Twins Video
1) Joe Mauer's GB/FB ratio: 1.25
Mauer has changed significantly as a hitter over the years, and there aren't many traits that have remained completely consistent over the course of his career. This one has: he has always hit the ball on the ground far, far more often than in the air. He has a lifetime 2-to-1 ratio and hasn't had a fly ball rate above 25 percent since his MVP season in 2009. This year, it stands at 34.2 percent and is nearly even with his career-low grounder rate (42.7 percent).
What does it mean? Well, theoretically Mauer should be in line for more extra-base hits and homers, though up to this point many of his liners have been falling short of the wall and finding gloves. His HR/FB ratio, at 5.1 percent, is due for some upward movement. Don't be surprised to see a mid-summer surge.
2) Miguel Sano's batting average: .310
This is nuts. Sano is striking out at a 35 percent rate, fourth-highest in baseball, and he is hitting well above .300. No one else in the top 10 for K-rate is batting over .270, and four are below the .200 mark. Last year, nobody in the top 10 finished with an average over .253. There is a reason for this: it's really hard to hit for a decent average when you're failing to put the ball in play so often.
Sano has been able to do so with a .479 BABIP that – somehow – doesn't seem all that fluky. He is absolutely crushing the ball every time he makes contact. One of my favorite writers, Joe Posnanski, had a great piece over the weekend on Sano's astonishing superiority to the rest of the league in average exit velocity. On Monday night, the slugger put the ball in play four times and each one came off his bat at more than 100 MPH. It's quite the show.
3) Jorge Polanco's UZR/150: 9.5
It should go without saying that the small sample size disclaimer applies to all of these snapshot stats, and that's especially true here. Ultimate Zone Rating is considered one of the better defensive metrics, but its accuracy can be questionable even in large samples. Over less than two months, it can be almost meaningless.
But still. Polanco as everyday shortstop has a positive UZR thus far (0.9) and the UZR/150 stat, which extrapolates for 150 games to provide a rough full-season projection, has him at 9.5 runs above average as we cross the schedule's quarter-point. Last year, nine MLB shortstops finished with a higher rating. Polanco, as a rookie for the Twins, rated at -10.9 in 406 innings with a UZR/150 of -32.3.
I'd be quicker to dismiss this if the eye test didn't so strongly back it up. He's been very solid out there.
4) Robbie Grossman's strikeout rate: 16.0%
Ever the patient specimen, Grossman has always been able to take a walk, but in the past his penchant for passing on pitches has resulted in plentiful punchouts. He entered this season with a 25 percent career K-rate, and even in his breakout 2016 campaign he struck out almost twice for every walk.
If his current 16 percent rate were to hold, it would be Grossman's lowest ever – even in the minors. Meanwhile, he's drawing more free passes than ever. The 27-year-old is proving to be an extremely tough out, and an underrated component of Minnesota's offensive attack.
5) Ervin Santana's batting average against: .134
Entering Tuesday's game with a .144 batting average on balls in play, it sure looked like Santana was due for some regression, especially against a ticked off Baltimore lineup that looked to be a poor matchup with its top-tier power.
Nah. Erv went out and tossed a two-hit shutout. Twenty-three batters put the ball in play against him and 21 were put out. His .134 OBA through 10 starts is absurd.
Here's some perspective: Santana now has 70 innings in the books. Last year, among all pitchers – starters and relievers – with 70-plus innings, Andrew Miller led all of baseball with a .159 average against.
Santana is on track for his lowest strikeout rate since 2006, and his highest walk rate ever. And he might start the All Star Game.
What. The. Hell.
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