Riverbrian

Wallner is certainly not looking good at the moment. He doesn't have to go down to AAA though. They just have to play him a little less for a moment and play Martin more for a moment. They should start tonight. Martin has sat two games in a row. Please don't make it three in a row. Play Martin tonight and sit Wallner against the right hander. Let Wallner play against Rasmussen on Friday in Tampa and then sit Wallner against the lefty McClanahan on Saturday and let him face the right handed Scholtens guy we will face on Sunday. We should have at least a 6 game run of right handed starters after that with Seattle and Toronto to follow. Mix Martin into those 6 games. Let Wallner take some breathers, Make Wallner tell us he's ready for more when he starts putting the barrel on baseballs. I'm not a fan of allowing certain players to work themselves through struggles for an extended period of time and ignoring success of certain players for an extended period of time. That is backwards. I'll also add that I'm also not a fan of being impatient with developing players and Wallner is still a developing player making the minimum so you are still right to be an apologist.

According to the CBA. If a baseball player is younger than age 18 when signed. A baseball team has 5 years before they must be placed on the 40 man roster or they are exposed to rule 5. Once added to the 40 man roster. The team has 3 option years before the 26 man becomes the requirement. It's hard to project 18 years and I'd imagine 16 years old is harder still. This makes 40 man decision time age 21. This makes 26 man decision time age 24. I don't know the answer to this but my question would be. How many players under the age of 24 have actually made the Twins roster. If the answer is a low number... that's going to play a role in our IFA survival numbers. Luke Keaschall is one for sure.

I don't like the rule. I understand the reason for the rule. The glove is the only approved equipment. They want to prevent people from bringing additional equipment on to the field. The rule is unnecessary... this should be a catch. If a player wants to throw their hat glove or shoe at a ball... let them. If they manage to hit the ball and stop it. Good for them. Glove's have rules, Bats have Rules... Uniforms have rules already in place to prevent players from bringing fishing nets on to the field. This ball was caught... it did not hit the ground. It was ruled a hit.

Last Game Right Handed Starter April 22 - Clay Holmes - Loss - Runs Scored 2 Lineup Composition 3 RH - 3 Switch - 3 LH Record vs Right Handed Starter 7-4 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH 5.09 ----------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs Left Handed Starter Record vs LH Starter 5-8 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.85

Last Game Right Handed Starter April 20 - Nolan McLean - Win - Runs Scored 5 Lineup Composition 4 RH - 2 Switch - 3 LH Record vs Right Handed Starter 7-3 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH Starter 5.40 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs Left Handed Starter Record vs LH Starter 5-8 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.85

I haven't updated last nights game yet but in the Twins talk forum... I'm tracking Wins and Losses and Runs per game vs RH starters/LH Starters. Many don't care or understand why I'm doing it and I fully admit that the information is full of holes for a true picture and should certainly be taken Buffalo Springfield For What it's Worth but in it's most basic form... I'm hoping it will tell me: Is the platooning producing Wins and on what side of the coin are the wins occurring. Just working off the theory (more than a theory) that daily lineups are typically being set based on the handedness of the pitcher and working off the theory that the starting lineup is going to get the majority of AB's over the course of a game. That starting lineup is going to determine the defense and baserunning along with hitting. BTW... I think it is no longer debatable that the handedness of the starting pitcher is the primary factor in lineup construction with the Twins and has been for the past 4 years. I just want to see what lineups are produces in the simplest form. Wins and Losses. Not OPS... BA or OBP or BABIP or WRC+. Just wins and losses. Compare the same team against each hand. We are currently 7-3 against right handed starters and 5-8 vs Left Handed Starters. We got a full season to go and I'm sure things will change but right now... the lineup against right handers is producing more wins. We are running three Right Handers, three Switch and three left handers against a right hander tonight. If Jeffers was catching instead of Caratini... it would be 4 right handers, two switch and 3 left handers or if Caratini was playing 1B instead of Clemens... it would be 4 right handers, 3 Switch and two left. That's 6 batters standing in the left handed batters box or 5 batters in the left handed batters box against the Right hander. Compare that to what we do against a left handed starter. Typically against a left handed starter we run 5 Right Handed hitters, three switch and one left handed hitter (Wallner). That's 8 standing in the right handed batters box. Is the left handed hitter protection against the left handed pitching working? So far it has produced more losses than wins. This isn't case closed because the answer is lacking sufficient data and it's probably more complicated than that. I'll just continue to believe that talent regardless of the box it stands in is what will produce wins. Talent... you have to find it... you have to develop it and you have to play it. This is stuff I look at it so when I go on my tangents... I can say I come by it honestly.

