Eddie Rosario: Best Player on the Twins?

[jimbo92107]

A couple seasons ago I declared Brian Dozier the best player on the Twins. Some people laughed, some scoffed, some asked the waiter for the bill. Today, I'm starting to see a shift in my personal power rankings. I'm seeing the emergence of a new boffo hero, Eddie Rosario. 

 

To me the two players have some definite similarities. Both are heady, opportunistic players that work their butts off to win. Both do everything with professional intensity. If there is one thing in Rosario's favor, it appears to be natural aptitude. Eddie appears to see the game better than most players. He notices when other players have little lapses of attention, and then he instantly takes advantage. He also appears to have fantastic hand-eye coordination. I saw him aim a hit today against Washington into the gap between the right and center fielders to score a couple RBI, missing a triple by a tenth of a second. Later, I saw him pull a ball for a triple, driving in more runs. 

 

Thing is, on the almost triple, Rosario saw the outfielder bobble the ball at the wall, and instantly bolted for third base. Not many ballplayers do that, other than guys like Bryce Harper. Rosario thinks like Harper, always looking for a way to apply pressure. It would not surprise me a bit to see Eddie Rosario play at an all-star level in this, his second year. 

[zchrz]

I think Rosario is going to be a solid mlb regular, ideally a 6-8 or 7-9 hitter, decent batting average, decent pop, decent speed, great arm, good glove, good range.  I really like the quick hands at the plate and the well aimed cannon in the outfield. 

 

His big hurdle to overcome is discipline though.  .260-.280 can get pretty hollow with a lot of ks and no walks.    

 

The outfield is crowded and Kepler could force his way into the mix.  Its going to get very interesting if everyone plays well.

[dgwills]

Rosario has a lot of talent. If everything comes together he will be a top of the order hitter that we need. It always confounds me when I see posters that want to trade him.

[Ncgo4]

When Kepler demonstrates he can hit in 3A he will force himself into the lineup. This just might be a lot quicker than the Twins expect. In addition to Kepler's hitting, Sano is quickly going to demonstrate just how much he doesn't belong in RF. As to Rosario, I too think he will be the breakout player of the year for our Twins. The twins are very likely going to be forced to make a decision between Mauer and Park.

[Platoon]

Rosario has a lot of talent. If everything comes together he will be a top of the order hitter that we need. It always confounds me when I see posters that want to trade him.

I am not sure "wants to trade" is necessarily the right term. Especially the word "wants". Sometimes, as is the case now, you look at whether making a move allows you to fill a spot with a player with a lot higher upside. In six years this board will be raging with conversations about keeping what are now cheap rookies, and too soon will hopefully be expensive FA. No one will want to get rid of them, but since we can't/won't sign them, they will want to get something of value. To me trading Plouffe was not about wanting to get rid of Plouffe, it was about the team having a much better overall roster balance. I love Arica's potential and would hate for him to be traded. But he's a very bad fit for the slot he is in. As a regular somewhere he has a chance of excelling as a power hitter. But not in a couple bats a week rotation.

[big dog]

I think Rosario is a really exciting player, especially on the bases.  Hopefully with maturity/experience he gets a little bit better at making choices, though.  He is always trying to take the extra base, but getting thrown out at third is a big penalty.  Love the way he puts pressure on the other team, though, and want him to keep the dial almost as high as it is now- maybe just a little bit more selective.

[HitInAPinch]

At the least, I think Rosario will be the most fun to watch!

[Halsey Hall]

Rosario is fun to watch, and I think he'll have a good season.

 

As far as injuries go, if an outfielder was to go down soon, Mastro would get the call first before Kepler.

[Craig Arko]

I think the left-handed batters will be especially important given the right-handed dominant rotations of KC, Cleveland, and Detroit. The more Eddie shines, the better the Twins' fortunes.

[TheLeviathan]

Eddie's got that "it" or "gamer" factor to him - I think he's going to be just fine.

 

I look forward to having him and Kepler in the OF sooner rather than later.

[jorgenswest]

Searching for similar 23 year old seasons (players with double, triples, home runs, few walks and lots of strike outs for their era)

 

I came up with Juan Samuel, Bobby Tolan, Jean Segura, Carl Crawford and Christian Guzman.

[Pardon My Dinger]

Eddie is a got dang ball player.

[Rezzy]

Rosario is probably my favorite Twin right now. I'm not sure their is anyone on the team I would rather have at bat or in the field with the game on the line.

 

He has some flaws in his game for sure. The K's will need to drop and obp is going to have to rise if he plans to take the next step toward stardom.

 

But with the gold glove caliber defense and quick hands and bat control he has the makings of an elite ballplayer, no doubt about it!

[dgwills]

 

I am not sure "wants to trade" is necessarily the right term. Especially the word "wants". Sometimes, as is the case now, you look at whether making a move allows you to fill a spot with a player with a lot higher upside. In six years this board will be raging with conversations about keeping what are now cheap rookies, and too soon will hopefully be expensive FA. No one will want to get rid of them, but since we can't/won't sign them, they will want to get something of value. To me trading Plouffe was not about wanting to get rid of Plouffe, it was about the team having a much better overall roster balance. I love Arica's potential and would hate for him to be traded. But he's a very bad fit for the slot he is in. As a regular somewhere he has a chance of excelling as a power hitter. But not in a couple bats a week rotation.

