Article: His Name Is Walker. Adam Brett Walker

[Tibs]

 

Adam Dunn played half a season in Chattanooga when he was 21, two years younger than Walker.

 

He hit .343/.449/.664. He struck out HALF as often, and walked TWICE as often. 

 

Good MLB players do not have the problems Walker does in AA. I did some looking, mentioned on this thread, and cannot find a single player with his issues that went on to success. The guy is a home run derby player, he cannot hit real pitching and is not a real prospect.

 

Who cares? The vast majority of these guys aren't "prospects" or don't have successful 10+ year careers in MLB. The guy has already shown himself to be a good baseball player by what he is doing in AA. Clearly he has issues, but they have yet to have an effect on his production as he has moved up the ladder. I'm not sure why you are so hell bent on proving Adam Brett Walker is a bad baseball player and has no chance to make it in the majors.

 

It's minor league baseball. It's baseball for Christ's sake. I'm not sure why we have to be so critical and analytical all the time. It completely takes the fun out of it. Let's enjoy what these guys are doing instead of constantly looking for their flaws.

[ericchri]

Right now ABW looks like he might be the next Mark Reynolds (except playing LF instead of 3B).  I think I'd be OK with that.  There's a glimmer of a chance he figures out enough to top that, but that's what he seems like to me right now.  He's been pretty consistent as he's moved up, huge K%, huge power.  I'd agree, seeing him at AAA might be interesting this year to see if his numbers crater or he keeps on doing the same he's done all along.

[drivlikejehu]

 

Who cares? The vast majority of these guys aren't "prospects" or don't have successful 10+ year careers in MLB. The guy has already shown himself to be a good baseball player by what he is doing in AA. Clearly he has issues, but they have yet to have an effect on his production as he has moved up the ladder. I'm not sure why you are so hell bent on proving Adam Brett Walker is a bad baseball player and has no chance to make it in the majors.

 

It's minor league baseball. It's baseball for Christ's sake. I'm not sure why we have to be so critical and analytical all the time. It completely takes the fun out of it. Let's enjoy what these guys are doing instead of constantly looking for their flaws.

 

I'm not going around starting threads on him. He has a handful of hardcore fans on here that constantly start threads or hijack others to praise him. He is getting about 20 times more attention in the forums than Kepler, who is a very interesting player having a nice, breakout year as well. Not to mention the other 20+ Twins minor leaguers that are far more likely to ultimately contribute at the MLB level.

 

And that is the point of the minor leagues: to produce big league players. Being a great AA player is certainly more than most baseball players on the planet can achieve, but if someone isn't an MLB-caliber player it dramatically reduces the significance of his minor league performance.

Edited June 16, 2015 by drivlikejehu

[Steven Buhr]

Yeah, I just don't see why a guy who has led pretty much every professional league he's played in, since being drafted as a 3rd rounder, in HRs would be someone fans of the drafting team might be interested in talking about.

 

We all have our opinions on various players, based on whatever criteria we might favor. There are guys that some people think very highly of that, based on what I've seen of them, I don't feel have a lot of upside and therefore I have little interest in discussing.

 

Know what I do? I don't bother reading most of the threads involving those guys and even when I do, I don't contribute comments that essentially trash the guy, because, hey, I MIGHT turn out to be wrong about the guy. I also don't treat my opinion as though everyone else should just accept it as fact and stop discussing the player in a manner that suggests he has any potential whatsoever.

 

But that's just me. (shrug)

Edited June 16, 2015 by Steven BUHR

[drivlikejehu]

 

Yeah, I just don't see why a guy who has led pretty much every professional league he's played in, since being drafted as a 3rd rounder, in HRs would be someone fans of the drafting team might be interested in talking about.

 

We all have our opinions on various players, based on whatever criteria we might favor. There are guys that some people think very highly of that, based on what I've seen of them, I don't feel have a lot of upside and therefore I have little interest in discussing.

 

Know what I do? I don't bother reading most of the threads involving those guys and even when I do, I don't contribute comments that essentially trash the guy, because, hey, I MIGHT turn out to be wrong about the guy. I also don't treat my opinion as though everyone else should just accept it as fact and stop discussing the player in a manner that suggests he has any potential whatsoever.

 

But that's just me. (shrug)

 

Well I did think it was an interesting question - has anyone like Walker ever gone on to MLB success? Examining data led me to the conclusion that Walker has almost no chance of panning out, except maybe as a 5th OF type. The data is what it is. If you don't like facts, don't read about them.