I don't know what Shelton has planned once this run of left handed starters stabilizes. Right now... He might be feeding the left handed hitters to make up for the lack of playing time. Until it is stabilized with a run of right handed starters and Martin gets playing time against them... I will continue to fear that Martin was set up as a short side platoon and remains a short side platoon. Martin in a short side platoon role will develop a player that has limited value to the team. It will develop a player that will be easily booted off the roster when they decide to roster someone who they won't strip mine for parts. It will develop a player who has next to no trade value. I won't participate in subjective discussion on the what Austin's future ceiling or floor may or may not be. I don't know... the Twins front office doesn't know... Austin Martin doesn't know. 500 Professional AB's is still a work in progress. Everyone else can debate his future. However... I will state unequivocally. There is one certain way to know for sure what he will become tomorrow.. You just strip mine him for parts today. There will be no long career for Austin Martin... it will be just the drops of juice you squeeze out of him today and then you toss him aside. I feel this way when they do it to young left handed hitters. It's triple when they do it to young right handed hitters. Screw the platoon. Go find young talent and get damn serious about their complete development. Quit sitting on them when they start to display it. :

Agreed. Platoons do occur at the expense of the individuals involved. Optimizing production on the other hand is a matter of debate for another time that isn't really germane to what is being discussed. Agreed. Every player wants to play everyday but that isn't the point either. The point is: The belief from players, coaches, fans and farm animals that "Normally, players hate having the routine of playing every day disrupted". For what purpose... will the players not be as good if that routine is disrupted or is it because they will be too unhappy to play when put back in the lineup? If that's true that players performance suffer from this disruption. That thought is mutually opposed and simply cannot coexist with a functioning platoon that operates by it's very nature without that routine of playing every day but yet is declared as "optimizing team production". If everyday playing time is disruptive. The Platoon is also disruptive. Perhaps more... You simply can't have it both ways.

Players may hate it but Trevor in a small sample is basically showing that the routine of playing that players think is necessary just may not be disruptive to actual performance and that is more important than the every day routine of all levels from good to bad accomplishment. It can't be argued both ways. If anyone wants to make the argument that not playing everyday is disruptive to their timing, emotions, karma or whatever it disrupts. You can't also argue that platooning makes sense because platooning in it's very nature is a disruption of the routine that the players want. You can't select both... yet... both are typically selected. It's like Mark Knopfler said back in 1982. Two men say they're Jesus... one of them must be wrong. One other thing. Some everyday players need to be disrupted. Too many times I've watched players who are supposed to be terrific producing terribly for entire 100 AB stretches playing every day.

