GMinTraining

Another trade with Yankees: Luis Serivino. Starling Castro and Dillion Tate for Dozier, Escobar, Light, Eades Either Castro or Polanco can play 2B and / or SS and you get quality arms in Serivino and Tate

For the record - Dozier played only 48 minor league games in AAA Rochester (2012) before getting promoted. He hit .232 BA with a .286 OBP and a .337 SLG% and 2 HRs and a R/PA rate of .074 in Rochester before that promotion. Dozier then played in 84 MLB games that season while hitting with similar numbers - .234 BA and .271 OBP and .332 SLG% and 6 HRs. The Twins sucked that year too, but Dozier was given 84 games to figure stuff out. IMO Walker out performed Dozier at the AAA level (Rochester) , yet wasn't worthy of a Call Up. I am truly interested in the rationale. Meaningful games vs Meaningless games? ABW II - .243 BA with a .308 OBP and a .478 SLG% and a R/PA rate of .116 in Rochester I respond to the Wise One with "What part of a .286 OBP and .337 SLG% rate in the minors does not translate to a major league ballplayer is too tough to figure out? What non catcher, non pitcher is going to get by with those numbers?" Lol -- I say this jokingly and not with ill intent. Did you envision Dozier being the star he has become based on his AAA numbers? If so. you need to bottle that formula / rationale up.

These are minor league averages thru 130+ games per season, and not just one level. If Walker hit .238 with similar numbers as above he would be Dozier in 2015. I say that only because Dozier never hit like Dozier (2015) in the minors. What makes one guys production more believable than the next. Sometimes you just need opportunity. If Dozier continued this season like he started 2016 and finished 2015, fans would have asked for his head. He found lightning in a bottle this second half and has given us Twins fans hope for the future. Opportunity and one small fix resurrected his 2016 season and maybe overall perception. From .200 to possible MVP votes? Go figure. For the record - Dozier played only 48 minor league games in AAA Rochester (2012) before getting promoted. He hit .232 BA with a .286 OBP and a .337 SLG% and 2 HRs in Rochester before that promotion. He then played in 84 MLB games that season while hitting with similar numbers - .234 BA and .271 OBP and .332 SLG% and 6 HRs. The Twins sucked that year too but Dozier was given 84 games to figure stuff out. IMO Walker out performed Dozier at the AAA level (Rochester) , yet wasn't worthy of a Call Up. I am truly interested in the rationale. Meaningful games vs Meaningless games?

