I’ve been hearing far too much negativity surrounding the Minnesota Twins. If fans are upset because of the record, let me tell you, they are on pace for a .500 season, which is much better than the last three years, and what I would consider–progress. After three years of forgettable baseball, the Twins are showing improvement, the Farm System is rapidly progressing and the front office is spending money. To me, that’s encouraging. To me, as a die-hard fan, I want to see progress so we can compete for the next decade.

Let’s look at a few reasons why all of Twins Nation should be excited—now and for the very near future.

1. Free Agency: We’re not the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox or Anaheim, or any other large-market franchise, so don’t expect the organization to spend like one. That being said, I can’t remember a year when the Twins were this aggressive. According to Baseball Reference.com, they spent 83.6 million in free agent signings. They needed to upgrade their starting rotation and they did. Even more surprising, and impressive, was the Kendrys Morales signing. Again, the Twins are showing us, the fans, that they are looking to win now. I give the Twins credit for what they did, and if you’re a fan, you have to be pleased that they are making a splash.

2. Kyle Gibson is becoming a stud on the mound. He threw seven shutout innings for a third straight outing on July 18, in Minnesota’s 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Red Sox, running his scoreless streak to 22 innings in the process. It’s the third-longest streak without giving up a run by a starting pitcher in Twins history, as former American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana had a 33-innings scoreless streak in ’04, and left-hander Francisco Liriano went 23 innings without giving up a run in ’10.

3. Brian Dozier can do it all, almost: I’ll just say it, his batting average is lower than I would like, but look at everything else. He leads the team in home runs, stolen bases, walks, and runs, along with being second in hits and RBI. I think we can all agree that his defense is well above average. I’ve seen no issues with him making double play turns, throwing from up the middle and time after time making highlight plays. Yes, Brian Dozier has been more valuable at second base than the likes of Chase Utley, Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia, and Ben Zobrist, all while being paid a fraction of those players.

4. Phil Hughes was the steal of this year’s free agent class. The Twins signed the 27 year-old to a 3 year – 24 million contract (see point one). Was it a good deal? Phil Hughes allowed two runs on eight hits in a complete-game loss to the Red Sox on July 17. He fanned six in the outing while not walking a batter. Even in the loss, the right-hander continues to pitch like one of the best pitchers in the American League — outside of a start earlier this month against the Astros, Hughes has turned in a quality start in 10 of his last 11 starts. He owns a 3.09 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 78/8 K/BB ratio over 90 1/3 innings this season. To answer my question, YES! This was a great signing.

5. The Future: We all know the top prospect in baseball, Byron Buxton, has been sidelined due to a wrist injury. And, we all know the #3 prospect in baseball, Miguel Sano underwent successful Tommy John Surgery. Still, both are expected to play this year. When Buxton is ready, he will head to Fort Meyers for extended spring training, and should be in New Britain (AA) before the end of the season. As for Sano, the expectation is that he will DH before the end of the year and will either participate in the AFL or one of the winter leagues. Fear not loyal fans, we will see both in spring training 2015.

6. The Future—Part Two: Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Jose Berrios, Kohl Stewart, Lewis Thorpe, Eddie Rosario, Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker II and Nick Gordon. While Stewart, Thorpe, Walker and Gordon are all 2 – 3 years away, we have impactful prospects that will either be called up this year or in 2015.

Unless something unexpected happens, both Meyer and May will pitch for the Twins this year. Meyer has moments on the mound when he can’t be hit. He induces swings and misses with a 95-98 mph fastball, a slider and a knee-buckling, sinking 83-mph changeup. Meyer can be a top-of-the-rotation starter.

May has an above-average fastball, and his changeup looks better than it ever has. Add in improved mound presence, he is looking like the starter everyone has envisioned. In fact, May has pitched well enough this year to silence the slew of early season critics who questioned his readiness. His K/9 is sitting at a robust 9.4, and his walk rate is the lowest of his professional career. By all accounts, May is ready for the Show.

Rosario started playing games again at the end of May, opening in Ft. Myers (High A) where he got back up to speed with a quick eight-game stint before heading back to New Britain (AA). He’s played a bit of second base, but is back to playing mostly as a centerfielder. Rosario needs to demonstrate complete mastery at the Double-A level — and perhaps even the Triple-A level — before the Twins would consider bringing him up, but Rosario is one of the most dynamic hitters in the organization and could provide a critical infusion into the lineup in the second half. If Twins offense continues to be an issue and they find themselves needing a boost later in the summer — particularly in center field — they may find that Rosario is in fact their best option.

Vargas still doesn’t crack the list of the Twins’ top-10 prospects (currently 15) in what has proven to be a deep minor-league system, but his power is certainly intriguing. He’s continuing to work on keeping his weight down — 6-foot-5, 273 pounds — and his defense at first base remains a work in progress. He exhibited power last year with High-A Fort Myers, hitting 19 homers in 125 games with the Miracle. That’s in part why Vargas was added to the Twins’ 40-man roster last November. After a brief adjustment period, Vargas seems to have figured out AA hitting. He boasts an impressive .327/.396/.551 line (a .947 OPS), with 14 home runs, 13 doubles and 57 RBIs in 245 plate appearances. If his productivity remains consistent, Vargas will be in the Show next year.

I think we can all agree, it is starting to look really good in Twins Territory.

Go Twins!

“If you can’t enjoy the game unless you are pretty sure your team is going to win, baseball is not the game for you. Remember, the best team in baseball in any year is going to be beaten about 60 times.”

–DANIEL OKRENT & HARRIS LEWINE, The Ultimate Baseball Book

 

 

Written by Darrell R. Yates

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