Kody Clemens Can Hold Down First Base

[Cody Pirkl]

It’s easy to set a target on first base as a prime position at which the Twins might upgrade this winter. Royce Lewis was poor there down the stretch. It’s worth a reminder, though, that Kody Clemens spent a good chunk of the season there with much better results. The Twins can certainly explore their options in the first-base market, but if they choose not to invest heavily in a non-premium position, Clemens is a better fallback option than he gets credit for.

 

Clemens was more of a second baseman by the end of 2026, which, ironically, was perhaps his worst defensive fit among the positions he could play. His athleticism makes him a much better fit for a corner infield or outfield spot, and his lack of range showed up in his -3 Outs Above Average at second base. By season’s end, it was easy to forget that he was a good defensive first baseman.

Clemens’s Outs Above Average of 1 at first base was acceptable, and certainly better than the -1 posted by Royce Lewis. He did all he could at the beginning of the year, when he was receiving throws from an entire infield that had to be completely overhauled midseason. Lewis rated better as a receiver of throws, but he was getting better ones than Clemens had been, and Clemens had better range on ground balls to the right side than Lewis did.

Of course, defense is the secondary bar to clear at first base. At a position so far down the defensive spectrum, offense is the main driver of value. Clemens may not be one of the top-tier bats in the Twins’ lineup, but he’s proven capable of meeting the standards for first base.

The league's first basemen posted a .765 aggregate OPS last season, just ahead of Clemens’ .758 over 583 plate appearances. That figure jumps to .789 against right-handed pitching, so if Clemens is deployed as a platoon-protected first baseman, he's above-average. Finding a capable right-handed option to operate as his short-side platoon partner would be pretty easy, and much cheaper than signing a full-time first baseman with that level of expected production.

By making Clemens the strong side of a first-base platoon, the Twins would have a plus defender at first base most of the time, and their options for filling the rest remain wide open. They could take a low-risk flier on someone like Paul Goldschmidt or Ryan Mountcastle, each of whom has destroyed left-handed pitching in their career and who could also occasionally DH. Perhaps if they sign a right-handed hitting outfielder, they could shift Luke Keaschall back to first base against southpaws to maximize their platoon advantage.

The main luxury Clemens should provide is preventing the team from taking too risky a swing at first base. Perhaps Jake Bauers’s breakout in his 30s is real, but are the Twins the team that wants to gamble on it? The first-base free-agent market is fairly light, but do the Twins really want to explore other options that could cost significant trade capital? They might be better served taking risks and investing elsewhere in the roster.

There is one tougher question to answer: If Clemens is the 'who' on first, what's on second? Keaschall certainly can't move back there. With an offseason of prep, Lewis might be a plus defender there, and his bat is more viable at second than at first, but the upside of plugging him in there is low. If and when Marek Houston arrives, one of Houston, Kaelen Culpepper or Brooks Lee will have to find their playing time at second, but that's not guaranteed to happen at all, and even if it does, it probably won't happen right away. If Clemens is being asked to play first, then, the team has to find another bridge to their future at second. Free agency has some interesting names at that position, and again, maybe it's better to take risks there than at first, but installing Clemens at first would force the front office to do so.

Clemens has become more than just a fun story—the son of a former big leaguer claimed off waivers. He has value to offer the Twins, and he’s shown strong signs of being a capable first baseman on a competitive team. He's shown to be an above-average hitter at the position with the right matchups, and is a plus defender, to boot.

---

Can the Twins trust Clemens in a platoon? Should they invest in first base and push him back into a bench role, or keep him at second? Let us know below!

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

View full article

[SE23]

Been saying this for a while now. Give Clemens a shot at the 1B job. Sign Lowe, Lawlar, Arraez or Dubon to play 2B. Improve your offense AND your defense. Win more games.

Baseball is easy!

[Cory Engelhardt]

I like Clemens. I think he is a great player to have again for the team in 2027. 

I don't think he should be penciled in as a starter at 1B. I think they should look to improve the spot with an external addition in some capacity. Then Clemens can slide into a utility role and back up 1b and 2b and outfield, even though he won't be needed in the outfield as much ongoing, at least most likely. 

I'm NOT saying I want to do this, but part of me does feel like this MIGHT be the height of Clemens' value. Again, NOT saying to trade him, I like him on the team and I'm glad he can be a veteran presence and a mentor. But if some team offers an interesting pitching prospect for him, I think they should consider it. That's mostly because I don't know if he will still be THIS good in 2028. 

[Nashvilletwin]

1 hour ago, SE23 said:

Been saying this for a while now. Give Clemens a shot at the 1B job. Sign Lowe, Lawlar, Arraez or Dubon to play 2B. Improve your offense AND your defense. Win more games.

Baseball is easy!

Agree.  Sign Arraez to play 2B. When Houston arrives, Culpepper moves to 2B, and Arraez and Clemens share first base and DH with Buxton/Keaschall. They can platoon LH and RH.

Lay up move.  Sign Jeffers too. 

[soyouresayingtheresachance]

He can. I'd much rather deploy him at 2B for the time being. His bat and defense play very well there. However, if we sre unable to attain that slugging 1B to hit Cleanup, Kody could absolutely fill that role. The defense is good. The bat would be a little light for 1B, but he would be much better than Lewis or anyone currently on the team. 

[HerbieFan]

I really like him in his utility role, but that requires having a starter at 1B and 2B.  Not sure they have either one so Clemens may have to fill one.  Can you believe we're talking about a waiver claim taking over a position b/c our former #1 overall pick is bad?  

[weitz41]

I like the thought of Clemens at 1B if you bring in a platoon partner like Mountcastle. Plus, they both have experience in the outfield if you're playing the matchup game. Which I expect to continue. 

As for 2B... If they're trying to get into the playoffs, I get it, every team should be in some sense, the team will need to spend on a free agent at 2B if Clemens is at 1st. The lock out could be helpful for the Twins in that aspect. A one-year deal for an upper echelon 2B say Chisholm, Torres or Arreaza could be more likely after the lock out.

[SE23]

2027 is a growth and development year for the Twins anyway. Out with the old, in with the new. Build the foundation.

By next October, we'll know a lot more about the trajectories of Lackey, Houston, Mendez, Kendle, Tinney, Diaw, Tait, Quick, Bohorquez, Gonzalez, Ross, Winokur and Co. Maybe '28 will be the start of something big.

Clemens is an elegant 1B solution for 2027.