 

So far as your views on when to post about a particular player... with all due respect, that's your business. I don't agree that I should only comment on the prospects I think are most likely to succeed. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

I don't know if it's really "trashing" Walker to say that he should probably work on improving his strikeout numbers at the level he is at, before moving up any further (to one step away from MLB, no less).

 

Personally, though, I'd say that he's had plenty of time to do that already, and he hasn't, but he's also continued succeeding as a power hitter and run producer.  So maybe he needs to be challenged to the point of failure first? Not an ideal development path, but in the real world, it's probably a practical one sometimes.  That would be my argument for a midseason AAA promotion, and assuming his success quickly translates to that level, maybe even a September call-up to MLB.  (I'd plan to protect him on the 40-man roster this winter, at least until he fails to produce somewhere.)

[lightfoot789]

Well I did think it was an interesting question - has anyone like Walker ever gone on to MLB success? Examining data led me to the conclusion that Walker has almost no chance of panning out, except maybe as a 5th OF type. The data is what it is. If you don't like facts, don't read about them.

 

So far as your views on when to post about a particular player... with all due respect, that's your business. I don't agree that I should only comment on the prospects I think are most likely to succeed.

 

The question actually asked if there was anyone like Walker who led their respective leagues in HRs - RBI - and Total Bases EVERY YEAR of their minor league full seasons?  Not ISO or OBP or whatever else was added to the question to prove another's point.  Plain and simple - EVERY YEAR / Those 3 categories.  How many are there and then how many of those guys failed and succeeded?

 

And I agree Spycake - Walker has a lot of work to do to improve in his flawed areas.  I want to believe he is working at it along with other areas of his game.  For the record Walker did drop his K rate 10% two years ago.  It spiked again last year and this year, but to your point of he hasn't shown the ability (Not totally true).  Let's see what AAA brings him.  Failure or same success?

 

 

[drivlikejehu]

The counting stat argument has been repeated numerous times and already addressed. The talented players don't spend the entire year at one level. Adam Dunn would have led his leagues in production, but he was promoted instead.

 

No one in baseball thinks Walker is a great prospect. It's not even a stats issue.

[lightfoot789]

 

 

 

 

 

No one in baseball thinks Walker is a great prospect. It's not even a stats issue.

 

Gotcha - No argument from me anymore. Case closed from my end

http://puckettspond.com/2015/06/15/minnesota-twins-under-the-radar-prospect-part-two/

 

Edited June 16, 2015 by lightfoot789

[Mike Sixel]

I'd move him to AAA and see what happens. I'd guess that won't happen until the half way mark....

[drjim]

 

I'd move him to AAA and see what happens. I'd guess that won't happen until the half way mark....

 

I'd guess more likely that it won't be until next year.

[jokin]

I'd move him to AAA and see what happens. I'd guess that won't happen until the half way mark....

Kind of optimistic, aren't you? He's never advanced 2 levels. Why would the Twins start now? Plus, below this class at AA, there's not much deserving of a call-up.

[Steven Buhr]

 

Kind of optimistic, aren't you? He's never advanced 2 levels. Why would the Twins start now? Plus, below this class at AA, there's not much deserving of a call-up.

I agree it would be inconsistent with how the Twins have treated Walker so far to promote him at midseason. You have to figure that their primary reason for not doing so the past two years has been that, in each season, he's continued to struggle with the Ks, thus not "dominating" that level in their eyes. Hard to argue they've been wrong and this season is no different. They can use the same rationale for keeping him at AA all season (and that's quite likely what they'll do).

 

I'm not sure the lack of deserving call-ups behind him should be a factor, however. For guys who are putting up some numbers at AA, it seems to me that the more important consideration should be whether the OFs above Walker in Rochester and/or playing alongside him in Chattanooga are providing, or would provide, more benefit to the Twins organization by spending the second half of 2015 in AAA.

 

If the Twins conclude others should get time in Rochester's OF over Walker, that's fine. Staying in AA won't retard his development significantly at this point. But a bump up to AAA could provide the FO with a glimpse at what the next level of pitching would do to the "high power - high K" tightrope that Walker has consistently walked at every level so far.

 

If he fails to continue producing exceptional power numbers, well, that's certainly what a lot of people would have expected, given his lack of strike zone awareness and you've perhaps discovered his ceiling. However, if he continues knocking a bunch of balls over the fence and producing runs, despite his K rate, he becomes more intriguing either as a solution for the Twins' own power-challenged lineup or as a trade chip.

 

I think it's worth considering (though obviously that opinion is not unanimous around here).

