Cody Schoenmann

great insight!

Despite the pleas of many to move him off the position, the Twins appear inclined to keep Edouard Julien at second base for at least the rest of the 2023 season and potentially long-term. Here is why I think that is the right decision. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Watching Edouard Julien hit is a joy. Julien works counts, doesn't swing at balls outside of the zone, almost to a detriment to himself, and drives pitches to all sides of the field with power and authority. Watching Julien play defense earlier this season was a different story. Julien showed limited range, a below-average arm, evidenced by his 17th-percentile arm strength, and the ability to make relatively easy plays look difficult. Despite repeatedly demonstrating defensive shortcomings, that hasn't stopped the Twins from putting Julien at second base on nearly an everyday basis. Not only do the Twins continue to deploy Julien at second base, they have taken drastic measures while doing so. They asked Jorge Polanco, who had been the Twins starting second baseman since 2020, to shift over to third base. The Twins will not move Julien off of second base in 2023, and it wouldn't be rash to think he is the Twins' best option for the future too. Understandably, most who follow the Twins will find that statement ludicrous. Julien's defensive limitations have cost Twins pitchers several times. Whether not being able to field somewhat routine plays cleanly or struggling to turn double plays, opposing teams have capitalized on Julien's defensive miscues by extending innings and scoring opportunities. While this was the case earlier in the season, Julien appears to be turning a corner defensively. The routine plays don't feel like such a struggle, double plays are getting turned more consistently, and his range seems to be expanding, as shown by this highlight play he made against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. To be clear, Julien will likely never become an above-average fielder at second base. But he is becoming at least passable, especially when considering his bat. Historically, second base has been a lackluster offensive position, highlighted by power deficiency and the inability to impact the game like other position players. While things have changed, especially with current second basemen Marcus Semien, Nolan Gorman, and more breaking the mold and hitting for power, second base remains a relatively offensively deficient position. Like Semien and Gorman, Julien is another example of a player breaking the mold of what a second baseman can do with the bat. Maybe in time, he can hit like Brian Dozier or Jeff Kent. Here are Julien's offensive numbers compared to the league average for second baseman: On-Base Percentage (OBP) League Average - (.319) Julien - (.378) Slugging Percentage (SLG) League Average - (.397) Julien - (.479) Isolated Power (ISO) League Average - (.145) Julien - (.198) Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) League Average - (.293) Julien - (.383) Weighted On Base Average (wOBA) League Average - (.312) Julien - (.371) wRC+ League Average - (97) Julien - (140) Julien is above league average in all six advanced analytics provided. Also, Julien is over 50 points higher than the league average in every statistic besides wRC+, where he is 43 points higher. The only statistic that Julien is worse than the league average is Strikeout Percentage (K%). The league average K% for second baseman is 19.8%, while Julien currently owns a K% of 29.8%. Julien possesses the offensive profile of a left-handed hitting first baseman. Applying this profile at the traditionally offensively-deficient position of second base provides excellent value, even if it comes at the expense of below-average defensive performance. Although Julien is a below-average defender at second base that doesn’t mean he is unplayable at the position. Here is how Julien ranks compared to other Twins second baseman when it comes to Outs Above Average (OAA) this season:(Note: An Average OAA is Zero (0)) Kyle Farmer (1 OAA) Julien (-3 OAA) Polanco (-5 0AA) Surprisingly, Julien has been a better defensive second baseman than Polanco this season and is just a little behind Farmer. Despite being a slightly-worse defender than Farmer, like most second-base options in Major League Baseball, he has been a significantly better offensive option. Opting for marginal defensive improvement over above-average offensive production at a below-average offensive position makes no sense, and the Twins decision makers appear to agree. Moving Julien to a position like first base, left field, or designated hitter does make sense, but demoting him to a position so low on the defensive spectrum diminishes the significant value his bat provides while playing second base. With the return of Royce Lewis imminent, the Twins' infield will become even more crowded. Carlos Correa will continue to play shortstop as long as he is healthy, but the remaining defensive positions will remain a rotating door. Benching Julien when facing a left-handed pitcher in favor of Polanco or Farmer while having Lewis play third base is logical, and the Twins should continue doing so. But when facing right-handed pitching, the Twins need to continue playing Julien at second base, even if it comes at the expense of benching veteran players like Polanco and Farmer. Julien's above-average offensive production at second base and improving defense warrant him to be the primary second baseman for the rest of the 2023 season. Does Julien providing above-average offensive production at second base outweigh his defensive shortcomings? Comment below. View full article

My hope is that other front offices still view Larnach as a prospect rather than a Quad-A player. If Larnach still has the prospect aura around him, he could still net a reasonably substantial return, whether a one-for-one trade or part of a larger package. The Mets were essentially confirmed to be interested in Larnach, and that likely would have been in a trade for either Mark Canha or Tommy Pham. A trade for Canha or Pham would be pretty meager, like you said, but if that's the type of player Larnach may be netting by himself, I could see him being used in a package for a player like Dylan Carlson or Ryan Mountcastle, for example.

Thanks for letting me know!

Personally, I view Larnach more as a trade piece than anything else at this moment. Wallner has supplanted him on the depth chart and i’m 99% sure the Twins are going to pick up Kepler’s $10 million team option for next season. Also, if Larnach doesn’t get traded by next season, I think Keirsey Jr. will also pass him on the OF depth chart.

Headrick has had some flashes too. I think he has the ability to become a reliable left-handed short reliever. Will it happen this season? Likely not. But i’m optimistic about next season for him.

