Article: The Emergence of Kennys Vargas

[Larsbars08]

A 20% k rate from a power hitter is pretty damn good to begin with. Even if he starts regressing towards that, anything below 20% from a hitter with his power is icing on the cake.

 

Count me in on the Vargas bandwagon. He's a guy I've been interested in but he's been around for a while. I was surprised to see he's only 23. Is he a top 10 prospect by the end of the season?

[Thrylos]

Count me in on the Vargas bandwagon. He's a guy I've been interested in but he's been around for a while. I was surprised to see he's only 23. Is he a top 10 prospect by the end of the season?

 

For some of us, he already is a top 10 prospect...

[Twins Fan From Afar]

A 20% k rate from a power hitter is pretty damn good to begin with. Even if he starts regressing towards that, anything below 20% from a hitter with his power is icing on the cake.

 

Count me in on the Vargas bandwagon. He's a guy I've been interested in but he's been around for a while. I was surprised to see he's only 23. Is he a top 10 prospect by the end of the season?

 

On the subject of his K %, take a look at what he's done since 2009: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa503875&position=1B/DH#advanced

 

I'll save you the click if you don't want to check fangraphs: 26.2; 25; 26.2; 22; 20.2; 16.2 (going into tonight's game).

 

So Vargas is definitely trending in the right direction.

[kab21]

I will worry about the Twins having too many good DH's when the Twins actually have too many good HITTERS. Not everyone of those hitters will work out and I'm not convinced that most of them can't play somewhere in the field.

[DocBauer]

This guy.

 

Vargas really intrigues me as a future block for the new Twins foundation. And his play thus far at AA has me very encouraged.

 

Simply can't discount Arcia as a full time OF with his youth and relatively decent athleticism. He just needs time, experience and more coaching. And right now, full health. To me, right now, so far this season, his injury is right up there with Sano and Buxton being hurt. There are different reasons to like him in both corners. RF with his arm, LF if his potential never quite reaches reality defensively. And yet, more room to cover in LF for someone else.

 

Pinto at C, no problem. He's not bad there, just learning and growing and Suzuki doing a great job. Even better than expected. No good reason why a healthy, and steadily improving Sano can't stay at 3B.

 

My "dream" for this season, besides every Twins top prospect improving and growing overall, and Buxton just having a healthy and kick-butt season that would show he might be ready for 2015 (UGH!), was in 5 parts. #1 was a SS to emerge from somewhere. I believe the move to Escobar is long over due as well as encouraging. Santana's early promotion has been a huge surprise, even if it proves temporary. This one might actually be coming true. #2 was an OF, other than Arcia, to take a big step forward toward next season. (Again, other than Buxton) I had a hunch it could be Walker, but perhaps Parmelee could FINALLY be getting it. #3 was for Meyer, May or Darnell to be ready by the ASB. This might still happen.

 

#4 was for a "someone" to emerge. Regardless of position. Regardless of full time or just good all around productive player. Vargas just might be that guy.

[Hawkeye12]

Hmm, Let say Below Average. Below Average glove and range. Meaning If Mauer is hurt, he could player there. But just like people dream of him having David Otriz production with the bat, they have nightmares about him being like Ortiz in the field.

 

I wonder how many people remember that David Ortiz was named Baseball America's best defensive first baseman in 1997 when he was at New Britain.