Seth Stohs

When the life blood of an organization with a strong belief in player development, it is crucial that players continue to develop, continue to improve. That improvement is needed to work through the minor league system, but it is especially important once a player gets to the big leagues. For the Twins to have improved from 78 wins to 101 wins, it required individual improvements from several players. There were many solid candidates for 2019 Twins' Most Improved Player, but ultimately the runaway choice was second-year backstop Mitch Garver.Yesterday, we handed out our award for the 2019 Twins Rookie of the Year to Luis Arraez. In 2018, that award was presented to catcher Mitch Garver. Garver is no stranger to Twins Daily awards. He was named our Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2014 and again in 2017. After posting an OPS over 1.000 as a junior at the University of New Mexico, Garver went undrafted. He returned to the Lobos and put up a second great season. The Twins used their ninth-round pick (260th overall) to select Garver, their third catcher selected in that 2014 draft. There were always concerns about his defensive abilities, but he worked hard and kept hitting. He earned his first big-league promotion in August of 2017. In 2018, he hit a solid .268/.335/.414 (.749) with 19 doubles, two triples and seven home runs in 335 plate appearances. It was a very solid season for a rookie who spent most of that season as the team’s backup catcher. Turns out, it was just a building block. Garver went to work. IMPROVEMENT AT THE PLATE In 2019, Mitch Garver went from a backup, part-time catcher role to being the must-play catcher late in the season and in the playoffs. Garver was given plenty of time off throughout the season. That is one potential reason for his improvement. Another reason might just be the confidence shown in him by new manager Rocco Baldelli. While Garver would typically hit near the bottom of the lineup in 2018, he was a middle-of-the-order bat much of 2019. In addition, Garver was usually in the leadoff spot against left-handed pitching. The results showed right away. He hit seven homers in 335 plate appearances in 2018. This year he hit his eighth home run on May 10th, within 75 plate appearances. I feel it important to point out that Garver had 359 plate appearances in 2019, just 24 more than he accumulated in 2018. He went from seven homers to 31 home runs. His batting average increased from .268 to .273, but his on-base percentage jumped from .335 to .365. His slugging percentage jumped from .414 to 630, and his OPS from .749 to .995. If you’re into wOBA, he went from .325 to .404. And, he did so while seeing his BABIP drop from .330 to .277 .In other words, it wasn’t based on luck at all. It was a concerted effort. In a post-game interview with Marney Gellner on FSN, Garver said, “It’s something that I wanted to do with this season. I want to be a force in the lineup.” He got more specific. He said he wanted to “focus on hitting it hard, pull side, in the air.” Well, he hit the ball hard. His Average Exit Velocity of 91.1 mph ranked behind only Miguel Sano (94.4 mph) and Nelson Cruz (93.7 mph) on the Twins roster. He was 13th in MLB in Barrels per Plate Appearance (4th on Twins). In 2018, he pulled the ball 38.8% of the time. In 2019, he pulled the ball 51.3% of the time. His Line Drive percentage dropped from 22.5% to 13.7% Meanwhile, he increased his Fly Ball percentage from 37.7% to 47.3% It’s fair to say that Garver gave his hitting philosophy a lot of thought, developed a plan and he not only stuck to it, but he succeeded with it. He succeeded with a season that should result in the American League Silver Slugger Award for catchers. IMPROVEMENT BEHIND THE PLATE It isn’t as easy to see, but as much as Garver improved at the plate, he took huge strides forward behind the plate as well. In 2018, according to FanGraphs, Garver’s DRS (Defensive Run Saves) was at -16.His FRM (Catcher Framing Runs Above Average) was at -9.2. Those are the kinds of numbers that create need for self-evaluation. Garver needed to improve, and he knew it. During spring training, Twins Daily talked to Garver, and he was very upfront about his need to improve on defense. Garver went to work with the help of Twins Minor League Catching Coordinator Tanner Swanson in the offseason. So, what did those defensive metrics look like in 2019? DRS: 0 FRM: 0.8 From those numbers, it is fair to say that Garver has made himself into an average defensive catcher. And while ‘average’ may not be exciting, when you consider how far he came in just one season, it was a huge improvement. Coupled with his offense, average defense makes Garver extremely valuable. Also something to consider, the bar for “average” is a moving