Another Year of Intangibles

5. Luis Arraez’s Particular Set of Skills

I have to imagine that pitchers absolutely loathe watching Arraez step up to the plate. Not because he’s going to hit one 450 feet like the Miguel Sanos of the lineup, but because whatever happens next is just not going to be enjoyable.

Everything from his contact ability to him furiously shaking his head after every pitch he takes says there’s just no way that can be fun to pitch to. Just ask Edwin Diaz.

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The animated quality of at-bats Arraez takes are bound to frustrate and wear on a pitcher. His style is different from the rest of the lineup, as instead of trying to carefully pitch your way around him, you’re just in a constant grind to find a way to get an out. If Arraez gets the chance to lead off in 2020, he can be a big time tone- setter at the beginning of games.

4. Nelson Cruz’s Leadership

Nelson Cruz came into the Twins organization last year and asked for a locker next to Miguel Sano. After an up and down career, Sano broke out big time in 2019 and had a lot to say about the effect Cruz had on his success

It was more than Cruz being a certified slugger that helped Sano and the Twins in 2019. He’s a guy that’s been around the block at age 39. He not only understands how to hit, he just understands being a successful human being in the game of baseball. Having Cruz back for another year, especially to be around some of the young talent that could be up in 2020 is extremely valuable because he just seems to make everyone around him better.

3. Sergio Romo’s Personality

The man needs no introduction. After being coaxed back to Minnesota this winter by a pot of chili offered by his neighbor, the soft-tossing spark plug will be spinning sliders from the Twins bullpen for an entire season in 2020.

Romo’s veteran presence has obvious value for a bullpen of all ages and pitching styles. While he was a three-time world champion in the 2010s, he’s also just a good pitcher even after 12 years in the league and a fastball averaging well under 90 mph. He’s just a fantastic guy whose energy rubs off on everyone around him. It’s also safe to say that through the ups and downs of the season, he’s probably going to keep everybody lighthearted.

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2. Josh Donaldson’s Intensity

Josh Donaldson is a fiery guy as Matthew Taylor pointed out last week. He makes it known that he not only comes to play every day of the week, he’s here to beat you. It doesn’t matter if it’s the division-clinching game or the getaway game the day after, it’s getting Donaldson’s 100% effort.

There’s a reason so many questions were raised in regard to Donaldson’s fit in this clubhouse. The Twins don’t have anybody like him. By all accounts however, this group has a wide range of characters already present and the atmosphere is fantastic. I think an intense superstar is more of a missing piece of the puzzle rather than a presence that’s going to rock the boat.

1. Rocco Baldelli’s Managing Style

Rocco is the glue that holds this roster together. His ties to being a player so recently give him valuable insight into the everyday grind of his players. He’s able to manipulate lineups day in and day out and press the right buttons to keep everybody as fresh as possible. We saw career bests from a lot of the lineup from the 26-year-old Kepler to the 39-year-old Cruz in 2020, and that’s no coincidence.

Rocco embraces analytics and always seems to be looking for that next edge in a calm and collected way. It’s difficult to put a number on the effectiveness of a manager, but I’d argue that a Manager of the Year award likely does just as well. Look for Rocco to become even more effective at managing games in 2020, which will be only his second year doing so.

Last year was a lot of fun for statistical reasons like setting the home run record and winning 101 games. We were all lucky however in the sense that we got to see everything that the box scores don’t tell you. This year looks like there are going to be even more intangibles to help contribute to another successful season, certainly more than I listed here. Which ones are you most looking forward to?

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