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RJA

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Everything posted by RJA

  1. RJA
    Like all managers, Rocco has strengths and weaknesses, but people tend to overreact when things are going badly and when things are going well. I think his relationship with players is extraordinary, and players hustle for him. His game management is not top 10 in baseball, but he is a young manager who will get better, and I think he is improving. But, it is way too early to evaluate him this year. My biggest concern this year is his bullpen usage. Right now Smith, Thielbar, Duffey, Pagan, and Duran are all looking like they will be making 60-70 appearances this year. I know starters may begin going deeper into games, but I think it does raise concerns about the stalwarts holding up for a full season. Let's have this discussion later in the summer.
  2. RJA
    Great, detailed summary. Thanks loads. You know, the injury bug is all over the majors, not just with the Twins. Does anyone have any stats on the number of players on the injury list this year, or the number of games missed this year, compared to other years? It just seems like injuries have ballooned the past few years, but maybe that is a faulty perception.
  3. RJA
    Thanks for this note. I admit that I have not followed him closely at all, so I appreciate your heads up on Cody. It is truly amazing how many good young arms are in the system.
  4. RJA
    It was great to see Kirilloff get 4 hits in the double header. Now when he starts driving the ball for extra base hits, we will know he is really feeling better. Raya looks like he is going to be special, and as JimPohlad1 noted, so does Miller.
  5. RJA
    I agree with Roger and Dman about Miller. He is killing it in his first year of pro ball. It is hard to believe the kid was playing high school ball last year. I confess I greatly underestimated him before the season started. Shame on me.
  6. RJA
    This kid is a great story. I don't believe he was really on many teams' draft radar in 2019, but the Twins must have seen some projectability they liked, and now he is turning some heads. What is not to like about a 6 foot 6 lefty with a smooth delivery and the ability to generate swings and misses? I suspect he will be moved up soon.
  7. RJA
    Nice summary, Matt. Two thoughts. First, Spencer Steer continues to impress. He broke out a bit last year and is carrying that progress forward to this year. He makes good contact, has some power, draws some walks and doesn't have an abundance of swing and miss in his game. It would be nice to see what he could do at St. Paul. Second, Enlow's showing was impressive. He gave up some hits, but the important thing is he was missing bats with 6 strikeouts (small error in prospect summary which lists 1). I think he is really going to do well the remainder of the summer as he gets back in the groove, and will be a guy to watch next year.
  8. RJA
    I don't think we know for sure what this young man's ceiling is. If he continues to develop and begins driving the ball consistently, I agree with baul0010 that he could hold down a regular spot in the lineup. He definitely is a more complete player than Cave, Garlick and the like. His defense is outstanding. It will be fun to watch him develop.
  9. RJA
    Yes, Ted, the performances thus far have been less than stellar. I think it is fair to point out that Donaldson is not setting the world on fire in NY either, and this trade was really about both the Twins and Yankees unloading players--Donaldson and Sanchez--that they wanted off the rosters. The other players were included simply to balance things out. This was an addition by subtraction for the Twins. And, Sanchez won't be back next year, and absent a turnaround, Urshela will not be either.
  10. RJA
    Me too! Great work, and thanks for responding.
  11. RJA
    One small correction--it is Daniel Susac. I think Andrew is his older brother if I am not mistaken. I am curious why you dropped Susac out of top ten. Is it concern as to his hit tool? I understand the Prielipp ranking. You know, it used to be that TJ effectively destroyed a pitcher's ability to go high in the draft. Now, it is so common and the recovery rates so good that it has almost become a right of passage for talented young arms. I would probably still have Lesko in front of him, but I think Prielipp is a big talent. Great article, thanks Jeremy. I always pick up good info and a fresh perspective when I read your updates. I almost forgot to ask your take on Gavin Cross who BA has the Twins taking at 8.
  12. RJA
    Canterino looked great last night and controlled the zone beautifully. I think the hype around him is well deserved. CES looks like he will be moved up soon as he continues to rake at CR. I know Seth thinks highly of Isola so I have been careful to watch him in the Wichita games. It looks like he is catching half the games, and from what I have seen has acquitted himself well behind the plate. Offensively, he draws walks, has some power and makes good contact. Not bad for the 869th overall pick in the 2019 draft!
  13. RJA
    Interesting article, Cody. I concur with most of the prior comments. I will simply add that Terry Ryan was a classy guy, and in his era was a fine GM. He took time to talk to me at a ST game and patiently answered questions and talked about the prospects. I will always respect him.
  14. RJA
    Great young man and someone who has worked hard his whole career in hopes of getting the call and he finally did. I am happy for him. But, this kid is a good player. I wouldn't be surprised to see him do well in whatever time he has in the bigs. His defense is great, and his ability to play all three spots actually makes him a perfect 4th outfielder. It will be fun to see how he does.