target. Organizations much better understand the value of catcher defense. It has become more and more of a focus every year. In short, the “average” catcher has become a better catcher. So not only did Garver go from posting poor defensive metrics to average defensive metrics, but he moved up to the higher ‘average” level.And he did so without it effecting his throwing or blocking. DESIRE TO IMPROVE Garver has played with a chip on his shoulder going back to college when he was a walk-off. He wasn’t drafted after his junior year and became a “senior sign.” He was never considered a top prospect. People questioned his defense. And through it all, Garver was humble and kept on working. Late in the season at Target Field, Twins Daily asked Twins manager Rocco Baldelli about the improvement he's seen from Garver, particularly behind the plate. Baldelli said, “I think he’s coming into his own in a lot of ways.” The Twins rookie manager continued, “Experience matters behind the plate. It’s difficult to develop into a major-league player of any kind. There are challenges, but to develop into a major-league catcher. There are just so many more responsibilities that you have, and they're not even just personal responsibilities. You’re responsible for other people and what they’re doing out on the field. That’s tough for a lot of guys, but I think Mitch is certainly making huge strides in those areas. What we ask those guys to do behind the plate compared to what we ask everybody else to do, it’s kind of wild. Mitch has taken to it and he’s shown a very open willingness and desire to improve, whether it’s come to his flexibility and his body, or his receiving, or his game-calling, he spends a lot of time. He’s very diligent. I’ve been very happy with the work he’s put in this year. LOOKING FORWARD And as his college coach at New Mexico, Ray Birmingham, told us recently, that there just might be another level of improvement to come. “He has worked his butt off to get there, and he’s making an impact, and you haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s sure of himself now. He’s sure that he can do this now, and he will only continue to get better.” OTHER CANDIDATES While Garver was the runaway winner, as you can see from the results below that there were several strong candidates. After three seasons with very similar numbers, Max Kepler knocked 36 home runs, easily his best season. Jorge Polanco went from a solid start to his career to an All-Star Game starter. Miguel Sano showed great improvement midseason. He was struggling immensely while working on his swing. It took about a week, but after that, he took off. Tyler Duffey had been frequently up and down from the big leagues to Rochester over recent seasons and even began 2019 at AAA. He became one of the best, most dominant set-up men in the game in the season’s second half. THE BALLOTS Here’s a look at the ballots from our 17 voters. Seth Stohs: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Tyler Duffey, 3) Max Kepler Nick Nelson: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Max Kepler, 3) Tyler Duffey John Bonnes: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Miguel Sano, 3) Max Kepler Tom Froemming: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Jorge Polanco, 3) Miguel Sano Cody Christie: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Max Kepler, 3) Jorge Polanco Ted Schwerzler: 1) Miguel Sano, 2) Tyler Duffey, 3) Max Kepler Steve Lein: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Tyler Duffey, 3) Miguel Sano S.D. Buhr: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Max Kepler, 3) Jake Odorizzi Matt Braun: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Tyler Duffey, 3) Miguel Sano Cooper Carlson: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Tyler Duffey, 3) Max Kepler Andrew Thares: 1) Miguel Sano, 2) Tyler Duffey, 3) Jake Odorizzi JD Cameron: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Max Kepler, 3) Jorge Polanco Matt Lenz: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Jorge Polanco, 3) Max Kepler Nash Walker: 1) Jorge Polanco, 2) Miguel Sano, 3) Byron Buxton Patrick Wozniak: 1) Mitch Garver, 2) Max Kepler, 3) Tyler Duffey Thieres Rabelo: 1) Max Kepler, 2) Miguel Sano, 3) Jorge Polanco Sabir Aden: 1) Tyler Duffey, 2) Miguel Sano, 3) Mitch Garver AJ Condon: 1) Tyler Duffey, 2) Miguel Sano, 3) Max Kepler POINTS Mitch Garver: 38 Tyler Duffey: 20 Max Kepler: 19 Miguel Sano: 19 Jorge Polanco: 10 Jake Odorizzi: 2 Byron Buxton: 1 Do you agree with our pick? Who would be your choice for Most Improved Twin and why? How would your ballot look? Leave a comment and make your case. Previous Twins Most Improved Player Award Winners 2015: Aaron Hicks 2016: Brian Dozier 2017: Byron Buxton 2018: Kyle Gibson Click here to view the article