I have watched Adam Brett Walker II through 4 full seasons. In that time, I have watched Twins daily list him 4 consecutive years within their Top 6 "Hitters of the Year" (not honorable mention). In that time, Walker has drawn consistent praise and consistent criticism. Rightfully so. That being said, we can draw that Walker is as consistent as they come. I enjoyed reading the Twins daily reviews of their Hitters of the Year (2013 thru 2016): 2013 #6 – Adam Walker – Cedar Rapids Kernels (141-508) - .278/.319/.526 (.844), with 31 doubles, seven triples, 27 HR, 109 RBI, 10 SB) Walker was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University. Like yesterday’s relief pitcher of the year, Tyler Jones, Walker is a product of Milwaukee. After signing with the Twins, he hit 14 homers for Elizabethton last year. This year, he led the Midwest League with 27 home runs and 109 RBI. He added a couple of huge home runs in the playoffs as well. Walker has as much power as anyone in the Twins farm system, but he is also a terrific athlete. He did a nice job in right field. He is also a very good base stealer. He was 10-10 this year and has not been caught on a stolen base attempt since high school. Walker strikes out, but the bigger concern is that he just doesn’t take many walks and control the zone. Without some adjustments, he will struggle as he advances. Fortunately, he is still just 21 years old and has plenty of time to keep developing. 2014 #6 – Adam Walker – Ft. Myers Miracle (124-505 - .246/.307/.436 (.743), with 19 doubles, 1 triple, 24 HR, 94 RBI) At 6-4 and 225 pounds, Walker is an intimidating presence in the batter’s box. Fortunately for the Twins, he’s fit the part of powerful, athletic run producer ever since he joined the Twins organization after being selected as the team’s third round draft pick in 2012. In short-season Elizabethton, Walker hit 14 homers and drove in 45 runs in 58 games. Last year in Cedar Rapids, he hit 31 doubles, seven triples and 27 home runs while driving in 109 runs, which was second only to Dalton Hicks in all of minor league baseball. He moved up to the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2014 and struggled early. He rarely was able to get his batting average over .250, but he walked eight percent of the time, an improvement. He still has strike zone and contact issues, but there is still so much potential in this 22-year-old. 2015 #2 – Adam Brett Walker – Chattanooga Lookouts (100-356 - .239/.309/.498 (.807), with 31 doubles, 3 triples, 31 HR, 106 RBI) Walker was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2012. He put together a very interesting 2015 season. His batting average dipped a little, and yet his walk rate improved. He also led minor league baseball in strikeouts with 195. However, it’s hard to ignore the productivity, and the consistent productivity. He led his league in home runs for the third straight season. He drove in over 100 runs for the second time in three seasons. He continued to surprise people with some sneaky stolen bases. He moved from right field to left field. The strikeouts, of course, remain a huge concern in the short and long term. However, few minor leaguers have as much raw power as Walker. His power is on par with Miguel Sano’s. Still just 23-years-old, the hard-working Walker will be added to the Twins 40-man roster following the season. 2016 #5 – Adam Brett Walker – Rochester Red Wings (116-478 - .243/.305/.479 (.784), with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 27 HR, 75 RBI) For the first time since the Twins made him their 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft, Walker did not lead his league in home runs or RBsI. In 2016 in AAA, he was second with 27 homers and his 75 RBIs was third in the International League. For the fourth straight year, he hit over 25 homers. During the first three months of the season, Walker struck out 42% of his plate appearances. Then, after July 1, he struck out in 34% of his plate appearances. It is still high, but that’s the kind of improvement that should encourage Walker and the Twins front office. Let’s say he can cut that number down to 28-30% and he has a chance to be a solid major leaguer. And there is no questioning the power potential. I can't argue that Walker has flaws, but I can argue that those flaws haven't hurt his previous teams from winning during those 4 seasons. For a man who averages in 4 minor league seasons: 26 doubles per season and 4 triples per season and 28 home runs per season 58 extra base hits per season and 96 rbi per season 167 strikeouts per season In the eyes of most, Walker's cons still outweigh his pros. He has proven to be a quality outfielder this season and has stolen 43 bases in 56 attempts as a professional. Despite his yearly numbers, most would rather go with predictions based on "norms". What does an improvement to his current (above) averages make him? A 4th outfielder? An MLB regular? An MLB All Star? The fact is, Walker is the only prospect to have not been called up, (ever), who appeared as a Twins Daily "Hitter of the Year" candidate (2+ times). Walker has been listed 4 times (TD Hitter of the Year) and yet remains one of few to have never been promoted during a season. To Be (a Twin) or Not To Be - That is the Question? If the answer is no - then the strikeout average is the only numbers we see, because the other averages get most players at least 1 promotion in their minor league career.

I think that upward mobility in the minor league is different for each prospect. Everyone wants to see how you fair at each level but sometimes people perform better against top competition than they do against lower competition. Miguel Sano hit better in the MLB last year and this year than he did in AA, despite the strikeouts. ABW has a 30% career strikeout rate yet only a 23% career strikeout rate against MLB Top 20 pitching in his career. Maybe it's the Albers and Dean type pitchers that give him the most trouble. How many will he see at the highest level. Those are the little things that trouble me with my evaluation of prospects. What are the little intangibles most people don't look at. Are those littler things meaningful when evaluating prospects? Why the large strikeout rate difference? Moving a guy too fast is said to mess up a prospects spirits, and yet maybe moving a guy to slow can do the same thing. Either way, when do you decide to see what an MLB at bat looks like? We don't count spring training ABs where he is 5 for 17 (.294) with 2 HRs and 2 Doubles and a .900+ OPS. We don't count the 2 HRs he's hit off of Trevor May and Mike Pelfrey in off field games. When do we see if those ABs are flukes? We had 20+ games to see something and balked. 23% against Top 20 prospects. Most to all (pitchers) have seen some time in the MLB over the last 2 years as well. Walker should be on the Twins let go list too. They have no intentions of playing him. IMO

