The Drive for 70 RBI

[Vanimal46]

RBI isn’t the hip, now, with it, and wow stat anymore. However, the 2022 Twins are approaching dangerous territory without a single player matching or beating that number of 70 RBI. In the last 30+ years of Twins baseball, which includes several absolutely horrible teams, there was always at least one person driving in runs. The 1999 Twins was the worst example I could find, with Marty Cordova leading the team with 70 RBI. 

As we stand the night of 10/3, Jose Miranda is the closest to reach this elusive feat of 70 RBI with 66. Will we have a single Twins player finish the season with 70+ RBI?

[tony&rodney]

Since analytics don't believe that RBI's are important and the Twins use analytics extensively, the players follow along and don't collect those useless RBI's.

[CRF]

Not gonna happen this year. 

[Bigfork Twins Guy]

When you consider that more runs equal more wins this is a telling stat of how this season has gone.

On another note... I actually like it when RBI's are distributed over a larger number of players.  It's like a diversified portfolio in that if that one high-RBI player gets hurt it does not impact the team as much.

[FlyingFinn]

14 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

As we stand the night of 10/3, Jose Miranda is the closest to reach this elusive feat of 70 RBI with 66. Will we have a single Twins player finish the season with 70+ RBI?

Miranda is in a slump and even if he gets hits, with him batting leadoff, our bottom of the order isn't on base very often. So, no, nobody gets 70.

[ashbury]

Would it surprise you to know that the Twins have gotten 88 RBIs from the players at second base during the season?  And they've gotten 91 from those manning the hot corner?

Looked at another way, they've gotten 84 and 82 RBIs from the second and third slots in the batting order, and 93 and 96 from #5 and #6.  (Cleanup has been a relative black hole all season, with 61.)

The problem, for purposes of this discussion, is that Luis Arraez leads the team in plate appearances with 596.  That is good for #57 ranking in all of the majors.  We all know about the injury problem this season, and that's as good an emblem for the injuries as any.

RBI is an opportunity based stat.  Injuries have spread around the opportunities more than usual, for the Twins in 2022.

[Riverbrian]

Hard to get RBI's from a hospital bed. 

[jkcarew]

Not just the injuries…also the constant moving of the same players all around the order (e.g., Miranda leading off)…low team BA/OBP…low number of hits…not huge HR numbers…no SB to help get runners into easier scoring position,

Want an exercise in how rapidly the game is changing? Compare all Twins TEAM offensive numbers (traditional team batting stats) in 2006 to those of 2022. (Note: In 2022 Twins ranked 7th in AL in runs scored; in 2006 they ranked 8th)

Scary.