lightfoot789

I understand that hitting coaches are supposed to teach you how to hit, However - A power hitters swing will probably look slightly different than the contact hitters swing (maybe longer). That being said - How many hitting coaches in the Twins organization have ever been power hitters or can talk to the art of power hitting from experience? I don't know the answer. I was wondering if that has anything to do with the lack of progress so many of our power hitters have at the MLB level. I'm not saying all must know, but is there anyone along the way who speaks to the prospects about it from experience. Carew is a special instructor in regards to hitting for contact. So many of the managers and hitting instructors throughout the system seem to have been great AB guys but not necessarily power guys. Who is our Power Guru? Do we need one? Might that be a missing element in terms of development for the following: Colabello; Arcia; Parmelee; Plouffe; Vargas; all seem to have similar flaws in terms of swing and miss at the highest level. Is there some misconnect along the way up? Food for thought!

You know things are going well in Fort Myers when the Miracle strike out 12 times as a team and Adam Brett Walker (2-4 w/HR & RBI) is the only player not to strike out in the game. Great win Miracle and solid pitching by Mildren. Levi is having a very nice season BTW.

Agreed

Like the list, but have to debate the absence of Brett Lee. Intangibles have to be important. All he does is WIN and always with a low era. Most underrated prospect in Twins system. I also like the knuckler man Tomshaw, but his pressence in FT Myers tells the story as to what the Twins must think. Another excellent pitch to contact guy. That's not always a bad thing.

Seth - I'm not saying that promoting Walker is a rush, I'm saying it's the right thing to do in his situation. He is a college kid who has experienced failure before and knows how to handle it. Why not test him at the AA level and let him see what adjustments he needs to make in the off season - so he can come back ready to master the AA level next year. Why does he have to start each year out blind to the competition? I would think that HIcks and Arcia should be aware of some of the pitfalls of MLB pitching a little better next year as opposed to this year. Throw the kid (Walker) a bone and let him find out what AA is like, so he can spend the off season working on those adjustments. He will probably head to AA after spring training next March? Would you agree? He had a low average and OBP last year and was promoted for his production. He has a low BA and OBP this year and will be probably promoted due to his production again. If you don't have plans on repeating a guy because of his production - Why keep him at a particular level all year? We all want to assume that playing at a lower level again or longer helps you get back in the groove. Not always the case. Sometimes it just throws off your game (Buxton / JD Williams / Etc.). Sometmes players should be treated like their special (Soriano / Abreu / Etc.) or as the "exception to the rule" at an early age so you can send them back if need be. Cookie cutter format is not the right move in this case IMO. A side note: Walker is the only college position player from the 3rd round / 2012 draft to still be in the FSL. If someone else is still in FSL - they missed a season or most of a season due to injury. Walker is the only 3rd rounder (position player / 2012) to still be in High A for that matter, in all of minor league baseball. He leads all of those players in HRs and RBI over that span of time as well. Throw the kid a bone Seth. What harm could it do? He's 22 like you said with a good head on his shoulder. He understands failure - Let him fail completely if need be - so he can learn and adjust. Not have half and half success (production = low BA/OBP).

"He will struggle at the next level" in terms of contact rate. That was the consensus after his rookie level when he led the league in K's (28%) and held a .310 OBP. He followed that season up with a K rate 10% lower @ (20%) and a .319 OBP. And again it was said "He will struggle at the next level" in terms of contact rate. And he has! Although he holds a consistent OBP of .300 again and his K rate has risen to 28% (again). Consider this: If Walker were able to hold on to his consistency (Like he has accomplished for 3 straight years) and lead the American League in HRs and RBI and possibly K rate with a .310 OBP (3 years from now) - WOULD YOU WANT HIM & HIS CONSISTENT TOP LEVEL PRODUCTION (with flaws) ON THE TWINS? Why or Why Not? If Yes - When would you give a player like Walker his chance for promotion? He may never be an OBP guy. He may just be a guy, who leads the league in HRs and RBI every year. I'm sure he wants more too, but I'll take what he's offering now. Consistent production.

Who are your AFL picks (7) and why? Consider Puerto Rico releases Vargas and Rosario to play. Does this change your picks?

1) With the highest BA in the FSL last year being .289 (with anyone above 125 games) - How does that reflect on the difficuties hitters have in the FSL and how some numbers may be skued? Does leading your team in HRs by 12 and RBI by 23 deserve a promotion? ABW *Have you ever heard of a player accomplishing that type of lead over teammates and not recieving a promotion? In the history of the Twins minor leagues? In the history of baseball? When does a dog get a bone?

