MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JULY 16: Former Minnesota Twins player Torii Hunter speaks as he is inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in a ceremony before the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians of the game on July 16, 2016 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
It’s finally here folks, Spring Training games have begun for the Minnesota Twins! Today, we’ll take a look at who will will be covering all of that ground in the outfield of Target Field for the 2018 season.
The Minnesota Twins have one of the best defensive outfields in all of Major League Baseball. All of the players that we will talk about today are young, homegrown players who will have a huge impact this season.
However, first I want to take a little trip down memory lane, and remember one of the recent greats for the Twins. For the purpose of keeping this article short(er), we won’t include Kirby Puckett, the greatest Twin in history. Let’s be honest, we could talk about the Hall of Famer for days, so we’ll focus on a player from the last 20 years.
Torii Hunter
First up, we have one of the best players to ever play center field in the history of Major League Baseball. Watching Torii Hunter track a fly ball in the outfield was a beautiful site. He won seven consecutive Gold Gloves and hit .271 with 192 home runs during his Twins career.
As you can see in the video, a home run wasn’t a home run until Hunter didn’t catch it. This one was during the All-Star game in Milwaukee in 2002…
Or the time Hunter did this…
Sorry, I got a little carried away there. However that’s not hard to do when you’re looking at the numerous spectacular plays Hunter made during his career. However, there was more to Hunter than just tremendous defense. He always played the game with a smile on his face and a pure love for baseball.
Watching players like Hunter always make the game more fun. His zest for baseball is always an exciting thing to witness as a fan. The Minnesota Twins current outfield will bring similar excitement during the coming season.
This will be an exciting season for Twins fans to watch and this outfield will be a big part of that. The pitching staff will benefit the most from the runs the outfielders will save defensively. First up we have the Twins speedy center fielder Byron Buxton.
The Minnesota Twins pitching staff will benefit greatly from having three skilled defenders in the outfield. That all starts up the middle with a player who will have a mantle full of Gold Gloves before his career is over.
Byron Buxton gives the Minnesota Twins the ability to play anybody they choose to play in the corners of the outfield. Buxton is your classic “line-to-line” center fielder and has not disappointed during his brief Major League career.
Minnesota hit the jackpot when they drafted Buxton second overall in 2012. He was billed as pretty much “faster than flash” (my description), and that speed has been on display since day one. Buxton uses his tremendous speed, and excellent baseball instincts, to cover more ground than the average center fielder.
He has also started putting things together at the plate. He strikes out far too much, but honestly, who doesn’t right now? When Buxton does reach base he is always a threat to steal a base and keep pitchers off-balance.
What to expect this season from Buxton
Buxton should take a step forward this season while pushing his average into the .260’s. He will need to show better plate discipline, but as long as Buxton reaches base he is a threat. A great base stealer can be the most dangerous weapon a team can have and Buxton could easily steal 40 bases in a season.
However, Buxton needs to reach base enough for that to happen so taking more walks will be crucial for his development. He definitely has enough pop in his bat to be a 20-20 player, or even 30-30 down the line, but it’s all about reaching base for him.
If Buxton can reign in his aggressiveness at the plate he would be the prototypical leadoff hitter for the Minnesota Twins. However, his true impact will be felt in the field and that will be a beautiful site. Let’s take a look at who will be playing next to Buxton in left field, Eddie Rosario.
As we continue our look around the Minnesota Twins starting outfield we find another homegrown talent. After breaking out during the 2017 playoff run, this left fielder is primed to be a star.
Eddie Rosario enjoyed a breakthrough season for the Minnesota Twins in ’17. He started putting everything together at the plate, and in the field, showing what he is capable of.
Rosario hit .290 with 27 home runs and 78 runs batted in during his breakout campaign. The Twins front office has made his job easier with the recent addition of DH Logan Morrison. Rosario could benefit the most from having Morrison in the lineup because it will be less pressure on him now.
