Minnesota Twins vs AL Central: Third Base
How do the Minnesota Twins compare to their AL Central competition at Third Base?
With a number of strong third basemen in the American League Central, the Minnesota Twins find themselves lucky enough to have one of the good ones.
But how exactly does Trevor Plouffe rank when compared to the likes of Mike Moustakas and Todd Frazier?
Plouffe was the talk of trade rumors all winter long as the belief was Miguel Sano would be the everyday third baseman moving forward.
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However, the Twins decided it would be wiser to hold onto Plouffe and keep his 22 home runs and 86 RBIs from last season.
With expectations higher for the Twins than they have been in years, Plouffe finds himself as one of the key contributors for the upcoming season as well as someone who will no doubt be subject to ongoing trade talks.
Minnesota Twins 2015 Recap
Plouffe entered last season as the incumbent at third base and perhaps one of the most consistent offensive weapons the Twins featured.
His overall performance last season was very solid as he had career highs in RBIs (86), runs (74) and hits (140). Plouffe’s batting average of .244 was along the lines of his career average (.245) but perhaps his biggest success was how well he played defensively.
Plouffe had taken big strides to improve his defense and it showed as he committed the fewest amount of errors since 2011 (11 at third base, one at first base) and put up a .972 fielding percentage at third base.
The strides Plouffe took last season both offensively and defensively were key elements to the Twins’ success. Moving forward, Plouffe along with the likes Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer and Kurt Suzuki will be looked on as everyday leaders for the Twins, especially with Torii Hunter’s retirement this past offseason.
So while Plouffe probably won’t the be the Twins’ MVP, he will be among the more valuable players that come to the park this season.
Next: The Rest of the AL Central
Chicago White Sox: The Sox made a huge move this offseason as they traded for All-Star Todd Frazier. This immediately improves the team’s infield on all levels.
Cleveland Indians: Juan Uribe is currently listed as the Indians’ starting third baseman. How long that will be for will remain to be seen.
Detroit Tigers: Perhaps the Tigers’ weakest infield spot as Nick Castellanos has been more of a middle-of-the-road third baseman but with no other options, he will be looked upon to be their everyday starter.
Kansas City Royals: Mike Moustakas has no doubt arrived. After a couple of disappointing seasons to start his career, “Moose” has finally put it all together, helping his team to win the 2015 World Series.
1. Chicago White Sox
This one is easy. Moustakas was an All-Star last season but Frazier is quickly becoming a legit superstar in the league. Fresh off an All-Star year that saw him win the Home Run Derby and smash a career high 35 home runs with 89 RBI, Frazier was moved in a rebuilding effort by the Cincinnati Reds to the White Sox.
What Frazier will bring is a strong supporting bat to sensational first baseman Jose Abreu. This move also potentially gives the Sox the Central’s best corner infield combination and one of the brightest overall infields
Frazier will also see considerably weaker pitching in the AL Central compared to what he saw in the National League Central. Sure, the Indians and Tigers have some strong staff aces but it’s not the Cubs, Pirates or Cardinals rotations.
This combined with Frazier moving from one hitter’s park to another may allow him to have yet another All-Star season.
Next: Royals and Twins
2. Kansas City Royals
The Moose finally broke loose in 2015 as set or tied career highs in pretty much every imaginable category.
After hitting just .212 in 2014 with brief stints in the minors, Moustakas became an important piece for the Royals’ postseason run before losing to the San Francisco Giants.
He followed that up with a career year in 2015 that saw him flash his potential, hitting .284 with 22 home runs, 82 RBI’s and 73 runs.
With the arrival of Moustakas, the Royals now have not only one of the best infields in the Central but one of the best in the Majors. It’s a scary thought that for the foreseeable future the Twins will have to face the likes of Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Salvador Perez in the same lineup but as they say, to be best you have to beat the best.
Expect Moustakas – as long as he continues to improve – to be among the best for years to come.
3. Minnesota Twins
Plouffe’s performance last season may have been a surprise to some but for Twins fans it was just business as usual.
As said previously, Plouffe has been one of the Twins most consistent performers over the years and was among the best in the Central at third base in 2015.
The upcoming season will say a lot for Plouffe as he may be subject to those same trade rumors as this past offseason, especially if the Twins find themselves struggling.
That said, if the Twins do decide to move Plouffe, they do have a pretty viable backup option in Miguel Sano, which gives them plenty of depth.
Many teams would love to get a player of Plouffe’s caliber as he has become a solid defensive third baseman to go along with 80+ RBIs and anywhere between 15-25 home run potential.
However, if the Twins can find a way to keep him, a long term lineup of Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton and Sano, Plouffe could be a dangerous lineup for years to come.
But again, that’s a big if.
Next: Tigers and Indians
4. Detroit Tigers
Between Nick Castellanos and Mike Aviles, the Tigers remain a team with one of the bigger downward trends at third base.
Once a top prospect, Castellanos has struggled mightily. He hit 15 home runs with 73 driven in but struck out 152 times while walking just 39 times.
Castellanos has yet to prove he can be a viable option for the Tigers as he has struggled to be a solid complimentary piece to the likes of Miguel Cabrera, JD Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez.
Aviles also does not look to be a long term option for the Tigers. He played last season for the Cleveland Indians but didn’t do much for them offensively.
Aviles’ overall career numbers have been underwhelming and unless something drastic changes makes him no more than a glorified backup.
5. Cleveland Indians
Nothing against Juan Uribe, but at 37 years old, he’s definitely not the future at third base. The question is, who is?
The Indians don’t really have too many options on the 25-man after Uribe. According to MLB.com’s Top-30 prospect list, the Indians do feature Yandy Diaz as a potential option for the future. He does have an estimated debut date of 2016 but that is depending on his overall performance this minor league season.
So until the Indians deem their top prospect ready for the majors, Uribe will be the place holder for the Indians.
Hopefully for both the Indians and Uribe’s sake, the 37-year old can stay healthy this season otherwise they will definitely have some questions to answer at third base, perhaps sooner than they were hoping.
So that’s our list and with the immediate impact players on the White Sox and Royals, the depth of the Twins, and the uncertainty of the Tigers and Indians, the AL Central finds itself with almost as many questions as answers at the position.
Next: AL Central: Starting Pitching
This could be an exciting position to watch in the future as the likes of Frazier, Moustakas, Plouffe or Sano could easily compete for the top spot at the position.