Bleacher Report - Articles by SL Y

The Franchise is Back

SL Y — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:32:53 -0400

With one swing, the hope everywhere in Minnesota arose.

On Friday, Joe Mauer dug in the batter's box for the first time this season. He then proceeded to hit a home run in only his third pitch seen in the big leagues this year.

Mauer, who started the season on the disabled list, was activated prior to Friday's game and hit his first circuit clout of the season in a 7-5 win against the Royals.

The moment seemed so incredible, and many were in awe. The crowd gave him the biggest ovation I have heard since Torii Hunter's return to Minnesota in the 2008 opener.

Mauer's bat will improve the Twins' lineup, which has been quite disappointing so far, leading to their 12-11 record. His presence in the lineup should jump-start slow starters Denard Span and Alexei Casilla.

Twins' pitchers, with the exception of Glen Perkins, have struggled during Mauer's absence. Francisco Liriano has a 6.04 ERA, Scott Baker can't seem to find a rhythm, and the bullpen has been less than stellar. Mauer is one of the better defensive catchers in the game, and knows his pitchers well.

Throughout this early season I felt that something in the game was missing, and when No. 7 walked up to the plate, I started to realize that Mauer isn't just the Twins' best player—he is the the most important player in the American League, period.

Minnesota, our icon is back.

Minnesota Vikings Should Consider Kanas State's Josh Freeman

SL Y — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:07:36 -0400

Josh Freeman, considered by many the third best quarterback prospect in this year's draft, is one of the most difficult players to predict where he will be drafted. Many mocks have him going as high as No. 17 to the Jets, and completely falling out of the first round.

In my opinion, Freeman should be considered as a candidate to be selected by the Vikings with their No. 22 pick overall, assuming he is not taken in the previous picks.

First let's bring up the measures: 6'6", 250 pounds, 10" hand size

The two comparable quarterbacks that I think of when I see these measurements are Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper. Vikings Coach Brad Childress idolizes McNabb and was his former offensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

Culpepper had some MVP-caliber seasons in Minnesota, but some believe that this was a product of having Randy Moss as his star receiver.

As we know, size doesn't automatically make you a good player, but it certainly helps to be a big sized, mobile quarterback especially in the game today with quick, strong linebackers and ends.

Second, the stats Freeman put up at Kansas State were spectacular. In 2008, he had 20 TD passes compared to only 8 INT. His efficiency rating of 136.48 was very good considering he didn't have much talent around him, unlike Stafford and Sanchez. Freeman improved statistically each year and became more accurate of a thrower.

Last, Freeman has great arm strength. "There has been many plays where you just open your mouth and say wow!" football analyst Tim Hasselbeck explains. Freeman has a cannon for an arm, and many scouts believe that he has just as good of an arm, if not better than Stafford's.

Freeman would fit nicely in Minnesota where he would just have to 'manage' the game offensively, and would not be forced into great leadership responsibility. Childress needs to solidify the quarterback position, and I believe Freeman is the answer.

Twins' Future Looks Bright

SL Y — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:51:17 -0400

Everyone has heard the names Matt Wieters, David Price, and Tommy Hanson so much that their heads are about to explode. The Twins have very good talent in the minor leagues, but their names aren't thrown around and hyped to oblivion like their fellow minor leaguers.

CF Ben Revere, Fort Myers Miracle (High A)

The Twins selected Ben Revere from Lexington Catholic HS with the 28th overall pick in 2007. The club was immediately criticized for selecting the diminutive Revere, many believing he was a second to even sixth round prospect.

Revere did not disappoint in his first professional season, hitting .325 in 191 at-bats, and accumulating 21 stolen bases. In 2008, Revere hit .379 in 340 at-bats and had 44 stolen bases. The Baseball Cube gives Revere ratings of 98 for speed (as a comparison, Jose Reyes is also 98) and 94 for contact. His batting eye and patience should improve, as he is only 20 years old.

1B Chris Parmelee, Fort Myers Miracle

Parmelee was selected 20th overall in the 2006 MLB Draft. He is a 1B/OF prospect with immense power potential (ranked 95 by the Baseball Cube). For Class A Beloit last year, he hammered 14 home runs and had 49 RBI in just 226 at-bats.

With those power numbers comes a batting average of .239, sure to improve this season with level High A Ft. Myers. He is the best power prospect the Twins have in the organization, and is estimated to arrive in the big leagues in 2011 at age 22.

