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jmlease1

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Everything posted by jmlease1

  1. jmlease1
    Perkins and Morneau are both pretty comfortable explaining these terms, and I'm enjoying hearing them talk about it. Bremer's interest and curiosity makes for a nice foil as he's usually asked reasonable questions about them that help put the stat into context without sounding dopey or grouchy about it. (BTW, here's rooting for a rapid recovery from COVID for Mr. Bremer!) It's fun seeing them talk a bit about different stats, and I think they've been doing a good job working them into the graphics. Honestly, they've been treating fans as dumb with the "rules" change explanations before the games kick off and as smart when introducing new analytics and stats. That's kinda odd.
  2. jmlease1
    I hope these weekly summaries will help smooth out some of the instant reaction/overreaction to each individual game. Inning. AB. Baseball is a long season. I hope Polanco is able to get back sooner rather than later. He's a really important part of this club and a really really good player. I would certainly like to see Buxton getting at least some run in CF, because we need more offense than Michael A. Taylor can provide. Bummer that Kirilloff is still much further away, but Larnach's start makes that much more manageable. I'm a fan of Larnach, and I'm not really surprised to see him hitting well. Very pleased to see what the rotation is doing so far. They're really generating Ks and with the exception of Mahle have done a terrific job in limited hits. And it's not like Mahle is getting knocked around; I think I counted 4 "seeing-eye" singles against him yesterday, and those will even out. Looking forward to seeing how they stack up against the ChiSox. Did not realize Nick Gordon hadn't struck out at all so far this season. That does put his struggles at the plate in a little different context, but at the same time: he's not making very good contact either. Zero barrels and a dreadful hard-hit % aren't going to get you anywhere. Hopefully he's just a little bit off and can get on track against a division foe.
  3. jmlease1
    Mahle's overall line doesn't look all that great, but watching the game he wasn't giving up a lot of hard contact: multiple bleeders bouncing through the infield, a soft liner just out of Farmer's reach, a blooper just into short right...I wouldn't say he pitched great, but he wasn't bad either. Some tough beats. The offense really struggled. 2 hits is just not enough. Brown was really good though and had them completely off balance. I'll still take a series win against Houston every time, though. I recall a bunch of negative nellies predicting total disaster in this series and we took 2 of 3. Time to get back to work against Chicago.
  4. jmlease1
    Great to see Prielipp back on the mound and pitching. I think it's going to be very interesting to see where he's at by midseason. Miller is having a nice start to the season so far.
  5. jmlease1
    He should have had more confidence in three pitchers who performed poorly enough that none of them have MLB jobs this season? Only one of whom is pitching at all right now? No thank you.
  6. jmlease1
    It's a good problem to have, frankly. Castro will be the easy cut when Polanco comes back (or if Kirilloff dominates enough to demand a spot) and it's why he was kept over a younger player in the first place: it was always going to be a temp assignment unless someone else got hurt. I don't see them cutting Kepler or Solano like some have suggested; if it gets to the point where Kirilloff is in AAA crushing it and no one else is on the injured list, or Julien is demanding a call up, etc while everyone is healthy and playing reasonably well the Twins are much more likely to make a trade with someone for either of those veterans. Gordon is still more likely to stick unless he totally collapses (he played well enough last year to have earned some rope) because of his positional flexibility. Looking forward to having Polo back; I still think he's our 3rd best position player until some of the younger guys prove it otherwise. (Maybe Miranda, Larnach, or Kirilloff will pass him...but they haven't yet.)
  7. jmlease1
    Nice to see the bats bust out! Would love to see the Twins sweep the series, but any series win is a good series. Ryan fought through it, which is good to see. Alvarez is going to do for a lot of pitchers this season, so no shame in that, but it was too bad Ryan's control juiced up the bases ahead of him. That's always going to be the key for Ryan: making sure he doesn't put too many ducks on the pond when he gives up a dinger. Normally, you're going to feel very good about a start where he gives up only 3 hits and a walk over 6. Nice job by the offense today. Plenty of hits, plenty of walks, and the power showed out. Moran is really the only pitcher that's looking particularly wobbly so far. I'm still a big believer in his talent and his changeup, but I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up spending a little time back in AAA to get things sorted.
  8. jmlease1
    Who cares about Garver? He's long gone, and seems likely to play at least half his games at DH now, assuming he can stay on the field at all. (people rip Buxton all the time for struggling to stay healthy, but Garver has played only 368 games since coming up in 2017 and Buxton has played 453) I'm liking the tandem of Vazquez and Jeffers quite a bit. If Jeffers has found his power stroke again it adds a nice dimension to the pair, and Vazquez all-around skill on defense is fun to watch. I agree, it seems to have pushed Jeffers a little. They've certainly worked with the pitchers very well so far and the starters sure look comfortable throwing to them both.