To add context, Gallo had a wRC+ of 183 from 3/30-4/30. Since 4/30, Gallo has had a wRC+ of 76. The reason Gallo’s wRC+ was so high in April was because of the fact he hit seven home runs. In reality, Gallo is much closer to the 76 wRC+ version of himself rather than the player he was in April. Hopefully he can have another month length stretch like he did in April, but that feels very unlikely.

With veteran players not performing well, most of the Twins offense is getting manufactured by young homegrown talent. It's time they get their flowers. Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports In the workplace, inexperience often gets viewed as a flaw or a hurdle that those forced to deal with the inexperienced party at hand bear with until milestones get reached, and sustainable progress is made. Once that person reaches a certain threshold of competence, they are then thrust into action and forced to trust their instincts while sharpening the complex skills and concepts they, in the grand scheme of things, very recently learned. Fortunately, in most career paths, mistakes, even on a large scale, are forgiven, and if it takes months or even years for one to feel gratified with how they perform in their career of choice, that is perfectly fine. Unfortunately, the margin for error on a division title-seeking professional sports team is meager. If one makes a mistake, especially on a large scale, they will receive public scrutiny and have that moment dangled over their head for all time. Remember Bill Buckner or, dare I say, Gary Anderson? This level of daunting expectations mixed with unrelenting pressure would make most people fold. Yet, many fanbases expect professional athletes to keep a sense of composure and, if something goes wrong, pick themselves up by their bootstraps and focus on what is ahead. Possessing this specific mind frame is particularly expected of the veteran players on the team. The Twins' best position players entering the 2023 season were expected to be Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Max Kepler, Jose Miranda, Jorge Polanco, and off-season acquisitions Kyle Farmer, Joey Gallo, Michael A. Taylor, and Christian Vázquez. Despite playing different positions and having categorically different roles on the team, all of these players, except Miranda, shared one thing: veteran status. Traditionally, veteran players on a team tend to bring a sense of consistency that counteracts the volatile nature of younger players. Unfortunately, that has not been the case for the 2023 Twins. The opposite has been the case. Here is how much wRC+, which is the most comprehensive rate statistic for hitters as it takes into account the weight of offensive action and then adjusts them to the specific ballpark the action took place in, the eight veterans listed above have accumulated: (Note: League average for wRC+ is 100) Buxton (99) Correa (90) Kepler (109) Polanco (96) Farmer (92) Gallo (100) Taylor (89) Vázquez (66) Of the eight veterans listed, only one has generated an above-league-average wRC+, with Kepler creating 9% more runs than the league average. In a microlens, if someone were to state that at the 70% point of the season, seven out of eight of the players that were expected to be primary contributors were performing at a below-league-average rate, one would reasonably assume that the team is also performing at a below-league-average rate and has little to no chance at making the postseason. Oddly enough, the Twins are 59-54, in first place, and hold a 4.5 game lead over the second-place Cleveland Guardians. How has this happened? Initially, much of the credit needs to get handed to the Twins pitching staff. According to Fangraphs, the Twins have the second-best rotation in Major League Baseball by fWAR, accumulating 11.8 fWAR up to this point, and the eighteenth-best bullpen in baseball by fWAR, getting 2.5 fWAR to this point. Combining the rotation and bullpen, the Twins have the third-best pitching staff in baseball, accumulating 14.2 fWAR, which ranks just behind the Phillies with 16.6 fWAR and the Mariners with 15.2 fWAR. The Twins pitching staff has been incredible all season, particularly their starting rotation of Pablo López, Sonny Gray, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, and Kenta Maeda. With this in mind, what other faction of the 2023 Twins deserves the second-highest amount of credit? The answer lies within the Twins young position players. The Twins young position players, contrary to the struggling veterans on the team, have stepped up to the occasion and helped this team find their footing offensively. The offensive renaissance the 2023 Twins desperately needed has been headlined by Ryan Jeffers, Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, and Matt Wallner. To do the same practice as earlier, here is how much wRC+ the five young players listed above have accumulated this season: Jeffers (151) Julien (151) Kirilloff (124) Lewis (131) Wallner (165) Unlike seven of the eight veterans listed earlier, all five young position players perform well above league average, highlighted by Julien creating 51% more runs than the league average in a relatively large sample size. Some of these statistics are bloated, as Wallner and Lewis have generated relatively low sample sizes this season. Even so, there has been little to no reason to suspect that they won't maintain an at least above-league-average rate of production. Small sample size aside, the Twins five young hitters have undoubtedly risen to the occasion and contributed game-to-game, especially when it felt like none of the veterans could. Not only are the Twins young position players performing well, but they are also stepping up in high-leverage moments and showing signs of possessing the perceived to be ever-important yet not real clutch gene. Lewis hit a game-tying single while facing the Astros on May 29 and against the Rays on June 7, Julien hit a game-tying home run versus the Royals on July 3, and Wallner most recently hit a walk-off home run off Paul Sewald of the Diamondbacks on August 7. Another recent distinguished moment was witnessing Jeffers, a catcher, hit two home runs on Joe Mauer's Twins Hall of Fame ceremony. Jeffers has finally caught on and is undoubtedly a top-five, likely top-three, catcher in the American League. Jeffers hitting two home runs that night could be perceived as a symbolic passing of the torch from the last Twins star catcher to the next. As the Twins march towards the end of the season, it has become more evident than ever that the Twins young homegrown position players are not only the team's primary run producers but also the heart and soul of this year's team on the offensive side. These young players deserve a tremendous amount of appreciation for their services, and hopefully, they will get rewarded for their efforts with a division title. What is happening with Jeffers, Julien, Kirilloff, Lewis, and Wallner at the Major League level feels genuinely special. And with other young position players yet to reach the Majors in Brooks Lee, Austin Martin, Yunior Severino, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. waiting in the wings at Triple-A St. Paul, the Twins future position player-wise warrants genuine optimism. Do the Twins young position players deserve significant appreciation? Whose future are you looking forward to the most? Comment below. View full article

When you mix Mauer's Twins Hall of Fame ceremony with the game itself, this is definitely one of the greatest nights in recent Twins history.

