Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Twins

 

The Twins have done the '1st place team falls apart and doesn't make the playoffs' thing as recently as 2017. The Twins have done the 'Byron Buxton gets injured and the team shutters without him' thing as recently as last year. And the Twins have done the 'finishes low in a tight race but still doesn't make the playoffs' thing as recently as 2018. 

The Minnesota Twins by the halfway point were playoff favorites, and by the end of the season they were in third behind the exactly .500 White Sox. What a fall. It's not that it was a bad year, as Luis Arraez had an incredible year, and so many young pieces came alive. But two of the team's top 4 performers, Carlos Correa and Gio Urshela, will not be on the team as they suit up in...underwhelmingly-designed new uniforms.

Nick Gordon, after years of bubbling up, finally got a full year to showcase his skills in Minneapolis, and the 26-year-old hit .272 with 110 hits, 50 RBIs and 9 homers. Gordon seems to be a bit more versatile than his older brother [who bowed out with Washington this year], and can be useful as a power hitter, a contact hitter, an outfield bat and a speedster. And, as another one-up on Dee, he's not on any illegal substances.

2023 Prediction: Another full year, some more great production, and perhaps a nice extension of some sort?

Trevor Larnach, like Buxton, was excellent when he was healthy but bowed out too soon to aid the team down the stretch. In 51 games, Larnach hit .231 with 37 hits, 18 RBIs and 5 homers. The goal is for him to be more useful over the course of a full year, but we've never seen such a year from him so far.

2023 Prediction:  Kepler hasn't gone yet, but I reckon he will at some point, after which Larnach will get a ton more reps and a ton more eyes on him. I think he'll notch 20 home runs at least.

Several Twins starters this year fell into the category of 'how the mighty have fallen'. Dylan Bundy was a strikeout artist in his prime, and was a phenom for LA as recently as 2020. However, he struggled mightily last year, and this year he tried his damndest to not rely on throwing hard as much as he had. Bundy started all 29 games, and had a 4.89 ERA, an 8-8 record and 94 strikeouts. An improvement over 2021, but a pretty boilerplate year overall.

2023 Prediction: Minor league deal, maybe a few MLB starts, but the big stuff might be over for this guy.

Similarly, Chris Archer was an absolute stud for the Rays before he lost his footing and never picked it up again. He'd done well in Tampa last year with more control, but his hard stuff is sorely missed. This year with the Twins, Archer, had a 4.56 ERA, 8 losses and 84 Ks in 25 starts. Yes, fuller season than usual, but like with Bundy, the edge is gone.

2023 Prediction: I hate to say it, but I don't think anyone comes calling. Maybe he tries the international leagues.

Bailey Ober starts were fleeting this year due to both call-ups and injury, but he made the most of them, with a 3.21 ERA and 51 Ks spread across 11 starts. Ober is young, reliable, and coming into his own, and if the Twins' rotation wasn't so crowded in 2022, he could have proved it.

2023 Prediction: Thankfully the rotation will be a lot sparser next year, so he'll get 28 starts and be a top arm for this team.

The injuries got so bad at one point that the Twins called upon Voorhees, NJ product Devin Smeltzer, who they'd flirted with giving some starts to in 2019, for some integral starts. Smeltzer outdid expectations, with a 5-2 record, a 3.71 ERA and 40 Ks over 70 innings. Once some more arms got activated and dealt for, Smeltzer's role diminished, and after the year he was cut to make room for...somebody.

2023 Prediction: I really, really hope someone picks him up. You always want local kids to succeed, and he's pretty sharp.

Royce Lewis was the Twins first overall pick in 2017, and it's taken him this long, thanks to injuries and such, to make it to the majors. Ironically, his first ever MLB season was halted in its tracks by another injury, but until then he was actually doing pretty well for the Twins, hitting .300 with 5 RBIs and 2 homers in 12 games. 

2023 Prediction: Correa and Urshela are both gone, Farmer will get one infield position...maybe Lewis tries at another one, and plays more than 12 games this year.

As for the trade deadline deals, the Twins got saddled with some bad luck. Tyler Mahle was a great piece for them, as he'd been stellar in Cincinnati. Mahle only got 4 Twins starts, with a 4.41 ERA and a 1-1 record, before he was injured for the majority of the season. Meanwhile, Spencer Steer, who he was traded for, got some playing time in Cincinnati. 

2023 Prediction: My thinking is he stays healthy and pitches well enough for his own good, but not enough to make much of a difference.

Then, after a phenomenal year in the bullpen for the Orioles, Jorge Lopez landed in Minneapolis with the closing job basically his. The only thing that could stop Lopez was a third party getting in the way, and that's ultimately what Jhoan Duran did, though Lopez' 4.37 ERA and 2 blown saves didn't help either. Lopez filled in as a decent middleman, but was nowhere as dominant as he was in Baltimore.

2023 Prediction: An improvement, but I don't think he'll be used in the ninth as much as he was.

Tomorrow, more about that 81-81 White Sox team.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Pirates

The Pirates ended the decade the same way they began it- circling last, with a new set of prospects, a bunch of hopeless veterans, and a glimmer of hope for the future. While it's too early to say who'll become the new versions of Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole and Josh Harrison, it's intriguing to see a team like this start banking on rookie talent again.