  9. jmlease1
    good starts to the year for Varland (who we will see in MLB this year and seems to be making his case to be in the rotation from Day 1 in 2024) and Festa (who took a big step forward in his first full season). Both pitchers are looking like real developmental success stories right now: not high draft picks, not heralded prospects, but they've done the work and team has supported their development and look at where they are now. Love seeing Noah Miller get some hits. How his bat develops this season is going to say a few things about his future ceiling. He already looks like a guy who can really pick it, but if he can get enough hits?
  10. jmlease1
    Some people would rather be mad and look for the worst rather than enjoy a win, I guess? Offense isn't where it needs to be yet, but we still had 11 hits and 4 BBs today and that's going to result in more runs most days. We're also missing our 3rd best player in Polanco, and Kirilloff is probably our 6th best on offense as well. Getting those guys back will make a difference. Sonny Gray was really, really good today. He really had the Astros off balance, and it was great to see him missing bats like this. Rotation is really getting it done so far.
  11. jmlease1
    Really nice win. Goodness, Sonny Gray was good! Excellent to see Miranda get cooking a little bit; I wasn't really worried about him, but I'm sure it's good for him as a younger player to get a 3-hit game and a game-winner early on for the ol' confidence. Pitching held up nicely against a team many are predicting to win it all, so that's not bad either.
  12. jmlease1
    In a surprise to basically no one, Brooks Lee looks great in his first real game of the year. Love that guy. Bummed about Raya starting the season on the IL, hope it's nothing serious. He's an exciting young pitcher! On the other hand, Enlow did well, which is nice to see. He's had some rough injury luck and missing 2020 because of the pandemic certainly hurt him as well. Glad we were able to hold on to him when they pulled him off the 40-man and maybe he can get back on track. Good to see Polanco starting a rehab assignment as well. certainly suggests that he's not all that far off and that this isn't something that's going to keep him out until June.
  13. jmlease1
    Arraez has a career OPS of .672 vs LHP and zero power vs lefties. yes, Duran is our best reliever, but Thielbar is an excellent pick to face Arraez. And De La Cruz has hit righties better than lefties so far in his short career as well, and much like Arraez shown little power against lefties. Sometimes it goes the other way.
  14. jmlease1
    Tough beat by Thielbar. Definitely a little disappointed in the offense this series. Starting pitching looked pretty great, though. That's pretty fun. It's disappointing to drop the series, but a 4-2 road trip is still pretty good.
  15. jmlease1
    Because Castro is only on the MLB roster because two guys (Kirilloff and Polanco) are out with injuries. (and now Kepler has a ding) they're seeing if Castro can be an effective/useful player in the OF for them during this time and trying to develop Wallner in the minors with consistent playing time. Celestino injured himself in spring training after only 2 games and needs to a) get healthy, and b) spend some time in AAA finding his swing. I might have had Solano play 1B and sent Gallo out of LF and asked Castro to DH, but I see no problem in slotting in the switch-hitting Willi Castro into the lineup.
  16. jmlease1
    FYI, the article lists under "Box Score" that there were no HRs in the game. Sadly, this was not the case! The link goes to the Royals game as well. Alcantara is a pretty great pitcher. Twins battled, but couldn't get anything really hard hit against the reigning Cy Young winner. They did manage to get balls into the OF against a guy who usually gives up weak ground balls, but didn't get anything to really carry. Maeda looked good, so let's hope this was a just a tweak from going max effort for the first time for real. 9 K's in 5 innings? I was impressed. I did think when Pagan came in that the rout was on, but he survived. I'm still not sold at all on him, but if they're not going to use him there's no point to having him on the roster (which would have been my preference...). Time to get the rubber game and win the series! Looking forward to Lopez pitching again.
  17. jmlease1
    Very nice win for the Twins. Mahle looked good, and it's good to see the velocity where it's supposed to be. With such a huge lead, it was probably the right decision to pull him after 5 and let Alcala (who looked pretty good) and Sands (who did not) finish it off. Trevor Larnach is off to a very nice start, and with Kepler picking up a ding he's going to be needed even more to provide left-handed thump in the lineup. He's looking capable so far, but we've seen him kick butt in limited supply before, so if he stays healthy he should be a strong contributor. Gallo is making me hate the signing much less right now, lol. But this is why they signed him and this is what he can do. He's also going to have 4 K days, so gotta hope the good ones can carry you through. I know there a little "meh, it's just the Royals and the Marlins" to this win streak, but road wins can be hard to come by, even if the teams aren't very good. KC is still going to win 50-60 games from someone even they're dreadful so sweeping them on the road is big. Winning the series opener in Miami is big; take 1 of 2 the rest of the way and they win the series and come home with a 5-1 road trip and two series wins. I love seeing the Twins winning road series. Team is off to a really good start.
