Minnesota Twins 2021 Season

[Monster]

Twins for a win behind a nice performance from Berrios in his longest outing of the year. With extra innings baseball I guess sole relievers may have a slightly inflated ETA with guys starting at 2nd base.

Sano had another 3 strikeout game but so did Cruz and Alex K left 4 guys on base but of course that doesn't excuse Sano. Polonco was the guy that got it done today and to be honest of all the guys that have been struggling I think him being below average these past 2 seasons surprises me the most. Polonco getting back the guy he had been before at the plate would really help. Right now he is hitting more like a utility player for the past 2 seasons than a starter. It makes me curious what Nick Gordon could do.

[FNG]

Berrios was terrific in a game we had to win...we need to beat up on Baltimore while some of our key players are out, because the schedule is going to get tougher and Chicago keeps winning.

I agree that Sano will likely stay in the lineup until we get healthy, but his terrible at bats the past week make him nearly unplayable. He's seeing a steady diet of low outside sliders, and unless the pitcher makes a mistake and really misses his mark, it's clear that he is overmatched in every at bat. Larnach may be out today, but if he can play, I put Alex at 1b and Larnach/Garlick/Jung-Tai in the outfield and sit Sano down. But more importantly, we need Buck and Arraez to return.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Berrios was terrific in a game we had to win...we need to beat up on Baltimore while some of our key players are out, because the schedule is going to get tougher and Chicago keeps winning.

I agree that Sano will likely stay in the lineup until we get healthy, but his terrible at bats the past week make him nearly unplayable. He's seeing a steady diet of low outside sliders, and unless the pitcher makes a mistake and really misses his mark, it's clear that he is overmatched in every at bat. Larnach may be out today, but if he can play, I put Alex at 1b and Larnach/Garlick/Jung-Tai in the outfield and sit Sano down. But more importantly, we need Buck and Arraez to return.

I find it slightly amusing... but more telling about the state of the game and the Twins ravaged lineup in 2021... that a guy batting .187 over his past 315 ABs (with 148 strikeouts) is routinely batting 5th or 6th in the lineup.

[FNG]

Berrios was terrific in a game we had to win...we need to beat up on Baltimore while some of our key players are out, because the schedule is going to get tougher and Chicago keeps winning.

I agree that Sano will likely stay in the lineup until we get healthy, but his terrible at bats the past week make him nearly unplayable. He's seeing a steady diet of low outside sliders, and unless the pitcher makes a mistake and really misses his mark, it's clear that he is overmatched in every at bat. Larnach may be out today, but if he can play, I put Alex at 1b and Larnach/Garlick/Jung-Tai in the outfield and sit Sano down. But more importantly, we need Buck and Arraez to return.

I find it slightly amusing... but more telling about the state of the game and the Twins ravaged lineup in 2021... that a guy batting .187 over his past 315 ABs (with 148 strikeouts) is routinely batting 5th or 6th in the lineup.

More painful for me than amusing. At least Rocco dropped him to 7th tonight so his 0-4 didn't hurt us quite as much...only left 2 runners on base as his average dropped to an embarrassing .158. Meanwhile Tortuga raised his average up to .289 with a couple more hits including his 4th HR. And we got some good news with Larnach healthy. So I gotta believe that Sano's days are numbered in the starting lineup...Kiriloff and Tortuga are better options at 1b (even if Sano is slightly better defensively), and that still leaves us with other possibilities in the OF. Too bad because at one time he was considered a top 5 prospect in all of baseball. But pitchers have learned he can't lay off the slider low and away (and spin rates on sliders are only getting better with so many pitchers doctoring the ball...look at all the no hitters already this season), and he's not going to figure out how to hit a slider at 28 (if he even is 28...some scouts thought he was 4-5 years older than his stated age when they were scouting him in the DR as a teenager). It's time to move on.

[Monster]

Berrios was terrific in a game we had to win...we need to beat up on Baltimore while some of our key players are out, because the schedule is going to get tougher and Chicago keeps winning.

I agree that Sano will likely stay in the lineup until we get healthy, but his terrible at bats the past week make him nearly unplayable. He's seeing a steady diet of low outside sliders, and unless the pitcher makes a mistake and really misses his mark, it's clear that he is overmatched in every at bat. Larnach may be out today, but if he can play, I put Alex at 1b and Larnach/Garlick/Jung-Tai in the outfield and sit Sano down. But more importantly, we need Buck and Arraez to return.

I find it slightly amusing... but more telling about the state of the game and the Twins ravaged lineup in 2021... that a guy batting .187 over his past 315 ABs (with 148 strikeouts) is routinely batting 5th or 6th in the lineup.

