How Can the Twins Prevent Runs?

So Mauer is 3rd in the AL at 1B.  Escobar is 3rd in the AL at SS.  Plouffe is 4th in the AL at 3B.  It does not say where Dozier ranks, but notes he is not top two.  Lets say he is average.  If you throw the catcher spot out, when the ball is put in play, it would seem like a very good infield defense.  Wouldn't that at least partly offset the outfield?  Maybe our overall team defense is not absolute worst in the league?

Yes, the Twins' outfield is THAT bad.

I've never understood how this organization could, at the same time, recognize that their home field now is conducive to line drive gap hitters who take advantage of the outfield space YET do virtually nothing to emphasize the need for defensive outfielders with exceptional range to cut down the gappers from opposing hitters.

From the day Target Field opened its gates, this team has never had a roster constructed to fit the ballpark.

"If you throw the catcher spot out, when the ball is put in play, it would seem like a very good infield defense. Wouldn't that at least partly offset the outfield? Maybe our overall team defense is not absolute worst in the league?"

I believe our team defense is ranked very low so think what it would be without the good infield D. I went to watch the Twins in two games against Tampa several years ago. I think it was 2010. We lost both games and it was more clear live than on TV that the Rays outfield was getting to balls I thought they had no right getting to and the Twins were not getting to balls they should have been expected to get to. There was no doubt in my mind that if the two teams just switched outfield defense with each other the Twins would have won both games instead of losing both. Probably just a coincidence but I have to believe there are a lot of games decided by the difference between good outfield defense and bad outfield defense. I have no stats but it seems pretty often that when the Twins give up large innings you could probably go back and point to a play in the outfield that could have been made that would have changed everything. It may seem self evident but it is not just the run that scores with a double that a faster or better guy could have caught. It is also the extra base runner and the extra out that snowballs into more. I cannot wait for an outfield that has Buxton and Hicks or better yet, Buxton, Hicks and Rosario. I am sure the pitchers are anxious for that as well.

It boggles my mind to read that defensive metrics rate the top three first basemen defensively to be Pujols, Cabrerra, and Mauer.  Twins fans seem to love Dozier's defense and have disdain for Plouffe's.  These ratings show that however the results are arrived at, the formula for these metrics leave a lot to be desired to come up with these results.

Yeah, defesive are in the first inning of providing value, IMO.  Espeially player specific values. 

Here is just one example.   Carlos Gomez defensive WAR by year, according to baseball reference:

2011 - 1.8

2012 - .6

2013 -4.6

2014 - .5

How could it possibly vary so much?

The 00s Twins were able to achieve some success with Kubel and Cuddy plodding around in the corners. That was considered a hitters park. TF, in case anyone forgot, has the exact same dimensions.

I've seen others at various times say the same thing about the dimensions being exactly as they were at the Dome.

First, it's not true. Actually, in LF, LCF and dead CF, the Dome fence dimensions were actually LONGER than TF by a few feet. RCF and RF were almost exactly the same. However the 23' "baggy" did not extend as far over toward CF as the 23' out of town scoreboard does at TF. The lower part of the fence at TF is also one foot higher than the fences at the Dome.

However, we're not really talking apples and apples here. There's a second, more important diference that I think most fans who have attended games at both venues noticed right away.

Games at Target Field are OUTDOORS.

TF has what's essentially a wind tunnel during many summer days/nights, with the open RF concourse. If you hit a ball the exact same way two different days at the Dome, you got the same result. That's not true at TF.

Now, I'm fine with that. I don't care if more balls stay in play at TF. I'd just like to see the Twins employ some outfielders who don't have to pull up on every ball hit more than 20 feet away from where they're positioned and don't have to chase every gapper all the way to the wall before picking the ball up.

This gives me a chance to post an article that made such an impression with me that I bookmarked it two years ago. http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/139405888.html

My favorite line is this one from Dave St. Peter:

"What we did agree to do is to give this another year. And, understand, that even if it plays more toward a pitchers' park, we can use that to our advantage with a pitching staff that largely pitches to contact."

How's that working out for you, Dave?

(end of rant)

First off, this just shows that defensive metrics are really crude still.

Their infield defense is acceptable and Arcia is going to be in right at least for the next couple of years so you really can only get better two ways: returning starters improve and the Twins make defense a priority in CF and LF.

How much the improvement is offset if the new outfielders can't hit is the key factor.

It would be interesting to know how this has changed since they dealt the Hammer.

Improved play from CF and LF will be the key to the offseason. If the Twins don't sign Lester or Scherzer they need to find a way to improve the outfield. I hope they aren't relying on Hicks to finally break through, or Shaffer to break out. They need upgrades. Buxton is on the way for CF, so essentially they are good there. That leaves LF like so many have talked about.  

Of course if we think Escobar is the answer at short then the answer in the outfield is Buxton and Santana.

The best way the Twins can prevent runs is to quit throwing pitchers out there with sore arms.  Nolasco is a good example.  Perkins throws bp with a sore arm.  Milone, sore arm.  Fein most likely has a sore arm.  Keep the sore arms off the mound.