Article: Parmelee's Promising Power

[Nick Nelson]

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?279-Parmlee-s-Promising-Power

[Fanatic Jack]

Parmelee will be as good if not better than Morneau someday.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I don't think anyone quite suspect Morneau would be as good as he was either... Most didn't doubt the power, but the high BA came as a bit of a surprise. I'm still holding out hope that he can return to form this year. If the Twins contend, that will be why.

[Seth Stohs]

It's what makes following the minor leagues so much fun. There is no certainty with prospects. Some top prospects don't pan out. Some come out of nowhere. Nothing in Parmelee's minor league numbers screams Star, but if he can be a league-average MLB 1B, we'd take that, for sure!

[dklien]

After a prospect has had 1000 minor league at bats, I often read things like "He is what he is". This is one of my least favorite comments. It is a tag that was put on Denard Span and I see it now when referring to Brian Dozier and Chris Parmalee. Some players just take longer to develop than others. There is always room for improvement with any player. I hope that Parmalee is still in the development stage and will continue to improve. Even if Mormeau is healthy, there is always room for patient power hitter somewhere.

[Seth Stohs]

"After a prospect has had 1000 minor league at bats, I often read things like "He is what he is"."

 

That's because most often, that is the case, but certainly not always. Exceptions are what makes it fun! I would argue that 1000 AB in the minors isn't really enough, at least not for the guys that sign when they're 16-18 years old.

[jlovren]

I think it's too early to tell what kind of hitter in the bigs he will be. I do think that it's worth a look and we should try and get him as many quality at bats to see.

[Cap'n Piranha]

Parmelee will be as good if not better than Morneau someday.

Alert the Common Man, we have a contender for the 2012 Preposterous Statement Tournament. Parmelee will be good, but Morneau was a good as it got at first base (outside of Albert Pujols) from 2006 to July 2010. He was a top three offensive AND defensive first baseman, and while Parmelee might eventually have a better overall career, that will only be because of Morneau's injuries.

[Guest @_2244]

Parmelee will be as good if not better than Morneau someday.

Preposterous and uncharacteristically optimistic. Step away from the pipe, please.

[jmlease1]

Parmelee's got real potential. Putting him in Morneau's category is a real stretch at this point (defensively they're not close yet; Morneau went from being pretty shaky at 1B to being a reliable and sure-handed player. Parmelee has a ways to go). But I like what he's showing as a hitter, and I think the power potential is there. he seems to have made several adjustments over the course of his career in the minors, bringing the average up while initially sacrificing power, and now seeming to add the power back in as he's gotten better control over the strike zone.

 

I expect him to spend most of this season at AAA, unless Morneau's season goes to hell. But you have to figure that he's going to be a big factor in the twins plans soon at 1B, DH, and as a LH power bat on the bench even if Morneau makes it through a season relatively healthy

[jlovren]

Does Parmlee still have options left? If so, another season of AAA might be his best option (if Morneaus stays healthy). Regular at bats always trump riding the bench.

[Seth Stohs]

Parmelee has two years of options left. He was just added to the 40 man roster in November of 2010, so 2011 was his first option year. He has ZERO at bats in AAA to this point, so it would be his best option. I completely agree that sitting the bench for a prospect makes no sense.

[jlovren]

If I remember correctly, didn't we keep Morneau in the minors an extra year to work on his defense? Thats why Dougie Baseball stuck around about a year too long? If fielding your position is a weak link for Parmelee than a full season of both at bats and playing the field is needed.

[twinsfiend]

Parmelee has two years of options left. He was just added to the 40 man roster in November of 2010, so 2011 was his first option year. He has ZERO at bats in AAA to this point, so it would be his best option. I completely agree that sitting the bench for a prospect makes no sense.

Seth I whole-heartedly agree he needs AAA time probably. My guess is, though, he will be up and down from AAA this year with any injuries to Morneau, Mauer, or Doumit (sp?). I just hope fans don't get frustrated with his potential lack of production if Gardy puts him in one of their spots in the batting order (which he likes to do sometimes with call-ups for short-term injury replacements). In bigger markets he'd have more time in AAA or AA to develop before being put in precarious position that he may be put in this year with the Twins.

 

Having said that, I like him, he is a power hitter that seem few and far between in our farm system. Hopefully he pans out as a productive big-leaguer eventually.

[jimbo92107]

Two things stand out about Chris Parmelee. Firstlywise, he's got one of the most natural power swings I've seen. That swing will produce tons of hits and maybe 30+ homers some day. Secondentially, he's got the steady, quiet self-confidence of a successful baseball player. When he strikes out, he shrugs it off. When he hits a home run, high-fives, then on to the next play. He projects an air of competence that reminds me of Hrbek and Morneau. Parmelee just might become quite a ballplayer.