For complete clarity. Even if I layed things out equally in the post. It doesn't have to be exactly equal. My post was just a starting point for a dial not a switch. Dial up or dial down based on performance. I just question which players should be dialed all the way up to everyday designation. I question the either or mentality with nothing in between. Ok... If you want Bell to play everyday. Play him everyday at 1B. Now we are talking about 4 players Larnach, Wallner, Erod and Martin for 3 positions LF, RF and DH. Playing 3 out of 4 isn't going to hinder the development of anyone. It isn't going to rust a veteran either. Now consider that 3 out of 4 a dial and not a switch. Personally... I love the start that Bell has had for us... I also love the start that Larnach has had for us. I'd like them both in the lineup as long as they are getting themselves on base like they have been. I'm loving what I'm seeing out of Martin as well. However... we still have 140 games to go and you and I have watched players look different in June compared to how they look in April. We still don't know who is next to hit the injured list... we just know that players are going to hit the injured list. Bell every day? Bell currently has a .799 OPS in 2026 and that is wonderful but he is also a guy that has produced merely decent OPS numbers of .744 .725 and .741 the 3 seasons prior at the DH and 1B positions. We can't treat Bell like he is irreplaceable like like he is Freeman, Vlad Jr or Olson. We shouldn't treat Larnach or Wallner like they are irreplaceable either. Like the Twins can't do better than merely decent. It's a dial not a switch. If this team can't find playing time for young players because merely decent can't be taken out of the lineup. We will be complaining evermore.

This is usually the part where I get shouted down. It's a dial not a switch. It doesn't have to be either or. It shouldn't be either or. Erod could get 5 games a week. Larnach could get 5 games a week. Wallner could get 5 games a week. Martin can get 5 games a week. Bell could get 5 games a week. Buxton could still play damn close to every day with the occasional DH day or rest day. That is 5 players for 4 positions. LF, RF, 1B and DH. Each player sits 1 game out of 4. That will not kill Erod's development. It will allow him to compete with Larnach and Wallner. It will allow him to show that he deserves everyday playing time like Buxton gets or it will allow him to struggle and figure out what he needs to learn for the future. It's a dial... not a switch. How does almost everybody get themselves into the mindset that it's Larnach every day or Larnach being called awful things and tossed completely overboard for no return. Why is there nothing in between playing everyday and not a playing a single day.

If they swapped Erod for Outman. My question would be. What players prevent Erod from 5 games a week? Larnach has had 47 very professional PA's so far this year. He looks great but 90% of Twinsdaily would throw him off a cliff and still would. Wallner has had 81 mostly unprofessional AB's thus far. 42% K rate. BTW that's 47% against RH and 36% against LH. 50% of Twinsdaily wanted him tossed in the off season. Martins looks great with a .484 OBP but we still don't know if he is a short side platoon. We've just seen an incredible stretch of left handers. Maybe now we will find out. If Bell can play 1B... The DH position is available for Larnach and Wallner. That puts Bell, Caratini and Clemens as additional players who can yield playing time so Erod can get his 5 a week. The Outman role is a waste. Very few could entertain the thought of Gray pushing Brooks at SS but its April and Gray is replacing Lewis at 3B due to injury. This team has one true superstar in Buxton. This team doesn't need late inning defensive replacements. This team doesn't need late game pinch runners This team doesn't need short side platoon specialists. This team needs talent.

Those words do sound alike... Don't they. Can't believe I missed that.

Bad Luck? All 30 teams experience the same type of luck. Injuries are a major part of a 162 game schedule. Major Part! You don't know who, what and when but you know that there will be a who, what and when.

Last Game - Right Handed Starter April 19 - Brady Singer - Loss - Runs Scored 4 Lineup Composition 2 RH - 3 Switch - 4 LH Record vs Right Hander Starter 6 - 3 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH Starter 5.44 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs Left Handed Starter Record vs LH Starter 5-8 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.85

It's Martha and the Vandellas in the bullpen. Not just the Twins bullpen but every bullpen. There is nowhere to run and you really can't hide in the bullpen. Leverage is going to find you. Our bullpen is crafty. Good bullpens are less crafty... good bullpens have at least SOME arms throwing in the upper 90's with high K/9. The Twins currently have only 1 bullpen arm that is striking out over a batter an inning. That 1 arm is Garrett Acton in a 5 inning sample. Our bullpen is crafty.