His strikeout rates over 3 seasons have been - 30.2% (rookie) - 20.8% (A ball) - 28.5% (high A). Last year he improved greatly in terms of K%. This year he traveled upward again with K rate. That being said: He has shown the ability to lower it within a season. He may never walk alot. Neither does Polanco. The down side this year is, he has such a low BA & OBP. Again - That being said: He gets on base less than everyone on his team but scores more runs than everyone on his team. He is either the luckiest player in baseball or somehow has an intangible that makes for winning baseball. Walker is 6th in the league in scored runs / 1st in HRs by 8 / and 1st in RBI. Maybe, that is just who he is (in addition to the low BA & OBP). An offensive force!! He should have been afforded the chance to go to AA and do the same thing. If he failed - He could have repeated AA next year and had a jump on the league. 81 RBI and 22 HR in the pitching league FSL (not bad with 25 games left). Name a player in any league who can lead his team in HRs by 12 more than the next closest teammate and not earn a promotion. Name a player in any league who can lead his team in RBI by 23 more than the next closest teammate and not earn a promotion. With all his risky swing and miss and high K rate - He has only stayed consisitent in his league production (1st). He is having a bad year for ABW but a productive year for the FSL. Put it in perspective. The highest BA last year for anyone with 125 games in was .289 in the FSL. Not a very hitter friendly league..

Actually Walker had 2 hits, 1 run scored, and 4 RBI, but I can't complain about Harrison because he had a big game as well. Like how you think Highlander. Ha

Congrats to Adam Brett Walker on obtaining the Miracle franchise single season HR record..Does anyone know the RBI record for the Miracle? Walker has 81 RBI with about 25 games left. Great overall game for the Miracle last night.

I thought Hudson Boyd was suspended? What gives?

I agree with minor league players (Arcia) and others. Let them play. Dominating AAA doesn't help them adjust to whatever the problem is at the MLB level. I never hear about the adjustments the coaches are making with the batters approach. It is always why isn't the player making the neccessary adjustments? You see coaches make in game adjustments all the time in football and basketball. I would like to know - What are the Twins telling these minor league struggling athletes to do (adjustments)? Not just patience - but slow this down - speed this up - move hands here - move feet there - etc. etc.! Arcia, Colabello, Pinto, Hicks are too good to be this bad on a regular basis. IMO

The MLB Home Run Derby should take on the format of the FSL (minus the secondary fence). The Florida State League gave each participant 3 minutes to hit as many as possible. I would recommend 2 minutes personally. It did however give fans a fast dose of HRs going over the fence and some type of climax as they watched the time run down. I was told it made the derby go faster and kept fans more engaged. Watch the 2014 FSL HR Derby video below. I think the format change works even at the MLB level.

Anybody who has an inside the park home run has to be hustling out of the box. Congrats to Adam Brett Walker on a unconventional HR. @ 6'4 & 230 lbs it must have looked like a locamotive coming around those bases. Great pitching again from Matt Tomshaw. That "Knuckler" must be a "Thing" of beauty. Do I hear AA?

Why is it that the entire FSL fails to have any game video highlights from any games this season? No team shows any highlights. The entire All Star game festivities are word of mouth. Not one video of one hit that weekend. Can you guys explain why?

I'd like to know your thoughts on AB Walkers performance at the All Star Game and HR Derby? I know the derby is just like BP, but how about 3-5 against the north all stars. Are you surprised? What will be the fall out with 24 draftees being signed? Who will fall where? Tomshaw or Wheeler should get promoted before Berrios in my opinion. Agree or disagree?

How does a great knucleball rate next to a 95 MPH fastball? Even if you develop it once you're in the minors. If affective to the rate of a 0.99 WHIP - does / will it ever make you a prospect?

Tomshaw and Tyler Jones must not be built right? All one does is win and the other just gets saves.

Wickens needs to be back in AA. Great utility player (ala AJ). He's playing well for the Miracle.

I'll be glad to see him play SS again (for the Twins or someone else). He has the talent to play SS. Exciting with his range and athleticism. He cut down his error% last year at SS (1st full season) and the Twins move him to 3rd base to see what Polanco can do. Polanco is an emergency SS at best and is still a solid everyday 2B. It's gotta suck having to play a new position without warning.

What is wrong with the website this year? Not 1 Photo or Video this season. No interviews. There is not a single video highlight of any play this season in Fort Myers. It is as though the season may have never existed to this point. The surprising part is no one seems to care but me. Who are these prospects and what do they look like? CR Kernels post 100's of photos from each game on there Facebook page. Who is in charge of exposure for the club? Maybe if people knew what the product was they would actually attend more games.

Colabello and Parmelee mess it up for Vargas, because he is another payer who has possibly earned a promotion.

I agree on there not being obvious choices this year. The only sure fire ones to me should be Ortiz; Tomshaw; Rodriguez and Oliveros. I also think that Murphy is worth keeping since he is argueably the next best defender in the outfield (range and arm) to Buxton.

Does that mean that the selections are more political and prospect influenced IYO? I would like for both of those guys to make it as well. Does age ever play into the selections at the lower levels? There are several 26 year olds who are having excellent seasons in the FSL from other teams. Has that detered selections in the past?