TWINS ANNOUNCE 2019 DIAMOND AWARDS RECIPIENTS WINNERS SELECTED BY TWIN CITIES BASEBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 15th Annual Diamond Awards Event Set For January 23, 2020 Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN — The Minnesota Twins today announced the recipients of the Diamond Awards, their annual awards for the 2019 season based on voting conducted by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. In addition, the Twins and the BBWAA announced plans for the 15th annual Diamond Awards, which will be held Thursday, January 23, 2020 at The Depot Minneapolis and will benefit research, education and care in brain, nerve and muscle disorders at the University of Minnesota. Designated Hitter Nelson Cruz is the winner of the Calvin R. Griffith Award (the Twins’ first owner) given to the Most Valuable Twin. After signing with Minnesota as a free agent in January, the 39-year-old played in 120 games and hit .311 (141-for-454) with 26 doubles, 41 home runs, 108 RBI, 81 runs scored, 56 walks and a 1.031 OPS -- the best of his 15-year career and matching the Twins all-time record. His home run and RBI totals, all collected as a DH, set Twins single-season records for the position. Cruz ranked second in the American League in OPS and slugging percentage (.639), tied for third in home runs, sixth in batting average and seventh in RBI, joining Boston’s J.D. Martinez as the only two players to rank in the top-10 for all three AL Triple Crown categories. He also joined Hank Aaron (1963) and Barry Bonds (2003 and 2004) as the only three players in baseball history to hit 40 homers at age 39-or-older. Cruz has also been named the winner of the Bob Allison Award (former Twins player) given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field; and, as the winner of the Carl R. Pohlad Community Service Award. Among his many efforts to benefit those at home and in Twins Territory, Cruz raised funds through the Big League Impact ALL WIN campaign to impact the Monte Cristi Education Center in his native Dominican Republic. He also hosted a vitilla clinic with the Twins RBI All-Stars in July. Since the Bob Allison Award was introduced in 2005, Cruz is the first Twins player to win all three awards in the same season. Left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers is the winner of the Joseph W. Haynes Award (former Twins Executive Vice President) given to the Twins Pitcher of the Year. He emerged as a dominant closer after earning the club’s full-time role in June, tying for fourth in the American League and ninth in baseball with 30 saves overall, and ranking second in MLB with a Minnesota reliever-record 8.18 strikeout-to-walk ratio (90 SO, 11 BB). The fourth left-hander in Twins history to reach the 30-save plateau, Rogers finished 2-4 with 10 holds and a 2.61 ERA (69.0 IP, 20 ER) in 60 appearances. Infielder Luis Arraez is the winner of the Bill Boni Award (former St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press Executive Sports Editor) given to the Twins Most Outstanding Rookie. The Venezuela native, who made his Major League debut on May 18 and returned to the big leagues for good on June 18, set the club rookie record for batting average (min. 350 plate appearances) with a .334 mark (109-for-326). He also set Twins rookie records for fewest strikeouts (29) and highest on-base percentage (.399), while his batting average was the fifth-highest by a 22-year-old in the past 100 years (min. 100 PA), behind Ted Williams (.406 in 1941), Freddie Lindstrom (.358 in 1928), Stan Musial (.357 in 1943) and Joe DiMaggio (.346 in 1937). In 92 games, Arraez added 20 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 28 RBI, 54 runs scored, 36 walks and an .838 OPS. Outfielder Byron Buxton is the winner of the Jim Kaat Award (former Twins pitcher) for Twins Defensive Player of the Year. Buxton posted a .991 fielding percentage (224 total chances, 2 errors) in his 86 games (78 starts) in centerfield, while his zone rating of .951 would have led the American League with enough games played to qualify. The Twins were 53-25 (.679) in 2019 when Buxton was the starting centerfielder. He also won the award in 2016 and 2017. Catcher Mitch Garver is the winner of the Charles O. Johnson Award (former Minneapolis Star Tribune Sports Editor), awarded to the most improved Twin. He led all Major League catchers with a club-record 30 home runs at the position and topped American League backstops with 65 RBI, while his 3.89 catcher’s ERA ranked fourth in the AL. Garver played in 93 games overall and finished the season with a .273 batting average (85-for-311), 16 doubles, one triple, 31 home runs, 67 RBI, 70 runs scored and a .995 OPS -- the sixth-best ever by a Twin with at least 350 plate appearances. For the second consecutive year, right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson has been named the winner of the Mike Augustin “Media Good Guy” Award (former Pioneer Press Sports Writer). Gibson, who went 13-7 with a 4.84 ERA (160.0 IP, 86 ER), 56 walks and 160 strikeouts in 34 games (29 starts), joins Torii Hunter (2006 and 2007) and Michael Cuddyer (2010 and 2011) as back-to-back winners of the “Media Good Guy” award. Tampa Bay Rays right-handed pitcher Nick Anderson is the winner of the Dick Siebert Award (former University of Minnesota Baseball Coach) given to the Upper Midwest Player of the Year. The Crosby, Minnesota native made a combined 68 relief appearances for the Miami Marlins and Rays, going 5-4 with one save, 16 holds, a 3.32 ERA (65.0 IP, 24 ER), 18 walks and 110 strikeouts. Former Twins first baseman Justin Morneau will be given the Kirby Puckett Award for Twins Alumni Community Service. The former American League MVP, who moved to Minnesota full-time after his retirement as a player, works to raise funds and acts as a spokesman for youth with rheumatoid arthritis, has been instrumental in the success of the annual “Home for the Holidays” event with the Minnesota Assistance Council of Veterans at Target Field, and -- along with his wife Krista -- hosts an annual holiday coat drive in the Twin Cities. As a player, Morneau won the 2009 Carl R. Pohlad Award. The 15th annual Diamond Awards dinner, which will be held on Thursday, January 23, 2020 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at The Depot Minneapolis, will honor the 2019 BBWAA award recipients as well as the winners of the Sherry Robertson Award (Trevor Larnach) for the Twins Minor League Player of the Year and the Jim Rantz Award (Randy Dobnak) for the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year. All proceeds from the event will benefit the University of Minnesota’s innovative research and patient care focused on ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), ataxia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Along with the award winners, current and former Twins players and coaches are scheduled to appear at the event. Corporate sponsorship opportunities, tables and individual tickets are now available. For more information on the event visit www.minnesotadiamondawards.org or call (612) 301-8305.

