draft 12 SS every year, none if who can play 1B or become a power hitting LF. To all those (and there are many) who say "draft the best athelete", I say BS! Draft Aaron Judge or Juan Soto, neither of who played SS.

[Wedman13]

14 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

I see a lot of Sabato love lately, but is it truly justified? He is closing in on 27 and this is the first year he has approached the stats a number one choice should have.  His stats are not much different that McCusker who is 1/2 year older.  Why do we expect more from Sabato? In fact, Gasper had better stats and Bride is closing in on him.  I am okay with promoting from the minors but only if we commit to a steady diet of starts for at least two weeks.  

Otherwise I think the best thing is for Keaschall to come back and either Wallner or Larnach to move to 1B and DH with Gonzales or Rodriguez moving into the OF.

So sabato is a year younger than Wallner, but MW deserves a shot at 1st now, because we need his bat / or because he's from Forest Lake?  He has been a complete failure.  Started the year in the one slot and he has been awful.  It's not the long term solution but give Clemens every single at- bat over Wallner.  France as well.  MW needs to work it out in St Paul, or for another organization.  

If this season turns bad it's on MW and lesser CC.  Hopefully Keashell can provide spark.  I know Wallner is doing his best, but he's not a MLB contributor 

[Wedman13]

4 hours ago, arby58 said:

Huh? What is it he has to 'relearn?' He's fourth on the team in OPS among regulars and 3rd in slugging percentage. He absolutely wrecked AAA pitching while he was down (1.330 OPS), and he hits the ball harder than anybody else on the team. Every player will have his ups and downs, but to suggest Wallner should be at AAA is bizarre.

Where on the team should a corner outfielder be regarding OPS, no speed and bad defense?  Are you truly making an argument ME  is mashing?  If so, that is what's Bizarre.  I agree, he crushes in St Paul, where he should be.  He has immensely let this team down this year.  Biggest disappointment and it's not close.

[Fezig]

It seems to me a guy that's a clutch hitter should be a great "off the bench" fellow. Randy Bush made a career out of pinch hitting and occasional starts. Put Clemons at first and give him some days off against lefties.

[DJL44]

Wallner has been fighting through it lately, but there isn't anyone in St. Paul I'd prefer to have on the team. Should they bring back Jonah Bride?

[stringer bell]

4 hours ago, Wedman13 said:

So sabato is a year younger than Wallner, but MW deserves a shot at 1st now, because we need his bat / or because he's from Forest Lake?  He has been a complete failure.  Started the year in the one slot and he has been awful.  It's not the long term solution but give Clemens every single at- bat over Wallner.  France as well.  MW needs to work it out in St Paul, or for another organization.  

If this season turns bad it's on MW and lesser CC.  Hopefully Keashell can provide spark.  I know Wallner is doing his best, but he's not a MLB contributor 

While I agree that Wallner has been lousy this year, he had stretches like this last year as well and came out of it to post really good offensive numbers. He hits the ball very hard and when he squares the ball up, it goes a long way. Going back as far back as Harmon Killebrew, there's room for elite power in any lineup. The eye test has told me that Wallner has struggled in the outfield this year, but the numbers in BBRef say that he's about average, just a bit below and he undeniably has a strong arm. Wallner's straight-ahead speed is average to a bit above, so it is about routes and jumps for him as an outfielder.

4 hours ago, Wedman13 said:

Where on the team should a corner outfielder be regarding OPS, no speed and bad defense?  Are you truly making an argument ME  is mashing?  If so, that is what's Bizarre.  I agree, he crushes in St Paul, where he should be.  He has immensely let this team down this year.  Biggest disappointment and it's not close.

Both Larnach and Wallner need to hit to be assets and an OPS+ less than 100 tells me they are hurting the team. Wallner put up two partial season with 138 or better OPS+ numbers. IMHO that justifies having patience with him. Larnach has been more consistent the last two years, but his numbers haven't exceeded average-ish in any single season including 2025. I don't think there is room for two such players on the Twins roster, but we've been there for most of this season (except for when Wallner was on the IL).

[dxpavelka]

19 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

I see a lot of Sabato love lately, but is it truly justified? He is closing in on 27 and this is the first year he has approached the stats a number one choice should have.  His stats are not much different that McCusker who is 1/2 year older.  Why do we expect more from Sabato? In fact, Gasper had better stats and Bride is closing in on him.  I am okay with promoting from the minors but only if we commit to a steady diet of starts for at least two weeks.  

Otherwise I think the best thing is for Keaschall to come back and either Wallner or Larnach to move to 1B and DH with Gonzales or Rodriguez moving into the OF.

