Twins Daily 2022 Awards: Most Improved

[Cody Pirkl]

The Twins technically did improve on their record in 2021, and with that came several players taking steps forward. Nobody made a bigger leap than late-bloomer Nick Gordon. Before we pay our dues to the Twins former top prospect, several others deserve some love as well.

Honorable Mentions:

Griffin Jax: 72.1 IP, 3.36 ERA, 26.9% K rate, 6.9% BB rate, 0.9 fWAR, 0.9 bWAR
At the end of 2021, it became clear Jax lacked the pitch mix to thrive as a starter so he made the switch to the bullpen. It’s hard to expect more than what he provided the Twins. Arguably a Top 3 reliever for the team for most of the year, Jax turned to his wipeout slider nearly 50% of the time and the pitch was dominant in every way. Headed into 2023, it’ll be interesting to see if Jax can continue improving in his new role.

Luis Arraez: .316/.375/.420, 8.3% BB rate, 7.1% K rate, 3.2 fWAR, 4.4 bWAR
It’s hard for one of the team’s best players over the last few years to get “most improved” consideration but Arraez has earned it. Not only did he take his offense to the next level by winning a batting title and slugging a career-high eight home runs, but he also had an underrated season defensively. After struggling to stick at any one position, Arraez found himself playing first base for the first time in his career and more than held his own. Though his hamstring caused him issues at season’s end, he played a career-high 144 games. Hopefully, we can see more of the same moving forward.

Gilberto Celestino: .238/.313/.302, 9.2% BB rate, 22.2% K rate, 0 fWAR, 0.5 bWAR
To be fair, Celestino didn’t look to be an MLB-caliber player in 2021, and so even his modest 2022 numbers got him some love as one of the Twins most improved players. He showed flashes throughout the year that hint at his ability to at least become a solid fourth outfielder. He put up comfortably positive defensive metrics in center field across the board, and any kind of power development would be huge. Still just 23 years old, Celestino may very well find himself on this list again next year.

Twins Daily's Most Improved Player Nick Gordon: .272/.316/.427, 4.3% BB rate, 23.7% K rate, 1.5 fWAR, 1.6 fWAR
So much to be impressed by with Gordon’s 2022 season. Early calls to jettison him off the roster in favor of Royce Lewis were quickly rescinded, as Gordon found himself in a trial by fire due to injuries and came out on the other side looking like a legitimate piece of the Twins future. Gordon showed contact ability and power like never before and even did a little bit of damage against left-handed pitching on occasion. Though the Twins tailed off at the beginning of September, they’d have been out of the race well before without their former 2014 1st round pick.

Gordon pivoted off of his longtime position in the middle infield and is likely a better defensive outfielder at this point, a testament to the work he put in and his raw physical ability. The Twins outfield has plenty of left-handed hitters, but Gordon is a nice complement to the hulking sluggers such as Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner. He seems like a favorite to fill a platoon-type role moving forward, finding himself in the lineup regularly when a right-handed pitcher is on the mound.

One thing that should really be appreciated about Gordon is the joy he plays with. Perhaps stemming from the long path to get to this point, Gordon isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve in every situation. From a huge smile on his face following a big hit to his visible frustration when being pulled for a pinch hitter, you just have to love how invested he looks no matter the situation. 

With team control until 2028 and a versatile skill set, Nick Gordon may just be getting started. In the midst of a disappointing season, the development he’s shown was truly a bright spot. For that reason, join us in congratulating Nick Gordon as Twins Daily’s Most Improved Player!

 

 

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[Doctor Gast]

Congratulations Nick Gordon! You & Celestino have cured our gaping wound for so many years out there as CF back-ups. Keep up the great work!

[mikelink45]

I am delighted with Gordon and the joy he adds to a team that too often seems to lack fire.  

I might add Ryan to this list as well.

[Blyleven2011]

Way to go flash Gordon  ...

You were fun to watch and I believe  you could be an ignitor at the top of the batter order ...

Batting lead off with arraez to follow  ...

Twins did it with tovar leading off and carew to follow , many runs were scored by that duo  ...

 

[jmlease1]

Nick Gordon deserves this, and good for him. He's gotten his health in order and it's allowed him to take advantage of his talent and hard work and be a useful player. It's unlikely he's going to end up at the star level people might have hoped for from a top 5 draft pick, but there's no question that he looks like a MLB player. I was surprised at how much more pop he had in his bat this season, and that's going to be great if he can build on that. He slipped back a little in Sept, so it's possible that the league started adjusting to his changes in approach and improved ability to punish mistakes, but it's equally possible he was having to take more ABs against lefties and being put in positions where he was less likely to succeed.

I like him as a utility guy who can platoon for multiple positions. (can we find the right-handed version of him in the off-season?)

Jax handled his shift to the bullpen well and looks like someone who can be counted on to pitch in the 6-7th innings pretty consistently. the slider has turned into a real weapon. I think if he locates his fastball better (stay out of the heart of the plate, Griffin!) it's good enough to pair with that nasty slider, but he's going to have refine the changeup rather significantly or walk away from it. It's been a big part of his arsenal against LHB but it's not very effective right now and I think that's the next step for his evolution if he's going to be a late-game beast.

[Mortimerkenny21]

Nick Gordon has been a fun player to watch this season! Happy to see him stepping it up! 

 

[msukirbycarew]

Great choice for sure. His numbers came so close to being much better. Just from memory I recall 2 grand slams and a 3 run Homer missed by inches on the right field foul pole. He was one of our best clutch/high leverage hitters.  I look for even a better season next year with around 20 hrs as he continues to add more strength after losing so much weight do to illness.

[Mike Sixel]

Well deserved! I'm hopeful for slightly more next year. 

[stringer bell]

While I agree with the choice and also think it’s a nice feel-good story, I do want to point out that Gordon faded the end of the year and also, when used in the infield, showed himself to be a below-average fielder there. It could be that he wore out after essentially being a regular the entire second half. His platoon splits also were pretty severe. 
 

It could be his role would be as a platoon outfielder going forward. 

[jorgenswest]

I wouldn’t give up on the infield yet. He wasn’t getting a lot of reps there the last two years and his numbers were not far below average and not dissimilar from the overall team play at 2B. I find the numbers more encouraging than discouraging because I think he improves if given a regular role in the middle infield.

I think it would be unwise to view his role as a platoon OF based on that data.