[Fanatic Jack]

_2244,

 

What makes it preposterous? Morneau was an outstanding player before his concussion but nobody would of ever predicted he would be an MVP. Actually the same can be said about Joe Mauer. Parmelee has a sweet swing with legitimate pull power to left field. Why is it inconcievable to think he could be as good if not better than Morneau. He has worked very hard to get better defensively and has a great work ethic. He can become a complete player. The obvious question is how will he react when other teams pitch him differently. The Twins drafted him #1 out of high school for a reason.

[Seth Stohs]

I really like Parmelee. Ive often said in the pat that may compare with Lyle Overbay. I like his quiet, unassuming demeanor. i've never said he would be an all star caliber player, and at 1B in the AL, it will be very difficult. I have hopes that he can be a solid regular for the Twins for 6-8 years, if healthy. To expect him to be an MVP candidate year in and year out isnt fair to him. We can hope for that thogh, if u want! He's been a different hitter/player since his 2010 demotion to ft. myers. I like the improvements!

[Steve Lein]

Jack - It's not impossible for Parmelee to develop into a Morneau, but it's quite easy to call that statement preposterous when there's zero evidence up to this point to suggest Parmelee is capable of doing what Morneau has done. Morneau was a top 20 prospect in all of baseball for 3 years running, Parmelee hasn't been close to this. Morneau was a career .311/.379/.528 hitter in the minors in 2100-some plate appearances, Parmelee a career .266/.355/.436 hitter in 2600-some plate appearances. In 2004, Morneau hit 41 HR's between AAA and MLB. Parmelee's career high in HR's for a season is 17 (last year). He's improved as he's gone up the ladder, but his best season still doesn't come close to comparing to Morneau's in the minors. Then we get to the majors, where Morneau has an MVP award, and had he not got concussed, would have added a 2nd. Parmelee doesn't even have 100 PA's (good ones yes, but how many times has a prospect done the same thing in September?). From what you're saying, Parmelee is a sure-fire hall of famer?! I don't doubt for a second that he'll contribute in a positive way for the Twins this year and in the future, but I don't expect him to exceed, or even match, Morneau's production.

[tobynotjason]

Morneau was a good as it got at first base (outside of Albert Pujols) from 2006 to July 2010. He was a top three offensive AND defensive first baseman

This just isn't true. From 2006 through 2009 Morneau was 12th in wRC+ among qualified 1st basemen. If you want to throw out Nick Johnson since he only had 342 games, ok. Throwing out Votto for coming up in 2008 seems like cherry picking, though, and would in any case only get Morneau to 10th. He was indeed 3rd in UZR. He was very good, but not as good as most Twins fans believe. Lots and lots of first basemen hit. Morneau was awesome in 2010 pre-concussion, but it's unlikely he would have sustained those rates for the full season. (Possible, but as w/any SSS, regress, regress, regress.)

 

The odds that Parmelee's Sept. was an outlying fluke far outweigh the odds that it was a developmental turn-of-the-corner, but time will obviously tell us more.

[Shane Wahl]

Hopefully he's more Lyle Overbay than Connor Jackson . . . I see that at his range of potential, though Connor was good for a year or two. With prospects there is a certain X factor that you cannot pinpoint until guys are in the show. Maybe Parmelee thrives up there and is only averagish in the minors for whatever reason (similar to Span).

[jeffk]

Jack seems to be confusing "possible" with "likely". By the logic that some mediocre minor leaguers, have become excellent major leaguers, therefore this will happen to Parmelee, it's saying that *most* minor leaguers will become major league MVPs.

[oprahchapelle]

Parmelee will be as good if not better than Morneau someday.

you really are a fanatic

[gil4]

Maybe Parmelee thrives up there and is only averagish in the minors for whatever reason (similar to Span).

I think Span had Lasik surgery during the offseason the year before he made the jump, which might explain some of his improvement.

[bird]

Hey Fanatic Jack, thanks for kicking off Hyperbole Day with a heretofore unequaled flourish in the entire history of mankind.

[jorgenswest]

I think he will have a major league career but I wonder if he is closer to Kubel than Morneau. Based on splits I have seen, I wonder if it is reasonable that he will hit well enough against lefties to be an everyday 1B. That doesn't mean he won't be a valuable player but it may take a manager willing to platoon to maximize that value.

[whydidnt]

So, If Parmalee performs in spring training as he did last September does he take the DH job and push Doumit to the OF? I think there is a chance.