I guess I should of said that posters would prefer to trade Rosario in lieu of other players on the roster. Trading Plouffe at this point is almost a no brainer if you can get a fair trade. I guess my point is I think Rosario has a lot of upside and is a player we need on this roster going forward. Arcia is a tough one, but I see your point. If he can't contribute of the bench they will have to move him.

[gunnarthor]

I think Rosario can settle into a pretty solid player - someone with a 105-110ish OPS+ but low on-base levels.  Strong defense and baserunning would make him a fairly consistent 2-3 WAR player.  I like him and glad we have him.  

[DaveW]

Eddie is the man!

[Oldgoat_MN]

The area Eddie has to fix is OBP. I know everybody says this, but if he doesn't fix this part of his game he is really not a MLB level player. Might be a little early to anoint him a full time job.

 

He has had an OBP <.300 the last 2 years. He had a fine ST, but he only walked 2 times in 62 PA. Now I know you go to ST to hit, but Eddie has to take a walk when it's offered.

 

A guy can hit .267 and be a superstar (see Killebrew,Harmon).

Or he can be a replacement level player.

 

Gotta get on base.

[jimmer]

'Eddie Rosario: Best Player on the Twins?'

 

No, but fun to watch.

[jimbo92107]

 

When Kepler demonstrates he can hit in 3A he will force himself into the lineup. This just might be a lot quicker than the Twins expect. In addition to Kepler's hitting, Sano is quickly going to demonstrate just how much he doesn't belong in RF. As to Rosario, I too think he will be the breakout player of the year for our Twins. The twins are very likely going to be forced to make a decision between Mauer and Park.

One possible scenario is if Byung Ho Park can't adjust to the difference between MLB fastballs and MLB off-speed stuff, he might get sent down to AAA while Kepler comes up. Then Sano could go back to DH with Kepler in RF. I did see Park struggling with curve balls in Saturday's game, the first time he seemed a little overmatched. It's not just a matter of gearing up for hotter fastballs, it's whether you can learn to hold back long enough to hit slower pitches. 

[AKTwins]

 

One possible scenario is if Byung Ho Park can't adjust to the difference between MLB fastballs and MLB off-speed stuff, he might get sent down to AAA while Kepler comes up. Then Sano could go back to DH with Kepler in RF. I did see Park struggling with curve balls in Saturday's game, the first time he seemed a little overmatched. It's not just a matter of gearing up for hotter fastballs, it's whether you can learn to hold back long enough to hit slower pitches. 

 

So, so true.  Park hit those home runs early because they were seeing if he could turn around a fastball.  Well, we know he can, but I don't think he going to get a lot of fastballs.  A lot of people talked about if he can handled the higher velocity stuff in the MLB, but its the sharper breaking stuff he will have to adjust to more.

[DJSim22]

I really appreciate Eddie because he is such a good all around player.  The only thing that scares me a bit is the lack of walks. 

[DJSim22]

 

 

Rosario is fun to watch, and I think he'll have a good season.

 

As far as injuries go, if an outfielder was to go down soon, Mastro would get the call first before Kepler.

 

I agree if we are looking at 15 days or so.  No reason to have Kepler moved up and down for two weeks. If anyone goes to the 60 day, I think it then would be Kepler assuming he isn't struggling or hurt.

[Dr. Evil]

He is my favorite Twin. I believe he will become an all star in the coming years.

[Platoon]

One possible scenario is if Byung Ho Park can't adjust to the difference between MLB fastballs and MLB off-speed stuff, he might get sent down to AAA while Kepler comes up. Then Sano could go back to DH with Kepler in RF. I did see Park struggling with curve balls in Saturday's game, the first time he seemed a little overmatched. It's not just a matter of gearing up for hotter fastballs, it's whether you can learn to hold back long enough to hit slower pitches.

 

I read just recently the the player Baltimore brought in last year from the KBL had a clause wherein he had to agree to a stint in the minors, and he did not. The same piece said most KBL players have that clasue? But the writer did not know if that was a part of the Park contract. I imagine if someone from TD called Terry, he would be more than happy to clear up the matter?

[ThejacKmp]

 

When Kepler demonstrates he can hit in 3A he will force himself into the lineup. This just might be a lot quicker than the Twins expect. In addition to Kepler's hitting, Sano is quickly going to demonstrate just how much he doesn't belong in RF. As to Rosario, I too think he will be the breakout player of the year for our Twins. The twins are very likely going to be forced to make a decision between Mauer and Park.

 

I guess I don't see where the decision is between Mauer and Park. Mauer isn't going anywhere and Park is signed for two more years.  If Kepler forces his way up (and moves Rosario to Sano's spot), Plouffe is the guy who would seem to be the casualty. He has 1 arbitration year left and if the Twins have to choose, they can unload him anytime. He's good insurance now for a lot of uncertain pieces (can Rosario hit? Is Kepler for real? Will Park be overmatched? Is Arcia at least a good platoon bat?) but if everyone works out, he's no longer necessary as insurance and will be moved.

[ScrapTheNickname]

In two years at AA Eddie R. had a OBP of .302. I don't think this problem is going to magically fix itself. And while at outstanding defender, he has shown lapses (routes? effort? Not sure exactly sure what it is). Therefore if Rosario is the most exciting Twin we are in trouble.

 

As always, I wish him and the team the best - may he have an OPB of .350 and prove me wrong.