2026 Data Breakdown

[Riverbrian]

Disclaimer: I am fully aware that the Win and Loss Data that I am sharing has major holes in any conclusions because it does not contain extremely important data such as pitching performance. We all know that you can win a 2-1 game and lose an 8-7 game. Baseball is baseball. Another thing this information doesn't contain is talent. I realize this however... the accumulation and development of talent is probably my overall point. 

With the disclaimer fully in place to avoid unnecessary confusion.

I'll restate the purpose of this data: Major league managers are setting lineups based on weather the starting pitcher is right handed and left handed. I don't believe that this can be argued. There are degrees to how much each team allows the throwing hand of the opposing starting pitcher to influence the daily lineup and almost all teams platoon to some degree. In the case of the Twins... I believe they platoon more than almost all teams and I believe that the hand of the starting pitcher is by far the primary influencer in the daily lineup. 

The starting lineup does the majority of the work apart from pitching. Anything that influences those decisions as heavily as the throwing hand of the opposing starter has to be looked at. The starting lineup handles the majority of AB's, defensive plays, baserunning and it determines who is available to pinch hit or pinch run if necessary. The reason managers play these rather marginal platoon advantages is to increase the chances of winning baseball games. The selection of the starting lineup plays a big role in wins and losses. If so... playing the platoon advantage as strongly as the Twins do. It should show up in wins and loss records when you are able to stack the opposite batters box with a higher numbers of players. 

I feel this is important because in order to maintain this level of platooning... There are examples of choosing lesser players to maintain it. Instead of choosing more talented players. So... this is ultimately a talent discussion as much as it is a platoon discussion. 

Did the platoon help us win more games? I draw no conclusions from this data set alone because of undetermined talent and undetermined pitching influence on outcomes. I will add to this data set (run production) later when I have time to compile it. Here is a breakdown of some of the data that I compiled over the year:

Record vs Right Handed Starters: 55-57 Average Runs Scored 4.65 - Record vs Left Handed Starters: 22-28 Average Runs Scored 4.36

112 Games vs Right Handed Starters - 50 games vs Left Handed Starters: 69% of games were against Right Handed Starters.  

Average number of players in our starting lineup hitting from the opposite batters box against Right Handed Pitchers: 5.46

Average number of players in our starting lineup hitting from the opposite batters box against left handed pitchers: 7.78

We averaged over two more batters in the opposite batters box against left handers and it produced a 44% winning percentage against left handed pitching compared to 49% winning percentage against right handers. Stuffing the opposite batters box didn't produce more wins... it produced more losses. 

Let's break it down further: 

Number of players in the starting lineup in the opposite batters box against Right Handed Starters and the win/loss record: 

3: 4-0 Average Runs Scored 3.75

4: 4-5 Average Runs Scored 5.00

5: 20-22 Average Runs Scored 4.95

6: 21-27 Average Runs Scored 4.42

7: 5-3 Average Runs Scored 4.13

8: 1-0 Average Runs Scored 8.00

We were 28-27 when we had lower amount (3-4-5) in the opposite batters box and 27-30 when we had higher amount (6-7-8) in the opposite batters box. Including 4-0 when we had the lowest amount of 3 batters in the left handed batters box. The 4 pitchers who started those games that we won were: Michael Wacha. Jose Cabrera, Ryan Feltner and Gavin Williams. The majority of games were in the middle with either 5 or 6 players in the left handed batters box and we were 41-49. This is not a surprise because a losing team is going to lose where the majority of games are located. 

Against Left Handed Starters:

6: 1-0 Average Runs Scored 5.00

7: 6-8 Average Runs Scored 3.14

8: 13-17 Average Runs Scored 5.00

9: 2-3 Average Runs Scored 3.80

They went 7-8 when we had lower amount 6 or 7 in the opposite batters box and they went 15-20 when we had higher amounts 8 or 9. It's a 50 game sample. 30 of those 50 times we had only one left handed hitter in the starting lineup. Typically Kody Clemens. 

Combining both hands together to create a collective won-loss record per batters in the opposite batters box:

3: 4-0

4: 4-5

5: 20-22

6: 22-27

7: 11-11

8: 14-17

9: 2-3

Not much to glean from this. It's basically the same numbers. 28-27 when the lowest amounts are applied (3-4-5) and 27-31 when the highest amount of players (7--8-9) are in the opposite batters box. 

