Last night, the Twins’ 2012 season ended with a whimper. Outside of Ben Revere, the Twins offense failed to show up to Toronto
At the halfway mark of this year, I gave out ‘midterm’ grades to all of the Twins position players. Now that the season is complete, it’s time to evaluate how all of these players finished the year.
We’ll begin with the offense, which improved greatly from 2011. They scored 701 runs up from 619 the year before and the defense (outside of the pitching) made great strides as well.
Remember, a traditional ‘C’ grade is average. A is outstanding, B is good, C is average, D is below average and F is terrible. With the rules in place, let’s look at how everyone finished.
Head of the Class:
These players are the ‘A-list’ of the 2012 Twins. Without them this team would have been much worse off (scary thought).
Joe Mauer
Final Stats:
147 Games (Career High) 641 Plate Appearances (Career High)
.319 Batting Average / .416 On Base Percentage (League Leader) / .446 Slugging
10 Home Runs / 85 Runs Batted In / 31 Doubles / 4 Triples / 90 Walks
Wins above replacement: 4.1
Joe Mauer is one of the best players in baseball when healthy – and this year he was healthy for nearly the entire season. His .319 batting average put him in the top 5 in the AL
Midterm grade: A
Final Grade: A+
***
Denard Span
Final Stats:
128 Games / 568 Plate Appearances
.283 Batting Average / .342 On Base Percentage / .395 Slugging
4 Home Runs / 41 Runs Batted In / 38 Doubles / 4 Triples / 17 Stolen Bases
Wins Above Replacement: 4.8
There’s a reason Denard Span is viewed as the Twins player most likely to be moved this offseason – he’s the second best player on the team and the first player that isn’t “untouchable”. Span, despite being injured during August, put together another solid year in CF for the Twins. His unwillingness to steal bases is slightly concerning considering the potential threat he can be at the top of the lineup, but all of his other numbers are exactly what you want out of a leadoff man. The Twins can be good with Span – but due to their needs, they may have to try to be good without him.
Midterm grade: B
Final grade: A
***
Jamey Carroll
Final Stats:
138 Games / 537 Plate Appearances
.268 Batting Average / .343 On Base Percentage / .317 Slugging
1 Home Run / 40 Runs Batted In / 18 Doubles / 1 Triple / 9 Stolen Bases
Wins Above Replacement: 3.1
I’ll admit, when I started composing this list on paper (without yet looking at the stats) I had Jamey Carroll in the middle of the pack. Based purely on his offensive numbers, that argument is valid – he hit for league average, got on base at an average clip and didn’t really ‘wow’ in the slugging category. He wasn’t an RBI machine and wasn’t exactly a threat to steal bases. However, after diving deeper into the stats and putting a focus on the defensive side of the game, it became clear that Carroll was the third best player on the 2012 Twins roster. His ability to play 2B, SS and 3B – and play all of them well – was a huge value to the Twins. He committed only 12 errors on 582 chances (balls hit to him) this season (between all 3 positions) that’s a fielding percentage of .98%. His solid defense immediately patched a leaking middle infield and his versatility gave the Twins much needed depth.
Midterm grade: B
Final grade: B+
***
Josh Willingham
Final Stats:
145 Games / 615 Plate Appearances
.260 Batting Average / .366 On Base Percentage / .524 Slugging
35 Home Runs / 110 Runs Batted In / 30 Doubles / 1 Triple / 76 Walks
Wins Above Replacement: 2.9
Yes, two of the five best players on the 2012 Twins roster were free agent acquisitions this offseason. Josh Willingham stepped into Target Field and immediately called it his own. His pull power meant that well driven balls to left field became fan souvenirs. His defense is somewhat lacking, but his offensive production filled a void the Twins desperately needed. Willingham’s future with the Twins may be as more of a DH than LF, but so long as his bat is in the lineup; the Twins are a better ballclub.