Joe Ryan has been incredible for the Twins since getting acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. Unfortunately, seven out of his last eight starts have been poor, primarily due to giving up an inflated amount of home runs. Why is this happening all of a sudden? Here is my best guess as to why. Image courtesy of © Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports On June 19, I wrote a piece on Louie Varland and his struggles with giving up an unpalatable amount of home runs. The primary determination was that Varland gave up so many home runs due to poor pitch placement and subpar pitch mix. Varland is a young pitcher not expected to be a main contributor for the 2023 Twins. So, the Twins optioned Varland to Triple-A to let him iron out the most significant flaw in his game before reappearing at the Major League level. Roughly one and a half months later, we are at a similar spot with another young Twins pitcher, Joe Ryan. Through his last seven starts and 32.1 innings pitched, Ryan has given up 16 home runs. Ryan has been so flawed that, as Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic noted, Ryan set a new Twins record over his dreadful seven-start stretch. When a starting pitcher who is traditionally very efficient is struggling, it's hard to pin it down to specific reasons, let alone one reason. Even so, watching Ryan struggle to such an intense degree over his last seven starts, some alarming tendencies are standing out. What are they? Well, let's take a look. Possible Reason For Ryan's Recent Poor Performance: Poor Pitch Selection and Bad Sequencing? The main reason why Ryan is struggling so intensely could be because he only has two effective pitches. Ryan's fastball is undoubtedly his best pitch, moving 11 inches towards right-handed batters, four inches better than league average, while dropping 17 inches, two inches better than league average. Ryan's fastball, which he throws 57.6% of the time, was dominant earlier in the season, exemplified in the nine-inning shutout he threw against the Boston Red Sox on June 22. Ryan attacked the zone, throwing his "rising fastball" middle up and up and in on hitters of both handednesses with the same efficacy. Watching Ryan pitch when he can dissect the opposing team's lineups with his fastball is a beautiful sight. Sadly, we have not had that experience for quite some time now. Another potential reason why Ryan's performance has fallen off such a cliff is that hitting coaches and hitters themselves may have caught on to Ryan's fastball. Typically, pitchers can adjust when this phenomenon occurs, but Ryan's offspeed pitches aren't good enough to complement his compromised fastball. The combination of Ryan's fastball no longer being as effective as it once was and his offspeed pitches not being effective enough to counteract when his fastball isn't working is why Ryan is beginning to look like a landmine waiting to explode every time he takes the mound. To further illustrate Ryan's struggles, here are Ryan's numbers over his last seven starts compared to the league average this season: Earned Runs Allowed (ERA) Ryan - 8.63 League Average - 4.31 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) Ryan - 8.10 League Average - 4.31 Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) Ryan - .413 League Average - .295 Home Runs per 9 Innings (HR/9) Ryan - 4.73 League Average - 1.20 Home Run to Fly Ball Ratio (HR/FB) Ryan - 32.1% League Average - 12.5% Admittedly, all of these statistics and Ryan's overall trend is alarming, but what is most discouraging is Ryan's HR/FB ratio of 32.1%. Over this dreadful seven-game stretch, Ryan has given up a home run on nearly one-third of every flyball he produced. This occurrence is especially discerning when considering that Ryan is a flyball pitcher, inducing flyballs or line drives in 67.3% of balls put in play off him. This upcoming statement is hyperbolic, but like Varland earlier this season, if Ryan cannot strike a hitter out, he is essentially pitching a glorified version of batting practice by Major League Baseball pitching standards. How Can Ryan Resolve This? The simple answer is to develop better off-speed pitches, particularly off-speed pitches that are more effective when facing right-handed hitters. To explain what I mean more in-depth, let's look at Ryan's splits this season: When Facing Left-Handed Hitters - 245 Batters Faced (BF), 46 H, 