Minnesota Twins: Taking stock of the outfield

 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.