If he's 27 and produces for the next five years is it different than if he's 24 and produces for the next 5 years?

 

[dxpavelka]

9 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Wallner hasn't been good since he returned from injury. His OBP is way down and the strikeouts are up. I think a case can be made to send him to St. Paul for a quick reset, although I think the better answer is patience. He's been particularly disappointing with runners on base and when the game is on the line. I understand there are ebbs and flows in a career and a season, but I'm wondering if it would be good for him mentally to start mashing at St. Paul.

Totally agree on Clemens. He's hit with enough power and driven in enough key runs to be considered an asset despite the low OBP and high strikeouts. I don't think his leash should be too long, given his age, predigree and career to this point. He's versatile and an okay defender and could be somebody who finds himself rather late in his career. 

What if there were a 1B in the system with a better pedigree and might just have "found himself at a few years younger.......

[chpettit19]

11 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Kody Clemens has been the second most productive hitter for the Twins. Yes, it is rather a small sample size and his career and pedigree don't give us much confidence that he will sustain that production. I guess the most promising part of his profile is that his swing speed has gone from average to near elite and that could explain his power surge and could perhaps be a reason that he will continue to be well above average at the plate. 

Ty France has been subpar as a hitter over the course of this season and he's slumped noticeably in the past month or more. France has been a surprisingly good defender at first base and was the Twins' best hitter in clutch situations for the first third of the season. Clemens has definitely been the better player since he was acquired by the Twins and should be getting at-bats over France unless or until he turns into a pumpkin. 

Kody Clemens had a .440 OPS for the month of June until he popped 2 homers in the Seattle series at the end of the month to jump his OPS that month to .625. He was not good in June. Not at all.

I'm not defending France at all. He should go. But Clemens did turn back into a pumpkin. For a month. And kept getting the same amount of plate appearances (2 fewer than in May). He's very much been Jekyll and Hyde. He was great in May. Unplayable in June. And then great to start July. 

Very few hitters are great all the time, but entire month stretches of being unplayable is unsustainable and a reason this team struggles so much. You can't have your "second most productive hitter" have a .440 OPS for a month. The fact that the Twins options for 1B in June were pumpkin Clemens and pumpkin France is the problem. 

Should Clemens get ABs over France? Absolutely. Should we be happy that Clemens is our best option? Absolutely not.

[chpettit19]

22 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

If he's 27 and produces for the next five years is it different than if he's 24 and produces for the next 5 years?

 

Easier to tell people here the Twins aren't going to extend him if he starts producing at 27 (he actually just turned 26) instead of 24. I guess that's a difference.

[arby58]

5 hours ago, Wedman13 said:

Where on the team should a corner outfielder be regarding OPS, no speed and bad defense?  Are you truly making an argument ME  is mashing?  If so, that is what's Bizarre.  I agree, he crushes in St Paul, where he should be.  He has immensely let this team down this year.  Biggest disappointment and it's not close.

He should be where he is, playing corner outfield or DH'ing. He's fourth on the team in OPS, third on the team in slugging percentage, and fifth in HRs. He has a positive OPS for the season (102) and strongly positive for his MLB career (129). Those aren't the MLB stats of a player who should be playing in AAA. 

[NYCTK]

10 hours ago, arby58 said:

It looks to me like you care a lot more about batting average than other aspects of the game.

He had a great stretch when he first came over and has now resumed being Kody Clemens. This team has no depth so I don't care if he's playing but you'll excuse me if I'm not excited about someone that has a 0.260 OBP in his last hundred trips to the plate, to match his career rate. 

Yes, he has some power but he still sucks. I'm happy to see him on the team next season...if they do what's smart and do a bit of a rebuild for '27.

[Patzky]

10 hours ago, arby58 said:

Huh? What is it he has to 'relearn?' He's fourth on the team in OPS among regulars and 3rd in slugging percentage. He absolutely wrecked AAA pitching while he was down (1.330 OPS), and he hits the ball harder than anybody else on the team. Every player will have his ups and downs, but to suggest Wallner should be at AAA is bizarre.

Fine keep him up on the bench..

[Patzky]

10 hours ago, stringer bell said:

I guess having a .998 fielding percentage means that he catches what he gets to. I don't think it means much more than that. His defensive profile was considered pretty poor going into this season, but he's been very good at first base for the first half of the season. The subject of this thread has been rated a far better defender at first than France.

After having Santana last year the defensive letdown  at 1B hasn't been as severe as some of us feared. But those Slamtanas.. kinda miss that.