Midterm grade: A
Final grade: A
***
Ben Revere
Final Stats:
124 Games / 553 Plate Appearances
.294 Batting Average / .333 On Base Percentage / .342 Slugging
0 Home Runs / 32 Runs Batted In / 13 Doubles / 6 Triples / 40 Stolen Bases
Wins Above Replacement: 2.4
Here are the things Ben Revere is not: a power hitter. Here is what Ben Revere IS: a singles hitter, a dangerous player on the base paths, and a defensive star in the outfield. His numbers outside his batting average are not entirely impressive – a player with his speed should have more doubles and triples. If Revere
Midterm grade: B+
Final grade: A-
***
Solid ‘Students’
While these players didn’t end up at the top of the list, their presence on the roster is a bonus for the club. These are the ‘B’ students (to continue with our grading analogy) they’re good – but not quite great.
Justin Morneau
Final Stats:
134 Games / 570 Plate Appearances
.267 Batting Average / .333 On Base Percentage / .440 Slugging
19 Home Runs / 77 Runs Batted In / 26 Doubles / 2 Triples / 102 Strikeouts
Wins Above Replacement: .9
Morneau finally had his first healthy season in three years – playing in his most games since 2009. After starting the season talking of retirement if his concussion problems lingered, Morneau ended the year looking like he was almost back to the player the Twins need him to be. The ‘almost’ is key here, however. For those who watched a majority of the Twins games this season – it was pretty clear that Morneau wasn’t entirely back. His plate discipline had eroded greatly (evidenced by the 102 strikeouts) and he flat out missed many balls that he would normally send into the 4th row of the outfield. His timing and plate vision SHOULD come back the longer he feels healthy and he looks like he’s primed to have a solid 2013 at first base (assuming the Twins don’t trade him this offseason). It was refreshing to have Morneau back in the lineup, but he wasn’t really and truly ‘back’ to his normal self, thus downgrading his final standings to 6th best offensive player on the team.
Midterm grade: B-
Final grade: B
***
Ryan Doumit
Final Stats:
134 Games / 528 Plate Appearances
.275 Batting Average / .320 On Base Percentage / .461 Slugging
18 Home Runs / 75 Runs Batted In / 34 Doubles / 1 Triple / 98 Strikeouts
Wins Above Replacement: 1
Full disclosure – I’m not a big Ryan Doumit fan. There’s an element to his game that you can’t really measure and is only gauged by the eyeball test – clutch. Doumit is the perfect example of how a player can put up great numbers, but not be a clutch player. In situations where the Twins needed a hit – Doumit has been prone to strikeout. When the Twins are cruising with a big lead or being crushed behind a big deficit – Doumit swings a mighty bat. That being said, the numbers don’t lie and my bias against him can’t ignore the fact that as a backup catcher and DH, Doumit is much better than what the Twins have had in the past. What you see whit Doumit is what you’re going to get – he’s averaged 48% swing percentage in his career, he tallies up strikeouts, yet he has the bat to help score some runs. I’ll grudgingly admit that Doumit is the 7th best player on this offense (just don’t play him in the OF any more!)
Midterm grade: B
Final grade: B
***
Trevor Plouffe
Final Stats:
119 Games / 465 Plate Appearances
.235 Batting Average / .301 On Base Percentage / .455 Slugging
24 Home Runs / 55 Runs Batted In / 19 Doubles / 1 Triple / 92 Strikeouts
Wins Above Replacement: .9
It’s tough to grade Trevor Plouffe as he had 3 separate ‘mini-seasons’ – there was the atrocious start to the year where he barely hit his weight in average and looked lost in the outfield (F). Then, after moving to 3B, Plouffe found his bat and CRUSHED the ball for the middle months of the season (A). Finally, Plouffe jammed his thumb in an at bat and missed a months worth of games (Inc.) upon returning, Plouffe said he was still playing with pain and it showed – his at bats ended in weaker fly balls and he was aggressively swinging at nearly everything that came within 5 feet of the zone (C-). When you total it all up, it’s hard to figure out who the real Trevor Plouffe is. I think the end of season numbers were due in large part to his injury while the start of season numbers were due to on stability at where he was playing. The mid season numbers are likely an inflated occurrence – Plouffe isn’t going to regularly smash the ball like he did in June. In the end, Plouffe is a slightly above average player with the potential to morph into a star or fade into “Danny Valencia” territory. 2013 is a HUGE year for Plouffe.
