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  • Ranking the 3 Most Underrated Twins Players

    Cody Christie

    By Cody Christie

    Every team has players that don't get the credit they deserve. Minnesota's season has been tough to watch, but these three players have made things a little more tolerable. 

     

    Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

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    "Underrated" can mean slightly different things to different people. Briefly, it's simply defined as - using baseball players in this example - a player who is not rated as highly by people as you think they should be. So, here are three Twins players that I believe are most underrated by Twins fans. Do you agree? Or, feel free to add your most-underrated Twins in the Comments below. 

    3. Bailey Ober, SP
    Following the trade deadline, things could have completely fallen apart for the Twins. The front office had traded away two pitchers from the team's Opening Day rotation. By doing this, the team looked to internal options that might fit into the 2022 starting rotation. Enter Bailey Ober and a boost some fans might not have been expecting. 

    Ober has all but solidified his spot in next year's rotation with a tremendous rookie campaign. According to MLB.com, he has a 5.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio that ranks first among rookie seasons in Twins history (minimum 80 innings). Currently, he ranks among baseball's best in walk percentage (93rd percentile) and chase rate (84th percentile). The Twins have played .500 baseball in the second half, and Ober has provided some rotational stability. 

    2. Caleb Thielbar, RP
    Minnesota's bullpen was in shambles at the beginning of the season, but Caleb Thielbar has been one of the team's biggest bright spots in a dull year. Pitch selection has been one of the most significant changes for Thielbar in his second stint with the Twins. He uses his slider nearly 35% of the time, and batters have posted a .172 batting average and a .313 slugging percentage.

    Out of necessity, Thielbar shifted to a set-up role near the trade deadline, and he has been part of a bullpen turnaround. Since then, the Twins bullpen has posted a 3.20 ERA and has the American League's highest Win Probability Added. Among the AL's left-handed relievers, Thielbar ranks third in WPA. His baseball-playing career was supposed to be over, and now the Twins hope he sticks around for a while.   

    1. Luis Arraez, UTL
    There have certainly been multiple reasons to turn off the Twins this season, but Luis Arraez hasn't been one of them. Only two Twins players, Jorge Polanco and Byron Buxton, have a higher WAR than Arraez. He is getting on base 36% of the time and hitting close to .300, which has him just outside the AL's top-10. His 106 OPS+ is a career-low, but it also points to a good offensive season, even for a player with minimal power. 

    Defensively, he has also played over 40 games at second base and third base. Minnesota switched Arraez to a utility role because the team wanted to get better defensively. At last check, Arraez ranks as the seventh-best AL third baseman according to SABR's Defensive Index. He likely will never win a Gold Glove, but he has been more than competent at the hot corner. 

    How would you rank these players? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

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    Cody Christie is a Twins writer and content contributor. His writing can be found exclusively at Twins Daily and his voice can be heard on radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest. Outside of the Twins, he is a father, high school teacher, and avid runner.
    Follow Cody Christie on Twitter: nodaktwinsfan

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    Featured Comments

    chpettit19

    chpettit19 8,662

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    13 hours ago, RpR said:

    It is not how often , it is too often when the at bat really counts.

    Name 5 times that he watched a 3rd strike go by "when the at bat really counts." This is exactly why front offices all around the league use the numbers and not just their memory for things like this. Arraez has struck out 43 total times this entire season and you're on here acting like he's watching 3rd strikes go by constantly. Your brain locks in on the moments that created the most emotional reaction for you and that appears to be a called 3rd strike or 2 against Arraez and you've decided one of the 5 hardest guys in baseball to strikeout is striking out too much looking in clutch situations. It's absurd. 

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    KBJ1

    KBJ1 51

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    My problem with Arraiz is he is a One tool player. Sure he makes contact, but he hasn't Proven to be Tony Gwynn just yet.

    He is a mediocre defensive player, has zero speed and a bum knee.

    Where are all the 5 tool players in Baseball these days? Buxton, Lindor are among the few left in the game. Granted we need a utility guy, but he cant play short.

    Speaking of SS can someone explain why we traded Berrios (who was under contract for 2022) for a SS prospect when our supposed #1 prospect (Lewis) is a SS?

    If Trevor is the answer, we better be trading and getting  pitching for Lewis!!

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    RpR

    RpR 1,192

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    5 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

    Name 5 times that he watched a 3rd strike go by "when the at bat really counts." This is exactly why front offices all around the league use the numbers and not just their memory for things like this. Arraez has struck out 43 total times this entire season and you're on here acting like he's watching 3rd strikes go by constantly. Your brain locks in on the moments that created the most emotional reaction for you and that appears to be a called 3rd strike or 2 against Arraez and you've decided one of the 5 hardest guys in baseball to strikeout is striking out too much looking in clutch situations. It's absurd. 

    Oh, sure I will get out my video of every game, you try too hard.

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    chpettit19

    chpettit19 8,662

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    37 minutes ago, RpR said:

    Oh, sure I will get out my video of every game, you try too hard.

