Eddie Rosario Is Raking In Rochester

Following his May 19th demotion, Rosario got off to a slow start at Rochester, with only two hits in 21 at-bats over his first five games. He was frustrated and swinging out of his shoes.

Then, he flipped the switch. Since that opening cold stretch, he has collected multiple hits in 10 of 17 games, batting .400 with a 1.097 OPS in the process. Rosario had only one multi-hit game in his six weeks with the Twins.

Clearly, he has turned a corner. He's still a free swinger, as ever, but he has gotten back to making hard contact, and has even taken a couple of walks in his past few games, a sadly noteworthy feat.

The Twins were utterly exasperated with Rosario by the time they shipped him to the minors a month ago, and with good reason. But there is no denying the young outfielder's talent, which is flashing again right now as it did during his time with the Twins last year.

We all know his aggressiveness can be a hindrance, but when Rosario is on his game – slashing tough pitches all over the field, laying off the truly unhittable stuff, playing dynamic defense – he is a player. While it may be tempting to pass off his hot streak in the International League as a pure reflection of the inferior pitching, he has shown before that he can hit in the majors, unlike fellow Triple-A bashers Byron Buxton and Max Kepler.

Rosario's 2015 season in Minnesota can't be passed off as a total fluke. You don't lead the league in triples while playing 120 games by accident. And before you categorize him with fellow sophomore slumpers Danny Santana and Kennys Vargas, understand that Rosario was always in another prospect class. When an 18-year-old Miguel Sano blasted hit 20 home runs in his first year at Elizabethton, he didn't lead the league. Rosario did, with 21.

This isn't to say that Rosario is not a very flawed player – he is. I do get the sense (from the responses to this tweet, for instance) that some fans are so down on him they have forgotten about his considerable strengths.

The Twins surely have not, and must recognize that there's not much value in letting him pummel minor-league pitching. Their hands are tied, though.

Buxton and Kepler have yet to find a sustained groove, but both deserve more time. Sano has been hitting off a tee and jogging, and should be back within a couple of weeks. Robbie Grossman is tough to take out of the lineup right now and Oswaldo Arcia needs at-bats unless the club is ready to give up on him.

There's a pecking order for playing time in the Twins outfield and Rosario pushed himself pretty far down it over the first month and a half. He'll get another crack, but when? And at whose expense?

View our top trade candidates list, up to nearly 70 names and updated regularly!