I want to say the last Twins minor leaguer to win a gold glove was Max Murphy maybe 3 years ago...

I would imagine it is something philosophical, maybe.

Thank you Moderators!!

Polanco and Arraez will likely begin the season at SS and 2B. Lewis is probably 1/2 a season to a full season away. There are questions with Sano at third base. Injuries are the lone concern with Buxton. Sano and Buxton are already in their 2nd years of arbitration (Sano will get three, Buxton four). Polanco is locked up. So, maybe "Clearly" was a bit strong, but there is value in making him more versatile. If nothing else, what if Polanco gets hurt and is out a month? Lewis could be an option there. Same could be said at 3B or CF already in 2020. Letting him get some time at those spots is wise because we don't know where the Twins need will be when he is ready.

The Twins called up quite a few players from the Red Wings again this year. And I think we can all say that they seemed much more prepared than they had in previous years. Littell, Stashak, Dobnak, Thorpe, Smeltzer, and others came up and contributed to the team's 101-win season. Skinner was brought up for September as an extra coach.

Tony Leo has been in the Twins for 23 years. The last two years, he has been the team's Head Trainer. Following the season, he was relieved of his duties, according to the Star Tribune.

The Blue Wahoos just sent out a press release with quotes from Contreras: Mark Contreras Named 2019 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winner Blue Wahoos outfielder wins highest defensive honor PENSACOLA, Fla. – Minor League Baseball and the Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. announced Monday that Blue Wahoos outfielder Mark Contreras is one of nine recipients of the 2019 Rawlings Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence. Players from all 10 domestic-based full-season Minor Leagues were eligible to be selected for the game’s highest defensive honor. “These nine men were the gold standard for defensive excellence in Minor League Baseball in 2019, and I am pleased to honor them with a Rawlings Gold Glove Award,” said Minor League Baseball President and CEO Pat O’Conner in a press release. “On behalf of Minor League Baseball and our tremendous partners at Rawlings, I congratulate each of them on their outstanding seasons.” Contreras appeared in the outfield in 94 games in 2019, including 69 with Pensacola and 25 with the High-A Fort Myers Miracle. In 182 total chances, he made no errors and recorded 13 outfield assists. For the Blue Wahoos, Contreras played 46 games in left field, 16 in center field, and seven in right field, totaling 576.1 innings in the Pensacola outfield while maintaining a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. “It’s crazy to think that I just won the Gold Glove for all the Minor Leagues in left field,” Contreras said. “It’s such an honor to be recognized for defense. My pop has always told me that if it’s not working with the bat today, then you can go out and make a play in the field and change the momentum of a game.” “This shows you that hard work matters,” Minnesota Twins outfield coordinator Mike Quade said. “Mark is an excellent athlete who worked hard to clean up a few things technically in the outfield the last two years and conquered them with flying colors. Congratulations to Mark on a well-deserved award.” All three of the outfielders who received Gold Gloves appeared in the Southern League in 2019. Victor Victor Mesa, who finished the season with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, and Jesus Sanchez, who played 78 games for Montgomery before being promoted to Triple-A, join Contreras as the outfield award winners. Contreras is the second Pensacola player to win a Minor League Gold Glove, joining shortstop Zach Vincej, a 2016 recipient.