AAA manager on Adam Brett Walker's improvement in the outfield and his hard work in that area. If we are in the business of rewarding hard work? Lol From what I've heard in regards to exit meetings - Players are told good job - see you next year. Arcia said this last year when he wasn't called up. No one explained why he wasn't called up, whether we assumed why or not. I don't believe the Twins talk to any of their 40 man players (not called up) about why they aren't called up. I'd like Seth to find out differently? As an organization - you have to know that players on the 40 man dream of that day. The Twins celebrate the guy added to the 40 man (Beresford - deserving) and probably send the only guy on the 40 man (in AAA) home with no explaination. The Twins I can't lie - I wanted ABW up for 2 reasons: (1) I think he deserved it (2) With only 1 African American on the team now (Buxton), I wanted young African Americans in MN to see that baseball does have other African American players in the game. I love the game of baseball. I still think my #1 reason trumps the second reason though. Couldn't have hurt the Twins in anyway but their pocketbooks.

We say this as if the Twins Top 10 prospects have been setting the league on fire. Contributions yes - But on fire no. I'm only talking a cup of coffee to see if he performs better in the MLB than he did in the minors (ala Vargas and Sano). Worth looking at - That's all

Logic - Especially after performing as one of the worst two teams in baseball. There are no good explanations. Nothing to lose.

That's the Twins - ABW has had the same hitting coach for the last 3 seasons AA - AFL - AAA. Maybe a new voice might fix things, but that's thinking outside the box. He was 20th in the league in strikeouts (20%) when he had Watkins as his hitting coach. Just saying - You might have something there in terms of hitting coach. Let's not forget he is among the top prospects in the system in extra base hits every year as well. That squashes that all or nothing theory IMO. If he stays in MN, I agree with you. He isn't making the MLB level. He has been a league MVP finalist every year except this year and won the team MVP in his worse year to date. Who is your can't miss future prospect star? Have they been consistent enough for you? Whoever it is - they have arrived in name only. The Twins have not had a high prospect just take off to stardom since Mauer. Who really knows? Obviously not the Twins.

He is a poor man's version of Chris Carter with room to improve. Carter hasn't been a bad fit for Milwaukee. Carter's numbers were better than Walker's in the minors, but Walker has very similar upside. I would love to see if he gets picked up when left off 40 man roster. If he's lucky somebody sees his worth. If not, welcome back to the minor leagues.

Arcia was said to have quit in AAA last year and was not promoted at end of season (Call up). Walker is said to be an extremely hard worker and gets similar treatment. Only 40 man guy in AAA not promoted. Good season team MVP. Still happy for Berresford

His numbers have been almost identical at every level (good and bad), so the "he won't be able to do that at the next level" excuse is not valid (yet). His 162 game averages thru 5 minor league seasons is 35 HRs and 120+ RBI. He is an all or nothing player yet he averages over 33 doubles per 162 games and 7 triples. Those numbers are never addressed by general public. Why? I'm not saying Walker deserves to be in the starting line up next season, but I am saying he deserves the opportunity to show his worth in a handful of meaningless games.