59 SO, 17 BB, 7 HR, 1.06 WHIP When Facing Right-Handed Hitters - 278 BF, 72 H, 93 SO, 8 BB, 18 HR, 1.20 WHIP Ryan has given up 11 more home runs to right-handed hitting batters while facing only 33 more this season. How could that be? The answer is likely subpar secondary pitch selection in certain situations. When facing right-handed hitters, also known as same-handed hitters, Ryan throws a mix of his fastball, split-finger, sweeper, and slider. While this is technically a four-pitch mix, Ryan almost exclusively uses his fastball and split-finger. Like most pitchers, Ryan's fastball works best when his other off-speed pitches complement it, but the off-speed pitch Ryan tends to throw most is his split-finger. Ryan throws his split-finger 28% of the time, 18 percentage points more than his sweeper and 24.5 percentage points more than his slider. Essentially, Ryan's sequence to same-handed hitters is working his fastball up in the middle of the zone and up in and in the zone and complements it by throwing his split-finger down, usually down and in but sometimes down and away depending on the hitter and situation at hand. Ryan's approach appears to need fixing, and with Ryan struggling with his command over his last seven starts, his fastball and split-finger are getting struck and over the fence at an alarming rate by right-handed hitters. A way to fix this issue would be for Ryan to use his sweeper and slider more. Although this is an easy fix, there is likely a reason why Ryan rarely uses his sweeper and slider. Could it be because pitching coach Pete Maki tells Ryan and the catcher calling his game to use his fastball and split-finger a combined 85.8% of the time? Possibly. But since we are on the outside, we will only truly know if it gets reported by someone with the Twins or if they leak or share that information with reliable reporters. Another possible option is that Ryan doesn't trust his sweeper or slider. Although Ryan doesn't use his sweeper or slider often, other Twins starting pitchers do. Here is how often other Twins starting pitchers use their sweeper or sliders: Sonny Gray - Sweeper (18.7%) Pablo López - Sweeper (20.9%) Kenta Maeda - Slider (35.8%) Bailey Ober - Slider (21.1%) On average, the Twins' four other starting pitchers use their sliders or sweepers 24.1% of the time, while Ryan uses his a combined 7.4% of the time. Considering Ryan's sweeper and slider are average if not slightly above average, it would likely be in the Twins and Ryan's best interest to jump his combined sweeper and slider usage from where it sits right now at 7.4% to how often López, Gray, and Ober use theirs, which hovers around 20.2% of the time. Ryan uses his fastball and split-finger to such an extreme extent that hitters on both sides of the plate can essentially scoff at his sweeper and slider as they know his fastball or split-finger will come eventually, as the odds are 85.8% in favor of that happening. Mixing Ryan's questionable pitch mix selection with it being likely that he is close to being if not already, burnt out as he hasn't missed a start and we are in the "dog days" of the Major League season, it is possible that a paradoxically appropriate perfect storm has occurred and Ryan is suffering from it. On August 2, the Twins placed Ryan on the 15-day IL with a left groin strain. Ryan's injury could have played an undetermined role in his struggles, but much of what has been happening with Ryan has been alarming, whether an injury is present. Increasing the usage of certain pitches this late into the season is arduous, and, likely, Ryan doesn't think his sweeper and slider should be used more than it is currently. Over the past seven starts, Ryan still has a Strikeout Percentage (K%) of 33.1%, 10.4 percentage points higher than the league average, and a Walk Percentage (BB%) of 6.4%, 2.2 percentage points better than the league average. Adding a high strikeout rate and low walk-out to the concept of regression to the mean itself, Ryan likely won't struggle as much as he has over his last seven starts. Will Ryan be able to return to his early season form? That is yet to be determined, but drastic changes in his approach are necessary to fix the monumental struggle he has endured since his June 27 start against the Atlanta Braves. What do you think Ryan needs to do to alleviate his immense struggles? Are you concerned about his future? Comment below. View full article

