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JD-TWINS

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Everything posted by JD-TWINS

  1. JD-TWINS
    More than likely we’re done on April 9th……ONE GAME over .500 on August 11th last year………… We have a bit of time to rebound!!
  2. JD-TWINS
    Unfortunately, it can happen! It has happened for past few decades - probably going back to the start of the game? Umpires push themselves into the game, demanding respect. Not unlike “old school” approach in refereeing many sports. …….when I played basketball in the ‘70’s if one didn’t raise their hand clearly after being whistled for a foul, it could be a Technical. Things have changed!! Umps & Refs egos have not…..,they seem much more sensitive! I understand your point. Seems to me, there is already a system…..just needs further validation. Am pretty sure the “auto - zone” has been around in the minors at certain times for more than just one season. Seems to be a matter of time. I too prefer the human element, until there’s a terrible Ump that consistently struggles (Saturday) - then it’s a 180 to automation or at least some blend.
  3. JD-TWINS
    Obviously, Martin isn’t playing 1B. The hole is with the injury to Lewis, compounded by Lee & Larnach being hurt as well. They need an extra LH bat to DH……….Santana was NOT acquired to help out much at all from the left side and he’s reinforcing that truth. He’s getting way too many AB’s from left side that should be going to better players. My assumption is the logic is he helps defensively and with his years of experience, he gives them a better shot than a rookie?? I see Martin at 2B or in CF v. left handed pitching…..,,pinch running …….being available as needed. That’s really it for now. They aren’t starting him v. RH pitching unless injury dictates. ……..I agree, watching Margot get AB’s & Santana are both painful…..it’s 7 games though.
  4. JD-TWINS
    Can’t comment on Spring training intelligently. They were 17-12 March/April of ‘23 with mediocre offense………hopefully, they get something going a guy or two at a time. I do know Castro was tearing the cover off in Spring Training & it’s not translating so far.
  5. JD-TWINS
    Where does Miranda play? He’s played one, maybe 2 games at 3B. He’s not playing at 1B on Big Club. They need a LH guy at DH. Don’t see it at all.
  6. JD-TWINS
    He’s filling the roster in Lewis’ spot. Allowing Castro to play every day at 3B and still have OF depth, period, IMO. He isn’t up to lead the team. Most guys in the 13th roster spot around baseball aren’t huge contributors. My point is he’s not the answer to the offensive woes. Wallner & Kepler are #4 & #6 in our line-up and neither are batting .100! Our 4th - 7th BEST hitters are at .154 - .130 - .130 - .111 ……….so 6 “regulars” under .154. Our TEAM batting average is 30th in baseball in the .190’s. I can hear you and others now, “then give Martin a chance”……he’s not the answer & inserting him with expectations higher than what they have for veterans does not seem fair to Martin. Not time to experiment until they are much deeper into season than now. Unfortunately, gotta stay the course. Everyone is frustrated, to put it nicely.
  7. JD-TWINS
    #4) Not striking out routinely v. putting the ball in play with runners in scoring position would be a welcomed change. I think exit path - launch angle has VERY little to do with the Team’s success. Hurry the ball hard AND putting it in play is key! I know there is data to support your point. Kirilloff flew out to the track twice in one game and again in a second game and he tripled on a sharply hit ball on the ground past the first baseman in yet another game. He’s hitting the ball well at all different angles. Buxton had a double in the gap essentially on a ground ball with high exit velocity. Get the barrel on the ball and good things happen. Zero contact gets zero results. I just hope Max gets going in next week or two v. end of June, if then. Also, regardless of what he does from here through October, please don’t suggest a qualifying offer or some extension for him. I can’t take it anymore.
  8. JD-TWINS
    So, if you take away Ober’s 1 1/3 - 8 run debacle, the other 12 guy’s ERA is 2.26 to date. That’s with 4 guys out that were supposed to contribute in a big way. (DeScla, Duran, Thielbar, & Topa) If they were 4-3 v. 3-4 they would project to a record of 48-36 at some point in the future……everyone would be ecstatic then. One win difference makes all the difference through 4.3% of the season. The hitting has been pathetic - 10 guys at .200 or below. Something has to change but the season isn’t over. Just like the players, gotta keep our chins up!