Edited June 17, 2015 by Steven BUHR

[TNLooky2015]

ABW II is on fire in June with a .333 batting average, .371 OBP, .737 slugging, 1.108 OPS

Those are AAA worthy numbers.  No other Lookout has better numbers this month.

 

 

[jorgenswest]

Is it possible to both be encouraged by his production and concerned about his strike zone management? Is it possible to do so without calling for his call up today or trashing him?

 

I think he will be a productive player in the majors. I think the best route is to finish the year in AA. Follow that with an addition to the 40 in the winter and begin 2016 in AAA. Maybe we won't see him until September 2016. He might need all three options before he has a valuable role. Is that trashing him?

[Otto von Ballpark]

Stephen Moya is an interesting comparable.  He was left in AA last year before a September call-up to MLB and then on to the AFL (and he's scuffling in his first taste of AAA this year).  Of course, Moya had never shown quite that level of power before in his pro career, unlike Walker.

[Willihammer]

According to at least one source, ABWII's specific weakness is breaking balls at the knees. Isn't the difference between AA and AAA pitchers, that AAA guys throw better breaking balls and command them better? I thought I read that on these boards somewhere.

[jorgenswest]

Move him to AAA or keep him in AA. Call him up in September or play him in the AFL. I don't think any of those will significantly change his career path. The only mistake would be to use an option this year.

[TRex]

 

Move him to AAA or keep him in AA. Call him up in September or play him in the AFL. I don't think any of those will significantly change his career path. The only mistake would be to use an option this year.

Remember that if, by some miracle of miracles, ABWII gets called up and stays up (i.e. as a Sept. call-up) he will not use up an option.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Remember that if, by some miracle of miracles, ABWII gets called up and stays up (i.e. as a Sept. call-up) he will not use up an option.

Actually, if he gets added to the 40-man roster and called up, he can be sent back down for fewer than 20 days and still not use an option.  To use an option year, you have to spend at least 20 days on optional assignment.  (So if they so desired, they could call him up, send him back down for the last few weeks of the minor league season, and then call him back up for September, and still not burn an option.)

[drivlikejehu]

 

Is it possible to both be encouraged by his production and concerned about his strike zone management? Is it possible to do so without calling for his call up today or trashing him?

I think he will be a productive player in the majors.

 

You can be encouraged by whatever you like. But the evidence is overwhelming - no AA player with plate discipline problems of this magnitude has gone on to success in the past 15 years. And probably much longer than that, except I didn't bother checking after I realized how awful the precedents were.

 

These facts are not "trashing" Walker, but merely acknowledge the reality that plate discipline is an indispensable skill in baseball. It cannot be made up for with power, because MLB pitchers will use that weakness to avoid the power.

 

Edited June 17, 2015 by drivlikejehu

[GMinTraining]

I love the facts as well.  These stats are what make Walker, Walker.  Why would you not want the good with the bad when the good is sooo... good?  

 

 

I agree 100% Seth

 

Seth Stohs ‏@SethTweets  9h9 hours ago
Seth Stohs retweeted Twins Daily
These two have been just remarkable! Seth Stohs added,
Twins Daily @twinsdaily
June Stats
Max Kepler: .356/.451/.593 (1.044) with 3-2B, 4-3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI
AB Walker: .338/.380/.738 (1.119) with 6-2B, 1-3B, 6 HR, 18 RBI

 

 

Kepler had 21 hits; 10 runs scored and 22 TB thru today

and

Walker had 22 hits; 13 runs scored and 39 TB.

 

This is a great  1st half of a month (June) for both players.

For the record - Walker struck out 40% of the time while doing this.  Definitely needs improvement, but what do you have if he ever figures it out just a little better?

 

 

Edited June 19, 2015 by GMinTraining

[jimbo92107]

I guess AAA for Walker does sound about right. His plate discipline definitely needs work, so the next higher level would give him more of a taste of what kind of pitching he'd see in the show.

 

The Twins outfield is turning into a logjam right now, anyway. Rosario stays, Buxton probably stays, and Hicks will stay when he comes back. Arcia might rebound, and Robinson is still a good forth guy with his glove, plus some offensive production. Hunter stays for this season, but I assume he won't be back next year with all the young guys up.

Edited June 19, 2015 by jimbo92107

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

 

For the record - Walker struck out 40% of the time while doing this.  Definitely needs improvement, but what do you have if he ever figures it out just a little better?

 

A star.  That's what you  have.  Kid has an impressive ceiling.