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twinstalker

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Everything posted by twinstalker

  1. twinstalker
    Keaschall will be ready by June; the question is where.
  2. twinstalker
    This isn't a top prospect list. His numbers simply aren't as good. He gewd, tho...
  3. twinstalker
    True enough, but in this case the better minor league pitcher is also the better major league prospect. Festa pitched in AAA in '23, Zebby pitched in A ball this season. Also, Festa's inclusion on this list is questionable. But thank you to all heavens for not putting Raya here. Oof.
  4. twinstalker
    I'm not sure the first trade involving Smalley was a win. It depends on what would have happened with Blyleven. Was he a free agent at the end of 1976? The fact he was with Texas the following year says no. So, 1977 with the Twins would have been very interesting. Smalley and Cubbage were contributors, but they weren't above average and likely only somewhat above replacement. The Twins hit the hell out of the ball but couldn't pitch, except for Goltz and reliever Tom Johnson. The Twins surely would have fought KC down to the end with Blyleven instead of their worst pitcher. Just eating innings would have kept Johnson fresher and more able to help in the other games. I think the Twins, who faded, would have not only beaten KC a few more times but would have maybe won a ton more themselves. They did finish 17.5 game back, so I realize this argument has holes. Not to mention, they didn't finish that far back in 1976, though they were hot the 2nd half, so the difference with Blyleven might have been minimal. Twins finished 5 games back, so maybe Blyleven leads them into Yankee Stadium for the postseason. The Twins did have a hole at SS with Thompson sick, so they may have had to make n different trade. Mostly, though, you don't cut the salary of one of the five best pitchers in the AL.
  5. twinstalker
    Here's what you read into promoting Jenkins from a team that's done to a team that's just playing out the string: They want to get him more ABs and do so vs slightly better pitching. It's as simple as that. For one, he's missed a chunk of the season. For two, more games means more ready for late season, as opposed to getting used to ending his season near the beginning of September. He might be in play for a late season call-up next year if the Twins are in it and need help. For three, yeah, he might start next year at AA due to weather, and if so they're not going to demote him without cause. He should at least something resembling AA pitching. Wichita vs Cedar Rapids in early April is something weather-wise but not guaranteed to be that much. A fictional tornado hit Kansas on May 5, 1900, after all.
  6. twinstalker
    Is Cedar Rapids done?
  7. twinstalker
    I was paging down to write exactly this: "Don't the the door..."
  8. twinstalker
    I'm not sure Morris belongs on this particular list (due to rough AAA start), but he definitely is my favorite prospect, and I think he deserves mention in every article! Thank you for this. These monthly minors are my favorite features.
  9. twinstalker
    All three of these guys should crush low A. Now, the change itself from time off to playing ball again affects a number of players, such as Charlie Condon and JJ Wetherholt. Amick (average) and DeBarge (bad) are not playing well at low A. Kaelen Culpepper is not playing well at A+ after playing well at low A. All of them should be deserving to play A+ (two aren't) and doing well there (no one is). DeBarge (25% K rate at low A) was another disappointing pick by the Twins in the vein of Noah Miller, Keoni Cavaco, and Aaron Sabato, though I'll admit to hating the pick immediately in KDB's case. The others I had to see play in the minors. I swear somebody must have said "he's just like" Keaschall without qualifying on competition he played against and the competition he did well against. Amick doesn't seem too exciting, and I don't see anything in him to provide optimism. I seriously wonder how the Twins got Keaschall, given the choices they've made. Thank goodness there were no decisions to make wrt Jenkins and Lee. It was a bad draft, both overall and for the Twins. Culpepper is probably the best hitting hope of the three, but I don't see anything special there.
  10. twinstalker
    The Keirsey thing is indeed perplexing. I mean, we can guess that he's wrong-handed to fit, but that seems too simple. Can he not hit anything but AAA fastballs down the middle? And do so with really low exit velocities? Will the fan love him too much? I suggested recently the Twins didn't want to make a 40 move with him then have to take him off the 40, thereby exposing him to waivers...when they could wait to the end of the season to add him so they'd have their cheap 5th OF for 2025. Whereas they wouldn't be worried about a guy like Helman, but even when I said it, I had a hard time convincing myself they'd be worried about losing Keirsey. And Helman bats right-handed. Helman can easily be sent to AAA (no one will want him). My guess is Helman gets DFA'd, Buxton comes back, and maybe Keirsey gets a chance later in the month when the Twins don't think there'd be reason to cut him. They can take Severino off the 40.
  11. twinstalker
    His early season slash: .080/.273/.240. Half the batting average and 2/3 the slug were due to hitting a home run off a position player lobbing the pitch to him. That's how bad he was.
  12. twinstalker
    I was ready to argue with whatever choices, but the best I'll do is that Willi Castro was foreseeable. I'm not even sure his numbers are that different from last year. Quick check: they're the same. Fun fact: ZIPS projections are regressed to the mean, and that means better players will have lower predictions than their previous year (in general). In a sense a player popping up as Castro did in 2023 is always a good choice to predict worse stats for the following year, but there are a number of other factors, including moving closer to prime hitting age (age 27/28 is the general peak, and he's 27 this year). While the probability of Castro matching his stats from last year weren't overwhelming, this doesn't really surprise despite a 2023 uptick in BABIP. I think Jax and SWR are very surprising, Jax in his dominance, SWR in his competence. Good choices.
  13. twinstalker
    Yeah, I understand the thinking, but they can make it work in Wichita, and that's where he needs to prove he can hit breaking balls and changeups.
