Kennys Vargas was named Player of the Week in the Southern League following a 7-game stretch in which he batted .522 with three homers. Seth hinted at it last night and today it was made official: Vargas has been promoted to Rochester, with Danny Santana landing on the disabled list.

 

 

It's a well deserved bump for Vargas, whose demotion to Double-A never made a whole lot of sense to me considering his big numbers in Triple-A earlier this year. It looks like he's in position to return to the Twins as a September call-up next month.

It's a well deserved promotion to triple-A, but I just don't ever see Vargas making it as a major league player. I think he's shown that he can't catch up to a big league fastball.

 

Vargas has been promoted to Rochester, with Danny Santana landing on the disabled list.

Would love to see Kennys assume Dannys position at shortstop!

This is good news indeed, as we all good use a little "bump".   Hopefully he rakes at AAA, and gets back up to the bigs. 

 

It's a well deserved promotion to triple-A, but I just don't ever see Vargas making it as a major league player. I think he's shown that he can't catch up to a big league fastball.

I'm not well-versed in these stats, but Fangraphs said he was great against the fastball in 2014, and poor against it in 2015:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=12101&position=1B/DH#pitchtype

 

His 2014 sample was 50% larger, and his playing time more regular too.  I suspect that his limiting factor might be something other than fastballs.

 

I'm not well-versed in these stats, but Fangraphs said he was great against the fastball in 2014, and poor against it in 2015:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=12101&position=1B/DH#pitchtype

 

His 2014 sample was 50% larger, and his playing time more regular too.  I suspect that his limiting factor might be something other than fastballs.

From the eye test this year, it seemed like he would get beat on fastballs, which would cause him to cheat on his swing, and consequently, he swung at a lot of balls in the dirt. Hopefully he finds something in his time in the minors, but it just doesn't look like his bat is quick enough.

Good luck to him and congrats to him.

Vargas was mostly out of whack as a hitter this year. Why? I don't know, but hearing Smalley say that he was in-between sounded about right--trying to adjust to fastballs and getting beat by breaking stuff and then gearing (or down) up for breaking stuff and getting beat on fastballs.

 

I think the toughest thing for a DH, which Vargas figures to be, is that they really have to perform well with their one skill to keep a spot on the roster.

It's a well deserved promotion to triple-A, but I just don't ever see Vargas making it as a major league player. I think he's shown that he can't catch up to a big league fastball.

By your theory, the logical thing to do would be trade Kennys Vargas to Boston, where he would proceed to become Big Papi 2.0, the switch hitting version.

 

I say let's keep Vargas around for a while. He's a big, friendly guy with a decent swing from both sides. He'll make a good teammate to bat behind Miguel Sano against lefties and righties.

 

By your theory, the logical thing to do would be trade Kennys Vargas to Boston, where he would proceed to become Big Papi 2.0, the switch hitting version.

 

I say let's keep Vargas around for a while. He's a big, friendly guy with a decent swing from both sides. He'll make a good teammate to bat behind Miguel Sano against lefties and righties.

I think there are better options to fill the DH spot than Kennys Vargas.

Kennys has a career OPS of over .800 in the minors, can switch hit with good success, and is only 25. I'd think holding on to him and letting him work his way back to the majors is a pretty solid plan.

 

Also, good luck big man. Saw him from about five feet away at Spring Training and he is huge....

I saw Vargas at ST as well. The contrast between him and his BP mate Sugar Shane was almost comical. Actually Robinson looked really out of place in the hitting group with Hunter, Hicks and Vargas.

 

Baggy's other point makes my point about bat-first or bat-only guys. Any outfielder who put up those numbers would be a top five prospect, but if you are a Vargas or Arcia, it is almost the minimum in order to be considered for promotion to the majors.

 

Kennys has a career OPS of over .800 in the minors, can switch hit with good success, and is only 25. I'd think holding on to him and letting him work his way back to the majors is a pretty solid plan.

 

EXACTLY! Jumps from AA...no AAA at all...and performs well to close out 2014 for the club.

 

For whatever reason, he struggles this season. At his age, his potential, and his milb track record, there is no reason not to give him the benefit of the doubt and keep him around for a while.

 

He doesn't have to be Big Papi Jr. to be very good and very effective. If the guy hit .270-ish with a .320-.330-ish OB with good power (upper 20's-low 30's doubles and 20+HRs), he'd be a very nice asset somewhere in the lineup from 5-8.

 

It's a well deserved promotion to triple-A, but I just don't ever see Vargas making it as a major league player. I think he's shown that he can't catch up to a big league fastball.

 

Thankfully, there is data for this, and the data suggests that this was not the issue last season.

 

He mashed fastballs.  This season he had an issue.  We shall see what happens next season

Perhaps numbers are a little misleading? He cheats to catch up on fastballs and is now susceptible to everything else which then cycles back to fastballs.

 

I fear the league adjustment will be the reality going forward.

He had started with a big leg kick last year, then Bruno toned it down and he hit well (Parker wrote about it). For whatever reason he brought it back this spring, maybe its to blame.

Edited August 12, 201511 yr by Willihammer