Doug Y

The 2 biggest words you said in this article are “TV Contract.” You simply cannot step back now with tv contract negotiations looming. You need to to have a competitive team with as many eyes watching your games as you can going into the negotiations. A good TV contract can be a game changer for the future success of the franchise.

My first instinct is No to all of them. I want someone better, but I know how the Twins operate.

This thought that Batting Average is an over-rated stat is only if you are looking outside in. From the outside, there are stats that better express how much a hitter helps his team, and who is a better hitter overall. If you are a player, there is absolute value in Batting Average. Stats don't tell the human story of a baseball game. Intimidation or worry of a pitcher who can see that Luis Arreaz is coming up next and knows he is a tough out. That can make the pitcher press harder to get out of the inning before Arreaz comes up, and he may end up making a mistake. Or in a late game clutch situation, do you want the high OBP guy taking a walk, or do you want Luis Arreaz getting a base hit. Same with bunting and stealing. Math can tell us they aren't always the best ways to score runs, but math doesn't show you the human element. After a successful steal or sacrifice bunt, that pitcher has a lot more stress and potential for a mistake worrying about the runner on 2nd. I love analytics and stats, but stats are only a chapter in baseball's book, but they don't tell you the whole story.

No, Stay away from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and most shoulder injuries.

Do these young pitchers with high 90s fastballs, really throw high 90s? Or do they throw mid 90s with the occasional high 90s. We hear of so many young prospects throwing high 90s in the minors, and then when they get to the majors they are never throwing that hard.

I hope you are correct with all 5 predictions!

Hi Travis! I played college baseball, but never made it any farther. I would have loved the chance to play even the low levels on minor league baseball, except I couldn't hit the slider. What would you say is the biggest adjustment going from high school/college to the pro game?

Players are definitely thrower harder in the last 15 years, because of better training techniques and an emphasis on velocity, but radar gun readings from 15 years ago can't be compared to today. There used to be fast radar guns, that would take the highest velocity and slow radar guns that would measure the slowest speed or the speed "over the plate," and then radar guns that would avg those 2 speeds. Teams, scouts, and stadiums could all be using different radar guns. A player might throw 90 at the Metrodome, and 95 in Fenway. Now the trackman and statcats data is all the "fast gun" speeds. The fastest speed of the pitch. This makes it seem like everyone is throwing harder today compared to past players.

.246/.353/.516/.868 .253/.323/.493/.816 .260/.378/.617/.995 .260/.332/.524/.856 These 4 players all had breakthrough seasons at 28 or 29 after having been very ordinary before hand. I think it is worth taking a flyer on Cron, because sometimes it takes 5 years in the majors for some guys to learn to hit MLB pitching. Nelson Cruz and Jose Bautista made adjustments/figured it out and had some very good years. Or he could be Logan Morrisson. For only $5 million her is worth a look.

If he does have a Plus-Plus changeup, that makes the low 90s heat seam like mid 90s.

Don't worry about Berrios weight lifting. It will not cause more pulled muscles. In fact he should have more flexibility. Lifting weights will not decrease flexibility, it actually will increase it, unless you are as big as the the top body builders.