69% of the starters we faced were right handed. 

Again... I realize that pitching is not included and I realize that this can also simply be explained by the talent of the players who are suppose to be doing the damage from the batters box.

However... Yes... absolutely Yes... I am making this a talent argument. If It is causing the rostering of lesser players to maintain it. It is compromising our future development for what appear to be marginal gains today if there are gains at all. Compromised development in the future is lower trade value. 

I am absolutely indeed asking the question... Does the platoon actually help us win games? This data doesn't show it.

Does it help us enough to today to justify the potential damage to our developing players tomorrow?

I am also asking the question: If 69% of the opposing team starters are right handed and if we believe in the platoon advantage. Shouldn't we be more focused on the 69%... which means more left handed hitters. Keep in mind that I am less of a believer in the platoon advantage even if it is proven year after year because it doesn't do as much today as we might think. 

Here are the 2026 platoon split OPS for the regular season. This data is every player, every game, every team in the year 2026.

LHH vs RHP: .743

RHH vs LHP: .729

RHH vs RHP: .698

LHH vs LHP: .676

Against Left Handed pitching... there is .053 OPS gap. 

Against Right Handed pitching... there is a .045 OPS gap. 

Over an entire season it was an .045 gap between LHH and RHH vs RHP. When you call up Gabriel Gonzalez over Emmanuel Rodriquez. You are avoiding that lower end .676 and ignoring the highest end .743.  

It took 2,430 games and 794 players to produce these gaps of .045 and .053.

How many runs does a .045 or .053 OPS advantage over 162 games produce per season, per month, per week, per game, per AB. 

It's about 1 run every 27 games against left handers. That's what is driving these decisions.  

Let's look at the Twins in 2026. 

LHH vs RHP: .741 (2387 PA) Ranked 17th

RHH vs LHP: .691 (1554 PA) No team had more

RHH vs RHP: .736 (1827 PA) Ranked 17th

LHH vs LHP: .624 (359 PA's) Only Three Teams had less LHH vs LHP (Angels, D-Backs and Reds). 

In the case of the 2026 Twins. We threw more right handed batters at left handed pitchers than anyone in the league and we were .038 less than the major league average. 

 

 

 

[Riverbrian]

What is at stake this off-season? 

Let's just take our outfield as it stands today.  

If there are no roster adjustments. There is a possibility... maybe even a probability. That our 5 outfielders next year are Buxton, Keaschall, Jenkins, Emma and Martin. This is with assumption that Larnach, Wallner are gone and Roden starts in St. Paul. 

3 RH and 2 LH. Against left handed starters. It's the 3 RH Keaschall, Buxton and Martin in the lineup. Jenkins and Emma on the bench. Martin's splits only justify work against left handed pitching so if he is on the roster... that's when he is going to play.  

Now you could place Keaschall at DH... Which would compromise his future value as a DH only with non-typical DH Power. And then put Larnach, Wallner or Roden into the 5th OF Spot and one of the left handed Jenkins and Emma will get to play against left handers. Or they could go shopping for a right handed hitter to play OF and we have two platoons set up in the OF.  

IF we continue doing what we have been doing. It's looking possible. This will take Jenkins and Emma on the exact same path as all of the other left handed hitters that have come from our system. Strict avoidance of facing left handers. Do it year 1... You'll do it year 2. Even if you start letting them hit left handers in year 2. You've wasted a year. If you start year 3. You've wasted two years of development.

At year 5 if we continue down this same path. Jenkins trade value will be compromised. He will not become Schwarber or Freeman. His presence on the roster will require a Martin to shield him against left handers and this means you have selected less talent for your roster by choosing a specialist against 28% pitching. You also limit the amount of pure left handed hitters on the roster. When the numbers clearly show that left handed against right handed pitching is the most beneficial.   

There is a lot at stake this off season. All of this for something that isn't showing up in the win column. At least it didn't in 2026 according to the data. 

We faced 50 left handed starters in 2026. A .050 platoon advantage against left handed hitters will take about 27 games to produce an extra run.   

There is a lot at stake this off-season since we are starting fresh with a new young core of players in 2027. Do we want to half develop them? Or do we want to develop them? 

[Riverbrian]

I have added Average Runs Scored for all lineup compositions vs Right Handed Starters and Left Handed Starters. 

