lightfoot789

Sometimes it is hard to argue with success and the Miracle are having that in the playoffs thus far, BUT are you surprised that Adam Brett Walker is batting 7th in the playoff line up this series? He led the league in Games Played; HRs; RBI; and Total Bases. Not to mention - he led the Miracle in Hits this season. Are you surprised by his position in the batting order (7th) or do you truly see a justifiable rationale with the season on the line?

Congrats to the Miracle. 1st playoff win in over a decade. Kanzler was phenomenal. When the lights are on: *Hicks with game winning RBI *Walker with 4 BB & 0 Ks when the team had 14 Ks overall *the K brothers did their thing in innings 8&9. And Johnson was great too. *Kepler stayed hot into September.

Walker is only 22 BTW. The crazy part is he is listed as the number #2 hitter for the month of August by Twins Daily and he gets placed 7th in the line up in tonights playoff game. Lead your league in HRs - RBI - Total Bases while placing 1st on your team in Hits and 2nd in Runs Scored and your manager places you 7th in the most importaqnt game of the year. I'm sorry Seth - As a whole this kid gets no love from the organization. 7th? I'm talking 7th? BTW - he is 0 for 0 with 3 Walks through 5 innings and 2 runs scored. Game in Rain Delay 7 - 7 score.

30% K Rate in Rookie Ball (Appy League Champions) 20% K Rate in Low A Ball (MWL - Best record in all of baseball / minor leagues)- 28% K Rate in High A Ball ( FSL - Best record in the entire league) 22% K Rate in AA (Bold Prediction for 2015) Take away his production at any of those levels and these teams are not as successful. All the Top prospects get their promotions throughout each year, but Walker continues to be the offensive force that stays consistent. His contact rate is truly a concern, but I believe that his other offensive attributes are highly overlooked Amongst league leaders: Runs Scored - regardless to OBP - you had to have been on base to be amongst the best to score. Total Bases (1st) - When you do hit the ball it must be for a lot of extra bases. Shouldn't be dismissed as yeah but those are HR numbers. If it were easy - every prospect would do it as consistently as Walker. Obviously HRs and RBI (1st) - A yearly occurance that would be better received if he had lower numbers and better OBP. Power potential is obviously rewarded more than actual proof of power in game situations. Maybe he is an anomaly that "is what he is": (Low OBP / Major run producer). Name another prospect in Twins history who has led both Low A and High A in HRs - RBI - and Total Bases in consecutive years? (for the record - Harrison struck out more than Walker last year and Walker was 18th in the league in K's). Judge this ANOMALY for what he is - Not what past history has told us about other prospects. Why can't he experience a new level like everyone else and prepare for it in the off season based on what he learned from his promotion? Instead he has to prepare all off season, based on what he is told to expect about a new level. Advantage Promoted Prospect

If Walker had Keplers stats - Would he have risen in the prospect rankings this Fall or next Spring? Honestly? I believe that most readers would have taken his drop off in HRs (27 to 5) as a sign of him being a fluke / failure. I asked a question in the beginning of the season as to whether you would want a guy on your team who hit .250 with 25 HRs and 100 RBI? A guy who went 1 fo 4 every night basically. A guy with a .310 OBP? The crazy part was most people said No. If that guy existed on the TWins this year - he would be the team MVP hands down. Call me a prophet, but I think I was spot on, in my assessment of this consistent performer.

There is more to the game than hitting home runs. There is driving in runs and scoring runs and fielding your position. There are many players in the MLB where that is there only job. I'm just saying - recognizing the flaws without ever recognizing the gifts is a rough way to climb thru a system. Not from you or bloggers but feeling the love from the organization in some fashion. He is damn near the only college player from the top 3 rounds in his draft class that is still in High A Seth. Anyone still in High A (2012 draft) who went to college had a significant injury along the way. If his low OBP in the FSL is such a worry, then shouldn't his HR total and RBI total in the FSL have a reversed significance. It is the hardest league in baseball to score runs in and hit HRs in. Why not reward him for achiveing the impossible? Why not reward him for his durability and grit during those hot Florida summers, while achieving something no other prospect in the league has achieved? And yes why not reward him for hitting HRs like no other prospect in the system is hitting at this present moment?

I'm disappointed Adam Brett Walker didn't make the cut. Despite his flaws - He has played in more games than any prospect over the last 2 years (in the Twins system) and has yet to be thrown a bone by the Twins organization. No promotions either year (2013 & 2014). Mid Season and Post Season All Star each of the last 2 years. 2013 MWL League Topps MVP. Led MWL and FSL leagues in Home Runs; RBIs; and Total Bases each of the last 2 years. Stays Healthy - Plays Hard - Has won a regular season league championship each of his 3 professional years and has made the playoffs respectively each of those years. Still No Bone. All Star Game MVP - Home Run Derby Champion. 22 more RBI than the closest teammate. 14 more Home Runs than the closest teammate. Still No Bone. I love Kepler and I understand he is on the 40 man roster, but he is hitting .258 and Walker is hitting .244! Kepler has 54 RBI and Walker has 40 more RBI at 94. Kepler has scored 50 times and Walker has scored 74 times despite getting on base significantly less based on OBP. If Walker would have had Keplers complete stats this year, he would have been dropped of the prospect radar. You know that's true. Throw the Man a Bone Twins. He deserves that 7th spot.