I would include Farmer in this mix as well. A lot of the utility and role player-types have performed very well for the Twins this season.

The Twins were able to perform at an above-average level offensively in July. With a mix of both veteran and young players performing at high levels, which hitters stood out the most? July was a story of ups and downs for the Twins offensively. Starting the month sluggishly until eventually picking up the pace after the All-Star Game, the Twins hit .256/.335/.454 (.789) with an above-average wRC+ of 118 in 931 total plate appearances in July. Despite an overall encouraging month from the offense, the Twins still struggled in critical aspects of the game, most notably possessing a strikeout rate of 27.7%, five percentage points higher than the league average for July. Although the Twins had high strikeout rates yet again, they were able to counteract their high strikeout percentage with an Isolated Power (ISO) rate of .198, twenty points higher than the league average, and a BB% of 9.0%, 0.6 points higher than the league average. The Twins will be a team that attempts to balance their high strikeout rates with high power and walk rates. When it doesn't work, it is miserable to watch. But when it does work, it is quite the sight to see, as shown in the Athletics and Mariners series after the All-Star Break. Overall, the Twins had an impressive month of hitting, and here are the players who led the charge. Honorable Mention: Kyle Farmer - .302/.367/.528 (.895), 60 PA, 16 H, 2 HR, 146 wRC+ We are starting the "Twins Hitter of the Month - July 2023" list with a bang in utility player extraordinaire Kyle Farmer. Farmer talked the talk during the players-only meeting in Atlanta, and he was finally able to walk the walk during July. Farmer often found himself on the right side of luck, evidenced by generating a BABIP of .378 throughout July. Despite getting lucky outcomes, Farmer was able to slice the ball around the field, taking advantage of ground balls that found their way out of the infield and occasionally hitting doubles hits in the opposite field gap. Despite not displaying much power, "Farm Dawg" put the ball in play with solid contact, something this Twins team has needed all season. Overall, Farmer had a very impressive July, and hopefully, he will be able to provide the same sense of stability and productivity over the final stretch of the regular season. #4: Alex Kirilloff - .270/.329/.527 (.856), 82 PA, 20 H, 4 HR, 133 wRC+ If you were to ask me who the Twins Hitter of the Month for July would be on July 24, I would have said it's a toss-up between Kirilloff and Julien. Kirilloff and Julien had just come off incredible post-All-Star Game series against the Athletics and Mariners, and Alex Kirilloff had just earned the honor of AL Player of the Week, hitting .345/.394/.793 (1.187) and hitting three home runs, two doubles, one triple, and generating three walks over that week's long stretch. Unfortunately, between the week of July 23-July 29, Kirilloff hit only .182/.217/.273 (.490) with four hits, zero home runs, two doubles, and a wRC+ of 32 over 23 plate appearances. Kirilloff's high level of performance fell off a cliff quickly, and the reason for that was likely due to Kirilloff sustaining a shoulder injury, which eventually placed him on the 10-day IL on July 30. Overall, Kirilloff had a solid month, and if he hadn't sustained the shoulder injury that likely caused a steep decline in his performance, he would have been higher on this list. #3: Max Kepler - .291/.340/.500 (.840), 94 PA, 25 H, 4 HR, 131 wRC+ German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, "And those who were seen enjoying Kepler's performance in July were thought to be insane by those who chose to remember April through June." I think that is how the quote went. It could have had more to do with dancing and music. Who's to say? Anyways, Max Kepler had an incredible July and, dare I say, looked somewhat like the player we all fell in love with in 2019 for a decent stretch of time. Consistently good at-bats, clutch hits, and a revived sense of power helped Kepler construct an impressive month of July, which he desperately needed. Kepler's highlight of the month was going 11-for-29 (.379 AVG) over seven games against the Seattle Mariners, stretching from July 17-20 and July 24-26. As we advance through the Twins' last 50 or so games, Kepler will have to confront the expectations of being a key contributor on a division title-seeking team. Will he be able to step up to the occasion finally? We shall see. #2: Ryan Jeffers - .368/.455/.526 (.981), 45 PA, 14 H, 2 HR, 180 wRC+ Despite Mitch Garver's breakout 2019 season, the Twins have been in flux at catcher since Joe Mauer converted to first base full-time in 2014. It has been a rocky road, but it feels like the Twins have finally found a trustworthy catching duo of Christian Vázquez and Jeffers, with Jeffers being the standout. Jeffers continued his incredible 2023 campaign with a great month of July. Having a 50/50 split with Vázquez, Ryan Jeffers could not put together a large sample size like other hitters on this list, but he performed incredibly well with the opportunities he was given. Mixing timely hitting with the ability to hit the ball all over the field with power, Jeffers looked like a nearly fully actualized version of the player who made his debut for the Twins in 2020. In 2023, Jeffers has been a rare commodity: a catcher who can hit well. If he continues to put up numbers relatively close to his performance in July, Jeffers could eventually start getting discussed in the same light as fellow American League catchers Jonah Heim and Adley Rutschman. Jeffers had an incredible offensive month, leading to him finishing second place in Twins Hitter of the Month for July 2023. Winner: Edouard Julien - .369/.461/.723 (1.184), 76 PA, 24 H, 6 HR, 225 wRC+ From Corey Koskie to Justin Morneau to now Edouard Julien, the Twins are great at finding left-handed Canadiens who can hit. Julien, aka "le beau jumeau," had one of the most remarkable offensive months in Twins rookie history, earning him the honors of "Twins Hitter of the Month." Congratulations to Julien and his family. The streets of beautiful Quebec City will be overflowed tonight in celebration, and rightfully so. In all seriousness, Julien had a remarkable month, highlighted by his remarkably absurd post-All-Star Game stretch where he hit .632/.682/1.000 (1.682) while generating a wRC+ of 366 over 22 plate appearances against the Athletics and Mariners. Julien's performance understandably quieted down after the Mariners series, but he was still an above-average hitter over the last week and a half of July. Julien's performance in July deservedly earned him a seemingly permanent spot on the roster. Going forward, Julien will have to continue to hit at a high rate if he wants to remain a fixture in the Twins lineup, as his defense at second base is below replacement level. Nonetheless, Edouard Julien had an incredible month in July and rightfully earned the honor Twins Hitter of the Month title. Do you agree with our choice for Twins Hitter of the Month list for July 2023? Did I leave any Twins hitters out? Comment below. View full article

