Article: Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - April 2015

[Seth Stohs]

Over the weekend, I handed out the “awards” for Twins minor league relief pitcher and starting pitcher of April. Whether coming out of the bullpen or starting the game, the Twins had some minor leaguers put up some very good numbers..

 

Today, I am going to profile five Twins minor league hitters who had solid Aprils. There were a few strong offensive performances, but in my mind, one stood out above the rest.Here are my selections for the Top 5 Twins minor league hitters in April. But first, here are a few honorable mentions:

• Rochester C Josmil Pinto (18-59) .305/.397/.373 (.770) with one double, one homer and nine RBIs.
• Rochester 2B James Beresford (17-50) .340/.382/.380 (.762) with two doubles and five RBI.
• Cedar Rapids 1B/LF sTrey Vavra (19-68) .279/.319/.500 (.819) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 12 RBIs.

THE TOP FIVE HITTERS

 

Number 5 - Chattanooga – Adam Brett Walker - (16-66) .242/.301/.530 (.832) with four doubles, five home runs and 11 RBI.s

 

 

Walker had a solid month in his Double-A debut for the Lookouts. He put up Walker-like numbers. He didn’t hit for average, but he showed the type of immense power that we have seen in the lower levels. His five home runs led the league and the Twins organization for the month. In 71 plate appearances, he walked six times and struck out 29 times. Four of his six walks came in one game. It was a solid performance for Walker.

Number 4 – Rochester – Aaron Hicks - (22-71) .310/.398/.493 (.891) with four doubles, three triples, 1 home run and 12 RBIs.

 

Through the season’s first seven games, Aaron Hicks was hitting just .194. In his final 11 games of the month, he hit .400/.479/.525 (1.004) with three doubles and a triple. Though he’s got a .980 OPS against left-handed pitchers (as a right-handed batter), he has a solid .813 OPS against righties as well. He’s also playing some very good defense in center and right field. He ended the month on an 11-game hitting streak. Maybe May 4^th wasn’t the date he was called up, but I can’t imagine it will be too much longer before he’s back at Target Field, patrolling center field.

Number 3 - Rochester – Reynaldo Rodriguez - (22-68) .324/.403/.500 (.903) with five doubles, two triples, one home run and nine RBIs.

 

Rodriguez is in his third season in the Twins organization after years in the Yankees and Red Sox systems. The 28-year-old from Colombia is back to playing first base and DHing, but he has been a force in the middle of the Red Wings lineup. After starting the season going 2-16 in his first four games, he went on an 12-game hitting streak. His batting averaged reached a high of .345.

Number 2 – Cedar Rapids – Zach Granite – (24-67) .358/.463/.463 (.925) with five doubles, one triple, one home run and five RBIs.

 

After playing in just 21 games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2014 because of two separate injuries, Zach Granite was sent back to Iowa to start the season and get caught up. After hitting like he did at the top of the Kernels order, he was promoted when the calendar turned to May. Granite, the Twins 14^th round pick in 2013 out of Seton Hall, is not going to hit for a lot of power. However, he takes really good at-bats, doesn’t expand the strike zone, hits line drives and turns singles into doubles and doubles into triples. He’s a very good base runner and base stealer. He can be a terrific instigator at the top of a lineup.

The April Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is...

 

Chattanooga Lookouts 1B Dalton (DJ) Hicks (22-66) .333/.436/.576 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs and 11 RBIs.

 

 

Listed at 6-5 and 250 pounds, Hicks is a powerful presence in the middle of the Chattanooga lineup. For one reason or another, he is an under-rated “prospect,” but he has been one of the more productive hitters in the Twins organization since the Twins used their 17^th round pick in 2012 on the slugger out of the University of Central Florida.

He drove in 25 runs in 31 games for Elizabethton that first year. His walk-off grand slam won the Appalachian League title for the E-Twins. In 2013, he spent two-thirds of the season in Cedar Rapids and the final third in Ft. Myers. His 110 RBIs was one more than Kernels teammate Adam Brett Walker. He spent all of the 2014 season with the Ft. Myers Miracle and was a key component in the Miracle’s Florida State League championship.

Right now, he is the three-hitter in that power- and potential-packed Lookouts lineup. In May, he was the organization’s top hitter. However he credits some of his hot start to his teammates.

Hicks said, “It’s always important to get off to a hot start. Obviously easier said than done. But, when you play with the guys I play with, it’s pretty easy to be patient and look for what I want to hit knowing the guy behind me will get the job done if I don’t.”

Though he hit .414 with a 1.071 OPS in the season’s first eight games to jump-start his season, he remained consistent throughout the whole month. Over the final ten games of the month, he hit .270 and still had a .968 OPS thanks to finding his power stroke.

For the second straight season, his manager is former Twins infielder Doug Mientkiewicz. When you have success, a lot of it is due to what work and preparation was done in the offseason. The 25-year-old credits his offseason work. “Working with Slice (Miracle hitting coach and long-time big leaguer Jim Dwyer) and Dougie from last year, I knew what I needed to ‘fix’ in order to have better success.”