What to expect from Rosario in 2018
It’s hard to expect a young player to duplicate the type of numbers Rosario put up during the ’17 season. However, he will have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs and should face better pitches in the coming season.
Depending where manager Paul Molitor bats Rosario, he could have tremendous protection in the batting order. Molitor could bat him sixth, where he would drive in a ton of runs. However, dropping him lower in the order might produce even more.
Batting Rosario in the eight, or even nine, hole will keep a run producer at every level of the lineup. With a player like Byron Buxton batting in front of him, and Brian Dozier to follow, Rosario is sure to see pitches to hit. The Minnesota Twins will have a tough lineup for any team to navigate and Rosario will play a big role in that.
Rosario is an above average defender and having Buxton alongside in center field makes him even better. Another name to keep an eye on in the outfield is the next player we’ll take a look at, right fielder Max Kepler.
I know, I sound like a broken record while talking about the Minnesota Twins outfielder. However, once again the man in right field is yet another young homegrown talent with a bright future.
Max Kepler has the look of a good Major League outfielder for the Minnesota Twins. He numbers don’t jump out at you and he doesn’t make too many “wow” plays. However, Kepler has proven to be a solid player in right field.
The best part about this is that Kepler is still young and entering only his third full Major League season. He has shown enough in the past to make Twins fans believe in his future. However, Kepler needs to take a step forward in 2018 in order to prove he is the long-term starting right fielder for the Twins.
What to expect from Kepler in ’18
Kepler has been a productive hitter for Twins over the last two seasons. He hit .239 with 36 home runs and 132 runs batted in over 1015 plate appearances. Expectations will be high for Kepler entering his third season in Major League Baseball, and the Twins will need Kepler to deliver if they want to contend.
He hit 19 home runs and had 32 doubles last season, showing that he has plenty of pol in his bat. He was an extra base machine in the Minors and looks ready to take the next step in Major League Baseball.
Kepler is fortunate that he has Byron Buxton playing alongside him in center field. He doesn’t have to worry about covering ground in right, so he can focus on making the routine plays. However, his true value may be elsewhere for the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins have set themselves up to contend for the American League Central division, if not the American League pennant, and Kepler will play a big role in that happening. He has been a solid player for the Twins and will continue to improve.
However, there is the possibility he could be the centerpiece to a trade down the road. The Twins, along with most teams in MLB, will always need pitching and Kepler could net a big arm. That leads us to Zack Granite, the fourth outfielder for the Twins, yet another young homegrown player for Minnesota.
In the event that the Minnesota Twins trade an outfielder, they have yet another young player ready to step up. However, the ceiling on the this center field prospect is limited, and he may already be the player he will be in Major League Baseball.
However, Zack Granite has proven people wrong every step of his way through the Minnesota Twins Minor League system. He is a throwback type of player who displays great plate discipline. Granite has exceeded expectations to this point in his career and there is no reason to believe that won’t continue for him.
Granite is the 26th ranked prospect in the Minnesota Twins system and that doesn’t seem fair to his abilities. He has shown tremendous plate discipline, and runs the bases well, providing value every time he sees the field. Furthermore, Granite plays a premium defensive position at a plus level and will only improve at the plate.
Granite doesn’t get the love from scouts, or fans, that he deserves. He has the potential to be a very good Major League Baseball player. He slashed only .237/.321/.290 in ’17 with only three extra base hits in only 107 plate appearances.
Strikeouts have become the norm around Major League Baseball and thankfully Granite doesn’t fit that bill. He has never struck out more than 69 times throughout his Minor League career and continues to show that in MLB.
Last season, Granite struck out only nine times while drawing 12 walks and continuing to show tremendous plate discipline. Granite also has more than enough speed, and a strong enough arm, to help anywhere in the outfield this season.
Granite is a future on-base machine and the Minnesota Twins will feel lucky to have him. He will help bring success back to the Twin Cities.
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