I'm not seeing anything suggesting that the platoon helped us or hurt us in 2026. 

Purposely choosing players for the roster by the batters box they stand in. Setting the lineup based upon on the batters box they stand in. Instead of choosing players with more talent is where I'm leaning.

Not so much leaning... as already fallen over and struck the ground. 

 

 

[Linus]

Kudos for sticking with it. I followed along loosely and my conclusion was we need better hitters, regardless of which box they stand in 😀

[DJL44]

The flaw is assuming that all of Buxton, Rodriguez and Jenkins will be healthy and available to play simultaneously. I am expecting Roden and Martin to each play 100 games because those three will combine for 200 games on the injured list.

[Riverbrian]

34 minutes ago, Linus said:

Kudos for sticking with it. I followed along loosely and my conclusion was we need better hitters, regardless of which box they stand in 😀

I stop short of issuing a conclusion but your conclusion is where I was already leaning before I started and I'm still there.

Just look at Brooks Lee and his splits. He stands in the correct box all the time as a switch hitter. Yet his splits say platoon. I understand that his defense and who is else is an option will also lend itself to playing time... and I am in no way advocating that remove opportunity for Brooks Lee to get better against left handed pitchers...

However... I'm wondering out loud if the Twins are not guilty of jamming people into the lineup as long as they stand in the correct box and that is supported by the numbers I'm presenting.

Therefore... this is a talent discussion as much as a platoon discussion. Is the strict adherence to the platoon causing a drop in overall talent. I believe that is quite possible. 

[Riverbrian]

34 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The flaw is assuming that all of Buxton, Rodriguez and Jenkins will be healthy and available to play simultaneously. I am expecting Roden and Martin to each play 100 games because those three will combine for 200 games on the injured list.

It's a fatal flaw. Just look at Austin Martin.

He had more plate appearances against right handed pitching than he did against left handed hitting. He struggled to hit right handed pitching.

If you roster him (or anyone) for short side work and we did that with Austin. The sure number of right handed pitchers is going to almost guarantee that he we will receive more PA's against right handed hitters. 

So yeah we got that protection against the big bad lefty if Martin does his assigned role but we are always asking the short side guy to do more than that MORE OFTEN as they end up with more PA's against the hand that they are not good at.

Making this a talent discussion. The rostering of lesser players to feed this platoon thing. And the end result isn't producing a greater number of wins.  

[DJL44]

58 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Making this a talent discussion. The rostering of lesser players to feed this platoon thing. And the end result isn't producing a greater number of wins.  

Good luck finding a better backup outfielder than Martin. He’s making league minimum and has options. He’s exactly what teams want for AAA depth.

[Riverbrian]

45 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Good luck finding a better backup outfielder than Martin. He’s making league minimum and has options. He’s exactly what teams want for AAA depth.

We have 6 better in house right now. Of course that is my opinion. 

Buxton, Keaschall, Emma, Jenkins, Larnach and Roden. I'll even state it's possible that Wallner is potentially better because of his potential 40 home run power. That would be 7 total.  

Put Martin in the minors for our AAA depth. He has an option. I wouldn't release him unless we have 40 man issues. If other teams want him... we could trade him. 

The rostering of Martin is the rostering of a lesser player

Prepare yourself though. If Martin is rostered.

There is a good chance that Jenkins will be in AAA as a result. Also... a high probability that if Martin gets hurt that Gonzales will be called up ahead of Jenkins.

and

A 100% chance that he will attach to Emma as Emma becomes the latest compromised developed left handed hitter joining the long line growing over the years.

and

He will face more right handers than he faces left handers over the course of the season.  

 

[DJL44]

3 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

A 100% chance that he will attach to Emma as Emma becomes the latest compromised developed left handed hitter joining the long line growing over the years

Rodriguez has shown a minimal platoon split in the minors. I don’t think he will earn everyday playing time because his bat simply isn’t ready yet. Martin may take playing time away from Rodriguez because his OBP projects as 50 points higher. 

I would have an opening day outfield of Roden. Buxton and Jenkins with Keaschall as the DH. I would give Rodriguez CF when Buxton can’t play. Martin can start the season in AAA and compete with Roden for playing time in LF when he’s called up.

