Trevor Plouffe: From Fan Favorite to Media Star

The Twins drafted Trevor Plouffe with the 20th overall selection in the 2004 MLB Draft out of high school in California. He moved quickly through the Twins' system and reached Double-A in 2007, where he was over four years younger than the average age of the competition. Offensively, he never posted an OPS higher than .740 until his third season at Triple-A. In his age-25 season, he finally seemed to put it all together in 2011 when he hit .313/.384/.635 (1.019) with 11 doubles, three triples, and 15 home runs 

Plouffe's big-league debut came in 2010 when he struggled through his first 22 games. He went 6-for-41 (.146 BA) with three extra-base hits and a 14-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In 2011, he got his first extended look at the big-league level and posted a 91 OPS+ in 81 games. Over most of the next decade, he became a regular in the Twins' line-up. Plouffe posted an OPS+ of 102 or higher in three out of four seasons from 2012-2015, including two seasons with 20+ homers. His most valuable season was in 2014, when he finished with a 4.2 WAR, which ranked third on the Twins behind Brian Dozier and Phil Hughes. 

He bounced to four organizations over his final two seasons, including Oakland, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Texas. He played 100 games in 2017 for the As and Rays but struggled offensively by hitting .198/.272/.318 (.590) with 16 extra-base hits. His final seven big-league games came in a Phillies uniform, where he went 3-for-12 with one home run and six strikeouts. His final home run was a 16th-inning walk-off home run versus Dodgers' Kike Hernandez. In 2019, he was a non-roster invitee to Phillies spring training and informed them that he planned to retire instead of toiling at Triple-A. 

Plouffe searched for his place in the baseball world in his post-playing career. The Twins and Bally Sports North initially approached Plouffe about a television role before the 2020 season. Unfortunately, the pandemic changed many plans for baseball that year, and Plouffe found a different media avenue. He started collaborating with Jomboy Media because of the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal, and his role grew from there. 

He has become a regular on Talkin' Baseball to give insights into a former player's perspective on issues (sign stealing, labor negotiations, etc.) while also interviewing current players about the game. Jomboy has over 1.75 million subscribers on YouTube and is regularly ranked as the most downloaded baseball podcast. Media has continued to evolve in recent years, with baseball fans searching for other avenues to consume content. Jomboy is one of those outlets, and Plouffe has helped to continue the company's growth. 

Plouffe's role with BSN will continue to evolve throughout the season. While the Twins are in California, he will provide on-field insights similar to what fans have seen in the Dodgers series. BSN also plans to use him for spots after the Twins leave the West Coast. These appearances could be part of the pre- and post-game shows or for in-game insights. Hiring Plouffe is a forward-thinking move for BSN that can bring a new lens to analyzing Twins games. He has kept his pulse on baseball since retiring, and how fans consume the game will continue evolving in the coming years. It will be interesting to see what he can bring to the broadcasts for the remainder of the season. 

What have your initial impressions been regarding Plouffe? What is your favorite Plouffe memory from his time with the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.