Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

Road trip

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    796

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Profiles

Minnesota Twins News, Rumors & Analysis

Minnesota Twins Videos

2026 Minnesota Twins Top Prospect Rankings

2022 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Minnesota Twins Trade & Free Agent Rumors

Minnesota Twins Fan Guides & Resources

2023 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

The Minnesota Twins Players Project

2024 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

2026 Minnesota Twins Draft Picks & Signing Bonuses

Forums

Blogs

Events

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by Road trip

  1. Road trip
    They were a mixed bag. Annoying when in your way, but the 2nd decks were so much closer in some of the old stadiums. I got to attend a game in old Tiger Stadium before it closed. We had seats in the 2nd deck of the left field line, but it felt like we were right on top of the action. I'll never be a Tiger fan, but I did love that old stadium.
  2. Road trip
    Possibly not. Given how close the race is for that last wildcard spot, the Astros, Jays, Mariners, and Rangers may be all hands on deck the last couple of regular season games just to make the playoffs. It's plausible that the last wildcard seed will have to burn through their ace pitchers at the end..
  3. Road trip
    In May it looked like a pretty bad trade for the Twins. Today it looks like a pretty good trade for the Twins. It'll probably flip back and forth for a few years, as injuries or ineffectiveness plague either Lopez or Arraez. Arraez's knees have received numerous mentions in the comments. That is fair. He will always be moderately more likely to miss time than a typical MLB 2nd baseman. Less frequently noted though is that all MLB starting pitchers are at risk of arm problems, or sudden downturns in effectiveness. There are a very small number of Verlanders or Scherzers who enjoy long careers of consistent pitching success. There are many flashes in the pan, dominant for two or three years. I hope Lopez is on the Verlander track, but if we are honest it is way too soon to know that, and the odds remain daunting. Take a look at the Cy Young winners over the last 20 years and see all the names that were just short bursts of greatness (eg, Ray, Arrieta, Kluber, Porcello, DeGrom, Webb, etc). Hitters, meanwhile, if they are truly great hitters (and Arraez is) tend to age well. When you trade for a great hitter, you can project with a little more confidence. He may end up a DH, but if Arraez has any legs left at all I'll wager he is still hitting .300 at age 34. I absolutely hope both players have a decade of continued success. And Ted, thanks, this was one of the best reads on Twins Daily this year!
  4. Road trip
    Another goal: Keep getting the kids more at bats, to the degree their health and stamina allow (Lewis, Kirilloff, Julien, Wallner). Combined, these 4 have well under 2000 MLB plate appearances... and they have all played an important role in the gradually improving Twins offense. Every little bit of experience gained will help as they prep for pressure at bats in the post season.
  5. Road trip
    I mean...yeah? But that's kind of like saying, "except for the home runs he gives up, Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray have similar numbers this year". The HR's matter (as do the HBP). Maybe that's not quite what you are arguing...I may be misinterpreting. Look, I'd be quite happy if Larnach breaks out next spring, learns to hit a MLB breaking ball, wins the LF job, and becomes a solid MLB regular or better. I have no faith that his time is now based on AAA numbers. Lot's of guys hit well in AAA. Andrew Stevenson just tore up AAA this year with numbers better than Larnach's. Yet while Stevenson has provided some real value on the base paths and on defense, I don't think anybody wants to see him hit in a playoff game based on what we have seen so far. He's looked overmatched at the plate, just like Larnach did at the MLB level. To me, Larnach remains a future hope, not an October 2023 player barring injuries to the current roster.
  6. Road trip
    That may be the all time bad "run hard to first base" effort.
  7. Road trip
    From the frying pan to the fire. Not sure why we'd be using Floro in a tight game given how badly he has pitched lately.
  8. Road trip
    If nothing else good happens today, at least Wallner is connecting again.
  9. Road trip
    Surprised I guess that he doesn't have more time, as it seems like he has been around forever. In terms of full mlb retirement pay, I doubt he is worried. BRef reports his career earnings as 99 million. He isn't checking out the dollar menu...
  10. Road trip
    I don't know how or why, but the Rays seem to do this regularly. Find players that struggled elsewhere and turn them into gems. Luke Raley is another. In a small sample size, Zack Little is looking like another.
  11. Road trip
    Correa yesterday, Kepler today. I'm starting to believe there are no "official" errors anymore.. Tough plays, but made 95% of the time by major league players.
  12. Road trip
    Strikeouts are bad. I think we all agree. Many posters seem to be equating Wallner with Gallo. Just for context, here are the strikeout %'s for several 2023 Twins: Gallo - 42.8% Garlick - 36.7% Larnach - 35.6% Taylor - 33.3% Wallner - 32.5% Buxton - 31.4% Julien - 31.1% Jeffers - 29.4% ... Best on roster: Kepler - 21.8% There are no players who strike out at anything resembling the rate that Gallo does. While Wallner's recent trend is certainly going the wrong way, it isn't close to Gallo levels. Wallner's numbers, in fact, are roughly equal distance between the worst rate (Gallo) and the best rate on the roster (Kepler - I didn't include Gordon as he has barely played this year).