[MackMan]

I think you're spot on in the fact that the Twins have failed to develop the LHH for hitting against them. I mean, if you think about it, who do you want in the game later. Your stars or the player the "the numbers makes sense" to do? You want your star players in because you want them to have their hero moment. On top of that, it only makes sense to platoon someone if they have other intangibles outside of their bat. Do they have serviceable defense? Can they steal a base if they need to? Are they smart at the plate and take what is given to them. OR do they just go up hoping that the pitcher they're facing is going to toss a meatball that they can (hopefully) do some damage with?

[Riverbrian]

2 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Rodriguez has shown a minimal platoon split in the minors. I don’t think he will earn everyday playing time because his bat simply isn’t ready yet. Martin may take playing time away from Rodriguez because his OBP projects as 50 points higher. 

I would have an opening day outfield of Roden. Buxton and Jenkins with Keaschall as the DH. I would give Rodriguez CF when Buxton can’t play. Martin can start the season in AAA and compete with Roden for playing time in LF when he’s called up.

As long as Martin is in the minors. I'm ok with your lineup choices. But... if you choose Roden and I'm ok with that... I won't argue your choice. Just keep in mind that the Twins will want a platoon partner for Roden as well as Emma. That puts Martin back on your roster. Needing a platoon partner for Emma as well. That might be Grichuk. Now Jenkins is the guy who waits in AAA. 

It has to change.  

Emma... I wouldn't spend a lot of time looking at his AAA splits. He was hurt for a long period of time and the sample size is low. They are pretty neutral or nothing to be concerned about but he is small sample.

Regardless... the point with Emma is that he is 23 years old. I don't know what he will be but he was a bunch of great athletic energy even if he struggled a bit at the major league plate. He's 23 and what you want out of him is a high value 27 year old. Denying him out of the box is influencing what he can be at 27 years old and Emma at 27 is the prize you are working for.   

Just taking it away for today is going to sacrifice tomorrow.

I am just not convinced that these things are helping in the win loss column so I'm not sure the sacrifice of tomorrow is necessary. It's what I did all of this research for.    

[Riverbrian]

31 minutes ago, MackMan said:

I think you're spot on in the fact that the Twins have failed to develop the LHH for hitting against them. I mean, if you think about it, who do you want in the game later. Your stars or the player the "the numbers makes sense" to do? You want your star players in because you want them to have their hero moment. On top of that, it only makes sense to platoon someone if they have other intangibles outside of their bat. Do they have serviceable defense? Can they steal a base if they need to? Are they smart at the plate and take what is given to them. OR do they just go up hoping that the pitcher they're facing is going to toss a meatball that they can (hopefully) do some damage with?

Exactly. Great Post!!! 

It's talent... Athleticism... It's development. Talent is talent... it can be unrealized talent or it can be realized talent but it's talent either way and talent is what you want on your roster. You want unrealized talent to become realized talent. 

Twinsdaily will bitch about development, they will bitch about defense, they will cut players who have no trade value but don't want to do a thing about increasing trade value, defense or development because they want the same thing. 3 platoon guys to platoon with 3 other platoon guys. Rinse and repeat and they yell at the short side platoon guy because he sucks when he is forced to face right handers and they will face more right handers than left handers because there is a 3 to 1 ratio.  

We need to just stop doing this. And we need to stop today because we already ruined the 1st wave and the 2nd wave is here. We have developed nothing that will return anything more than a relief pitcher. Other than Ryan and Jeffers.

Are we going to ruin this 2nd wave. That decision starts today.     

[MackMan]

15 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Exactly. Great Post!!! 

It's talent... Athleticism... It's development. Talent is talent... it can be unrealized talent or it can be realized talent but it's talent either way and talent is what you want on your roster. You want unrealized talent to become realized talent. 

Twinsdaily will bitch about development, they will bitch about defense, they will cut players who have no trade value but don't want to do a thing about increasing trade value, defense or development because they want the same thing. 3 platoon guys to platoon with 3 other platoon guys. Rinse and repeat and they yell at the short side platoon guy because he sucks when he is forced to face right handers and they will face more right handers than left handers because there is a 3 to 1 ratio.  

We need to just stop doing this. And we need to stop today because we already ruined the 1st wave and the 2nd wave is here. We have developed nothing that will return anything more than a relief pitcher. Other than Ryan and Jeffers.

Are we going to ruin this 2nd wave. That decision starts today.     