  9. JD-TWINS
    He missed 3 of 5 pitches…..1 to Santana & then 2 to Wallner in back to back AB’s. It’s tough enough to hit, w/o guessing what the zone might be, pitch to pitch. No credit to Cleveland for getting fooled and swinging at pitches outside the zone. We gotta hit, granted, but don’t need more obstacles than the opposing pitcher.
  10. JD-TWINS
    It’s the hitters …. Falvey isn’t influencing how Buxton or Correa or Kepler are trying to barrel up the ball. It’s nuts to think Carlos Santana can’t get a hit after 16 years because he’s been poisoned by ”the Twin’s approach”. Lewis doesn’t/hasn’t seem to be negatively affected by the Twin’s system. Julien hasn’t been told to stand, like a dunce, and take strike 3 …..5 times in two games. The damn hitters are responsible! The F.O. is responsible for assembling the talent - it seems, after 7 games, there may be a problem. Not having their best hitter and not having their best prospect as a depth piece to fill in (Lee for Lewis) is not a good situation!! The corner OF pieces of Kepler & Wallner are embarrassing. Julien looks like, as I said last year, he thinks he’s Ted Williams & if he doesn’t swing it’s a ball. Most arrogant looking young hitter I’ve ever seen. Plenty of time to come around through the next 10-20 games but something has to happen with a couple guys right now. The staff can’t pitch any better. If one removes Ober’s 8 runs and his 1 1/3 innings, the rest of the guys (12 pitchers) have a 2.26 ERA. Can’t have 10 guys hitting .200 or below!!
  11. JD-TWINS
    Santana was acquired to bat RH as the platoon at 1B - he is well below average as a LH bat - he’s been proving it routinely. V. LH pitching Buxton - DH …Farmer 2B …Jeffers - C …Santana - 1B ….Correa - SS …Kirilloff - LF …Castro - 3B …Kepler - RF …Martin - CF ….who bats where can be massaged but these are the best bats we have. Pitching stats…….to date: 1.15 WHIP - 8th 3.54 ERA - 9th 10 of our 13 pitchers have below 3.18 ERA to date. If Ober’s 8 runs and 1 1/3 innings are removed, the staff’s ERA is 2.26. Not any sort of pitching issue going on to date…….encouraging, since the 3 starters that weren’t great are all assumed to be better.
  12. JD-TWINS
    Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to hit anything anywhere in the zone……….walking &/or getting hit by pitch seems to be his only threat at this point. Had high hopes - still do. I just don’t think there has been any major adjustment by pitchers - he swings through essentially everything. Terrible time for Larnach to be hurt and probably weeks away as a sub to let Wallner warm up in St. Paul.
  13. JD-TWINS
    Without Lewis, Lee, or Larnach as an option……….v. RH pitching: Julien - Buxton - Kirilloff - Kepler - Correa - Wallner - Jeffers - Santana - Castro Trying to protect Buxton & Kepler ……hoping they see better pitches to hit. Kepler looks broken, unfortunately. Can’t stack Kepler & Santana in the order at this point. Santana was signed to bat from the Right Side & he’s a hole in the order from left side. Until at least one of the 3 of Kepler - Wallner - Santana get going, the line-up is going to struggle…………….Carew & a hypnotist are my solutions for Julien’s inability to swing at pitches when he has 2 strikes - specifically 3-2 counts……tough to watch!!
  14. JD-TWINS
    ‘23………….17-12 in April……..then below .500 in May & June………started to take off in mid-July. Pitching is good - team will start winning.
  15. JD-TWINS
    If his strikeout rate wasn’t already at about 65% - his Spring wasn’t disastrous - then he’d get more consideration. Some minimum level of performance v. RH pitching may lead to some opportunities v. LH pitching but sending a guy up with a 80% chance of a K doesn’t make good sense.
  16. JD-TWINS
    Not looking back at 2016 - sorry, I get your point. The Team is 3-3 and had chance to be in or Win 2 of the 3 losses. Hasn’t been a stellar start but no reason to get too down……can’t try to dodge up worst start ever. Good history lesson though.
  17. JD-TWINS
    It’s a LOB thread and his lack of success is most recent …… “.143 Avg over 2 seasons with guys On Base” isn’t really singling him out with recency bias - he doesn’t take a smart/team approach with guys on base. Watch the games. He was hurt previously and rely g in power to produce. He can run now - needs to put ball in ground with a guy at 3B & not try to hit it to the Track or further every AB. AB’s are obviously fluid (approach is fluid) but with a guy on 3B and less than 2 outs, batter cannot strike out.