    You're proving my point. Name 2 then. Your memory is no competition for the stats. You've picked a position that is entirely impossible to defend. Your stance is wrong and it's provable. "I feel like" is not a defense against "the physical proof shows." Your opinions aren't a defense against my facts. It's patently absurd to suggest Arraez strikes out too much no matter what variables you want to try to attach to the situation. There's no argument you can make to truly defend your stance beyond "this is how I feel." You're certainly entitled to not like Arraez, not like the type of player he is, feel he's overrated, wish the Twins would trade him, be upset about an instance (or 2) where he was caught looking in a big spot, or anything else along those lines. But when someone is one of the 5 best people on the planet at something you can't say they are bad at that thing. It's simply ridiculous.

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    RpR

    RpR 1,192

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

    You're proving my point. Name 2 then. Your memory is no competition for the stats. You've picked a position that is entirely impossible to defend. Your stance is wrong and it's provable. "I feel like" is not a defense against "the physical proof shows." Your opinions aren't a defense against my facts. It's patently absurd to suggest Arraez strikes out too much no matter what variables you want to try to attach to the situation. There's no argument you can make to truly defend your stance beyond "this is how I feel." You're certainly entitled to not like Arraez, not like the type of player he is, feel he's overrated, wish the Twins would trade him, be upset about an instance (or 2) where he was caught looking in a big spot, or anything else along those lines. But when someone is one of the 5 best people on the planet at something you can't say they are bad at that thing. It's simply ridiculous.

    Astudillo fielding percentage .997  RF/9 9.09  RF/G 7.00  -- Arraez .985  RF/9 3.83  RF/G 3.22

     

    Arraez is greatly over rated, I rest my case.

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    chpettit19

    chpettit19 8,662

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    40 minutes ago, RpR said:

    Astudillo fielding percentage .997  RF/9 9.09  RF/G 7.00  -- Arraez .985  RF/9 3.83  RF/G 3.22

     

    Arraez is greatly over rated, I rest my case.

    Ah, yes. The old "I was proven wrong on my original argument so I will change it to something completely different" maneuver. It's a classic. I said you're entitled to feel Arraez is overrated. You original argument of him striking out looking in big spots too often was completely absurd, but an argument that he isn't a good defender is absolutely correct. You should've started with that one.

    Oh, and I also appreciate you using those "math nerd numbers." Makes me feel right at home.

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    RpR

    RpR 1,192

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    • Posted

    1 minute ago, chpettit19 said:

    Ah, yes. The old "I was proven wrong on my original argument so I will change it to something completely different" maneuver. It's a classic. I said you're entitled to feel Arraez is overrated. You original argument of him striking out looking in big spots too often was completely absurd, but an argument that he isn't a good defender is absolutely correct. You should've started with that one.

    I said he was over rated, period,  he is, Twins need defense far more than offense and he is not good but at the in 40 more games than Asudillo he has only 17 more RBI, as I said you try too hard and you are picking nits while say I am picking nits;  as I SAID, HE is GREATLY over rated, or to make you feel better as a whole ballplayer. -- ( In the old days, they would have called him a BANJO HITTER Which was NOT a plus., he reminds me of Lenny Green, without the base stealing ability.)

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    chpettit19

    chpettit19 8,662

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    • Posted

    13 hours ago, RpR said:

    I said he was over rated, period,  he is, Twins need defense far more than offense and he is not good but at the in 40 more games than Asudillo he has only 17 more RBI, as I said you try too hard and you are picking nits while say I am picking nits;  as I SAID, HE is GREATLY over rated, or to make you feel better as a whole ballplayer. -- ( In the old days, they would have called him a BANJO HITTER Which was NOT a plus., he reminds me of Lenny Green, without the base stealing ability.)

    He should remind you of Tony Gwynn, not Lenny Green. You just keep proving more and more that your eyes are entirely unreliable. Lenny Green hit over .290 1 time his entire career and was a career .267 hitter. In 913 career PAs Arraez is a .312 hitter. Gwynn and Arraez both started their major league careers at the age of 22. Now Arraez isn't quite done with his age 24 season, but close enough. And Lenny Green started at age 24 so this is his age 24-26 seasons.

    Arraez: .312/.375/.404/.779 6 HRs, 78 RBI, 84 BBs, 83 Ks, 4 SBs
    Green: .237/.302/.317/.619 4 HRs, 26 RBI, 31 BBs, 32 Ks, 9 SBs
    Gwynn: .329/.382/.415/.797 7 HRs, 125 RBI, 96 BBs, 60 Ks, 48 SBs

    One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong. Gwynn obviously had drastically more speed early in his career, but when comparing their hitting skills who does Arraez look more like? Was Gwynn greatly overrated? Again, you're more than welcome to dislike Arraez, but your reasoning (beyond being a bad fielder) is totally and completely inaccurate. He's 14% better than the average hitter even without hitting HRs according to OPS+. wRC+ he's 13% better. He's an above average hitter whether you like how he does it or not. Sorry for using my nerd numbers, but everywhere you turn they're proving your eyes wrong. And in the case of the Lenny Green comparison, drastically wrong.

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