Bench Utilization

[jorgenswest]

I looked at each roster and counted the number of players appearances beyond the top 9. I wondered how the Twins utilized their bench compared to the rest of the league. There is some trouble counting. One team has used 16 players and several have used 15 mostly due to injury. Returns of optioned players can’t be made in the first 10 days unless there is an injury.

There are 15 teams that have not made a bench player move yet. Among those 15 teams the Twins 4 players totaled 87 plate appearances. That is the most among the 15 teams. The Giants are on the other end at 33. The median is the Cardinals at 58. I also noticed that the Cubs have a position player who has played in the field and pinch ran but has no plate appearances. Looking at the 32 teams in total there are 6 teams that have more plate appearances beyond their top 10 than the Twins. The Pirates are one with 89 but that includes Konnor Griffin’s 22 since he was called up to be a starter.

The Twins has a Buxton injury and missed one start that padded their total a little but I think it is fair to say that they have utilized the 13 players on their roster more than most teams so far.

 

[The Great Hambino]

15 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

I looked at each roster and counted the number of players appearances beyond the top 9. I wondered how the Twins utilized their bench compared to the rest of the league. There is some trouble counting. One team has used 16 players and several have used 15 mostly due to injury. Returns of optioned players can’t be made in the first 10 days unless there is an injury.

There are 15 teams that have not made a bench player move yet. Among those 15 teams the Twins 4 players totaled 87 plate appearances. That is the most among the 15 teams. The Giants are on the other end at 33. The median is the Cardinals at 58. I also noticed that the Cubs have a position player who has played in the field and pinch ran but has no plate appearances. Looking at the 32 teams in total there are 6 teams that have more plate appearances beyond their top 10 than the Twins. The Pirates are one with 89 but that includes Konnor Griffin’s 22 since he was called up to be a starter.

The Twins has a Buxton injury and missed one start that padded their total a little but I think it is fair to say that they have utilized the 13 players on their roster more than most teams so far.

 

That doesn't surprise me that the Twins rank so highly here.  Three of the four bench slots have been used either as a platoon/quasi-platoon (Clemens, Gray) or are at least a rotational starter (Larnach).  Only Outman has been treated as a true backup, and he's the one who got a little more time when Buxton was dinged up

[stringer bell]

I believe Caratini is one of the Twins top nine at this point, so Clemens would be a "bench player" and he has started every game against right handed pitching IIRC. If that continues, he will play in well over 100 games (eventually the Twins will normalize and play far more games against right handed starters). Different teams use their bench differently. Some use their extra players in platoons, some have seldom used guys who might specialize and some have their bench players give days off to multiple players when they have the platoon advantage (but not a true platoon).

Gray, in theory is a multiple position backup. Outman has been a defense and pinch running specialist. Clemens has been a platoon player, as is Larnach, but because of the outsized use of left handed starters against them, they've played less than Caratini and Martin. 

[Riverbrian]

I don't have any issues with Shelton's utilization at this point. Well... I have no MAJOR Issues with it. 

He's decently utilizing 25 out of the 26.  I will have issues if Martin is a short side platoon. We don't know if he is yet. 

With the injury to Lewis. I'm guessing that Gray and Kriedler will form a 3B platoon for a bit.

Injuries... bummer... I was hoping to go 162 games without any.

Bench players will become starters.

At the snap of a finger or a spraining of the knee. 

[jorgenswest]

Watching Kreidler and Outman play defense makes me wonder…

Which helps a team more at the end of the bench?

• A player that has few skills that are above average and really struggles to be passable with the rest.
• A player that can do several things passably but is below average across the board.

Manuel Margot in 23-24 might describe the second player. His defense was still OK. He wasn’t slow on the bases. In 2023 his OPS was .686 and it was .626 in 2024. He was a historically bad pinch hitter but that sample is so small and he hit .231 as a PH in 2023.

[Riverbrian]

7 minutes ago, jorgenswest said:

Watching Kreidler and Outman play defense makes me wonder…

Which helps a team more at the end of the bench?

• A player that has few skills that are above average and really struggles to be passable with the rest.
• A player that can do several things passably but is below average across the board.

Manuel Margot in 23-24 might describe the second player. His defense was still OK. He wasn’t slow on the bases. In 2023 his OPS was .686 and it was .626 in 2024. He was a historically bad pinch hitter but that sample is so small and he hit .231 as a PH in 2023.