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RJA

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Everything posted by RJA

  1. RJA
    Thanks for the info. You rock!
  2. RJA
    It is nice to see Dereck Rodriguez doing well. I wonder if the Twins have thought about using him in long relief. I am a bit worried about the number of appearances and innings being tallied by the bullpen, and having someone in Winder's role to go more than one inning could sure help. I know very little about Hanner. Does anyone know if his stuff will play at the higher levels? Hopefully I will see him on my CR trip this summer.
  3. RJA
    It is too early to draw any final conclusions, but as of today, I think the biggest need is for starting pitching as I am not confident that Bundy and Archer are going to be dependable starters who can go 5-6 innings on a regular basis. I think they need to replace Paddack. Eovaldi hasn't shown anything this season, so I would be hesitant to go after him unless he straightens things out between now and the deadline. I like Josh Bell, so IF Kirilloff is not healthy by the deadline, I would at least explore that as an option assuming it doesn't detract from Arraez's at bats. It all depends on how the offense is doing and if anyone is injured. The bullpen is looking good but they are making way too many appearances and pitching way too many innings, so I could see them starting to falter without additional help. There may be some guys in the minors that could help by the deadline, but adding a quality at the deadline may be a good idea.
  4. RJA
    I love your stuff, Matt. But, this may be an example of hitting a fly with a sledgehammer--a little too much analysis given the paucity of data. I am a history buff as well, so I thoroughly enjoyed your non-traditional lead in to the analysis!
  5. RJA
    Two best bits of news today were the performance of Enlow and Hajjar. If Enlow continues to build strength and throw well, he could be at Target Field sometime next summer. I doubt if the FO moves him up with what I expect is a pretty significant innings limitation, but he could clearly spend time in St. Paul next year and get to the bigs later in the summer. One walk for Hajjar was great to see. He is still limiting hits, so if he starts locating his stuff consistently, he could also be a fast mover.
  6. RJA
    Great article, Sherry. I am sure the wiffle ball story brings back memories for a lot of us! I agree that this kid can be special. My hope is the Twins put him in the rotation and let him start on a regular basis. I am confident he will do well and get even better as the season progresses. I think switching from starting to relieving would not do him any favors. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a family to raise a MLB player! It sounds like he has a fabulous family. I am happy for all of them.
  7. RJA
    Good summary, Ted. Wallner's power is unbelievable. If he is still pounding the ball into June, I think they should at least give him a look at St. Paul. Povich was great last night. He has good stuff, an easy delivery, and a confident mound presence. He is another candidate to be moved up later this summer.
  8. RJA
    I think this is one of the most unpredictable drafts in a long time due to injuries, the lack of college pitchers, and no real clear tiers of players. This year especially I think there will be big differences in how teams evaluate the players. I did see Law has Mazur going in the first round, so the local boy is impressing people.
  9. RJA
    The best solutions to the first two concerns are named Kirilloff, Larnach and maybe Lewis. Kirilloff showed some promise last night, let's hope it continues. Larnach was playing very well prior to the injury, and it seems he has adjusted to the steady diet of off speed stuff that has been thrown his way. Lewis could play left if Larnach stumbles and I suspect that is part of the plan in sending him down. I wouldn't add anyone at first base until I was sure Kirilloff is out of the picture. If he is, maybe Josh Bell will be available as the Nationals are dead in the water and he is a free agent after this year. Finally, we do need pitching, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the FO adds someone sooner than later, especially if Bundy shows signs of being erratic.
  10. RJA
    Great, detailed summary, Andrew. Three thoughts. First, by far the best news of the night is Kirilloff's performance. It would be such a boost to the Twins if he starts driving the ball with authority. Second, when I looked at the box score of the suspended game from a couple of days ago, I noticed at the date of the start of the suspended game, Miller was hitting .214. Now, just a few weeks later, he is at .295 and playing superbly. The kid is a prospect for sure. Finally, I hope Steer gets moved up. He certainly deserves it. BTW, it will a fun night to watch MiLB TV tonight with Balazovic, SWR and Povich all on the mound.
  11. RJA
    Like all managers, Rocco has strengths and weaknesses, but people tend to overreact when things are going badly and when things are going well. I think his relationship with players is extraordinary, and players hustle for him. His game management is not top 10 in baseball, but he is a young manager who will get better, and I think he is improving. But, it is way too early to evaluate him this year. My biggest concern this year is his bullpen usage. Right now Smith, Thielbar, Duffey, Pagan, and Duran are all looking like they will be making 60-70 appearances this year. I know starters may begin going deeper into games, but I think it does raise concerns about the stalwarts holding up for a full season. Let's have this discussion later in the summer.