  18. jmlease1
    I think this is a fine list. The Hrbek & Puckett HRs are deeply ingrained in my Twins memory. I'll admit, I'd sorta forgotten about the Baylor one because the Hrbek blast was just so awesome. As an honorable mention I want to name the Cuddyer/Morneau back-to-back jacks in the playoffs from the aughts (definitely not "important" enough to make the list, since we lost that game) because that was a) as loud as I'd ever gotten to experience the Metrodome, and b) it's the only time I've made a called shot. Turned to my pal after the first one and screamed, "He's going to hit one out, we're going back-to-back" (had to scream, because it was ear-bleeding loud in there) and then we all went mad as another one sailed into the seat. I'm still kinda mad at Torii for diving after that stupid single.
  19. jmlease1
    I know it's only one appearance and one inning, but oooof, Pagan. There's a legion of fans who have wanted him gone from the jump and he's doing nothing to sell anyone on the idea that he's somehow been fixed. Good to see Gallo get it going. He's likely to be a boom or bust player all year, but maybe he'll have enough games like this. Larnach has been playing very well and it's nice to see. I hope he stays healthy. I know some may be "meh, who cares it's just sorry, no-account KC" but a sweep is a sweep, especially on the road. It's a fine way to start the season. Hopefully we can keep it going and win the series in Miami. Coming home at 5-1 would be awesome.
  20. jmlease1
    In these examples, with all 4 players on a roster at the same time, I think the rookie in question is most likely to go to Cruz or Correa, depending on what kind of mentorship they're looking for: do they want something a little more paternal? Then it's going to be the elder statesman in Cruz. If they'd rather talk to someone closer to their own age and experience, then it's probably Correa. Buxton is probably the next most likely if they're needing the mental & emotional boost; he's a guy who could help someone restore confidence in themselves. A Donaldson is the least likely: he's provide technical advice, but the prickly nature would make him less approachable for a player in a hole. Guys that provide technocratic leadership like Donaldson often struggle to add to the mix when things are going wrong, and won't be as good at "rallying the troops" so to speak. And when you're a difficult personality (like Donaldson is) they can sometimes make things worse. Correa is a really smart guy, and I think part of what makes people gravitate towards him as a leader is he's not dogmatic in his approaches. He's got the flexibility to adjust in response to the situation and the player(s). He's got that force of personality that people gravitate towards, but without being an ass.
  21. jmlease1
    Remember when people were falling all over themselves to proclaim how the front office had made the most disastrous mistake in the world leaving Akil Baddoo exposed to the Rule 5 draft? Hmmm...
  22. jmlease1
    Offense needs to get in gear, but the bullpen did a fine job shutting KC down. I'm not sad about starting the season with consecutive 2-0 victories. On the road, I take any victory I can get. Buxton is a guy who can create runs out of nothing. He's off to a nice start at the plate.
  23. jmlease1
    Julien didn't draw a walk? I'm vaguely shocked.
  24. jmlease1
    There's some interesting players to watch in Saint Paul. Really want to see how Balazovic responds to a) coming off an injury-filled and ineffective season and b) dealing with the broken jaw and the team's resultant unhappiness. Wallner is worth keeping an eye on: he'll hit HRs, but I'll be watching to see if he keeps the K rates manageable and makes enough contact. Hope Martin doesn't need surgery and comes back soon. Laweryson is an interesting pitcher. Sounds like the Twins may have locked him in to the bullpen and I feel like that's the right choice for him. He did some good stuff in the minors last season and I think we could see him in MLB this season if some guys in the bullpen falter. There's room for a guy with a funky delivery.
  25. jmlease1
    I'm very enthusiastic about the starting pitching depth right now, but we're not at the point where we can seriously consider trading any of it for help/upgrades in other areas, unless the season collapses on us and we have to go into sell mode near the deadline. (or if everyone is healthy and crushing it, I guess?) Because the reality is, Gray, Mahle, and Maeda may not be back next season. (I think the Twins would be wise to try and sign one of them, but there's complicating factors for all of them) So while the depth looks great this year, it does potentially thin out for next season. (Though again, assembling a rotation from Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Paddack, and Varland/Woods Richardson is a much better place to start than in recent years!) Hopefully, players like Ryan & Ober, Varland & Woods Richardson become mainstays to the point where we're consistently looking at only needing one young pitcher from the pipeline to step up per season at the start and have 2-3 others ready to go in Saint Paul. That's what a true starting pitching pipeline looks like, and we're seeing signs that we might be getting there. The rotation is good and deep this year, with real potential for next even if all the free agents go. There are talented prospects rising through the system with arrivals ranging from 2023-2025 (Balazovic, Prielipp, Festa, Raya...man, I want to put Canterino on here but I just can't). Never enough pitching. The way the Twins are evolving we also are going to be much less reliant on signing veteran retreads hoping for a bounceback to fill a big role. (I think it's fine to sign one to fill the 5th slot now and then...but the Twins were having to go for 2-3 of those guys because the system wasn't producing talent that could compete)
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