TNLooky2015

ABW II homers off Phil Hughes yesterday on backfields https://twitter.com/KNUJ/media

Kepler has a .280 lifetime minor league average and hasn't even hit AAA yet. He has 41 stolen bases in 6 seasons with 13 sac flies. Santana has a lifetime .276 minor league average and has played in AAA already. He has 124 stolen bases and 23 sac flies. Hell his MLB average after two seasons is still .278 even after last season. What about Kepler's one AA season where he virtually had the same average (.322 vs .319) as Santana did in his MLB season prove your "better stick" theory? I think Santana offers more to start the season and runs faster. He also has proven he is capable of providing sac flies when needed. Things may change as May and June roll around. Are these valid points?

I wonder if Molitor will let these sluggers have a HR derby in BP one of these ST practices. It would probably draw a capacity crowd if advertised early enough. Simply put - "I was going to let them get after it with a HR derby on (_____ day)" How exciting would that be: Plouffe Sano Arcia Park Walker Vargas Dozier That would be worth the price of admission. Oh yeah - it's free

I wonder if Molitor will let these sluggers have a HR derby in BP one of these ST practices. It would probably draw a capacity crowd if advertised early enough. Simply put - "I was going to let them get after it with a HR derby on (_____ day)" How exciting would that be: Plouffe Sano Arcia Park Walker Vargas Dozier That would be worth the price of admission. Oh yeah - it's free

Love to see how everybody loads differently. Hands go back, hands drop, etc.. I also like that they work on the basics in defensive video. Footwork is so important.

Good stuff

What do prospects learn in AA that they don't learn in AAA? Is there a particular pitching style to learn from in AA and AAA? Is that why players need to repeat a level in AA or AAA? So many pitchers shuffle through a minor league season, that I remain troubled of the thought of learning "something" special at a particular level. The Lookouts kept 4 of their opening day 13 pitchers. I'm not here to disagree. I just don't know what Walker is expected to learn back at AA that he can't learn from AAA? Are Fastballs different? Are Change Ups different? Is command that much different? Etc. etc.. My only thought for keeping him in AA was to reconnect and work with coach Watkins.

BP this past week. Outfield Drills this past week

Walker had 27 HRs and 109 RBI under Tommy Watkins guidance as the hitting coach (2013) and had a 20% K rate. Best of his career. Maybe Mr. Watkins knows something the other coaches didn't when it came to Walker's everyday approach. Maybe it's not such a bad thing. Travis Harrison also had 15 HRs under Watkins as well. Hasn't been close since. DJ Hicks led the minors in RBI (110) under Watkins. Hasn't been close since. Oh yeah - That was Buxtons best year as well (haha).

I agree 100%. This guy can throw and is underrated when it comes to comparing him with Burdi and many other relievers. My spring surprise pitcher as well. MLB reday!

http://www.startribune.com/as-always-twins-prospect-walker-looking-to-connect/368566581/ Article from Reusse after interview from Ft. Myer

I like to think there isn't much of a blueprint for guys like him not making it. Mainly because no one can think of a guy like him in history. 3 consecutive years of leading your league in HRs and RBI and TB and XBH and ISO and not making it. Cecil Fielder is the last MLB player to win a HR and RBI title (2/3 of the triple crown) in consecutive seasons (1990 & 1991). Ralph Kiner led the league in HRs for 7 straight years (1946 to 1952) and only led the league in RBI once in that span. His teams were terrible by the way, even with his lifetime .398 OBP. Ryan Howard did it in 2006 and 2008 on his way to 1 world title and several close calls in his hay day. Production never lies. It is what it is! Chances are speculators sometimes fall victim to the truth, because they don't believe what they see in front of them. They see the K's and become blinded by the production because of the "Chances are" potential. That's the beauty of prospect dreaming though. We all see potential through different color lenses.

I acknowledged that teammates have much to do with the entire winning concept. Magic Johnson had great scorers on his team, which made his assist skill set valuable. Terry Bradshaw had great receivers on his way to 4 super bowls. Walker was fortunate enough to have great teammates and was able to use his skill set to help in those championships. I'm just saying that his skill set is a valuable component to those championships and the Twins future championships. IMO - Do you put merit into what Sano said about it being easier to hit at the MLB level, than it was at the AA level because pitchers were around the plate more? And like it was said earlier - Walker did walk 51 times last year. That would be good for 61st place in the entire MLB last year. That's out of 663 players who hit last season in the league. I would also bet from watching the games last year in Chattanooga that Walker worked more full counts than anyone on the team too. He just struck out on many of those counts despite working them to 3-2. That is a more fixable problem than being a free swinger like so many claim him to still be.

I just imagine that leading a league every year in HRs, RBI. ISO, TB, XBH has to trump the K total, especially win your team is winning the championship every year. Much of that does have to do with the combination of teammate skill sets. However, 100 runs a year scored is pretty significant for a guy with his K rate too. He has been consistently good / bad every year, with the good outweighing the bad. Sometimes I feel like being a winner is only used when talking about quarterbacks. This young nucleus of players are just that - Winners. Loved these below projections when I think of his former teammates (Buxton; Kepler; Sano; Rosario; Polanco) who would have been on base for Walker. Game Changer Prospect Projections: AL Central rookies 2016 http://www.milb.com/...s_milb&sid=milb

Lol - True

I agree with you Seth. When people talk about the 5 tools of a position player, defense is not one of Walkers flaws IMO. The throwing tool is. I've seen him run down some hard hit balls. He always seems under control. He just never tries to throw people out. Why did the Twins think and say they thought he could play in the outfield when they drafted him?