Mark Contreras, the Twins 9th round pick in 2017 out of UC-Riverside, was named a Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove winner this morning. He split 2019 between Ft. Myers and Pensacola.

http://www.startribune.com/bench-coach-derek-shelton-to-interview-with-mets-pirates/562941602/ According to the Star Tribune, the Rochester Red Wings will have a new coaching staff in 2020. Manager Joel Skinner, Hitting Coach Javier Valentin, and pitching coach Stu Cliburn have all been "let go." Cliburn had spent 28 seasons in the organization. In addition, the article notes the GCL hitting coach Caleb Abney will not be back in 2020... I'd kind of been hearing that there could be changes made at that level.

Twins bench coach Derek Shelton was rumors to be a finalist for at least two managerial jobs last offseason (Twins, Orioles, maybe Rangers). His name has already been brought up a few times this year, so I thought I'd set up a forum thread on rumors we hear about him this offseason: Pittsburgh Pirates: New York Mets:

I'm obviously just guessing on this too, but... Mostly it's about ABs and innings... For Lewis, I'm sure they were thrilled to know that there were other SS on the Salt River offense because it's valuable to Lewis and the organization to get him some time around the field. For Raley, it was likely just about getting him ABs after missing May through August. Rortvedt missed time... and isn't playing a lot, but there's still value, I'm sure. For Chalmers, it's about getting some starts, some innings, and proving he can throw consistent strikes. There are guys who have been hurt and they have to make 40-man roster decisions on guys... all that factors in... plus, for pitchers, their in-season innings pitched.

I would tell you that. Ha! Especially with someone who is as great of an athlete as Lewis...

When you consider Matthew Trueblood's article on Sano/Athleticism/Etc... and consider that Lewis has been playing a bit of 3B in the Fall League... Clearly it's something that is being considered for either late 2020 or very soon after.

Tonight, Royce Lewis went 1-3 with a 2-run homer. He was named the Arizona Fall League's Fall Stars game MVP. The HR: https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1183232659767681024

He's got a potentially really good changeup too. Maybe they can be creative with innings and such.

If they want Graterol to be a starter, long-term (and I believe they do), then he needs a third pitch (changeup). I think he can develop that, but I think he starts the season in Rochester... should, at least.

I would argue that the hitters' bats were just really good in that top of the first inning.

As of today, the Twins starting 5 is: Berrios Dobnak Smeltzer Thorpe Stewart I think there'll be some changes, but that's the starting point. Sign Odo and he slots in after Berrios and everyone slides down one and Stewart drops off the list (note, Stewart may or may not have another transaction just for him in the near future too). Then sign someone else and drop people down. Again, I'm fine with Dobnak, Thorpe or Smeltzer being 4 and 5 starters, but ideally the Twins go into spring training with those three fighting for the 5th starter job and the other two (and Graterol, maybe Gonsalves, guys like Duran, Colina, Balazovic in AA, and so on) working at Rochester as the 6th, 7th and 8th options. Just gives them so much more depth. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

I literally was just thinking of this yesterday... Awesome!!

Ummmm. absolutely Cron is better than Astudillo... No question about that.

I can understand questioning the Gibson decision. I had no problem with going to LIttell or Stashak. Hey, if they're on the roster, they need to be able to get outs. Littell just didn't, at all. He just didn't have it, and Rocco got him out quick. Duffey threw in a walk and the big double too, so you never know what happens if he just started that inning. And, Littell had given up one ER over his last 16 MLB outings (19 IP)... and some were against Cleveland and Washington and Boston, not just Detroit and Kansas City. Stashak's been really good too. Not tonight, but he's earned the opportunities. I don't get the Gibson decision, and he was obviously kept in too long after three walks, but I had no problem with the other two decisions. I mean, hey, they could have brought Romo in and he would have struck out the side, or hung a couple of sliders. No way to know. May could strike out the side, or serve up a few runs. You never know.