  12. RJA
    Great, detailed summary. Thanks loads. You know, the injury bug is all over the majors, not just with the Twins. Does anyone have any stats on the number of players on the injury list this year, or the number of games missed this year, compared to other years? It just seems like injuries have ballooned the past few years, but maybe that is a faulty perception.
  13. RJA
    Thanks for this note. I admit that I have not followed him closely at all, so I appreciate your heads up on Cody. It is truly amazing how many good young arms are in the system.
  14. RJA
    It was great to see Kirilloff get 4 hits in the double header. Now when he starts driving the ball for extra base hits, we will know he is really feeling better. Raya looks like he is going to be special, and as JimPohlad1 noted, so does Miller.
  15. RJA
    I agree with Roger and Dman about Miller. He is killing it in his first year of pro ball. It is hard to believe the kid was playing high school ball last year. I confess I greatly underestimated him before the season started. Shame on me.
  16. RJA
    This kid is a great story. I don't believe he was really on many teams' draft radar in 2019, but the Twins must have seen some projectability they liked, and now he is turning some heads. What is not to like about a 6 foot 6 lefty with a smooth delivery and the ability to generate swings and misses? I suspect he will be moved up soon.
  17. RJA
    Nice summary, Matt. Two thoughts. First, Spencer Steer continues to impress. He broke out a bit last year and is carrying that progress forward to this year. He makes good contact, has some power, draws some walks and doesn't have an abundance of swing and miss in his game. It would be nice to see what he could do at St. Paul. Second, Enlow's showing was impressive. He gave up some hits, but the important thing is he was missing bats with 6 strikeouts (small error in prospect summary which lists 1). I think he is really going to do well the remainder of the summer as he gets back in the groove, and will be a guy to watch next year.
  18. RJA
    I don't think we know for sure what this young man's ceiling is. If he continues to develop and begins driving the ball consistently, I agree with baul0010 that he could hold down a regular spot in the lineup. He definitely is a more complete player than Cave, Garlick and the like. His defense is outstanding. It will be fun to watch him develop.
  19. RJA
    Yes, Ted, the performances thus far have been less than stellar. I think it is fair to point out that Donaldson is not setting the world on fire in NY either, and this trade was really about both the Twins and Yankees unloading players--Donaldson and Sanchez--that they wanted off the rosters. The other players were included simply to balance things out. This was an addition by subtraction for the Twins. And, Sanchez won't be back next year, and absent a turnaround, Urshela will not be either.
  20. RJA
    Me too! Great work, and thanks for responding.
  21. RJA
    One small correction--it is Daniel Susac. I think Andrew is his older brother if I am not mistaken. I am curious why you dropped Susac out of top ten. Is it concern as to his hit tool? I understand the Prielipp ranking. You know, it used to be that TJ effectively destroyed a pitcher's ability to go high in the draft. Now, it is so common and the recovery rates so good that it has almost become a right of passage for talented young arms. I would probably still have Lesko in front of him, but I think Prielipp is a big talent. Great article, thanks Jeremy. I always pick up good info and a fresh perspective when I read your updates. I almost forgot to ask your take on Gavin Cross who BA has the Twins taking at 8.
  22. RJA
    Canterino looked great last night and controlled the zone beautifully. I think the hype around him is well deserved. CES looks like he will be moved up soon as he continues to rake at CR. I know Seth thinks highly of Isola so I have been careful to watch him in the Wichita games. It looks like he is catching half the games, and from what I have seen has acquitted himself well behind the plate. Offensively, he draws walks, has some power and makes good contact. Not bad for the 869th overall pick in the 2019 draft!
  23. RJA
    Interesting article, Cody. I concur with most of the prior comments. I will simply add that Terry Ryan was a classy guy, and in his era was a fine GM. He took time to talk to me at a ST game and patiently answered questions and talked about the prospects. I will always respect him.
  24. RJA
    Great young man and someone who has worked hard his whole career in hopes of getting the call and he finally did. I am happy for him. But, this kid is a good player. I wouldn't be surprised to see him do well in whatever time he has in the bigs. His defense is great, and his ability to play all three spots actually makes him a perfect 4th outfielder. It will be fun to see how he does.
  25. RJA
    I am really excited to see Wallner making the necessary adjustments to reduce his K's. I saw him hit one out last year that was just a rocket. I think people who compare him to Rooker are really underselling his potential. Nobody in our system has more raw power (ok, maybe Buck and Sano), and the ball absolutely jumps off his bat. I am pulling for him. I agree with ExPat about Steer. He has really improved and made himself a good prospect. I would love to see him get a chance at St. Paul.
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