Certain topics are frowned upon and mostly because they make people uncomfortable to talk about such things. That being said: I have watched Minnesota trot the following people up to the MLB roster at some point in this 2016 season. Some have started the season in Minnesota and were demoted and some were promoted from AAA Rochester and some were signed as free agents during the season: Rochester to the Twins Grossman Kepler* Centeno Schafer Mastroianni Vargas* Polanco* O'Rourke Graham Meyer* Wimmers Boshers Light Dean Albers Kintzler* Chargois* Mejia Rogers* Berrios Berresford Twins to Rochester and Back to the Twins Buxton* Duffey* Murphy* Rosario* Park* Ramirez (only one who started with Twins and didn't make it back) * = Originated on 40 man roster out of spring training Of the 27 people who moved up or either down from the Minnesota Twins, only 11 originated on the 40 man roster at the start of the season. That makes 16 people who were added not only to the 40 man roster this year, but at some point this season they were added to the 25 man roster (Berresford excluded). ABW II is the only member of the 40 man roster to not get promoted this season who was at the AAA level. He improved his defense to the point where his manager Mike Quade publicly praised him on several occasions. He missed out on the HR title (2nd) for the first time in his minor league career and missed out on the RBI title (3rd) for only the first time in his full season career. With all the promotions that occurred on his AAA team this season, he missed out on the playoffs for only the first time in his minor league career. People often make issue of his strikeout legacy, but this will also be the first year he has led the league in strikeouts and DID NOT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. He has won a championship in each of those seasons and had a chance this season, had the Twins not taken Buxton away from their playoff push (in Rochester) with 4 games remaining in season. All that said: He must be broken up not getting that call. The Twins felt that much of him that they promoted 27 dudes during the season and did not feel the need to throw him a bone for his hard work and production. It's obvious the brother doesn't stand a chance in Minnesota and I hope they let him move on to another franchise that appreciates him more (whether he has a long MLB career or not). Let's give that MLB money to the likes of Mastrionni or Schafer or any of the other newly signed 2016 Twins. No excuse is acceptable in my eyes. ABW II is always the "Last Man Standing" when it comes to promotions (2012 - 2016). Time to move on. It doesn't speak well of the organization on so many levels. FYI - Walker won the Rochester Team MVP Award for 2016 - Go figure...............

Here's to praying for a Call up after today's game. TD Hitter of the Month and Rochester Team MVP all in last 5 days. Way to finish strong either way.

With Walker earning the Rochester team MVP and the TD Hitter of the Month award - You would think the Twins would call him up after today's game. I think he's earned it. It would be the kids first in season promotion in 5 seasons, while others have gone up and down like a yo yo. My prayers are with him. My guess: Duffey Vargas Walker Garver

Was JR Murphy called up before Tuesday because of injury or just because they wanted to see him sooner than later? He finished AAA season strong.

ABW has a .600 winning percentage during his minor league career. He is trying to earn his 5th championship in 5 years with the Twins organization, yet they refuse to through him a bone. Minor league championships among top 20 prospects: Buxton (1) Elizabethton Polanco (2) Elizabethton / Chattnooga Sano (0) Rosario (1) AFL Kepler (4) Elizabethton / Ft. Myers / Chattanooga / AFL Walker (4) Elizabethton / Ft. Myers / Chattanooga / AFL / Rochester(?) Molitor says this in one breath and then takes Buxton off Rochester roster with 5 most important games of the season in front of Rochester. Is he supposed to be the good luck charm to end this awful losing streak? Such a confused organization searching for answers............................. - Body blow to Rochester, but they will keep fighting I'm sure. Now that they sabotaged the Rochester season - sounds to me like the Twins need some of that ABW Mojo (.600%) if they want to end this losing streak - Nic Nac Patty Wack ........give a dog a BONE!! #SeptemberCallUpABW

Maybe an ABW would flourish under the Toronto philosophy. His averages over a MLB 162 game season thru 5 minor league seasons: 35 HRs 120 RBI 30 Doubles 5 Triples 206 Strikeouts Hard to handle the strikeouts, but his other numbers have been as consistent as they come. I like how Toronto rolls - Pick your poison. One of our big boys is gonna getcha!