I agree. This 2nd wave of Jenkins, Emma, Rodon, Keaschall, Houston, Culpepper, and Lee are going to be our foundation moving forward. We need to make sure we maximize these players in every single way. If they aren't playing everyday at the Major league level, they need to be playing everyday at the AAA/AA level to get experience to be ready when their name is called. 

We don't have the budget to sign big named FA when our picks miss. We have to be able to develop at a 50-60% rate. They don't even need to become a star. They can be an above average player that when they start becoming to expensive for our market, we can flip them to another larger team and replace with internal or the prospects we received. I just don't know if our FO has the vision to see 3-5 years out. They're almost too worried about the year they're in and the following year. 

[Riverbrian]

44 minutes ago, MackMan said:

I agree. This 2nd wave of Jenkins, Emma, Rodon, Keaschall, Houston, Culpepper, and Lee are going to be our foundation moving forward. We need to make sure we maximize these players in every single way. If they aren't playing everyday at the Major league level, they need to be playing everyday at the AAA/AA level to get experience to be ready when their name is called. 

We don't have the budget to sign big named FA when our picks miss. We have to be able to develop at a 50-60% rate. They don't even need to become a star. They can be an above average player that when they start becoming to expensive for our market, we can flip them to another larger team and replace with internal or the prospects we received. I just don't know if our FO has the vision to see 3-5 years out. They're almost too worried about the year they're in and the following year. 

Love this post. It's spot on.

If they stay on this path they took with the 1st wave. If we end up needing to rebuild 5 years from now. We will have nothing to sell. Just like we have nothing (very little) to sell right now. It's the same result because we took the same path. 

Meanwhile... Cleveland keeps reloading for tomorrow and keeps beating us today. And we keep loading for today. Relying on marginal platoon advantages that may or not materialize on a game to game basis because we can't beat Cleveland. 

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, MackMan said:

I agree. This 2nd wave of Jenkins, Emma, Rodon, Keaschall, Houston, Culpepper, and Lee are going to be our foundation moving forward. We need to make sure we maximize these players in every single way. If they aren't playing everyday at the Major league level, they need to be playing everyday at the AAA/AA level to get experience to be ready when their name is called. 

We don't have the budget to sign big named FA when our picks miss. We have to be able to develop at a 50-60% rate. They don't even need to become a star. They can be an above average player that when they start becoming to expensive for our market, we can flip them to another larger team and replace with internal or the prospects we received. I just don't know if our FO has the vision to see 3-5 years out. They're almost too worried about the year they're in and the following year. 

I agreed with everything but having them in AAA if they didn't play every single day....

I'm opposed to platoons for potential stars, but I have zero interest in any of these guys being in AAA if the Twins are stupid and platoon them. 

[Linus]

4 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

I stop short of issuing a conclusion but your conclusion is where I was already leaning before I started and I'm still there.

Just look at Brooks Lee and his splits. He stands in the correct box all the time as a switch hitter. Yet his splits say platoon. I understand that his defense and who is else is an option will also lend itself to playing time... and I am in no way advocating that remove opportunity for Brooks Lee to get better against left handed pitchers...

However... I'm wondering out loud if the Twins are not guilty of jamming people into the lineup as long as they stand in the correct box and that is supported by the numbers I'm presenting.

Therefore... this is a talent discussion as much as a platoon discussion. Is the strict adherence to the platoon causing a drop in overall talent. I believe that is quite possible. 

I believe there is another element to this discussion which is the organizational philosophy for building a roster. Somewhere along the line Falvey decided it was easier to raise the floor by a couple wins than to raise the ceiling by a couple wins. Of course the main driver is it’s cheaper. Anyway, how do easily raise the floor? You platoon the heck out of average ish players to try and make the total performance better than either player individually. Hopefully EmRod and Jenkins quickly show they will not be average ish players and we can move on. 

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, Linus said:

I believe there is another element to this discussion which is the organizational philosophy for building a roster. Somewhere along the line Falvey decided it was easier to raise the floor by a couple wins than to raise the ceiling by a couple wins. Of course the main driver is it’s cheaper. Anyway, how do easily raise the floor? You platoon the heck out of average ish players to try and make the total performance better than either player individually. Hopefully EmRod and Jenkins quickly show they will not be average ish players and we can move on. 

I agree your was part of why they did what they did. 