With Randal Grichuk, Mark Canha, and A.J. Pollock all traded in the last two days, right-handed hitting corner outfielders are beginning to fly off the board. Who are the four most realistic options left for the Twins? Image courtesy of Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports A right-handed hitting corner outfielder who hits left-handed pitching well was the Twins' greatest need for the latter part of last off-season and remains so to this day. With right-handed hitting corner outfielders Randal Grichuk, Mark Canha, and AJ Pollock getting traded in the last two days, right-handed hitting corner outfielders are beginning to fly off the board. Luckily for the Twins, an immense amount of adequate options remain. Here are the four best remaining right-handed hitting corner outfielders the Twins could still trade for. #4. Adam Duvall - Red Sox - 173 PA, .261/.329/.542 (.871), 9 HR, 128 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR We start this list off with current Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall. Duvall has been linked to contending National League teams like the Phillies and the Braves, with whom he won the World Series in 2021, but a trade to the Twins arguably makes the most sense. Duvall provides versatility in the outfield, as he can play left, center, and right field, while also being a plus right-handed bat, a player prototype the Twins are in dire need of. The only caveat with Duvall is that he hits right-handed pitching much better than left-handed pitching, which is why he is fourth on his list. Duvall's splits this season: When Facing Left-Handed Pitching: 46 PA, .238/.283/.405 (.688), 10 H, 0 HR, seven doubles, two BB, 16 K. When Facing Right-Handed Pitching: 127 PA, .270/.346/.595 (.941), 30 H, nine HR, seven doubles, 11 BB, 37 K. Duvall's splits are intense, and if the Twins acquired him, one has to wonder if he would do anything to help the Twins' struggles when facing left-handed pitching or if he would become part of the problem. Duvall is an intriguing option, but he doesn't do the one thing the Twins need out of a right-handed hitting outfielder: hit left-handed pitching well. Duvall would be a good addition, but his addition might be slightly redundant. Nonetheless, Duvall is a right-handed corner outfielder to keep tabs on over the next four or so hours. Expected Asset Cost For Duvall: Duvall would net a similar haul to what the Brewers gave up for Canha. If the Twins traded for Duvall, expect the Twins to part with a prospect towards the end of their Top 30 list (i.e., Zebby Matthews or Ben Ross, for example) or an assortment of unranked prospects in the lower minor league levels. #3. Lane Thomas - Nationals - 451 PA, .285/.333/.472 (.805), 16 HR, 115 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR The next right-handed corner outfielder comes in the form of the Nationals' current best player, Lane Thomas. Through 451 plate appearances, Thomas has been a revelation for the struggling Nationals, hitting for average and power while displaying elite speed on the base paths and in the outfield. Unlike Duvall, Thomas has mashed left-handed pitching, hitting .362/.407/.638 (1.045) with 47 hits, eight home runs, ten doubles, ten walks, and 26 strikeouts in 140 plate appearances. Thomas, 27, has team control through 2025, so he would cost more than the three other outfielders on this list, who are all rental options. Although Thomas would cost more, he is the best right-handed hitting corner outfielder on this list, and he could stay in Minnesota for two more seasons if the Twins elect to keep him by offering arbitration in 2024 and 2025. The Nationals' steep asking price will undoubtedly deter many people, but if the Twins want to attempt to resolve their right-handed hitting corner outfield woes genuinely, trading for Thomas should help them in the short and long term. Expected Asset Cost for Thomas: Thomas is different from Duvall in that he has two and a half years left of control, plus he is an overall better and younger player. If the Twins traded for Thomas, expect them to send over a handful of Top 30 prospects. It would likely be two-to-three top thirty prospects, with the first prospect being a top ten prospect (i.e., David Festa or Danny De Andrade, for example), the second prospect being a mid-teens to early twenties prospect (i.e., Brent Headrick or C.J. Culpepper, for example) and then a fringe Top 30 prospects (i.e., Cory Lewis or Ross again, for example). Thomas will cost a lot, but he is a legit starting right-handed hitting corner outfielder. #2. Teoscar Hernandez - Mariners - 441 PA, .238/.288/.408 (.696), 16 HR, 93 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR The second most realistic right-handed hitting corner outfielder the Twins could trade for is current Seattle Mariners right fielder Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez's 2023 season has been a story of struggle, evidenced by his unimpressive stat line and below-league-average wRC+ of just 93. Hernandez appears to no longer be the player he once was with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, he is still a serviceable right-handed hitting corner outfielder, especially when facing left-handed pitching. Here are Hernandez's numbers when facing left-handed pitching this season: 92 Plate Appearances .295/.315/.568 (.883) 26 H Six Home Runs Six Doubles Three Walks 31 Strikeouts Hernandez has hit left-handed exceptionally well while showing immense power, as evidenced by a .568 slugging percentage. Hernandez has star potential, and if he can tap into that ability down the stretch, he could significantly help this Twins lineup down the stretch, and even if Hernandez continues to struggle, it is fair to assume that he will continue to mash left-handed pitching. Expected Asset Cost For Hernandez: The Mariners are both buying and selling, so if the Twins were to trade for Hernandez, expect them to send over a young player or even an MLB-ready veteran. Trading Larnach for Hernandez is too much. Yet, if the Twins could acquire Hernandez plus a reliever in Justin Topa, for example, the Twins could send Larnach plus an outside of the Top 30 prospect back to the Mariners. #1. Tommy Pham - Mets - 264 PA, .268/.348/.472 (.820), 10 HR, 127 wRC+, 1.7 fWAR The most realistic right-handed hitting corner outfielder the Twins could still trade for is current Mets outfielder Tommy Pham. Having already traded David Robertson to the Marlins, Max Scherzer to the Rangers, and the previously mentioned Canha to the Brewers, Pham will likely depart the Mets within the next handful of hours. Like Thomas and Hernandez, Pham fits the mold of a right-handed corner outfielder who hits left-handed pitching very well. Through 109 plate appearances, Pham has hit .255/.339/.532 (.871) with 24 hits, eight home runs, two doubles, 13 walks, and 23 strikeouts. Pham is an interesting character who has done some questionable things in the past, but this Twins clubhouse, which tends to appear uninspired at times, could use someone to shake up the clubhouse and bring a unique perspective. Despite not being the best player on this list, Pham, being a rental option and a team the Twins have had confirmed dialogue with, feels like the most likely option for the Twins. Expected Asset Cost For Pham: Acquiring Pham should be cheap and, as reported by Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the Twins have been having discussions with the Mets pertaining to the surplus amount of young left-handed corner outfield bats the Twins have, so a hypothetical trade of Pham and left-handed relief pitcher Brooks Raley to the Twins for Larnach would make sense. Which of these four corner outfielders do you think the Twins should trade for? Who do you think the Twins are most likely to trade for? Comment below. View full article

