Article: Week in Review: Road Warriors

[RatherBeGolfing]

 

And if you are right Yay! Im on your side! I just think he's got a ways to go before id crown him MVP this is for the same reason i despise the national media for never recognizing us. Im in Phoenix for cripes sake. the only twins news i get is here, espn, mlb.com or kfan on i heart radio.

They cover the Twins?

[Channing1964]

They cover the Twins?

i know right!! I wish i could afford to get the coverage you guys that live back home do. But dont get me wrong i follow almost every pitch on gameday when i can. ✌️

[Channing1964]

i get it. He hasn't even played a full year of Major League Baseball yet. There will be ups and downs and there is a chance the bat never does play in MLB. All I am saying is the counting stats suggest he can be a good hitter. We'll have to wait and see how things turn out.

man i hope you are right. He looks to me from afar that he has all the tools to be a valuable member of anybody's 25 man for sure. I understand the excitement and his versatility is really what got him the roster spot. Of course I wish him the best as well as I do for all the other guys!

[Channing1964]

With all the new players, I was concerned about getting off to a decent start. The Twins are 3-3 against contenders (Indians, Phillies) and 2-0 against weak teams (Royals). They're 2-1 at home and 3-2 on the road. So far so good.

 

A split with the Mets would be a nice way to end the road trip. They get DeGrom and Syndergaard, so this will be a real test.

OMG i didnt know it was those two!!! If we get swept I have to wear a Mets hat for a week!!

[Channing1964]

I dont know where either Astudillo or Garver will end up as hitters, or catchers. But why is Garver considered a developing 28 year old catcher? First off, that's already getting along in MLB years. Secondly it seems it's a rationale for him getting a developmental nod over Astudillo. Sort of strange considering Astudillo is 27! Garver at the present is not as good a catcher, not as good a hitter, and does not have the positional flexibility of Astudillo. . Plus, Astudillo is younger, ergo more time to develop, if that is indeed a factor?

there is no reason not to keep both. at some point they will be considered in comparison with Cave and Sano. When Miggy 2 comes back somebody is gonna see what it's like in Rochester.

[Channing1964]

While I agree the Turtle will never be Pucket as he just doesn't have his speed I think you are highly underestimating what La Tortuga can be. Since he rarely strikes out (3%) that means he is going to put more balls in play. Since the rough average for balls in play is .300 odds are he is going to be close to a .300 hitter unless he has bad BABIP luck. With good BABIP luck he will hit over .300. He also can hit for power and looks like a decent defensive catcher at this point (at least as good if not better than Garver). Add that all up (especially if he can play catcher) and you have a very valuable MLB player.

 

If he ends up hitting around .300 which baring injury seems likely given his current track record, that would have been the best average on the entire Twins roster last year. Granted he has yet to play a full season of Major League baseball yet, but if you ask me the odds are in his favor to be a better than average catcher in MLB. A catcher who might hit better than JT Realmuto this year. Add to that he can also play 1st, 2nd, 3rd and left field and you have a flexible and valuable player who can fill in when and where needed.

 

Give it time you will be on La Tortuga's bandwagon before long.

Man I am already on every one of their band wagons...I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!

[Doomtints]

A Ron Gardenhire team playing over its head? Hm...that's never happened.

[Channing1964]

A Ron Gardenhire team playing over its head? Hm...that's never happened.

Deeeeeeeetroit????

[Channing1964]

Cron has looked really good at 1B. Really good. The difference between him and the other two guys to play there in 2019 has been stark. He looks like a GG contender so far this young season (in the innings I've watched).

 

The interesting thing thing about Astudillo behind the plate is that the kind of quantifiable and evaluative performance that fans can see, framing, blocking pitches in the dirt and controlling the run game, he has been essentially equal to, if not arguably best, of the three catchers on the roster in his limited time. His minor league numbers at catcher speak to the same level of proficiency.

 

Game calling is unquantifiable by us rubes but is he really that much worse that Garver and/or Castro? He's a superior hitter to most of the players on the roster and the undisputed best hitter among our catching corp.

 

I do love that Astudillo plays for my favorite team. He's been a BP/Fangraphs darling for a few years now and I had been following him since first hearing about the oddity of his offensive profile. I'd be cheering for the guy even if he wore the laundry of the Yankees or White Sox, but it's the Twins that happen to be the team with the second most interesting player in MLB. That's amazing.

i would really like to know who calls all the pitches. Some teams let the battery do it, and some call them from the dugout via hand signals to the catcher. Nobody has ever said how the Twins are doing it this year. I would suppose it depends on who the catcher and pitcher is.

[yarnivek1972]

i would really like to know who calls all the pitches. Some teams let the battery do it, and some call them from the dugout via hand signals to the catcher. Nobody has ever said how the Twins are doing it this year. I would suppose it depends on who the catcher and pitcher is.

I’m pretty sure the catcher calls individual pitches. Of course, there is always a pre game meeting to discuss strategy with every hitter. That would typically be pitcher, catcher, pitching coach and the analytics guy nowadays I imagine.

[Channing1964]

I’m pretty sure the catcher calls individual pitches. Of course, there is always a pre game meeting to discuss strategy with every hitter. That would typically be pitcher, catcher, pitching coach and the analytics guy nowadays I imagine.

id love to hear the catcher and or pitching coach miked up during a game to really see how they work out pitch sequence etc.