It seems like this team is hitting above reasonable expectations. Young players are coming up and finding success, (SanDana, Vargas, Escobar) and veteran players are joinging the team and figuring out how to hit (Fuld, Suzuki, Schafer...). Heck, even Aaron Hicks who struggled early in the season had a vastly improved OBP from his 2013 campaign. What I'm wondering, is how much credit should we be giving to the Twins hitting coach Tom Brunansky?

Give credit where it's due... It's the power of the stache...

Thanks for supplying the topic. We shared our thoughts in the inaugural Twins Daily/No Juice VidCast:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PhH1gLTyy8

I think you have to give credit where credit is due. Despite no Willingham most of the season, supposedly our best and most tried and true power and RBI threat, so-so production from veteran fill in Morales, and an inconsistent Arcia, the team has generally produced a solid offense for most of the season.

 

It's easy to be flippant and say guys like Santana, Vargas, Dozier, Plouffe and even Suzuki should produce as they are, or have been top prospects. Or in the case of Suzuki, an experienced ML who has shown the ability to hit before. But that is being way too simplistic. Being a top prospect and actually producing at a ML level are very different things. And let us not forget unexpected contributions from the likes of Colabello and Fuld earlier in the season, and Schafer now.

 

I think Bruno has generally done a very nice job. One of the best things I feel he's done is try to teach a patient approach at the plate. (Arcia needs to still pay closer attention, but is improving). For most of the season, the Twins have ranked near the top of the league in pitches seen per AB. It's a statistic a lot of people tend to ignore, but even if it doesn't lead to a high OB, it still means working the pitcher to wear out quicker, as well as waiting for a pitch you can truly handle. I think Santana is a prime example. While we'd all like to see him walk more for a higher OB, I have been soooo impressed by his ability to stand in, take and fight off pitches, until he finds something to hit. I think that, more than anything, helps explain his outstanding and lasting success.

 

The problem with being a hitting coach is credit only comes when the statistics seem obvious. A few years ago, Vavra was hailed for a solid job. Then when the offense slipped the next season, everyone thought he was a bum. It's not always obvious what's going on, and where a good job is taking place, but I really like the job Bruno has done.

Coming into the season the general thought was that the pitching would be better but there were massive question marks with the lineup.

 

Now the Twins are probably going to end up a top 5-6 offense. Someone is doing something right.

Coming into the season the general thought was that the pitching would be better but there were massive question marks with the lineup.

 

Glad I wasn't the only one to notice that. Boy, were some of us wrong...