Walker and Berrios Mid season and Post season All Stars for back to back years. Congrats How many prospects can say that? (probably Vargas)

Adam Brett Walker has probably played in more games than any other prospect over the last 2 years and never seems to catch a break. If he is good enough to play everyday (and more than most), why is he not good enough to promote? AA or AFL? Why after leading the MWL and FSL in HRs / RBIs & TBs does he constantly get over looked by the oragnization for promotions and incentives?

Walker continues to impress (25 HR) and Dalton Hicks (3rd in FSL in RBI) is quietly putting up a very productive year. The big question is - Can Walker obtain 7 more RBI in the next 7 games to reach the Century mark for 2 straight years? The Miracle are 1 game out from taking the FSL South Division lead. That would mean they would have won both halves this year, With another 2 wins - This Miracle team has a chance to surpass last years Star Studded team (Sano - Rosario - Buxton - Vargas - Etc. ETc.) in wins and top 80 for the first time since 2009.

Members of the Miracle have had the best record in the league 3 years running from (Appalachain league to the FSL). The future looks good for them. Combine them with the level ahead and behind them and WOW. Going for 2 championships in 3 years (those players).

Lookig forward to the Bradenton vs Miracle match up this week. Could be the playoff match up for September.

Would love to see Walker in that line up in another 2 years. His .310 OBP is definitely worse than Sano; Arcia; and Vargas, but his HR power and potential is probably better than both (Vargas and Arcia) with the above philosophy. His power might even rival Sano IMO. That would be a crazy power lineup with the likes of Santana - Buxton - Mauer and Dozier sprinkled through it. I love the fact that the Twins are letting the young guys figure it out at the MLB level and not yo yo ing them back and forth thru the minors and MLB.

Yes they did have a doubleheader. They have them because it's about getting the young guys as many innings played without overworking them. In Florida - if they didn't have double headers they may only play 80 games during the season. Too many rainouts need to be made up.

Awesome job on the No No by Vasquez. Never easy. AB Walker knocks in his 91st RBI today. Who is the last Twins player to hit 25 HRs and 100 RBI in consecutive seasons (in the minor leagues)? Can he do it with 14 games left? Nobody hotter than Dalton Hicks over the last month and a half - 8 HRs and 35 RBI Matt Tomshaw would have been the pitcher of the day if not for Vasquez. He pitched a complete game shutout and has to take a justified back seat tonight.

88 Ribbies with 19 games to go. Can't wait to see how Walker does at Jet Blue this week.

Clear your mind and forget about Adam Brett Walker for a second. Would you ever considered a player, a disappointment if you heard he obtained 28 HRs and 100 RBI? Even in the minor leagues? If so, What would be your acceptable trade off?

Do the Miracle have enough fire power to win the FSL championship without Byron Buxton, Levi Michael, and Jorge Polanco? Even the departure of Mike Gonzales has weakend their line up. He was argueably their best hitter in the second half of season.

What are the chances Buxton and Sano and Rosario start in AA next year?

When do you truly know if someone has figured "it" out? My theory is: Buxton actually played better in the Appy league than he did in the GCL when he first arrived after the draft. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and let them figure "it" out at the next level. Still he got the promotion. Walker - I hope he figures "it" out too (truly). Couldn't hurt [better zone discipline] His team has a losing record during this personal hot stretch BTW. I think it was the 3 HRs and 10 RBI this week, that actually helped in those wins more so than his OBP. His gift will always be in his Run production - not his OBP (IMO). If we can get both -awesome. Let him figure it out at the higher MiLB levels though - not A Ball.

24 HRs and 85 RBI with 23 games left. Adam Brett Walker is having an amazing month of August thus far: .393 BA / .452 OBP / .750 SLG% / 1.202 OPS / 5 Ks / 3 BB

I'm not sure what you call a few home runs. His 23 HRs are 9 more HRs than anyone in his league and 13 more than anyone on his team. Oh yeah 83 RBI are 22 more than his closest teammate as well. All those numbers lead every prospect in the Twins organzation as well as the MLB level. To your point - he's not having a great year, but I would not frown on those accomplishments either. That's why people are clamoring to promote him - PRODUCTION!!! I agree that he will stay in Ft. Myers this year and be forced to learn a new level from stratch again next year. I would think that seeing a level for even a short portion of the season would better prepare you for the start of that level again the next season. Sano should have been better prepared for New Brittian this year because of his promotion last year IMO. That's what I think a promotion does for a prospect. Gives them direction for the next season. "He won't be able to hit those HRs and RBIs at the next level" - This will be the 4th level in a row that people are saying the same thing. Why he dropped in the draft - What they said after rookie ball - What they said after A ball and What they are saying after High A ball. They may eventually be right?

Can't believe Lee didn't make so many of your Top Prospect List. All he does is win, but I forgot "He doesn't project to win at the higher level". In some cses it's the Pitchers who get smarter / better as they move up and in other cases it's the Hitters who get better as you move up. Not a better pitcher in the system statistically, but not even a sniff?

I stand corrected then.