  14. twinstalker
    I think Culpepper is a concern, and that his numbers will concern, but despite this, it's too early to make the declaration you're asking about. Yes, Culpepper is a concern. No, his start is not (if he were good, this start is plausible). To me it's as expected. I didn't think he'd be very good. Numbers are in line with that. As I said after the draft, the first good pick was Dasan Hill, DeBarge and Amick were bad picks (there weren't a lot of good choices, admittedly), and Culpepper probably wasn't going to be anything much. Hill's also unlikely to do anything, but at least he's good value for the pick.
  15. twinstalker
    Yeah, I hate verbose posts. ts;dr
  16. twinstalker
    Am I mistaken that Kepler jogged to 3B? How is that Watkins fault? Watkins was obviously confused by a guy who wasn't running full speed. That should have been a run, and it was Kepler's fault it wasn't. If he can't run, well, then he shouldn't be out there, obviously. I've had quite enough of him and, frankly, wouldn't mind if he were placed on the 60-day DL with this knee thing.
  17. twinstalker
    Raya, DeBarge, Rosario, and Schobel are not top 20 worthy. Winokur and K. Culpepper are much too high (maybe 19 and 20?). Right now Culpepper is playing against guys he should be better than. The rest of the college players drafted this year are playing against guys they should be way better than. DeBarge looks like I feared he would. He could never hit quality stuff. He hit stuff that was complex league at best. I doubt any of these guys will be as good as Payton Eeles will be, and he's not even on your list. And the first four I mention are actually close in age to him, though the batters are older or the same in the age vs level qualification. CJ Culpepper is struggling, and imo probably has TJS or similar in his near future. Get it done. He's a good prospect, and I don't understand how the player or team or whoever is suggesting rehab actually thinks he'll be the one guy with his symptoms who doesn't need surgery.
  18. twinstalker
    LOL. Twins will have to place Eeles on the 40 man roster by November 2027. I, too, hope they don't lose him.
  19. twinstalker
    Well, that's a sad headline.
  20. twinstalker
    tl;dr 1967 was before my time, but it goes down as probably the Twins most disappointing regular season. They should have won the pennant that year. 1992 might be second after backing up their 1991 title with a fantastic four months (almost) that might have been enough had the powerful A's not been their main competitor. After those two, I think 2001 and 1977 might be 3 and 4. 2001 was a young team, but they had a big lead and choked with LaTroy Hawkins as an inadequate closer. 1977 held a lot of hope after a great run to end 1976, but a first week car accident thinned an already thin pitching staff, including starter Mike Pazik. Still, the Twins with Carew (.388), Bostock (.336), Hisle (.302, 119 RBI), Adams (.844 ops), Goltz (20 wins, 3.36), and Tom Johnson (16 wins, 3.03 in 71 G, all relief) got out early and were (42-31) up one game after the famous 19-12 win vs the Whities and two more vs Mil. They went 42-46 to finish the season. And Bostock and Hisle were impending free agents. Very disappointing. 1984 might have had a disappointing finish, but the division was really bad, the team wasn't nearly ready to win a lot of games, and there was a lot of excitement about Kirby, Herbie, Gaetti, Bruno, Teufel, Viola, Smithson, Butcher, and even an old but exciting Ron Washington. Detroit was far and away the best team that year, probably followed by 4-5 other teams in the East. Winning the West was a death sentence. It wasn't a lot different in 1987, actually. The 1984 and 2001 teams were both young, but 2001 was really pretty good while 1984 wasn't yet. The Twins weren't good in 2008 and had lost Johan and Hunter after the previous season. It was more surprising that they played in a Game 163 than it was disappointing they lost the division. 2009 was probably the most pleasantly shocking team after they disappointed nearly the whole season but came back from 7 down on Sept 6, only to fall two games under .500 (5.5 GB) on Sept 12 before bouncing back to three games back with four to go. Twins won their last four, Tigers lost three and won on the final day to create a Game 163. Twins had gone 16-4 to finish and then took down the Tigers in Game 163. Not disappointing.
  21. twinstalker
    I just skimmed so forgive... I think this could signify they like Keirsey as a 5th OF (Buxton, Wallner, Larnach, Martin, Keirsey) in 2025, but bringing him up this year could lead to losing him. At the end of the season (or whenever earlier they know they won't have to expose him by dropping him off the 40) they can place him on the 40 and protect him from Rule V or six-year minor league free agency. If for some reason they don't have room to put him on the 40 after the season, I think they'll be disappointed, but it's not going to keep them up at nights.
  22. twinstalker
    I drafted Eeles in my simulation league, just in case the Twins got tired of throwing the same old out at 2B. Unfortunately, I won't be able to keep him, but I'll likely get him late next March. As for the age list. De Andrade is young, but I think he'd be at Wichita at age 20 if he hadn't gotten hurt. That age vs level thing is no joke. Another guy I'll draft at some point next year, likely in supplemental drafts.
  23. twinstalker
    I, too, watched the game on my little black and white I'd brought to the temporary dorm room I had for fall practice my freshman year. For some reason I remember it being a Monday night. I seriously wish I could remember why I know it was a Monday night. Given the rarity of games on local TV, it could have been Monday Night Baseball, but I think it was local.
  24. twinstalker
    Not sure how up to date these all are or whether it's referring to now or future. Anyway, what I do know is De Andrade is good, and I think he hits enough. I'm not sure he's the next Greg Gagne, but it does seem like a distinct comp for him, though I hate to compare any fielder with Gagne. I've had De Andrade ranked #7 in the system and the heir to Correa.
  25. twinstalker
    Oh, the future stars that can be found from 15-game samples at low A!
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