Article: Twins Minor League Leader Board (Through May 29)

[Seth Stohs]

The Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates will pass the 50-game plateau this week. Each week, we will be posting the Twins Minor League Leaderboard in the Saturday morning. From week to week, we can see several things change on these lists. A hot week. A cold week. An injury.For most statistical categories, we’ll look at the Top 5 players, though some leeway is given in the event of ties (or just common sense). For hitters, I am using 140 plate appearances as the cutoff for BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, IsoD and IsoP. For pitchers, we’ll look at ERA, WHIP, K/9 and BB/9. I am using 32.0 innings as the cutoff for starters and 16.0 innings as the cutoff for relief pitchers.

 

Here is the Minnesota Twins Minor League Leader Board through games played on Friday, May 29.

 

 

HITTERS

 

As you can see, some players have now passed 200 plate appearances for the season. The sample size is starting to get larger. Many of the same names are appearing on these lists. Feel free to comment below on what stands out to you.

 

Plate Appearances: Niko Goodrum (213), Byron Buxton (209), Zach Granite (208), Max Murphy (201), Nick Gordon (194)

 

Batting Average: Trey Vavra (.346), Alex Swim (.339), James Beresford (.324), Zach Granite (.320), Max Kepler/Jorge Polanco (.315),

 

On-Base Percentage: Trey Vavra (.406), Zach Granite (.402), Travis Harrison (.377), Alex Swim (.368), James Beresford (.365),

 

Isolated Discipline: Mitch Garver (.131), Tanner English (.125), Niko Goodrum (.106), Miguel Sano (.102), Michael Gonzales (.094), Travis Harrison (.092)

 

(I like this statistic because it’s easy to calculate, but it also shows which hitters are not as reliant upon getting hits to get on base. It is simply (OBP-BA). A guy can have a low batting average, but he can still have value if he’s getting on base at a good percentage.)

 

Slugging Percentage: Adam Brett Walker (.541), Trey Vavra (.538), Byron Buxton (.511), Danny Ortiz (.506), Max Kepler (.493), Miguel Sano (.490)

 

Isolated Power (IsoP): Adam Brett Walker (.288), Byron Buxton (.245), Miguel Sano (.248), Danny Ortiz (.226), Trey Vavra (.192)

 

(Like Isolated Discipline, Isolated Power is easy to calculate. It is just (SLG-BA). In other words, how many extra base hits is the player getting? How much power is he showing? Again, it’s showing that a player can be valuable even if he doesn't hit for high average.)

 

OPS: Trey Vavra (.944), Max Kepler (.852), Adam Brett Walker (.846), Danny Ortiz (.839), Byron Buxton (.836), Miguel Sano (.835),

 

Hits: Alex Swim (59), Zach Granite/Jorge Polanco (57), Trey Vavra (54), Byron Buxton (50), James Beresford (48)

 

2B: Max Kepler (16), Travis Harrison (15), Danny Ortiz (12), Adam Brett Walker/Reynaldo Rodriguez (11), 5 Tied with 10.

 

3B: Byron Buxton (11), Max Murphy/Tanner English (5), Aaron Hicks (4), Levi Michael/TJ White/Pat Kelly (3)

 

HR: Adam Brett Walker (12), Miguel Sano (9), Danny Ortiz (7), Trey Vavra/Byron Buxton (6), Josmil Pinto/Brock Peterson (5)

 

Runs: Byron Buxton (37), Zach Granite (34), Max Murphy (32), Adam Brett Walker/Miguel Sano (31), Nick Gordon (30)

 

RBI: Adam Brett Walker (39), Byron Buxton (34), Danny Ortiz (32), Miguel Sano/Zack Larson (30), Trey Vavra (28)

 

SB: Tanner English (16), Byron Buxton (14), Zach Granite (13), Niko Goodrum/Nick Gordon/Engelb Vielma (11).