  13. Road trip
    Gosh, for those who don't like Wallner's OF defense, this is not a great solution. Kirilloff is much slower, and has a very poor arm. Baseball Savant actually rates his arm below Ben Revere, which I didn't know was even possible. Kirilloff's LF zone rating trails Wallner substantially. I like Kirilloff a lot... at first base. If it isn't Wallner, my guess is it will likely be Castro against rhp. Luplow likely will get lefties either way.
  14. Road trip
    "Tight spot"? File Polanco under "Good problem to have...".
  15. Road trip
    Almost no chance Wallner gets left off the playoff roster. Yes, he has had a rough stretch, but that is to be expected of all young players. The roster alternatives are.. Joey Gallo (43% strikeout rate)? Trevor Larnach (minimal history of MLB success)? I think we can stop wishing for Buxton... it isn't going to happen. Despite recent struggles, Wallner still leads all Twins outfielders in OPS. Yes, even better than Kepler. That also includes a lot of recent at bats against lefties (and yes, I am quite willing to sit Wallner against lefties for the playoffs... he really struggles). Wallner's splits show he can mash right handers though. He has adjustments to make. So do all young players. Way, way too early to give up on him.
  16. Road trip
    Pretty powerful lineup for the Rays, even without Franco (possibly forever) and Paredes (day off?). Glasnow of course is a tough pitcher regardless of what the Rays lineup looks like.
  17. Road trip
    I think it's a longshot. IF, big IF, Paddock is ready to pitch in the majors in about 10 days we can talk. Then he could actually face live MLB hitters for a few innings this year prior to the playoffs. That seems a very optimistic and aggressive timeline.. I'm just hoping he can be a competent and healthy #5 starter next April. If we get that much I'll call it a win.
  18. Road trip
    Eh,,, it's Minnesota Nice. Plus they can stash him in case of a catastrophic Uber crash that involves all of our other potential first basemen. Glad to see it done, but I actually wish him well.... somewhere in the NL next year.
  19. Road trip
    Varland is a good example. He's also a pitcher that the Twins have allowed to experience rather large inning jumps. 2019: 63 innings (mostly college) 2020: covid... who knows how much he threw, but no official game action. 2021: 103 innings 2022: 152 innings 2023: 140 and counting... Varland is younger, throws harder, and yet is significantly smaller in stature than Ober. Yet nobody seems concerned about his jump in workload? You could look at other starters when they were younger... Pablo Lopez, for example. Or just about anybody from the Cleveland organization: Bieber, McKenzie, Civale, etc... you are going to see some big inning jumps in their younger days. Ober is a different story. Every player is unique. Maybe increasing the innings load is a real problem for his physique, somehow. I just hope Ober can get the opportunity to shine under a full load in the next couple of years.
  20. Road trip
    I guess I am also under the "moderately mishandled camp". Innings thrown at AAA this year are wasted innings. He's clearly an MLB caliber pitcher, and that was already apparent in 2022. If there is no room in the rotation utilize him in the pen, as was done very successfully in the early years of Johan Santana. At some point, someday, the Twins will need Ober to be a 160-190 IP starter, which is kind of the current standard for the top 3 guys in the rotation (and yes, Ober has enough "stuff" to be a solid #3 starter). I just don't know how he ever gets there at this rate. Ober fought a few injuries, but I believe only one to his arm (is this wrong? I think just an elbow injury way back in 2019). The lack of a minor league season in 2020 hurt his development, though I doubt the Twins would have let him throw more than about the 108 innings he got in 2021. 2022, still on an innings limit. 2023, more of the same. I get it. Health is a priority. I don't understand fully though why Ober isn't able to build up enough endurance/strength to get to the 175 inning mark. He's 27 years old, at his athletic peak. He has a huge frame, ideal for starting pitchers. Maybe next year will be the year. I fear though that we will be having this same discussion again about "need to limit Ober's innings" in August of 2024. Maybe it is just all he can do. Perhaps I should be satisfied with the good pitching he brings, even if it will be limited to about 25 starts a year.
  21. Road trip
    Nobody needed a box on the TV to see that was a ball. I can easily forgive missing a ball/strike call on the outside corner. Those are difficult to call for the best umpires... probably impossible with the human eye. To miss a pitch that is not only low, but also several inches inside? That's incompetent. You can't miss the inside corner as an umpire. Vlad Guerrero would have let that pitch go without swinging.
  22. Road trip
    As an MLB tv subscriber I was sent a survey a week ago. There were a variety of multiple choice questions, what do you like, what do you not like, etc. I got one chance to write in my own answer to "How could we improve the game in 2024"? My answer: "Robo umps."
  23. Road trip
    Piranhas? In 2023?
  24. Road trip
    Geeze, usually the treatment that Kepler just got from the ump is saved for Julien..
  25. Road trip
    Tough AB there for Lewis. Strike 2 wasn't a strike, but it forced him to swing at the next pitch, also borderline. He managed a liner, but right at the pitcher.
×
×
  • Create New...