2015 Twins: 6 Keys To Relevance
In 2015, the Minnesota Twins will take the field once again as losers of 90 games the season before. However, in 2015, the feeling of resiliency should be at an all time high. Not only is the organization in a better place, but the Opening Day roster appears to be so as well.
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While everything on paper suggests that the Twins will experience a drastic turnaround in 2015, it comes down to making it happen on the field. Under new manager Paul Molitor, the Twins will look to re-establish a culture of winning. It is going to have to happen from within, and the accountability will come from each player taking ownership for what is expected of them.
As Spring Training gets underway in 2015, there’s little reason the believe that the Twins can’t be a .500 team. Making waves in the AL Central should be the goal, and there’s a few key things that need to happen for that to be accomplished.
Aug 11, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe (24) drives in a run with a fielders choice during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Prove It Guys Prove It
That isn’t read as a form of redundancy, or to solidify a statement, but rather suggesting that players who should be out to prove it in 2015, do so. Last season Trevor Plouffe, Kurt Suzuki, Phil Hughes, and Danny Santana had solid seasons for the Twins. 2015 will be about replicating that success and showing it was more than a one year wonder.
Plouffe showed an advanced level of ability at third base last season, and has done enough to lengthen his leash on holding the position. He was able to hit enough to be considered an asset in the lineup, and there’s no doubt that he took steps forward a season ago.
Minnesota awarded Suzuki with a two-year extension after his All-Star campaign, and there’s very little that could go bad on them for doing so. Expecting Suzuki to replicate his offense is probably a tall order, but even being part of the player he was a season ago would be a big positive for Minnesota.
Good luck having Phil Hughes replicate what he did in 2014. After setting a major league record in his walk to strikeout ratio, he’s going to have a tough time with an encore. The good news is he doesn’t have to. The expectation should have been that he would be good away from Yankees Stadium, that just needs to continue.
Finally, Santana was a revelation for the Twins in 2014. Providing flexibility to play centerfield while being the lone batter to hit above .300, Santana was no doubt a welcomed addition. His average is going to regress in 2015, his .405 batting average on balls in play was simply too high. That said, he needs to continue to perform at a high level and show he can handle being the every day shortstop for the Twins.
Sep 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (47) pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Establish A Third Starter
We looked at the amount of benefit this provides just under a week ago, and there’s no other way to quantify it than by saying it’s huge. If you can send a pitcher to the mound that allows you to be capable of winning 3/5 of the games you play, you are going to be in a very good situation.
Last season, the Twins leaned heavily on their ace Phil Hughes. Unfortunately there wasn’t much other than an abyss behind him. That has been addressed this offseason through the signing of Ervin Santana. Looking at both of them, there should be little doubt Minnesota has two very quality starters at the top of their rotation.
The key is finding the third guy, and there’s plenty of options. After being tabbed the big signing a year ago, Ricky Nolasco should be expected to bounce back after experience a year pitching through injury. Kyle Gibson is poised for a breakout campaign in which his pitches experience more movement, and he establishes himself as a strong major league starter. Whoever fills out the fifth rotation spot, whether it be Tommy Milone or Alex Meyer, has the ability to be a quality starter as well.
If Minnesota can turn any one pitcher behind Hughes and Santana into another guy that’s a quality workhorse, things will have broken in the right direction.
May 29, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter (48) makes a running catch in the outfield against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Torii Hunter Must Be A Net Gain
To call him a train wreck on defense is not even close to fair, but this isn’t the Torii Hunter Twins fans are used to.
First and foremost, Torii was brought in as a leader in the clubhouse. He is someone who should be able to change the emotion surrounding the team, and he should provide valuable insight to the younger players. There’s very little doubt he will still hit for the Twins, and his bat is an addition to the lineup. He possesses plenty of power, and should be a solid middle of the order bat. Somewhere behind the nostalgia brought to fans is the defensive reasoning in bring Torii back.