 

 

STARTING PITCHERS (>36 IP)

 

Innings: Tyler Duffey (64.1), Taylor Rogers (62.0), Pat Dean (54.2), JO Berrios (63.1), Pat Dean (61.0), Greg Peavey (53.0)

 

ERA: Chih-Wei Hu (1.10), Stephen Gonsalves (1.31), Mat Batts (2.08), Pat Dean (2.36), Felix Jorge (2.42),

 

WHIP: Stephen Gonsalves (0.79), Chih-Wei Hu (0.85), Felix Jorge (0.93), Aaron Slegers (0.97), Mat Batts (1.03)

 

K/9: Stephen Gonsalves (12.4), JO Berrios (9.9), Alex Meyer (9.7), Chih-Wei Hu (9.2), Mat Batts (8.9), Tyler Duffey/Alex Wimmers/John Curtiss (8.8)

 

BB/9: Aaron Slegers (1.5), John Curtiss/Felix Jorge (1.7), Pat Dean (1.8), Tyler Duffey/Greg Peavey (2.0),

 

Strikeouts: JO Berrios (70), Stephen Gonsalves (66), Tyler Duffey (63), Mat Batts/Taylor Rogers (47)

 

Wins: JO Berrios (6-2), Chih-Wei Hu (5-0), Stephen Gonsalves (5-1), Pat Dean (5-3)

 

 

RELIEF PITCHERS (>16 IP,

 

Games: AJ Achter (21), Alex Muren/Brandon Peterson/JT Chargois (17), Madison Boer/Zack Jones/Todd Van Steensel (16).

 

Innings: Alex Muren (28.1), Todd Van Steensel (27.1), Randy LeBlanc (27.0), Madison Boer/Trevor Hildenberger (26.2), Brandon Peterson (25.0)

 

ERA: Trevor Hildenberger (0.34), Cameron Booser (0.81), Brandon Peterson (1.08), Zack Jones (1.56), Mike Theofanopoulos (1.82), Lester Oliveros (1.99)

 

WHIP: Trevor Hildenberger (0.49), AJ Achter (0.60), Zack Jones (0.92), Tim Shibuya (0.97), Madison Boer (0.98), Cameron Booser (0.99)

 

K/9: Cameron Booser (14.1), Lester Oliveros/Todd Van Steensel (13.5), Brandon Peterson (12.6), Cole Johnson (11.8), Zack Jones (11.4), JT Chargois (11.2), Trevor Hildenberger (11.1)

 

BB/9: Trevor Hildenberger (1.2), Zack Jones (1.3), Tim Shibuya (1.7), Jake Reed (2.1), Cole Johnson (2.2)

 

Saves: Zack Jones/AJ Achter (7), Michael Tonkin/Cameron Booser/Trevor Hildenberger (5), JT Chargois/Todd Van Steensel (4).

 

 

There you have it. The Twins Minor League Leader Board through Friday, May 29.

 

What are your thoughts? What surprised you?

 

Click here to view the article

[Cap'n Piranha]

I think it's pretty clear that Hildenberger should be on the move, as his numbers aren't even video game numbers, they're too good for that. I love seeing Zack Jones killing it too. The Twins bullpen might be...uneven shall we say, right now, but it looks like that could change in a hurry.

[Thegrin]

I am confused about the importance of isolated discipline so I found this thread. 

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?58742-What-does-Isolated-Discipline-mean

[Shane Wahl]

Seriously about 8 relievers should be on the move immediately! Hildenberger and Peterson are the two most egregious non-promotions, with Booser and Jones right behind.

[Hrbowski]

 

I think it's pretty clear that Hildenberger should be on the move, as his numbers aren't even video game numbers, they're too good for that. I love seeing Zack Jones killing it too. The Twins bullpen might be...uneven shall we say, right now, but it looks like that could change in a hurry.

My two prospects...

[sane]

"3B: Byron Buxton (11), Max Murphy/Tanner English (5)...

11 Triples in 209 AB's is amazing!

[nater79a]

 

Seriously about 8 relievers should be on the move immediately! Hildenberger and Peterson are the two most egregious non-promotions, with Booser and Jones right behind.

 

Agree completely. Especially on Booser, Hildenberger.  Brad Steil was just down in Cedar Rapids, so give it a few days.

[nater79a]

Seth- you have Mat Batts listed twice under the K/9 category. Once at 8.9 and again at 9.7. Does one number belong to a different pitcher and which one belongs to Batts?

[Cap'n Piranha]

"3B: Byron Buxton (11), Max Murphy/Tanner English (5)...

11 Triples in 209 AB's is amazing!

On last weeks Gleeman and the Geek, Gleeman noted that no other affiliated player has more than 7 triples, making Buxton's 11 that much more ridiculous. I don't think it's going to happen, but I certainly think it's possible that Buck could get 30 in a season.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Seth- you have Mat Batts listed twice under the K/9 category. Once at 8.9 and again at 9.7. Does one number belong to a different pitcher and which one belongs to Batts?