More painful for me than amusing. At least Rocco dropped him to 7th tonight so his 0-4 didn't hurt us quite as much...only left 2 runners on base as his average dropped to an embarrassing .158. Meanwhile Tortuga raised his average up to .289 with a couple more hits including his 4th HR. And we got some good news with Larnach healthy. So I gotta believe that Sano's days are numbered in the starting lineup...Kiriloff and Tortuga are better options at 1b (even if Sano is slightly better defensively), and that still leaves us with other possibilities in the OF. Too bad because at one time he was considered a top 5 prospect in all of baseball. But pitchers have learned he can't lay off the slider low and away (and spin rates on sliders are only getting better with so many pitchers doctoring the ball...look at all the no hitters already this season), and he's not going to figure out how to hit a slider at 28 (if he even is 28...some scouts thought he was 4-5 years older than his stated age when they were scouting him in the DR as a teenager). It's time to move on.

Lets looks at on base percentage for the sole Twins currently in the lineup on a fairly regular basis.

Sano .273
Garlick .277
Alex K. .273
Ben R. .242
Astudillo .300
Polonco .303
Kepler .303

Jake Cave was at .239 before he got hurt. Those are some brutal numbers. Any player that's not a defensive player like a catcher or SS that's below .320 OBP is kit good and we have like over half a lineup of those guys. It's bad and while I agree Sano's days as an everyday hitter are over some of these other guys aren't exactly killing it either and yet the Twins have the 11th most runs scored in MLB which isn't terrible all things considered. They are tied with Baltimore with the 4 most runs allowed...that's pretty rough.

[FNG]

Berrios was terrific in a game we had to win...we need to beat up on Baltimore while some of our key players are out, because the schedule is going to get tougher and Chicago keeps winning.

I agree that Sano will likely stay in the lineup until we get healthy, but his terrible at bats the past week make him nearly unplayable. He's seeing a steady diet of low outside sliders, and unless the pitcher makes a mistake and really misses his mark, it's clear that he is overmatched in every at bat. Larnach may be out today, but if he can play, I put Alex at 1b and Larnach/Garlick/Jung-Tai in the outfield and sit Sano down. But more importantly, we need Buck and Arraez to return.

I find it slightly amusing... but more telling about the state of the game and the Twins ravaged lineup in 2021... that a guy batting .187 over his past 315 ABs (with 148 strikeouts) is routinely batting 5th or 6th in the lineup.

More painful for me than amusing. At least Rocco dropped him to 7th tonight so his 0-4 didn't hurt us quite as much...only left 2 runners on base as his average dropped to an embarrassing .158. Meanwhile Tortuga raised his average up to .289 with a couple more hits including his 4th HR. And we got some good news with Larnach healthy. So I gotta believe that Sano's days are numbered in the starting lineup...Kiriloff and Tortuga are better options at 1b (even if Sano is slightly better defensively), and that still leaves us with other possibilities in the OF. Too bad because at one time he was considered a top 5 prospect in all of baseball. But pitchers have learned he can't lay off the slider low and away (and spin rates on sliders are only getting better with so many pitchers doctoring the ball...look at all the no hitters already this season), and he's not going to figure out how to hit a slider at 28 (if he even is 28...some scouts thought he was 4-5 years older than his stated age when they were scouting him in the DR as a teenager). It's time to move on.

Lets looks at on base percentage for the sole Twins currently in the lineup on a fairly regular basis.

Sano .273
Garlick .277
Alex K. .273
Ben R. .242
Astudillo .300
Polonco .303
Kepler .303

Jake Cave was at .239 before he got hurt. Those are some brutal numbers. Any player that's not a defensive player like a catcher or SS that's below .320 OBP is kit good and we have like over half a lineup of those guys. It's bad and while I agree Sano's days as an everyday hitter are over some of these other guys aren't exactly killing it either and yet the Twins have the 11th most runs scored in MLB which isn't terrible all things considered. They are tied with Baltimore with the 4 most runs allowed...that's pretty rough.

Yeah, those are brutal, monster. But oddly, they're not bad compared to the rest of the league...the team's .316 OBP ranks 11th in the league (and we're 4th in HRs). I mentioned it before, but I believe Josh Donaldson when he talks about how many pitchers are doctoring the baseball to create more spin rate. Just watch a typical game, and you'll wonder how anyone can hit some of the sliders pitchers are throwing. There are still some smart hitters who are forcing pitchers to throw them a strike rather than waving at the low outside unhittable pitch. Miguel isn't one of them.