Despite the money, I wouldn't be surprised if the demoted players enjoy Rochester better than Minnesota. At least in Rochester they have a sense of belonging and need. Players play so much better when you show them a little love. Vargas is waving towels and all in with this Rochester playoff push. ABW keeping pace with International League HR lead. http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=1118141083&sid=t534

I think Palka is an excellent prospect as well, but i just don't get why he has passed Walker so easily in everyone's mind? POST ALL STAR BREAK NUMBERS [BOTH AAA ROCHESTER NUMBERS] PALKA .233 BA .297 OBP .484 SLG .781 OPS 68 SO 10 HR / 22 RBI 10 DOUBLES 00 TRIPLES 22 RUNS 37 HITS 43 GAMES WALKER .280 BA .322 OBP .533 SLG .856 OPS 62 SO 10 HR / 29 RBI 06 DOUBLES 03 TRIPLES 21 RUNS 46 HITS 44 GAMES

His numbers are said to likely drop at every level he has been at. Which might eventually be true as you stated. As for little to no walks, he would currently sit 5th on Twins in that category. It is not that he doesn't walk, it is that he doesn't walk much as it pertains to his strikeout totals (BB/K ratio). I just know that I would rather gamble with a guy who has never struggled in the HR - RBI category. I would rather gamble with a guy who has finished TOP three in extra base hits and total bases every year he has played professionlly (with this being his only year not being 1st). If you don't like strikeouts - "I Get It" you will never be a Walker fan. I just know his style of play has helped him win at every level. He is a Game Changer. Somebody should ask the Buxton's, Vargas, Polanco's, Kepler's, Sano's what they think of Walker? I'm curious if they think he could play with them at the next level considering their youthful struggles.

Everybody will [AssUMe] that there is an IT. The IT is whatever the coaches are saying to him. Which none of us truly know. We all [Ass U Me] what is being said to him, but don't really know. Maybe he is working on something that will eventually improve his timing, but calls for possible more strikeouts in the process for now. Why don't writers ever ask minor league coaches what players are working on (specifically), so we don't always blame and reward players for all we see.

ABW - 38.4% K rate & 8.6 BB rate (leads AAA IL in HRs - 5th consecutive year leading league in HRs) 1st time in MN Twins History Palka - 36.8% K rate & 8.9 BB rate (3rd in Minors in HRs thru 2 levels) Very Similar in their AAA stat lines.

Couldn't disagree more. He hasn't hurt his AAA team from being in the playoff hunt, nor his previous championship teams (4) by playing in the field. Way more athletic than given credit for. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_hYvi0BJQrSZqbsG3NRtSRWjgtVm7ONo ABW - The Defensive Side Not bad for a guy 6'5 230+ lbs.

With all of ABW II's (Adam Brett Walker II) flaws, he does have a particular set of skills that seem to rise to the top of his league rankings. Having not been promoted in any level of professional ball, Walker raises many questions about his future. (1) He strikes out too much. Way to much. (2) He is said to only lead his league in positive categories because everyone else is promoted already. (possible). (3) He has played more games on a yearly basis than any other prospect over the last 4 seasons (durable/dependable). (4) He continuously puts up solid power numbers despite his flaws. Who is this guy? Really? *Currently leading AAA International League in Home Runs (26), which would be the 5th consecutive season in which he has completed this feat. Probably never been done before in Twins history. *He has placed Top 3rd in every one of these following categories during his professional career as well. HOME RUNS - RBI's - TOTAL BASES & EXTRA BASES. Notice I didn't say strikeouts, because he ranked 20th in his league in 2013 (NOT 1st) *His defense has been much improved this season despite accounts of his failing arm and speed. He currently leads the team in OF assist although he holds no comparison to Rosario while he was in AAA. Walker does play the outfield well enough to play everyday at the next level. His speed is often ignored despite his 42 for 54 stolen base rate (77%). The question becomes, does his skill set work in Minnesota if he is able to reproduce like he has at EVERY level since being drafted. He might eventually stop producing because the level is to difficult (MLB), but I would sure like to see him fail just once in regards to him not placing top 3 in a league HRs - RBI - TB - XBH before giving up on him. Excited to see if he gets called up after his team goes for his 5th championship in 5 years of minor league ball. STILL IN THE HUNT - GO ROCHESTER!!!