[MackMan]

8 minutes ago, Linus said:

I believe there is another element to this discussion which is the organizational philosophy for building a roster. Somewhere along the line Falvey decided it was easier to raise the floor by a couple wins than to raise the ceiling by a couple wins. Of course the main driver is it’s cheaper. Anyway, how do easily raise the floor? You platoon the heck out of average ish players to try and make the total performance better than either player individually. Hopefully EmRod and Jenkins quickly show they will not be average ish players and we can move on. 

It's the Moneyball going full swing. How many wins can I get per $million spent. The closer you have to a >1.0 the better it looks. Even if you only spend $75million for the roster, but you net 95 wins, it looks really good. Whereas the teams that spend the most but get the same amount of wins, make it look bad. They're basically looking at efficiency with each dollar spent. 

Efficiency goes out the door if you have subpar players in positions where they shouldn't be due to the lack of development at the lower minor league levels.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, Linus said:

I believe there is another element to this discussion which is the organizational philosophy for building a roster. Somewhere along the line Falvey decided it was easier to raise the floor by a couple wins than to raise the ceiling by a couple wins. Of course the main driver is it’s cheaper. Anyway, how do easily raise the floor? You platoon the heck out of average ish players to try and make the total performance better than either player individually. Hopefully EmRod and Jenkins quickly show they will not be average ish players and we can move on. 

The Twins were not what I would call a platoon heavy team until the MONEY got pulled after the 2023 season. Ever since then it has been platoon, platoon, platoon to milk your way through a season. 

I think you are exactly right when you say they try to raise the floor instead of trying to raise the ceiling. 

Although... it's cheaper players... it's certainly not cheaper in the end. It's significantly more expensive because it's 5 million here and 5 million there for Margot and Farmer and you add them all up and you spent 20 when you could have spent 4 million. We went from signing Donaldson and Correa for big dollars (not that worked either) to a bunch of these 5 million dollar guys. 

Meanwhile... Cleveland isn't really doing that. They platoon a little but they went into the playoffs with a total of two right handed hitters on the roster. Meanwhile... during the regular season. Kwan, DeLauter and Bazzana got to face all the left handers they could handle with 205, 179 and 165 PA's against them. And... Bazzana really sucked at it. He produced a .529 OPS over those 165 PA's.

Not of that mattered come playoff time. Small sample obviously but Bazzana was facing lefties in the playoffs even after that .529 OPS and he produced a 1.024 OPS in the playoffs including a dinger. 

Cleveland will develop superstars in the end. The Twins won't because they are too busy hiding Bazzana and searching for Kyle Farmer to hold him down and Cleveland beats us today thinking about tomorrow when everything we are doing is for today.

White Sox... Loaded with left handed hitters and loaded with youth... Can't platoon them all. So Montgomery, Montgomery, Murakami and Teel they got to hit all the left handers they want during the regular season. The White Sox will develop superstars... the Twins will not. 

Tampa... Aranda and Simpson 200 AB's and 164 AB's against left handers. Neither produced an OPS over .678 against them. Still won baseball games.  

I've already covered the Brewers in a previous thread.

People are simply dismissing my arguments out of hand... maybe they are right but I'd really like them to look what WINNING TEAMS are doing and at least notice that it is nothing like what the Twins are doing and not winning with.  

We spend more almost every year than these guys spend. These teams constantly develop and reload and we just go from Santana to France to Bell to Nathanial Lowe. AND THEY STILL BEAT US! 

We have to stop before 10 years are gone down the same drain. 

The 2nd wave is here. The time is now. 

[MackMan]

16 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

The Twins were not what I would call a platoon heavy team until the MONEY got pulled after the 2023 season. Ever since then it has been platoon, platoon, platoon to milk your way through a season. 

I think you are exactly right when you say they try to raise the floor instead of trying to raise the ceiling. 

Although... it's cheaper players... it's certainly not cheaper in the end. It's significantly more expensive because it's 5 million here and 5 million there for Margot and Farmer and you add them all up and you spent 20 when you could have spent 4 million. We went from signing Donaldson and Correa for big dollars (not that worked either) to a bunch of these 5 million dollar guys. 

Meanwhile... Cleveland isn't really doing that. They platoon a little but they went into the playoffs with a total of two right handed hitters on the roster. Meanwhile... during the regular season. Kwan, DeLauter and Bazzana got to face all the left handers they could handle with 205, 179 and 165 PA's against them. And... Bazzana really sucked at it. He produced a .529 OPS over those 165 PA's.