[Monster]

Berrios was terrific in a game we had to win...we need to beat up on Baltimore while some of our key players are out, because the schedule is going to get tougher and Chicago keeps winning.

I agree that Sano will likely stay in the lineup until we get healthy, but his terrible at bats the past week make him nearly unplayable. He's seeing a steady diet of low outside sliders, and unless the pitcher makes a mistake and really misses his mark, it's clear that he is overmatched in every at bat. Larnach may be out today, but if he can play, I put Alex at 1b and Larnach/Garlick/Jung-Tai in the outfield and sit Sano down. But more importantly, we need Buck and Arraez to return.

I find it slightly amusing... but more telling about the state of the game and the Twins ravaged lineup in 2021... that a guy batting .187 over his past 315 ABs (with 148 strikeouts) is routinely batting 5th or 6th in the lineup.

More painful for me than amusing. At least Rocco dropped him to 7th tonight so his 0-4 didn't hurt us quite as much...only left 2 runners on base as his average dropped to an embarrassing .158. Meanwhile Tortuga raised his average up to .289 with a couple more hits including his 4th HR. And we got some good news with Larnach healthy. So I gotta believe that Sano's days are numbered in the starting lineup...Kiriloff and Tortuga are better options at 1b (even if Sano is slightly better defensively), and that still leaves us with other possibilities in the OF. Too bad because at one time he was considered a top 5 prospect in all of baseball. But pitchers have learned he can't lay off the slider low and away (and spin rates on sliders are only getting better with so many pitchers doctoring the ball...look at all the no hitters already this season), and he's not going to figure out how to hit a slider at 28 (if he even is 28...some scouts thought he was 4-5 years older than his stated age when they were scouting him in the DR as a teenager). It's time to move on.

Lets looks at on base percentage for the sole Twins currently in the lineup on a fairly regular basis.

Sano .273
Garlick .277
Alex K. .273
Ben R. .242
Astudillo .300
Polonco .303
Kepler .303

Jake Cave was at .239 before he got hurt. Those are some brutal numbers. Any player that's not a defensive player like a catcher or SS that's below .320 OBP is kit good and we have like over half a lineup of those guys. It's bad and while I agree Sano's days as an everyday hitter are over some of these other guys aren't exactly killing it either and yet the Twins have the 11th most runs scored in MLB which isn't terrible all things considered. They are tied with Baltimore with the 4 most runs allowed...that's pretty rough.

Yeah, those are brutal, monster. But oddly, they're not bad compared to the rest of the league...the team's .316 OBP ranks 11th in the league (and we're 4th in HRs). I mentioned it before, but I believe Josh Donaldson when he talks about how many pitchers are doctoring the baseball to create more spin rate. Just watch a typical game, and you'll wonder how anyone can hit some of the sliders pitchers are throwing. There are still some smart hitters who are forcing pitchers to throw them a strike rather than waving at the low outside unhittable pitch. Miguel isn't one of them.

So...you are saying our pitchers aren't cheating well enough? Lol

[FNG]

I know it's only early June, but 2 losses this week to the worst team in baseball tells us a lot about this team's chances of getting back in the race. We're simply not going to win without Buxton healthy, and our underperforming bullpen is killing us also.

I suspect we learned a lot about what Rocco thinks of Sano currently when he didn't start him against Harvey last night. Miguel had faced him twice in his career, and homered and walked. Rocco has to know this, and must have determined that the 2021 Sano is not the same guy who has had success against Harvey in the past. Rocco did pinch hit Sano later in the game, and he predictably struck out again, lowering his average to .157

Jung-Tai became the 4th center fielder to go on the IR list, forcing the Twins to bring up Celestino. And how difficult was it to read about Garver getting hit where no catcher wants to get hit, and then going in for emergency groin surgery that night. I guess that sums up the Twins season pretty well...it's been a kick in the nuts for us Twins fans.

[bleedspeed]

Do you think we will start trading players anytime soon?

[FNG]

Do you think we will start trading players anytime soon?

Yeah, I think the prevailing view is that we will be sellers at the deadline, and that Buxton and Berrios will be the prime candidates. I've heard some buzz that certain contenders might want to give up a lot for Byron if they think he can stay somewhat healthy the second half of the year. But this could turn out well for the Twins, because since Byron would be a rental, they might get some nice prospects and then keep him by signing him as a free agent. Could happen with Berrios too. Both players are on one-year contracts and have a lot of friends on the Twins. It's not at all unlikely that the Twins could turn this disastrous season into a big positive.