Article: Twins Lack Punch From Middle Of The Order

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

 

Wasn't there just a 'free Vargas' post not too long ago?? He was supposed to be the savior and really hasn't produced since he came back.

 

Link?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

It looks like Plouffe has already been tinkering with his batting stance in those gifs, which are only two days apart. He typically bats more upright (I had to look at some MLB highlight videos) but is more hunched over in the Boston at bat.

 

I think Plouffe will battle through it. Arcia had a streak like this last year. Speaking of...

[Parker Hageman]

I think Plouffe will battle through it.

 

 

Plouffe has become much more of steadier hitter as of late by avoiding the prolonged slumps he experienced earlier in his career. He used to have a giant hole in his swing on right-handed sliders away but he has since attacked those. 

 

It's possible that pitchers/teams noticed he was sitting on pitches on the outer-half in certain counts too much and started to bust him inside a little bit more rather than going away. He had been a really strong inside ball hitter so I'm sure he will turn on a few of those eventually. 

 

Edinson Volquez will be an interesting matchup tonight. He's got a running sinker but doesn't have the greatest command of it. Look for Plouffe to turn on one of those.

 

[twinsnorth49]

 

Wasn't there just a 'free Vargas' post not too long ago?? He was supposed to be the savior and really hasn't produced since he came back.

All of 2 games ago.....send him back down.

[Platoon]

Didnt mean to hijack, but...I've been watching baseball for 50 odd years. I've never seen a RFer as far off the line as what I saw in Boston. Not even for a dead pull RH hitter. Anything hit close to the RF corner would be an automatic stand up triple.

And they're not concerned about that.

Plouffe is in a slump. Most hitters go through them. He's miscast as a cleanup hitter, but he will come out of his slump.

Mauer is the elephant in the room, not Plouffe.

Some guys don't do well in certain spots.they let the spot they hit in change their approach. And there is more self inflicted pressure if you are put in a middle of the order spot. Not everyone is mentally suited for it.

[lightfoot789]

2015 Minor League Stats in AA

*#1 HR hitter in minor league baseball

*#3 RBI hitter in minor league baseball

*.322 ISO

*.902 OPS

*.152 wRC+

*.405 OBA

*.309 BA away games

*.344 BA in June

*.545 BA with runner on 2nd base & 1.747 OPS

*.429 BA with runner on 3rd base & 1.357 OPS

*.339 BA with runners in scoring position & 1.122 OPS

JUST SAYING................................

 

Edited June 10, 2015 by lightfoot789

[USAFChief]

 

Some guys don't do well in certain spots.they let the spot they hit in change their approach. And there is more self inflicted pressure if you are put in a middle of the order spot. Not everyone is mentally suited for it.

Mauer has hit third for the vast majority of his career.  

[USAFChief]

 

What makes you think he's lost bat speed?

Teams not even bothering to put someone in RF any more?

[GMinTraining]

Walker hit HR #16 last night and had his #14 Double.    Plus he has reached RBI #51 tonight with 10 more 1st half games left.   

http://www.milb.com/...352283&sid=t498

 

http://www.milb.com/...714183&sid=t498

 

Why we keep ignoring the player in our own system who has more power than anyone in the entire minor leagues.    83 K's are crazy, but so are the Saber stats listed in above post.

 

Edited June 11, 2015 by GMinTraining

[Kwak]

 

Walker hit HR #16 last night and had his #14 Double.    Plus he has reached RBI #51 tonight with 10 more 1st half games left.   

http://www.milb.com/...352283&sid=t498

 

http://www.milb.com/...714183&sid=t498

 

Why we keep ignoring the player in our own system who has more power than anyone in the entire minor leagues.    83 K's are crazy, but so are the Saber stats listed in above post.

The best I can conceive is that their plan is to trade him.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Walker hit HR #16 last night and had his #14 Double.    Plus he has reached RBI #51 tonight with 10 more 1st half games left.   

http://www.milb.com/...352283&sid=t498

 

http://www.milb.com/...714183&sid=t498

 

Why we keep ignoring the player in our own system who has more power than anyone in the entire minor leagues.    83 K's are crazy, but so are the Saber stats listed in above post.

 

He's going to get eaten alive by the pitching at the big league level.

 

[Parker Hageman]

Plouffe hit a home run tonight. Pitch was middle-up. Plouffe made two outs as well. Both of those were on fastballs in. Not sayin, just sayin.

[lightfoot789]

 

He's going to get eaten alive by the pitching at the big league level.

 

Are you telling me that you would have looked at these stats and thought eaten alive had you not known the number of SO or individual it belonged to?  

 

How many of these stats are irrelevant to your thought process in evaluating a prospect?  

 

No way I would have thought eaten alive looking at them - Even if it eventually happened.  

 

No sure thing with any prospect.  That is why they are prospects.  Time will tell.

 

2015 Minor League Stats in AA
*#1 HR hitter in minor league baseball
*#3 RBI hitter in minor league baseball
*.322 ISO
*.902 OPS
*.152 wRC+
*.405 OBA
*.309 BA away games
*.344 BA in June
*.545 BA with runner on 2nd base & 1.747 OPS
*.429 BA with runner on 3rd base & 1.357 OPS
*.339 BA with runners in scoring position & 1.122 OPS
AGAIN JUST SAYING................................

[mikelink45]

You can write about any Twin and Mauer will show up.  We still have him for a few years and what can we do about it?  Drop him to 7/8 in the line up?   Plouffe has put himself in the line for a long time too and deserves it, but he is a number 6 hitter.

What is our problem getting the transition from minor to major leagues?   We have Arcia, Vargas, Sano, Walker if we want power, but the question is - how do we get them to produce their minor league numbers in a major league line up?

 

This article got me thinking about Mauer's contract - when it is up who will sign him?  Is he near the end?  The Twins cannot cut the contract to his true value so they have to drop him and then - will anyone be interested?  Such a shame - from HOF candidate to a sorespot on the roster.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

This article got me thinking about Mauer's contract - when it is up who will sign him?  Is he near the end?  The Twins cannot cut the contract to his true value so they have to drop him and then - will anyone be interested?  Such a shame - from HOF candidate to a sorespot on the roster.

He's signed through 2018. He's not getting traded. My hunch is he retires after 2018 but puts together at least one more great season. Also there should be at least one postseason by that time.

[Thegrin]

As soon as the Twins drop below .500, they should call up Buxton and bat him 3rd, and Sano and bat him 4th.  They will struggle. They may not do as well as Mauer and Plouffe, but we fans would love to see it.