Midterm grade: B
Final grade: C+
***
Darin Mastroianni
Final Stats:
77 Games / 186 Plate Appearances
.252 Batting Average / .328 On Base Percentage / .350 Slugging
3 Home Runs / 17 Runs Batted In / 3 Doubles / 2 Triples / 21 Stolen Bases
Wins Above Replacement: .8
Here’s a philosophical question: if you’re 9th best offensive player is the team’s 4th outfielder, does that mean that your teams offense is underwhelming, or is that 4th outfielder simply that valuable? In Mastroianni’s case, it’s the latter. Acting as the 4th outfielder, Mastroianni proved to be a fearsome force on the basepaths (swiping ½ as many bags as Revere with 47 fewer games to do so) while showing decent plate discipline and the ability to hit for power. His above average defense solid bat make his a great offensive chip for the Twins. While he’s not quite a full time outfielder, he’s certainly great off the bench.
Midterm grade: C+
Final grade: B-
(Note: Yes, Plouffe’s final grade is lower than Mastroianni’s and yet he sits above him – I did this simply because Plouffe is an everyday player while Mastroianni is not. That playing difference gives Plouffe an edge)
***
Best of the Rest:
Every team has them – role players, roster filler – guys who have value but are not stars nor are they key components to the team. Essentially, if something better comes along, their team will take it. These are the league average guys, key to a winning club, but not the foundation you want to build on.
Chris Parmelee
Final Stats:
64 Games / 210 Plate Appearances
.229 Batting Average / .290 On Base Percentage / .380 Slugging
5 Home Runs / 20 Runs Batted In / 10 Doubles / 2 Triples / 13 Walks
Wins Above Replacement: -.6
You can’t help but feel a little sorry for Parmelee. He’s bounced around the minors so much this season that it’s no wonder why he couldn’t settle into a solid groove. His bat in the minors was simply too good NOT to be on the big league roster, but the Twins didn’t really have a place to play him. That resulted in him bouncing between 1B and RF for much of September. Like Plouffe, I think Parmelee struggled to settle in without a dedicated position. The kid has talent – that much is obvious – he can hit for power, he uses the whole field and has good plate discipline (although he started to show weaknesses with that towards the end of this season). His defense is above average; his bat has potential to grow. Those reasons alone put him at #10 on the Twins offensive list this season.
Midterm grade: C-
Final grade: C
***
Alexi Casilla
Final Stats:
106 Games / 326 Plate Appearances
.241 Batting Average / .282 On Base Percentage / .321 Slugging
1 Home Run / 30 RBI / 17 Doubles / 2 Triples / 21 Stolen Bases / 52 Strikeouts
Wins Above Replacement: 2
Coming into this list, I was honestly indifferent in regards to Alexi Casilla. I viewed him as a veteran who had his chance to earn a full time starting spot over the past few seasons, but he simply never latched on. However, after looking at the numbers, I sort of feel sorry for Casilla. He’s likely on his way out as he’s arbitration eligible and will cost the Twins between $5 and $6 million next season. The team obviously doesn’t want to spend that much money on a player who has been relegated to bench duty.
That’s the issue that makes me feel sorry for Casilla – looking at his numbers – he SHOULDN’T have been on bench duty. He preformed better than both Brian Dozier and Pedro Florimon this season. His defense was very solid during his appearances at 2B – he doesn’t have the flexibility to play SS, but he could have very easily started at 2B while Carroll shifted to SS. Casilla was likely relegated to Gardenhire’s doghouse for much of the season (due in large part to his rising strikeout numbers, I’m sure) and simply didn’t get a chance to win the 2B job after spring training. Looking at the big picture (in hindsight) it looks like Casilla very much deserved that chance.