This Chattanooga team is pretty special. Many of the players were on last year’s Miracle championship team and the Elizabethton championship team. They won a lot of games in Cedar Rapids in 2013 as well. They may be off to a slower start early this season, but Hicks said the atmosphere in the Lookouts clubhouse is the same.

“It’s the same as it has always been. This is a special group. We know that. We are a team that likes to have fun. Guys are always looking out for each other on and off the field.”

As for the remainder of the season, Hicks won’t set many goals. “I’m not a guy with big goals. The best advice I think I have ever received is to always ‘stay the same’ and look at making today the best today. When we as baseball players can be the same, day in and day out, success will find its way our way. At the end of the year, goals will take care of themselves.”

Dalton Hicks – who is also just fine if you prefer to call him DJ – made the best of his April. He is a big part of this Chattanooga Lookouts roster, and he is a name the Twins fans should really get to know.

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There were several strong performances in April around the organization. Earlier in the week, we named the Twins Relief Pitcher and Starting Pitcher of the month of April. Please feel free to discuss.

 

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[Mike Sixel]

Thanks Seth. Great read.

[Lenny Green]

I made the trip this past weekend to Chattanooga (800+ miles...) and saw the games Friday and Saturday.  What a great looking team and it was terrific to see Buxton really finding his stride-  in the two games he had 6 hits, including 2 doubles and 2 triples.  It won't be long before he's in Rochester and then Minnesota.  He's the real deal!

 

As far as Dalton Hicks, it's great to see him building his resume, though he only had one hit in these two games.  However, he is a lumbering hulk of a man, and didn't seem to be much of a first baseman.    

[Oxtung]

When ABWIII connects clearly he is spanking the ball but I can't look past the fact that he is striking out in ~40% of his PA's.  It's not like his walk rate is particularly good either to off set his lack of contact.  I would have a hard time putting him on my list of top hitters.

[sane]

When ABWIII connects clearly he is spanking the ball but I can't look past the fact that he is striking out in ~40% of his PA's.  It's not like his walk rate is particularly good either to off set his lack of contact.  I would have a hard time putting him on my list of top hitters.

AB R H 2B 3B HR GRSL RBI BB IBB SO SH SF HBP GIDP AVG OBP SLG

159 581 104 182 25 1 58 1 149 108 37 181 0 6 9 7 .313 .425 .659

 

Does a 1.084 OPS, overrule 181 K's? Ryan Howard MVP 2006.

 

[lightfoot789]

ABWII

2nd to Buxton on team in SLG%; Total Bases; & RBI.

1st in HRs and 3rd in Doubles

Typical ABWII season except for the fact that he is usually 1st or second on team in runs scored.  This year he is 3 behind second place Sano.  The question becomes:

 

Can we live with him leading the league in HRs every year (or amongst the Top)  and RBI, but sporting a low BA and OBP?  For many the answer is still no.  "He won't be able to do the same thing at AAA / next level"

 

Bottom line is when he does what he does - His teams win.  Because of awesome team talent and key contributions from him.  It's who he is.

[Oxtung]

ABWII

2nd to Buxton on team in SLG%; Total Bases; & RBI.

1st in HRs and 3rd in Doubles

Typical ABWII season except for the fact that he is usually 1st or second on team in runs scored.  This year he is 3 behind second place Sano.  The question becomes:

 

Can we live with him leading the league in HRs every year (or amongst the Top)  and RBI, but sporting a low BA and OBP?  For many the answer is still no.  "He won't be able to do the same thing at AAA / next level"

 

Bottom line is when he does what he does - His teams win.  Because of awesome team talent and key contributions from him.  It's who he is.

  

 

 

When ABWIII connects clearly he is spanking the ball but I can't look past the fact that he is striking out in ~40% of his PA's.  It's not like his walk rate is particularly good either to off set his lack of contact.  I would have a hard time putting him on my list of top hitters.AB R H 2B 3B HR GRSL RBI BB IBB SO SH SF HBP GIDP AVG OBP SLG159 581 104 182 25 1 58 1 149 108 37 181 0 6 9 7 .313 .425 .659Does a 1.084 OPS, overrule 181 K's? Ryan Howard MVP 2006.

 

Howard struck out 26% of the time 2006 and walked 15%. Walker is striking out 40% and walking 6% that is a huge difference. If Walker can increase his walk rate close to 15% that changes the equation dramatically. Unfortunately he's showing no ability to do that. His highest walk rate in the minors is 8%.

 

The fact that Walker has played on good teams means nothing about how good of a month he has had.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

 

Can we live with him leading the league in HRs every year (or amongst the Top)  and RBI, but sporting a low BA and OBP?  For many the answer is still no.  "He won't be able to do the same thing at AAA / next level"

 

Bottom line is when he does what he does - His teams win.  Because of awesome team talent and key contributions from him.  It's who he is.

 

I think we can live with that.  The real question is whether or not this will translate in this way in the majors.  He's doing better than he did in FTM last season to start the year.  That's encouraging.  But yeah, he needs to be a bit more selective at pitches out of the zone.  Would do him wonders.