 

it's 8.9... 9\.7 is what he was at with Cedar Rapids.

[Brock Beauchamp]

On last weeks Gleeman and the Geek, Gleeman noted that no other affiliated player has more than 7 triples, making Buxton's 11 that much more ridiculous. I don't think it's going to happen, but I certainly think it's possible that Buck could get 30 in a season.

If he played half his games in a stadium like PETCO, it'd be interesting to see him try. Target Field is a tougher place to do it.

 

Plus, Byron is a righty. I don't know if he'll have the opposite field power or swing to be a triples machine in the majors.

[spinowner]

 

 

[spinowner]

Dale Mitchell hit 23 triples in 1949, as did Curtis Granderson in 2007. Stan Musial hit 20 in 1946, as did George Brett in 1979, Cristian Guzman in 2000 and Jimmy Rollins in 2007. No other player has hit that many since 1930. (Granderson had the advantage of playing half his games in the vast expanses of Comerica Park. Most other stadiums are half-vast!)

Triples are interesting and fun to watch because in most cases you have to hit the ball very hard and run very fast.  I don't have any way of quantifying this, but I'd guess Target Field is more triple-friendly than most stadiums and Buxton seems like the type of player who will hit a lot of them. It could be interesting and fun to watch.

[jimbo92107]

 

Dale Mitchell hit 23 triples in 1949, as did Curtis Granderson in 2007. Stan Musial hit 20 in 1946, as did George Brett in 1979, Cristian Guzman in 2000 and Jimmy Rollins in 2007. No other player has hit that many since 1930. (Granderson had the advantage of playing half his games in the vast expanses of Comerica Park. Most other stadiums are half-vast!)

Triples are interesting and fun to watch because in most cases you have to hit the ball very hard and run very fast.  I don't have any way of quantifying this, but I'd guess Target Field is more triple-friendly than most stadiums and Buxton seems like the type of player who will hit a lot of them. It could be interesting and fun to watch.

Some players make the outfielders hurry to stop them from getting a double. With Buxton, they'll be hurrying to stop a triple. I can't wait to see him in the Show.

[lightfoot789]

I still love Walker's upside.  He is on pace for the following AA numbers if he plays 130 games, which is less than his normal (94%) percentage of games played in a season:

 

33 HRs

32 Doubles

109 RBI

90 Runs Scored

258 Total Bases

.283 ISO

.333 BABIP

.358 SecA

14  AB/HR

190 SO

36 BB

 

Could you live with those numbers if he continued to prove that this is who he is despite the level he plays at?  He seems to be the model of consistency (good and bad).

[sane]

Dale Mitchell hit 23 triples in 1949, as did Curtis Granderson in 2007.

Buxton is on pace to hit 36 triples if he gets Granderson's # of AB's. So Buxton's triple frequency is 57% higher than the MLB millennium leader in triples per season....Unbelievable!

[blairpaul715]

 

I still love Walker's upside.  He is on pace for the following AA numbers if he plays 130 games, which is less than his normal (94%) percentage of games played in a season:

 

33 HRs

32 Doubles

109 RBI

90 Runs Scored

258 Total Bases

.283 ISO

.333 BABIP

.358 SecA

14  AB/HR

190 SO

36 BB

 

Could you live with those numbers if he continued to prove that this is who he is despite the level he plays at?  He seems to be the model of consistency (good and bad).

Of course , i think we all would...........do i think he will? No, I would love to be wrong, but any and all weaknesses will be exploited at the best level in baseball, the best minor league hitters have problems adjusting, so he will too, or most likely will.

[GMinTraining]

Brunansky and Molitor can fix him

 

There are a lot of average pitchers in the MLB too.  Mistake pitchers as they say.  He can feast on those type of pitchers like he has for the last 3 years until he figures it out.  Gotta give players a chance to correct mistakes at the big league level at some point and not assume AAA is a substitute classroom.   Get Arcia back up there along with Vargas.

 

Just look at Colabello (.374 BA w/Toronto).  He was the minor league AAA player of the year and we gave up on him after a bad month.  Players learn to get back to what they do best when they are given a chance to adjust and learn.  The key is that whatever you do best -Better be worth keeping you around for.