Left Handed Starter April 17 - Ben Williamson - Loss - Runs Scored 1 Lineup Composition 5 RH - 3 Switch - 1 LH Record vs Left Handed Starter 5-7 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.92 Last Game - Left Handed Starter April 18 - Andrew Abbott - Loss - Runs Scored 4 Lineup Composition 5 RH - 2 Switch - 2 LH Record vs Left Hander Starter 5-8 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 4.85 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs Right Handed Starter Record vs RH Starter 6-2 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH Starter 5.63

Just food for potential thought. With no additional research done to support the food. Yes... the righty throwing-lefty swinging human beings do exist. However... the lefty throwing-lefty swinging human beings also exist. Lefty throwing human beings do not play 2B, 3B, SS or Catcher. So if you throw left handed. You are usually an OF or 1B. Again I've done no research on how many lefty hitters are right handed throwers. So... depending on how many are lefty throwers... it will lead to an OF pileup.

Us Brian's get that a lot. LOL

This off-season wasn't what many here were hoping for... including myself. After the trade deadline... many thought it was a beginning of a youth movement. The trade deadline was the end of the youth movement. I thought it was a good time to flood the system with youth. The Twins really did the opposite... especially in the pen. They flooded the bullpen with non-youth. This flood could also include Chafin and Hendriks who were released and then replaced by Drew Smith and Brebbia. I like to refer to our bullpen as crafty. It's crafty in St. Paul as well. Raya is perhaps the only young starter that they converted to bullpen duty. I think we will see some conversions on the fly as necessity requires. However... I thought we would see a little youth movement.

I do intend to keep this updated all year. I got a little behind this week so I'm updating the entire Red Sox series in one post because on Tuesday I became a Grandpa. First of many I hope. Left Handed Starter April 13 - Garrett Crochet - Win - Runs Scored 13 Lineup Composition 5 RH 3 Switch 1 LH Record vs Left Handed Starter 5-5 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 5.30 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Right Handed Starter April 14 - Sonny Gray - Win - Runs Scored 6 Lineup Composition 2 RH 3 Switch 4 LH Record vs Right Handed Starter 6-2 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH Starter 5.63 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Last Game - Left Handed Starter April 15 - Connelly Early - Loss - Runs Scored 5 Lineup Composition 5 RH 3 Switch 1 LH Record vs Left Handed Starter 5-6 Season Average Runs Scored vs LH Starter 5.27

I would have done things differently. If I'm wrong or right is TBD. That won't stop me for cheering with all my might for every member of this team.

If you are insistent that a SS play SS and SS only and refuse to recognize that the SS at the major league level may remain healthy therefore keeping his incredible Keith Law scouting reports and his 1,000 OPS at St. Paul. If you are insistent that a 2B play 2B and 2B only and you refuse to recognize that you are promoting a player with a .500 OPS instead of that SS with a 1,000 OPS for the sole reason that 2B is the position that opened up. If you are all cool with that. Carry on. If you think it's possible that you would rather promote the SS over the 2B to fill the 2B role that opened. You have two choices. You can promote the SS and make him play 2B for the first time at the major league level... OR... you can get him work at different positions in the minors to prepare the player for whatever door opens. It seems more reasonable to me to prepare players in the minors.

Outman is toolsy. Power, speed, defense, arm. There was a reason the Dodgers didn't designate him for assignment for multiple seasons. There was a reason the Twins traded for him knowing he was out of options. There is a reason the Twins don't designate him for assignment. Normally I'd say you have to let him build up a decent sized sample. The problem is 19 plate appearances over 16 games is going to take too long to build a decent sample. The other problem is 10 strikeout over those 19 PA's makes him look completely lost. 1 walk is all he has produced.

Last Game - Right Handed Starter April 13 - Max Scherzer - Win - Runs Scored 8 Lineup Composition 1 RH 3 Switch 5 LH Record vs Right Handed Starter 5-2 Season Average Runs Scored vs RH Starter 5.57 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Season Accumulated Stats vs Left Handed Starter Record vs LH Starter 4-5 Season Average Runs vs LH Starter 4.44