Video: Willians Astudillo Just Took Jose Berrios Deep

He just went deep off Trevor May, also.

Give this man a roster spot!!!

Willians Astudillo should be on the team that goes north at the end of March. No doubt in my mind, he proved so last season. I don't care what Cron is getting paid or the loss of a mil if he doesn't make the team. Or that Austin is out of options. Willians makes the team better. Period.

The two HRs today for Astudillo is one more than Miguel Sano hit in 45 at bats during winter ball in the DR

"Somehow, I don't know how it happened, but we ended up in our meeting this morning having more fun talking more about Willians than, again, any other player here," Baldelli said.

Weird. It's almost like the guy is popular for his exciting play or something.

"This is a guy that's been a successful hitter to this point," Baldelli said.

Thanks for throwing him a bone there.

"Where don't we want to see him defensively, is the question," Baldelli said. "We are going to move him around. We're going to give him opportunities to show us what he can do."

He's been showing you. It's time for you to show him something, might I suggest an attitude other than sheer bafflement at his ability.

Hosken Bombo Disco gonna need to change his name to Hosken Bombo Disco Willians....

I just find a roster spot for this guy almost no matter what. I don't care if you have to start him at 1B or move him around and get him 3 days a week all over the diamond. This guy is a baseball player and has the kind of fire you want around your team. Plays the game HARD. I think he adds a win or 2 this season, just by being around the club. 

Also, what other kind of guy you want around to come in and pinch hit for you? He literally doesn't strike out and will put the ball in play almost every at bat. 

If he doesn't come north with the club, I will picket Falvine's offices.

Back when the Twins first signed him in November 2017, I noted that Astudillo made some changes to his swing in the minors before having a career year in the Braves org.

 

While he doesn't have a big leg kick or obvious power generator, he now has a fully connected swing whereas his top and lower half acted more independently in his previous swing.

 

https://twitter.com/ParkerHageman/status/1015262501087399936

 

It's a more connected kinetic chain. I liken it to something that Bruce Lee talked about in his one-inch punch -- working the power from the ground up in the proper sequence -- and you can generate a ton of power in a small space.

 

Pitch is in a different spot, but his first swing shows the bat leading the way. Classic keep the bat in the zone contact swing. The 2nd shows lower hands and better swing trajectory. He's trusting his wrists and eyes to make contact and throwing his hands at the ball creating a noticeably crisper snap and more power.

Just as importantly, his teammates love him. His fans love him. He begs into games when heat waves was causing others to pull themselves out. That goes a LONG way in a 162 game season with inevitable losing skids.

Yep, he's casting a bit in the older ones and doesn't look like he has much weight transfer/lower body working for him. Looks much more strong/connected in the second video. Maybe the guy has it dialed in now and we are in for some consistent power?

President's Day always comes around and the popular thing to do is the "Mount Rushmore for topic X" especially in sports.

Willians is rapidly becoming an emerging candidate for the Minnesota sports cult hero Mount Rushmore

Willians "Action Man" Astudillo belongs on a major league roster. And what better roster than the Twins, right?

I was surprised at how athletic he really his. That play last year where he fielded the bunt as catcher and just missed colliding with Berrios and threw the runner out at 3b while face planting was amazing. It looked awkward but he was just trying to miss Berrios while making the play and sacrificed himself to do it. Awesome.

In the 3-man bench scenario...I don't want Astudillo over Cave as an outfield option. I don't want him to be playing the middle infield. Ever. (Can Rosario?) That leaves backup catcher. I'm not sure Astudillo is a better hitter than Garver (yes, despite the magical 97 PA last year, the amazing bat flip, and the two batting practice home runs). But if not Garver, Astudillo's in Rochester waiting for injuries or under-performance. One or the other will happen soon enough...it always does.

He is somewhat flexible as far as positioning goes so that should help him with these new benches that are so short because of having 13 pitchers.

I just find a roster spot for this guy almost no matter what. I don't care if you have to start him at 1B or move him around and get him 3 days a week all over the diamond. This guy is a baseball player and has the kind of fire you want around your team. Plays the game HARD. I think he adds a win or 2 this season, just by being around the club. 

 24 more guys like Willians and we'd be popping champaigne bottles in October. I have no doubt. What he adds to chemistry cannot be measured.

That's quite a Tweet.

Astudillo's contact rate is so outside the parameters of league-wide statistical measurement in any category as to be Top Three over decades?

Did I just type that?