  18. JD-TWINS
    Not sure the logic or fit for Miranda on 26-man? Miranda started playing 3B about 5 days ago….his playing there or anywhere else doesn’t get Margot into the line-up with any regularity. He’s a platoon guy from the right side with less flexibility than Martin. He’s not in front of Santana at 1B v. LH pitching. He’s at least a month away at 3B, with any level of confidence…..IMO. They NEED Larnach or Lee v. RH pitching ASAP as DH or in the field, shifting Kirilloff or Buxton or Castro to DH. I’d like Kirilloff at 1B ……….Castro in CF or DH to get Santana out of the left side batter’s box. Santana is hapless from left side! Offensive problems lie with Wallner - Farmer - Vazquez - Kepler - Santana - Margot Jeffers - Julien - Castro will be OK with another 5-10 games. Buxton - Correa - Kirilloff are all healthy & performing.
  19. JD-TWINS
    Kiersey, if he hits near last year, could be up by later May. CF capable & lots of speed………if Martin doesn’t take off, could see Kiersey. Something has to spark with Margot over the next month or he is deadwood on the 26-man.
  20. JD-TWINS
    Alcantara is at $17M next two years and $21M in ‘27 & risky health going forward. ……to me, the last thing ANY organization needs is to trade for a pitcher that’s out a year for an arm injury! Not happening on Twin’s end. Luzardo would be a nice piece. In ‘24 - 179 innings & 3.58 ERA. 208 K’s. Ober in ‘24 - 144 innings & 3.43 ERA …….threw about 165 including AAA innings. I see no benefit in trading Ober along with prospects for Luzardo. Luzardo has better stuff and upside but in general, Ober is much more consistent. Some prospect combination outside of Lee & Jenkins could make sense.
  21. JD-TWINS
    The starters have two 4 inning outings - an absolute outlier with Ober at 1.33 innings - two 5+ inning starts (average) and a 7 inning start. After 6 games, with 2 new starters, I don’t think it’s that unusual. Varland & Paddack had decent stuff - not very efficient - they’ll get better. Ober had a 3.43 ERA last year so he’ll at least be average in ‘24. Not worried until end of April……need to be hitting stride by then. Pen depth has been as expected - there to lean on as needed. Probably won’t continue an ERA under 2.00 but they’ll be good.
  22. JD-TWINS
    I agree with your first paragraph regarding velocity having become king! UCL injuries seem commonplace……….Cleveland stuff was TMI for me this morning…….my point, specific to these two guys in the Twins organization, not their overall approach with arms in the organization, is these guys are young and not needed any time soon. Why not let them get physically stronger for another year or two before pushing their innings total - don’t see the harm?
  23. JD-TWINS
    To contrast - Varland was a full grown man after attending college. Ober & Winder have both had multiple physical issues. Don’t necessarily think their innings lead to Ober & Winder’s problems but that may be why the organization is protecting these younger arms? Graeterol too has had arm issues. Raya - Soto aren’t fully grown ………no problem letting them slowly develop and have success at each level for an entire year. They need to mature - they don’t need to be Doc Gooden. There’s no need to try and push pitchers into the MLB grinder prior to being 23-24 years old. Right now they have Ryan - Ober - SWR - Lopez - Festa - Varland are all around, with a couple other guys in the organization, through 2026……….no big rush for these young guys. Festa will be up at some point for 6-12 starts this year. SWR will also see 6-12 starts. Things are progressing.
  24. JD-TWINS
    Kepler is on pace to thrill us with 5 hits in his first 100 AB’s………..the epitome of “Failure to launch!” Come on MAX!!
  25. JD-TWINS
    Julien struck out looking 42% of his high strike out rate last year - 6th most in baseball. Two AB’s in, on Opening Day at Target, he’s struck out looking twice………bases loaded with 2 outs the second time. Good Pitcher - I get it but it’s a bad habit. He needs to be more aggressive to protect the plate with two strikes - PERIOD. Don’t care about his high walk rate and low chase % - one can’t bat lead-off and strike out looking repeatedly.
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