Twins Video
The Minnesota Twins have clearly emphasized building depth both on the Major League bench and in the minor leagues. However, there is potentially one position at which the Twins could be thin heading into the 2023 season. After trading Gio Urshela and Luis Arraez, Jose Miranda and Kyle Farmer are the only two players on the 40-man roster with significant Big League third-base experience. (Joey Gallo doesn't count.)
Miranda figures to play every day at third, but who will man the position on off days or if an IL stint is in his future? Kyle Farmer has the defensive capability to play the hot corner, but offensively the Twins would like him to see as few at-bats against right-handed pitching as possible.
Fortunately, there might be one more option for the Twins. Nick Gordon is no stranger to being thrust into unfamiliar positions so far in his career. Coming up as a middle infielder, he was thrown in the outfield as a necessity in 2021 and 2022. The results have been mixed, but overall I think he's been passable. Could he be a left-handed hitting platoon option at third base for Minnesota, as Adam Friedman suggested?
Using defensive metrics to evaluate Gordon's infield defense is tough because he hasn't played much infield in his big league career, but let's try anyways. He has played only 151 innings at shortstop and 368 innings at second base, compared to over 950 innings in the outfield. DRS (defensive runs saved) has been quite unfavorable for Gordon. For his career, he has netted -2 DRS at second base. At shortstop, he has totaled -3 DRS. OAA (outs above average) sees Gordon as an average defensive infielder registering 0 OAA at second base and shortstop. Given the small sample, these numbers will need to be taken with a grain of salt.
As a prospect rising through the ranks, scouts were always doubtful about Gordon's ability to stick at shortstop due to his lack of arm strength; that might be seen as a potential problem at third base. Using Statcast's arm strength metrics, we can see how Gordon's arm compares to the rest of the league in the infield, particularly at third base. To measure arm strength, the velocity of the top 5% of throws is taken from a player to find their "average" arm strength. We will only be using Gordon's throws from second base, as throws from the outfield are entirely different than ones in the infield. At second base, Nick Gordon's arm strength is measured at 83.5 mph.
At second base, 83.5 mph ranks 8th in all of baseball among players that made 100 throws at second base. At shortstop, 83.5 would have ranked 31st out of 60 players that made at least 100 throws. But to answer the question, would his arm play at third base? At third base, 83.5 mph would have been the 28th highest average velocity among 59 third baseman. He is right in the middle of the pack, but it should be noted that most players above Gordon are everyday third baseman, and most below him are utility men, like Gordon is.
Statcast's arm strength measurements aren't perfect. Many variables go into the type of throws that are made at different positions along the infield that are hard to quantify in one statistic. However, it does give us an idea that if Nick Gordon needs to fill in at third base to give Jose Miranda a day off or even play in a platoon role for a short-term injury, this is a solution the Twins could pursue.
Given his athleticism and metrics at second base and shortstop, range should be good enough for Gordon at third. While the arm might not be ideal, it certainly looks passable enough for Nick Gordon to expand his versatility and help the Twins at third base this season and in the future.
MORE FROM TWINS DAILY
— Latest Twins coverage from our writers
— Recent Twins discussion in our forums
— Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email
— Become a Twins Daily Caretaker
- ToddlerHarmon, Minny505, Lou Hennessy and 1 other
-
3
-
1
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.