  15. RJA
    I am really excited to see Wallner making the necessary adjustments to reduce his K's. I saw him hit one out last year that was just a rocket. I think people who compare him to Rooker are really underselling his potential. Nobody in our system has more raw power (ok, maybe Buck and Sano), and the ball absolutely jumps off his bat. I am pulling for him. I agree with ExPat about Steer. He has really improved and made himself a good prospect. I would love to see him get a chance at St. Paul.
  16. RJA
    Thanks for the summary, Theo. Couple of thoughts. Does anyone know what is up with Hajjar's control. His walks per 9 have nearly doubled over his last year at Michigan. One would think that in lower A that players would be less disciplined than in college, and more likely to chase. Maybe they have him working on some things. His strikeouts are great, so his stuff must be pretty good. Second, I like Martin as a prospect, but I am not sure one homerun is cause for celebration. If they are trying to get him to drive the ball more, I am not sure it is working--at least not yet. Finally, Sands seems like he is either lights out or has trouble getting anyone out. I didn't watch last night's game, but the stat line is not pretty.
  17. RJA
    Great summary, Nick. I suspect there is not an analytic for this, but it seems that for some teams in some years things just go bad, or things just go right in terms of close games, injuries, individual performances, rookie surprises, free agent signings, etc. Last year it seemed that everything went bad in many of those categories. It was almost like you knew a few weeks in that there was bad karma around the team. This year it seems like it is the polar opposite, with things going right even when there are setbacks--like Lewis coming in after Correa's injury, Celestino playing great with Buxton out, and Larnach stepping up at a time when Kirilloff is struggling with an injury. This team has good karma around it. Maybe it has something to do with the "chemistry" issue Seth raised in an earlier article. Whatever the source, I hope nothing changes!
  18. RJA
    Baseball is a crazy game. Who would of thought at the start of the season that the Twins pitching would be dominating and the offense a little hit and miss? Let's just hope that the pitching stays consistent and Buxton, Correa, and Larnach come back quickly and the offense begins to rake. Boy, hate to hear the news on Paddack. Hopefully, it will turn out better than we anticipate and will not lead to significant elbow issues.
  19. RJA
    I would pull him from the rotation and use him in a couple of mop up situations to see if he shows any sign of improvement. If not, I would release him.
  20. RJA
    Great update. Thanks. It is great to see Wallner heating up. Actually, it was a great day for the top 20. Fun times for sure watching so many prospects starting to hit the bigs. I can’t remember a time when so many have arrived together.
  21. RJA
    Three observations. First, it is great to see Emmanuel Rodriguez drawing three walks. It shows good discipline for a young, aggressive hitter. Second, I didn't watch last night's game, but it still does not seem to me that Kirilloff looks comfortable at the plate. Not sure if it is his hand, or if he is just feeling some pressure. Finally, Correa's injury is a gut punch, but I think Lewis is ready. He has been fantastic at St. Paul. We are lucky that we have him, and I don't think the moment will be too big for him.
  22. RJA
    I wasn't sure so I checked and I believe Headrick is Rule 5 eligible this fall, so it might be a good idea for the Twins to promote him and see how he does. Lefties with his strikeout totals would be attractive in the draft I would think, but the TD staff is better equipped to make a judgment on that than I am.
  23. RJA
    I know it is early, but Headrick is doing two things of note this year more than in his injury year of 2021. One, he is allowing fewer hits, and two he is not walking anywhere near as many batters. In the latter case, he is walking 1.9 per 9 this year compared to 5 per 9 in 2021. It might be that 2021 was an aberration due to injury as this years walks are closer to his numbers in college. My guess is they will move him up soon when a spot opens in Wichita.
  24. RJA
    Great summary, Steve. I was really excited for the Varland matchup, so I hope that is on for today. I have a couple of thoughts. First, I have not seen Cavaco play this year, but is he struggling as badly this year as it looks from the boxscores? That is a concern. Second, it doesn't appear as if Raya struggled too badly. I think they probably pulled him because of his pitch count in the second inning. Sometimes an error can disrupt a young pitcher's rhythm. Finally, CES and Sabato are really going in opposite directions as prospects. Sabato just can't seem to make any solid contact, while Strand is playing very consistently, drawing a few walks and hitting with some power.
  25. RJA
    It certainly has been a terrific start for the rotation, about which I must admit I had severe doubts. The Athletic has a great article about how well the members of this rotation have bonded, enjoying each other's company and helping each other out. Seth had a great article about winning and chemistry, and I think the chemistry of this group will help all of them be better. It is still early, however, and the hitting around the league is slow to come around. Let's just hope we are still seeing positive numbers in mid summer. We are going to have a fun year if they stay on course.
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