Bunting

[jorgenswest]

Watching the Twins try to bunt this year is painful. It was particularly painful this weekend.

Bunting is hard. Some pitchers are really hard to bunt against. No one has bunted successfully against Aaron Ashby this year. He has allowed no sacrifice bunts and no bunt hits. Maybe you take a chance with a really accomplished bunter. Do the Twins have one? They have 6 sacrifice bunts this year while allowing 23.

I can’t blame Martin for this failure this weekend. I do blame Shelton for putting on the bunt. What is the likelihood that he or any Twin would bunt successfully against Ashby? Almost zero. It isn’t a team priority. Shelton should never have put on the play.

Is it something they are working in AAA? Perhaps it is a developmental priority. They have even fewer sacrifice bunts in AAA. They have 4. How about the Brewers? They have 27 sacrifice bunts this season and allowed 15. Two top prospect call ups Pratt and Lara have sacrifice bunts in AAA this year. Culpepper’s last sacrifice bunt was his freshman year in college.

Bunting made a difference in this series. That doesn’t happen by accident. 

[HarmonK03]

This has been an organizational issue since Falvey took over.  Analytics do not favor bunting so they do not prioritize it in development.  I am a little surprised Shelty doesn't work with them more at the big league level as I am not sure he is in complete alignment.  But it is hard if they aren't doing it in the minor leagues.