P Anthony Swarzak, Rochester Red Wings (AAA)

The 23 year old righty allowed two runs or less in his seven starts for Rochester last year, going 5-0. Swarzak is ranked as the Twins' No. 7 prospect, and one of the top pitchers in the farm system. He has great control like most Twins' pitchers, but needs to be more consistent over the long haul. His strikeout ability is average, and could be a decent pitcher in the big leagues.

OF Aaron Hicks, Beloit Snappers (A)

Hicks is the crown jewel of the Twins' farm system. Last year in only 173 at-bats, he raked to the tune of .318 with four homers and 27 RBI. He is a pure five-tool talent, and has great ability running the bases (12 SB). Baseball America has ranked him as the top Twins prospect and the 39th prospect overall. At only 18 years of age, he could be a real great talent in the big leagues within three to four years.

Minnesota Twins Analysis

SL Y — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:20:04 -0400

As every Twins fan knows, being in a small market sucks.

Every year, the Minnesota faithful watch their team become obsolete in free agency while the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox, and now even the Rays and Indians spend money to improve their teams and make the AL competition that much tougher.

But there is one thing the Twins can do well: overcome adversity and compete. This club is able to contend every year, despite their payroll being significantly less, and it all starts with a solid foundation. Minnesota was truly built from bottom to top.

Gammons, Winfield Praise the Twins

Hall of Famer baseball analyist Peter Gammons has praised the club for their management, coaching, and young talent.

"These pitchers know how to throw strikes, something taught by the great coaching staff of the Twins," he claims. "Never bet against the Twins, they will haunt you!"

Also, the great Dave Winfield claims the Twins do the fundamental things every day, including many hours of infield practice, bunting, and base running.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Here are Your Minnesota Twins!

Denard Span, LF
Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, C
Justin Morneau, 1B
Joe Crede, 3B
Jason Kubel, DH
Michael Cuddyer, RF
Nick Punto, SS
Carlos Gomez, CF

Looking at this lineup, it seems the Twins will rely heavily on their two home-grown stars, Mauer and Morneau. Only problem is, Mauer will likely miss a month of action following lower back discomfort after kidney surgery. That leaves Mike Redmond and Jose Morales to split catching duties. Yikes.

The Twins led the league in batting average with runners in scoring position last year, and that's a stat that the team takes great pride in.

Over the winter, Minnesota signed third baseman Joe Crede to give the offense another potential power bat. Crede has had back issues since 2007, but the club hopes he is able to produce somewhere along the lines of his 2006 Silver-Slugger season numbers (30 HR, 94 RBI, .283 AVG).

Outfielder Delmon Young, still only 23 years of age, will see reduced playing time due to manager Ron Gardenhire's infatuation with Michael Cuddyer. Young still shows promise but needs to be a more relaxed hitter at the plate and develop his power more.

Gomez is an incredible athlete that can really fly around the bases, but as the saying goes, "you can't steal first base." First base coach Jerry White has worked with Gomez all offseason on pitch recognition and hitting the ball on the ground.

Defensively, the Twins should look solid once again. Shortstop Nick Punto appears almost nightly on Baseball Tonight with a Web Gem-like play. And according to the Fielding Bible, Gomez had the second-highest range factor of all Major League outfielders last season, trailing only former teammate Carlos Beltran. To boot, Crede provides an excellent glove at third base.

The Young Pitching

The Twins have one of the youngest rotations in the league, led by phenom Francisco Liriano.

Scott Baker emerged as an above-average pitcher last year, posting 11 wins and a 3.45 ERA in 172.2 innings.

Kevin Slowey was a strike-throwing machine, having a K to BB ratio of 5.13 and only walking 24 batters.

Nick Blackburn pitched magnificently against the White Sox in the "win and in," game only giving up one run. He is one of the pitchers I believe will improve significantly in the upcoming campaign.

The Bullpen

All-Star closer Joe Nathan leads this group, which has many different faces.

Luis Ayala was signed to compete for the setup job with Jesse Crain.

Matt Guerrier struggled early last year, but came through down the stretch.

Craig Breslow produced an effective year, having an ERA of 1.63 with the Twins in 38 innings.

R.A. Dickey was picked up this winter to work the 'pen and occasionally spot-start.

2009 Season Prediction

The Twins proved "experts" wrong last year, going 88-75 and finishing one game away from the Playoffs.

Mauer will be the X-factor in this season; if he comes back healthy and plays up to form, the Twins have the potential to repeat last year's record. If not, they could be mediocre.

I believe the Twins will finish with around 81-83 wins and just miss out on the postseason in a wide-open AL Central.

But as Gammons says, "Never bet against the Twins."