A right-handed hitting corner outfielder remains the Twins greatest need at the upcoming trade deadline. Could this journeyman corner outfielder be the solution? Image courtesy of Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The term "journeyman" typically carries a negative connotation with it. Journeymen are considered below-average yet adequate players who bounce from team to team, never finding a consistent home. Although this is the case in most scenarios, current Angels right-fielder Hunter Renfroe is an anomaly. Since 2019, Renfroe has played for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Angels. Renfroe has bounced around, and if the Angels elect to trade Renfroe this upcoming trade deadline, it would be his sixth team in just five seasons. Despite not finding a long-term home since leaving the Padres in 2019, Renfroe has been an above-average offensive corner outfielder who is about average defensively. If you take out Renfroe's 2020 season with the Rays, where he hit only .156/.252/.393 (.645) over 42 games and 139 plate appearances, Renfroe has hit .243/.305/.480 (.785) with an average wRC+ of 109 and 7.6 WAR accumulated over four seasons. In the past, Renfroe has been a traditional high strikeout power-hitting right-handed hitting corner outfielder, as evidenced by his career K% of 24.6% and Isolated Power (ISO) of .263, with a strong arm and limited range. Yet, this narrative has shifted slightly this year with the Angels. Through 348 at-bats, here are Renfroe's numbers with the Angels: .239/.299/.431 (.730) 16 home runs wRC+ of 98, which is just below the league average K% of 21.8%, just below the league average of 22.7% ISO of .193, which is .30 points higher than the league average Much of these numbers fit Renfroe's career averages, but what is especially encouraging is that Renfroe has lowered his K% while maintaining above-average power. The fascinating aspect of Renfroe's game is that he is more of a balanced right-handed corner outfielder hitting who is hovering toward having reverse splits rather than the lefty masher that those who follow the Twins have been clamoring for. Let's look at Renfroe's splits with the Angels this season: Versus Left-Handed Pitching: 96 PA, .276/.323/.402 (.725), 24 H, five doubles, two home runs, 23 K, six walks. Versus Right-Handed Pitching: 294 PA, .241/.303/.467 (.770), 65 H, 19 doubles, 14 home runs, 61 K, 23 walks. The most logical explanation for Renfroe displaying reverse split tendencies is sample size. Renfroe has 198 more at-bats versus right-handed pitching, but that is more so because of matchups rather than platooning. Like most other teams in Major League Baseball, the Angels have faced far more right-handed pitchers than left-handed pitchers, so there have been few opportunities for Renfroe to face left-handed pitching. Career-wise, Renfroe has fared extremely well when facing left-handed pitching in a larger sample size. Here are Renfroe's career numbers versus left-handed pitching: 933 Plate Appearances .263/.344/.532 (.876) 214 H 99 BB 199 K 57 Home Runs 103 extra-base hits Although Renfroe's numbers this season deviate from his career norms, Renfroe hits left-handed pitching very well while hitting for an immense amount of power, as illustrated by his career .532 slugging percentage when facing left-handed pitching. Renfroe is also a relatively serviceable defensive right fielder. So far in 2023, Renfroe has generated -3 Outs Above Average (OAA) between 726 innings in right field and 39 at first base. Most of his struggles are due to poor jumps and low sprint speed, but Renfroe is not a bad defender. Renfroe has elite arm strength, as evidenced by 95th-percentile arm strength, and makes up for his athletic shortcomings by being a threat to throw runners out, similar to Matt Wallner. On July 26, the Los Angeles Angels traded prospects catching prospect Edgar Quero and pitching prospect Ky Bush to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and relief pitcher Reynaldo Lopez. Also, it has been reported that the Angels will not be trading two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani. These two moves signal the Angels, who currently hold a 21.8% chance of making the playoffs according to Fangraphs, are, in fact, going for it rather than selling at the upcoming trade deadline. Whether this is the right decision or not for the Angels, it is improbable they will be trading any of their core pieces, including Renfroe. Although the Angels intend on contending, there is a chance they could make a "big leaguer for big leaguer" type trade like the Cleveland Guardians just did, trading shortstop Amed Rosario to the Los Angeles Dodgers for starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard. Trading Renfroe could be in the Angels best interest as they have serviceable outfielders in Mickey Moniak, Taylor Ward, former Twins prospect Trey Cabbage, with Mike Trout and Jo Adell soon returning from the 10-day IL. The Angels need infield help, particularly at second base, so a Kyle Farmer for Renfroe trade could make sense. Farmer, 32, is on his final year of arbitration this upcoming offseason, so the Angels could elect to non-tender Farmer, theoretically making him a rental player just like Renfroe. One-for-one swaps like this are rare, but considering the Twins very recently traded relief pitcher Jorge López for relief pitcher Dylan Floro, trading Farmer for Renfroe would be another reasonable swap. Both the Angels and Twins are buying with the intent to contend, so trading Major League Caliber players for one another to patch weaknesses could be in both teams' best interests. If the Twins elect not to include Farmer in a deal, there are other routes they could go down to acquire Renfroe, including prospect capital or other Major League caliber players. How Would Renfroe Fit In With the Post-Deadline Twins? The Twins offense has performed exceptionally well out of the All-Star Break, but this team still needs a right-handed hitting corner outfield. If the Twins don't include Farmer in a trade, as I proposed earlier, other roster moves they could make to free up a spot for Renfroe include optioning Wallner or designating one of Joey Gallo or Donovan Solano for assignment. The most likely transaction is optioning Wallner to Triple-A St. Paul, but I argue the move the Twins should make is parting ways with Solano. Solano has been a cult hero of sorts for the Twins through the first 104 games of the season, but his performance has unfortunately significantly declined in the last 15 games hitting just .194/.333/.306 (.639) with only seven hits, zero home runs, and 13 strikeouts in 36 at-bats. To further illustrate Solano's recent struggles, he is hitting just .077/.188/.077 (.265) over his last seven games with only one hit, zero home runs, and eight strikeouts in 13 at-bats. Admittedly, both examples are small sample sizes, but Solano is a 35-year-old utility player with little to no defensive value and a rapidly declining offensive game. Parting with Solano and adding Renfroe to the mix would help the Twins in a multitude of ways. The most significant is that the Twins would finally have a serviceable right-handed hitting corner outfielder to platoon with Kepler, Gallo, Wallner, and Alex Kirilloff while opening up more opportunities for Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, and the soon-to-return Jorge Polanco and Royce Lewis in the infield. Many right-handed corner outfield options will be available at the upcoming trade deadline, but Renfroe is one the Twins best options. With Renfroe being on an expiring deal, the Twins would have to give up very little in a deal, and Renfroe would step in and immediately be one of if not the best corner outfielder on the Twins 26-man roster. Should the Twins trade for Renfroe? What corresponding move would you make if the Twins traded for Renfroe? Comment below. View full article

