2015 Projections and Rankings: Kurt Suzuki

Suzuki: .265/.320/.360 (.680 OPS) in 120 games, just enough in management's eyes to keep Pinto marginalised, much to the annoyance of many TDers.

I'd rank them Gomes, Perez, Suzuki, Avila, Flowers

The rankings do not talk about pitch framing or fielding.  It seems that we cannot rank them without that.  If I remember the articles on this forum Suzuki is not a great framing catcher.  Second would be the ability to throw out runners.  Third is the success of pitchers - calling the game.  These mean more to me than what he will bat.  But I cannot rank because I personally do not know.  .240/.300/.350 

.270/.330/.370  27 2bs and 5 HR

I think he has fundamentally changed his approach and is more of a line drive and less about trying to hit for power.  if he doesn't wear out he could hit for a higher average. 

Das macht nichts!  [Only words I remember for HS German class :-)  ]  By the time the All-Star game rolls around, the Twins will be out of it and other Teams will be shopping for a catcher.

.250/.310/.315.

He'll be OK, but the Twins need a long-term answer at catcher and it isn't Zuke.

.257/.322/.336 (.658) with 19 doubles and 3 homers.

I like Suzuki better than most because I put more value on just running things over more modern stats, while providing some solid offense. But any projections for Suzuki confound me. I've heard his early career offensive numbers slipped due to overuse, but his rebound last season  with our Twins, at least the first half, was due to to playing every day.What?

Guess? Figure last season repeated very close.

Hunch? Despite the recent concussion-ish situation of Pinto....and come on! How can you hit a guy THREE TIMES IN THE HEAD IN A SINGLE AB without facing some kind of penalty? In the real world, that is assault. Think I'm kidding?

Anyway, my hunch is that a healthy and non-brain damaged Pinto will not only out-hit Suzuki overall, but will really mature between last year's demotion and this year, and begin to overtake the primary catching job by the second half of the season.

I think Kurt Suzuki is better than Alex Avila. I don't know that the numbers bear that out, and Zook certainly isn't a defensive whiz, but Avila just seems like a perpetual underachiever.