Not of that mattered come playoff time. Small sample obviously but Bazzana was facing lefties in the playoffs even after that .529 OPS and he produced a 1.024 OPS in the playoffs including a dinger. 

Cleveland will develop superstars in the end. The Twins won't because they are too busy hiding Bazzana and searching for Kyle Farmer to hold him down and Cleveland beats us today thinking about tomorrow when everything we are doing is for today.

White Sox... Loaded with left handed hitters and loaded with youth... Can't platoon them all. So Montgomery, Montgomery, Murakami and Teel they got to hit all the left handers they want during the regular season. The White Sox will develop superstars... the Twins will not. 

Tampa... Aranda and Simpson 200 AB's and 164 AB's against left handers. Neither produced an OPS over .678 against them. Still won baseball games.  

I've already covered the Brewers in a previous thread.

People are simply dismissing my arguments out of hand... maybe they are right but I'd really like them to look what WINNING TEAMS are doing and at least notice that it is nothing like what the Twins are doing and not winning with.  

We spend more almost every year than these guys spend. These teams constantly develop and reload and we just go from Santana to France to Bell to Nathanial Lowe. AND THEY STILL BEAT US! 

We have to stop before 10 years are gone down the same drain. 

The 2nd wave is here. The time is now. 

One could argue that this is almost 3rd wave if you think about it. You could call 1st wave the initial Target Field draft classes, then you look at the late 2010's as 2nd wave, and then from 2020/2021 till now as the 3rd wave of draft classes. Now the above mentions 1st wave was not a Falvey-Levine draft. The 2nd wave was for sure and about half the 3rd is. Since 2010 of our 1st round draft picks, we were able to get 2 All-Stars out of those drafts with Buck and Berrios. Outside of that we've had 8 players out of the league, 4 players currently on another teams, 5 players looking at getting non-tendered, 1 maybe 2 players getting consistent time at the MLB level, and 7 players that just made their big league debut or working thru the system (this is counting 2023 till now). We have a development problem or its a huge oversight on our scouts with all their metrics. I'm in the corner of development issues, which leads us to today.

Our LHH cannot hit same-handedness pitching because the development team is refusing to let them. Us platooning players is hurting them and it is showing their weaknesses in full display. Just imagine we did this with someone like Buxton. If we didn't put him in the lineup against RHH he would probably be have extreme power numbers but he'd only pay in like 60 games/season (not that he doesn't already).

[Riverbrian]

10 minutes ago, MackMan said:

One could argue that this is almost 3rd wave if you think about it. You could call 1st wave the initial Target Field draft classes, then you look at the late 2010's as 2nd wave, and then from 2020/2021 till now as the 3rd wave of draft classes. Now the above mentions 1st wave was not a Falvey-Levine draft. The 2nd wave was for sure and about half the 3rd is. Since 2010 of our 1st round draft picks, we were able to get 2 All-Stars out of those drafts with Buck and Berrios. Outside of that we've had 8 players out of the league, 4 players currently on another teams, 5 players looking at getting non-tendered, 1 maybe 2 players getting consistent time at the MLB level, and 7 players that just made their big league debut or working thru the system (this is counting 2023 till now). We have a development problem or its a huge oversight on our scouts with all their metrics. I'm in the corner of development issues, which leads us to today.

Our LHH cannot hit same-handedness pitching because the development team is refusing to let them. Us platooning players is hurting them and it is showing their weaknesses in full display. Just imagine we did this with someone like Buxton. If we didn't put him in the lineup against RHH he would probably be have extreme power numbers but he'd only pay in like 60 games/season (not that he doesn't already).

If I ever get sick or take a vacation to Fiji. You could take over for me. 

[MackMan]

5 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

If I ever get sick or take a vacation to Fiji. You could take over for me. 

[old nurse]

3 hours ago, Linus said:

I believe there is another element to this discussion which is the organizational philosophy for building a roster. Somewhere along the line Falvey decided it was easier to raise the floor by a couple wins than to raise the ceiling by a couple wins. Of course the main driver is it’s cheaper. Anyway, how do easily raise the floor? You platoon the heck out of average ish players to try and make the total performance better than either player individually. Hopefully EmRod and Jenkins quickly show they will not be average ish players and we can move on. 

1. Falvey isn’t around anymore.

2. The organization had a higher ceiling on players than you give them credit for