Midterm grade: D
Final grade: C
***
Pedro Florimon
Final Stats:
43 Games / 150 Plate Appearances
.219 Batting Average / .272 On Base Percentage / .307 Slugging
1 Home Run / 10 Runs Batted In / 5 Doubles / 2 Triples / 30 Strikeouts
Wins Above Replacement: .8
Florimon was a late season promotion, called up simply because Brain Dozier couldn’t seem to put a solid offensive or defensive performance together. Florimon has been the defensive fix the team has been looking for at SS – showing great range and the ability to make some difficult throws. The issue is Florimon’s offense, which is essentially non-existent. He has decent speed, but if he’s not on base to utilize it – that aspect of his game is worthless. He swings too much at bad pitches and doesn’t have the bat to get on base with any regularity. He’s the front runner for starting SS next season and the team’s 11th best offensive player simply due to a complete lack of other options.
Midterm grade: NA
Final grade: C-
***
Brian Dozier
Final Stats:
84 Games / 340 Plate Appearances
.234 Batting Average / .271 On Base Percentage / .332 Slugging
6 Home Runs / 33 Runs Batted In / 11 Doubles / 1 Triple / 58 Strikeouts
Wins Above Replacement: .5
Dozier broke onto the scene shortly after the season started and looked like an offensive force. His bat was solid enough that the Twins were able to tolerate his less than stellar defense. As the season progressed, however, Dozier’s bat came back to earth while his defense continued to suffer. During his last few weeks in the big leagues, Dozier was swinging at nearly every pitch and simply giving at bats away. That fact combined with his poor defense promoted Pedro Florimon and likely cost Dozier a chance at being the Twins starting SS in 2013. If he can get control of one aspect of his game (more than likely his bat), he has a chance at starting at 2B in 2013.
Midterm grade: C
Final grade: D
***
‘Other’
These are the guys who need extra tutoring or are otherwise over their heads. They’d benefit by being sent back a grade or being held for another year…
Drew Butera
.198 Batting Average / .270 On Base Percentage / .279 Slugging
Wins Above Replacement: .2
Butera (who I affectionately call ‘Butters’) is a great defensive catcher and game manager, he knows how to work with pitchers and get the most out of them. He seems to be able to help the younger guys (Hendriks, De Vries) keep their games under control. Offensively, however, Butters is horrid. He’ll be a great coach, he’s a terrible offensive player.
Midterm grade: NA
Final grade: F
***
Matt Carson
.227 Batting Average / .245 On Base Percentage / .242 Slugging
Wins Above Replacement: 0
Midterm grade: NA
Final grade: F
***
Chris Hermann
.056 Batting Average / .105 On Base Percentage / .191 Slugging
Hermann had (maybe still has) a chance to get on the 2013 opening day roster. He performs in two areas that the Twins desperately need the depth – he’s a backup catcher (since the team seems determined to carry 3 of them, they need that) and he can play in the outfield. This versatility would make him an instant upgrade over Drew Butera – unfortunately, Hermann managed to hit a paltry .056 – that’s simply too horrid to give him any roster spot next season, even if he played 9 different positions. He only had 17 plate appearances, so the numbers aren’t quite as bad as they look – but they’re not great right now.
Midterm grade: NA
Final grade: Incomplete
***
The Dropouts
These guys are gone. Failed out or otherwise vanished. Their names won’t appear in your graduation program nor will anyone really realize they’re gone.
Luke Hughes
Sean Burroughs
Clete Thomas
Eric Komatsu
Danny Valencia
The Final Tally:
At midterm this season, I had the Twins players ranked with – 2 A’s, 6 B’s, 3 C’s, 1 D, 2 F’s. They finished the year with 4 A’s, 4 B’s, 4 C’s, 1 D, 2 F’s, 1 Incomplete and 5 dropouts (which are really F’s when you think about it).
Essentially, 2 of the B’s rose above where they were at midseason (Revere, Span) more players were added to the roster that were simply average (Florimon) and a decent group of players simply fell flat on their face (7 total F’s).
The Twins offense is one of their better units heading into 2013 – with 8 outstanding or great players and a solid (4) level of league average talent, the offensive has a lot of upside.
Early next week, I’ll dive into the pitching staff. If you thought 7 offensive F’s was the low point, prepare to be very, very surprised at just how bad things can get.
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