He doesn’t track fly balls as he used to, and his range is considerably dimished. Having moved Oswaldo Arcia over to left field to slot Torii into right, the Twins need to get quality out of him. Torii will need to memorize the dimension, the overhang, and the wall to the point it’s second nature. What he doesn’t offer in defense, he will need to make up in intellect.
Arcia struggled in right field last season due to the distractions of a tough Target Field, Torii is going to need to rise above that.
Sep 1, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer (7) hits a two run triple during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Twins won 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Return Of Joe Mauer
Very few things in baseball are givens, the sport is designed to humble even the most talented of athletes. Joe Mauer moved from behind the plate to play first base full-time last season. The thought was that his legs would benefit and all other aspects of his game would follow suit; that didn’t take place.
Not only did Mauer miss plenty of time due to an oblique injury, but his batting average dipped below .280 and he spent much of the season fighting to bring it back up. That should change in 2015, and the Twins need it to.
Having a full season under his belt at first base, Mauer knows what to expect from the position. He can more adequately tailor his approach at the plate, and train for the defensive rigors of the position. Without the benefit of being behind the plate, Mauer had to learn the zone from a new perspective, and that’s something that likely contributed to the dropoff as well.
Minnesota doesn’t need MVP Mauer, and they don’t even need him to be an All-Star. The Twins should expect to get their .300 hitting first basemen back, and in the lineup they have crafted, that’s an asset.
March 21, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins infielder Miguel Sano (97) in the dugout against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Enjoy Prospect Graduation
Minnesota has a handful of players that are knocking at the door to the major leagues, they need those guys to kick it in during the 2015 season. Namely, Alex Meyer, Miguel Sano, and Byron Buxton. The Twins should see them in that order as well.
At 25 years old, the time spent on the farm should come to a quick end. If Meyer still profiles as a top of the rotation starter, he needs to show it at the major league level. Command will continue to be refined, but his strikeout potential is something the Twins could use.
There’s no doubt that Sano’s bat should immediately play at the major league level, and the Twins would do well to find room for it. With Plouffe entrenched at third, that may come through designated hitter at bats, but by the end of the summer it should be entered somewhere.
Looking at Buxton, the Twins may be asking a lot of him right out of the gate. With Arcia and Hunter on his flanks, it will be a speedy centerfielder that holds the defense together. After missing most of 2014, a quick start and promotion is something the Twins can ride towards a competitive 2015.
When considering the arrival of these prospects, it’s not so much that the Twins need to find room for them, but that each of them needs to force the organizations hand. In playing to a high level, making the front office accelerate them to help the team compete this year is an ideal scenario.
Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Eddie Rosario against the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Find A Diamond In The Rough
Last season, Danny Santana came out of nowhere to lead the Twins in a handful of statistical categories. Expecting regression from high performers during the 2014 season means that someone is going to need to step up. The Twins have plenty of capable players, but who does will help to define where Minnesota goes in 2015.
Looking at Kyle Gibson and J.R. Graham on the mound, or a player like Eddie Rosario in the field, Minnesota needs an unaccounted contribution. Gibson is a household name at this point, but he hasn’t yet taken the leap that he should be capable of. Minnesota selected Graham in the Rule 5 draft, and he has high upside out of the bullpen. Rosario had an impressive Arizona Fall League, and could be a better Santana in the outfield for Minnesota in 2015.
No matter who it is, the Twins simply need it to be someone. As they come together as a team, they will be relying upon the key contributors to pace the squad. Taking them to the heights of a .500 or Wild Card team will require afterthought players to step up.
In 2015, the Twins have a pretty high floor in comparison to where they have been in recent memory. Considering the level of talent to start out this season, as well as the fresh ideas brought with a new coaching staff, the Twins are in a good spot. Enjoy a 2015 team that projects to have a higher floor than what we have grown accustomed too, and one that with the right breaks, could make use of a decent ceiling as well.
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