For the record - Walker ranked 18th in strikeouts in 2013, in his league and didn't even lead his team that year. So when you hear people say he led his league every year in strikeouts - It's not true. He actually struck out at a 20% rate that year. Another complaint is that he is far behind for a player who he went to college. That fact is that he was one of the youngest college players in his draft and was actually younger than league average in every year of his professional career (even in Elizabethton). If you can name the last Milwaukee (Wisconsin) prospect to make the major leagues, you might have to google. Walker was behind his learning curve before he probably even began. Think outside the box with all our power guys and maximize our best options based on results.

Most bloggers here believe that OBP and K/BB rate are huge indicators for future success. The question becomes when do we step away from that "Baseball Player Development Format" and open our minds to the possibilities and probabilities that "someone" might buck the system? I have heard people complain in countless threads about the "Twins Way" and how the Twins need to get with modern day saber metrics. [ This player doesn't get on base enough / This player doesn't walk enough as it compares to his strikeouts / This player needs to be rushed quicker through the system / This player needs another year in __ ball to improve ___ / This player doesn't strikeout enough people (despite getting outs) / This player has great stuff (but doesn't get enough outs) / etc. / etc. ]. The only thing certain is that no one has a clear set formula that works. That being said: What is your golden rule that is needed for a prospect to be successful? What prospects are you basing your theory on (success)? The Twins have a future HOF on the team that sports a lifetime .394 OBP, and a lifetime K/BB rate of 1.04, yet averages only 68 runs per game in his career. Those are clear cut indicators to me that despite his greatness, he needs run producers sprinkled in to maximize his gifts. The Twins had only Mauer, Sano, and Hicks (regulars) with an OBP over .309 last year. If we are going to play with a line-up of low OBP players, we might as well play with guys who are proven run producers. Game Changers --- Vargas; Arcia; Park; Walker; Sano; Plouffe; are guys in our system who have a history of driving in runs. The Twins balked on Vargas and Arcia early last year. I hope they don't do the same this year with Park and Walker. Simply because "Chances are...." based on the "Baseball Player Development Format". Walker is the only person in any MLB system to lead his league in homers; extra base hits; total bases and rbi over a 3 year span. Comparing him to other minor league prospects shows a willingness to not buck the norm. He is not criticized for his lack of success, but for the "Chances are..." theory that players with his make up don't generally succeed. Per/ 162 Game Average (4 MiLB seasons) 100 Runs 198 SO 306 TB 128 RBI 52 BB 35 HRs 05 3B 31 2B 12 SB .234 ISO .800 OPS 4 Championships (4 years) No one in the system averages numbers like this guy, with maybe the exception of Sano and Park. Not Arcia! Not Plouffe! Not Vargas! Let's get away from the "Chances are..." mindset and start trusting what we see (Production).

What does one accomplish in AA that one can't accomplish in AAA? What is expected to be learned early in AA I should say that won't be seen in AAA?

Kirby was a Bad Man, but Kirby was also a special athlete. Who do we have with that type of vertical and speed combination (athleticism)? I love the football video on another recent thread. Many of our guys look so uncomfortable catching a football.

Sano's only problem will be his ability to run throughout a season. The heavier he is, the less likely it will be for him to truly stride out in the outfield. Thus hamstrings, quads, hip flexors.. Flexibility will determine his future regardless to position if he hopes to stay in the field. That's what I'll be looking for in spring training. How much and how seriously does he stretch when on the field.

No one is ever satisfied. If he drove all his runs in during the first 5 innings but still led your team - So what? People will jump from statistic to statistic to find a flaw. If you are the best on your team in RBI you can't be all that bad. I didn't say great. We don't have any great players yet.

This is so true. So how and why should we comment on any spring training numbers / performance if we don't know what the opposing pitchers are working on. ST really doesn't tell us much. How do you know if Sweeny, Mastroianni, or Benson have really improved? Are the Twins making their opening day roster spots based on whether players STINK up the place more so than if they've improved?

Rolling an 11 is sometimes called "a Natural". When I look at the 11 outfielders heading into spring training, I don't see anything natural about that? And I bet if you asked the 11 outfielders heading into spring training what they thought of the competition stacked in front of them, at least 7 of them would say "Craps". Who will emerge (4) for opening day and what is the mindset of the Twins to bring in so many options? Who will be the first cuts / optioned and why? LUCKY ELEVEN? Byron Buxton Eddie Rosario Miguel Sano Danny Santana Max Kepler Oswaldo Arcia Adam Brett Walker II Carlos Quentin Joe Benson Ryan Sweeney Darin Mastroianni

People - Athletes go into their respective training camps with weight on because they know they are going to lose quite a bit throughout camp. The fact that he has only lost 5 pounds is not a bad thing. He will easily lose 15 more pounds with the running he is going to do in his OF drills. Thus mission accomplished. The problem I have with Sano is that he doesn't run with a knee drive when running all out. For an outfielder, this could lead to pulled quads and hamstrings. He needs to work on his flexibility within the next 3-4 weeks or that will be the issue. Outfielders have a gate when they run (Long Striders). Sano is a power step runner with speed, but doesn't show the knee lift to open when needed. I worry more about his hip flexors and thigh muscles being too tight. IMO