Thanks for letting me know @USAFChief . I corrected it. I appreciate it!

The Twins have lacked stability at the third base all season. Could a past divisional foe provide consistency at the hot corner? Image courtesy of © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Since the departure of Trevor Plouffe after the 2016 season, third base has been a revolving door of sorts for the Twins. They tried handing the position to top prospect Miguel Sano, signing Josh Donaldson to a four-year contract, and then trading Donaldson to the Yankees, hoping to replace him with Gio Urshela. Sadly, none of these attempts to improve at third base worked. After trading Urshela to the Los Angeles Angels this past offseason, the plan was to hand third base to Jose Miranda. Whether it be a nagging shoulder injury or succumbing to the pressure those who follow the Twins placed on him, Miranda has been nearly unplayable at third base, offensively and defensively. After demoting Miranda to Triple-A St. Paul, the Twins immediately activated Royce Lewis from the 60-day IL and anointed him as the full-time starting third baseman. Lewis thrived at third, hitting .326/.354/.474 (.828) with a wRC+ of 132 over 99 plate appearances, but unfortunately, suffered a left oblique strain while running to first while facing the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards and has been on the 10-day IL since July 2. Fortunately, Lewis has recently begun playing catch and swinging the bat and plans to return around mid-August. Lewis feels destined to take over the full-time role once he returns from injury. Even so, with rumors of Jorge Polanco planning on playing third base during his rehab assignment at Triple-A due to the grand emergence of Edouard Julien, the Twins plan for the position appears to be up in the air. Lewis, Polanco, and the rotation of Kyle Farmer, Donovan Solano, and Willi Castro feel like adequate solutions for third base, but what if there was a more reliable option? That option may be current Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario. Despite flying under the radar to the average baseball fan, Candelario is all too familiar to Twins fans. Candelario, 29, was the starting third baseman for the Detroit Tigers, spanning six years from 2017-2022. Candelario has played 76 total games versus the Twins, including three earlier this season with the Nationals. In 2023 with the Nationals, Candelario has been outstanding. Through 386 plate appearances, Candelario is hitting .257/.334/.478 (.812) with 15 home runs with a wRC+ of 117. Candelario has also accumulated 2.7 fWAR while sporting an Isolated Power (ISO) of .222, 59 points above the league average. Candelario, a switch-hitter, is hitting the ball hard and far from both sides of the batter's box, but he is hitting exceptionally well against left-handed pitching, a trait this Twins team needs. Let's take a look. When Facing Left-Handed Pitching: 119 PA, 25 H, 8 Doubles, 3 HR, 11 BB, 24 K, .240 AVG, .740 OPS When Facing Right-Handed Pitching: 267 PA, 63 H, 19 Doubles, 12 HR, 20 BB, 57 K, .264 AVG, .843 OPS Candelario, unlike Farmer and Solano, has been able hit left-handed pitching at an exceptional level this season, and would instantly provide a spark to that element of the Twins lineup. Candelario is also an incredible defensive third-baseman. Through 91 games, Candelario has generated six (6) Outs Above Average (OAA), ranking him as the sixth-best defensive third baseman in baseball. Here is how Candelario's OAA is divided: To the left: 5 OAA To the right: 0 OAA Going back: 1 OAA Candelario is average while ranging back and to his right, but he excels when going to his left. This is interesting as Candelario's potential life side of the infield partner, Carlos Correa, does exceptionally well going to his right, generating three OAA. With Candelario and Correa's strengths coinciding with one another, the Twins, in theory, could effectively cover the "5.5 hole", which is something the Twins have struggled with this season. To put Candelario's defensive performance into perspective, here is how Twins third baseman have fared when it comes to generating OAA this season: Miranda, 38 games (-6 OAA) Farmer, 27 games (-2 OAA) Castro, 26 games (1 OAA) Lewis, 24 games (-1 OAA) Castro has been the Twins best defensive third baseman, and he has done so by being merely average. Admittedly, Castro is a solid defensive third baseman, but his value resides in being a utility player who can also play every outfield spot, shortstop, and second base. Lewis was fine when healthy, although he is better suited as a center fielder or second baseman. Farmer has been serviceable, and Miranda has unsurprisingly been one of baseball's worst defensive third baseman this season. Regardless, no current Twins third base options are on par with Candelario defensively. With a mix of power, contact, and an overall presence that, whether the concept of lineup protection is real or not, would add a sense of protection to this Twins lineup at a corner infield spot, Candelario is a player the Twins should strongly consider investing in. A hypothetical infield of Kirilloff, Julien, Correa, and Candelario is intriguing and would make the Twins one of the best offensive infields in the American League. Admittedly, having Farmer, Solano, and Castro, as well as Polanco, Lewis, and Miranda likely returning soon from injury, makes adding Candelario seem redundant on the surface. Yet, the addition of Candelario would bring a sense of consistency and resolution to one of the more critical positions on the field and in the lineup. Hypothetically, when the Twins face a left-handed pitcher, Lewis could play third, Candelario could play first, and Polanco could play second alongside Correa at shortstop. Then, when the Twins faced a right-handed pitcher, Candelario could play third, Kirilloff could play first, and Julien could play second with Correa at shortstop. Adding Candelario would give the Twins a plus corner infield bat that would give them an abundance of options when facing different-handed pitchers. Also, and arguably more importantly, trading for Candelario would provide the Twins a sense of stability at third base that has yet to be present since Plouffe departed in 2016. A right-handed hitting corner outfielder that hits left-handed pitching well (i.e., Hunter Renfroe, Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Pham, etc.) should be the Twins main priority, but adding a corner infielder who hits left-handed pitching well is an area the team the Twins shouldn't shy away from improving. Should the Twins trade for Candelario? How do you think the Twins have fared at third base this season? Comment below. View full article

I do like Toby as a candidate as well.

I didn't intend for this to be a clickbait article. I wanted to look at the insight and skills Cruz could provide as a manager, analyze how former players perform as first-time managers, and bring to light how Latino members of the baseball community are underrepresented in the managerial hiring process. I hope I was able to accomplish that.