Twins' New Coaching Staff Earns Early Positive Reviews

The first change started on the hitting side. While outsiders may have looked at the numbers and suspected the pitching may receive an overhaul, Molitor and the front office agreed that the right message was being delivered in spite of the lackluster results. What they determined was that there needed to be a different voice and a different approach with the bats.

Rowson, Molitor said, came highly recommended.

“We had a lot of good input before I even had a chance to sit down and have a nice, long conversation [with Rowson],” Molitor explained. “There’s a certain energy component to that role, there’s a certain ability to communication and build relationships in that role and obviously you got to have guys hitting.”

Molitor quickly found out when they started working together that Rowson checked all the boxes he was looking for in terms of the ideal hitting coach characteristics.

“I think the important component in that role is knowing the hitters, knowing what they do well, be available, be positive, be there, give them a game plan when needed. He’s got all that stuff.”

Like most hitting coaches, Rowson spends batting practice behind the turtle shell, occasionally giving some advice or encouragement, but mostly observing and learning his hitters. His philosophy, boiled down, is hit the ball hard. If the hitter is putting on his best swing, the direction will take care of itself. No need to aim the ball to the opposite field. When the game starts, Molitor said, Rowson tones down the instruction.

“I’m not big on breaking down every pitch in every at bat,” Molitor said. “He might ask what you are thinking on that count but gotta let them play when the game starts.”

Jeff Pickler comes to the Twins by the way of the Los Angeles Dodgers and has been asked to use all the tools at his disposal in order to improve the defense, which includes tasks like positioning the outfield in optimal alignment in order to reduce runs allowed.

“Picks got a lot of layers,” Molitor said. “He’s embraced the outfield thing, guys really love him out there. His involvement is with him trying to dissect data and what we can use as a team or for certain people that would maybe find a way to advance rather than staying stagnant.”

Molitor said that Pickler has been very active in the spring training games already. One example Molitor provided for Pickler’s value added is his ability to think ahead. During Wednesday’s game against the Orioles, with Chris Johnson at the plate, two outs and no one on base, Pickler approached Molitor in the dugout with a suggestion to shift to a no-doubles defense. His reasoning was that light-hitting Johnny Giavotella was on deck. If Johnson were to reach second, he would almost surely score on a single. Taking away the extra base hit opportunity would possibly prevent that run. Molitor respected that kind of foresight.

Jeff Smith, the newly added first base coach, is a mountain of a man, every bit the same shape as Miguel Sano but with a few more years. Before the game, Smith roams the field with a catcher’s training glove, a shaved down version of a standard catcher’s mitt that trains backstops to receive the ball with minimum movement. More simply, it helps a catcher in their framing. Molitor acknowledged Jeff Smith’s role as the first base coach is different from his recent stretch as a manager in the minor league system and the new angle of the game will take some getting used to but Smith’s catching background has been a welcomed addition.

“I’ve been pleased with how we’ve handled ourselves behind the plate,” Molitor said.

The game of baseball has moved beyond simply hiring the manager’s drinking buddy to keep him company on the bench. Coaching staffs have slowly expanded and roles like defensive specialists have emerged as teams have placed a greater emphasis on using data to position their players around the diamond. The Twins have started to adapt to this dugout revolution as well.

At least from Molitor’s viewpoint, the Twins feel they have the right collection of coaches in place to get the most out of their players.