Elias Diaz is technically a veteran, but this was his first season as the predominant starting catcher in Pittsburgh. His numbers weren't too special, with a .241 average and 28 RBIs in 105 games, and his defensive numbers were just as lackluster.
Why Him in 2019?: He was seeded first in the catching depth chart after Cervelli left
2020 Prediction: Will be backing up some rookie catcher somewhere.

 The 2018 season culminated in the Pirates giving up Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and Shane Baz for Chris Archer. The 2019 season illuminated how BAD OF AN IDEA THAT WAS, PITTSBURGH. Archer has continued his downward slide, with a 3-9 record and a 5.19 ERA in 23 starts, even with 143 Ks.
Why Him in 2019?: Had to fall for Musgrove and Lyles to rise.
2020 Prediction: Won't finish the year with the Bucs

You'd think that Trevor Williams would have fared better with more playing time, but with a 7-9 record in 26 starts, and a 5.38 record, Williams was at the mercy of the superior offenses of his opponents.
Why Him in 2019?: Led the team in homers allowed.
2020 Prediction: A scorching start with a sub-3 ERA, and he'll be rewarded with a trade to a contender. Where he'll tank again.

 Melky Cabrera will go down as the single most confounding player of the 2010s. Does he work as an everyday starting outfielder? Yes, but not after the ASG break (2012). Does he work as a mid-lineup DH? Yes, but not for more than 16 homers (2013-2017). The last few years he's been a solid bench bat for the Indians and now the Pirates- both stints he worked with a .280 average. In Pittsburgh he started a ton more games, finished with 106 hits and 47 RBIs, but was a liability in the outfield.
Why Him in 2019?: Most productive member of the Pittsburgh bench
2020 Prediction: Someone'll sign him for cheap, and he'll let them down.

 The other amusing bench experiment was Jose Osuna, the longtime Pittsburgh farmhand who finally hit worth his name this year, with a .264 average and 36 RBIs in 95 games.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved his worth after 3 years on the bench
2020 Prediction: More playing time, more of a swing-man role.

 And the other longtime prospect that finally made an impact for the Pirates was Cole Tucker, who came up to help at SS after Erik Gonzalez flopped, only to...flounder at the plate himself (.211), and lose a gig to Kevin Newman
Why Him in 2019?: That hair made him an early fan favorite at PNC
2020 Prediction: Might spend a bit more time in the minors, but will get some playing time backing up Newman.

 One of my favorite aspects of the Pirates' 2019 season was their decision to bring back their ace from the playoff runs, Francisco Liriano, as a relief specialist. In that role, despite not getting as much GLORY as he did in the early part of the decade, Liriano was still consistent as hell, with a 3.47 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 70 innings.
Why Him in 2019?: Probably the best reliever of the season in general for the Pirates
2020 Prediction: Someone without many pitching options will sign him; I predict he'll start some games as well.

After Felipe Vazquez was arrested on some generally horrible charges, the role of closer was vacant. Thankfully, this was just when Keone Kela was coming back into form after an injury, so the job was his. Despite not having many save opportunities, Kela's relief work was still sharp, with a 2.12 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 32 games.
Why Him in 2019?: The guy who took over for Vazquez, essentially
2020 Prediction: I hope they call on him to close full-time, and I hope he gets back to his Rangers stuff.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of the Rangers, their fledgling heroes right before the revamp.

A Buc Short

Chris Archer must feel a bit gypped. He was playing for a third-place team last month, and was dealt at the deadline...to a fourth place team. Welp.

Since the trade deadline, the Pirates have lost a ton of major gains, and have lost the momentum that made them Wild Card threats to begin with. Archer, in his four starts, has notched 20 strikeouts, but has had a high ERA, and only one win. He's honestly back to what he was doing for the Rays earlier this season, and when the Pirates ask for an ace and get poor numbers, it's not a great move.

At least the other acquisition, Keone Kela, has fit right into the Pirates' bullpen, leading them to have less reasons to use a guy named Dovydas Neverauskas as a setup man.

Other than that? It's a very okay bunch. There are standouts, like Jameson Taillon, Starling Marte, Corey Dickerson and Francisco Cervelli, but nobody's especially leading the team into October or anything. This also isn't exactly a home-run friendly group either, with Gregory Polanco having the most with 20. So, regardless of the momentum, the Cardinals, who HAVE home run hitters and standouts, are kicking the pants off of them. They've lost a ton of traction in the Wild Card standings, and are below the Nationals...who just sold a few of their bats.

I wish I could say things could get better for the Pirates, but even if they do, they have a TON of Wild Card favorites to combat here, and I can't with certainty say they're better than most of them. As fun as these guys are, I'm not sure if we'll be seeing them into October.

Coming Tonight: Hard-hitting second baseman for a lackluster AL West team.

Are the Rays Not Doing Phrasing Anymore?

(You have no idea how hard it is to make a post about Chris Archer without referencing FX's Archer. No task it more difficult.)

Yeah, the Rays have continued their recent streak of being basically ineffective for most the time. Injuries have struck the lineup, and while Steven Souza and Corey Dickerson are sure as hell trying, nothing's really getting off the ground.

Partially, it's because the AL East is essentially a 3-horse race this year- the Orioles are the heavy favorite, with a ton of surging hitters- the Yankees have been streaking like hell and are already getting some 'are the Yankees for real' articles- meanwhile, the Dark Horse would have to be the Red Sox, as they're currently slumping in third, but...y'all know they're gonna make a comeback mid-season.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile...are still technically a baseball team.

The Rays, at this point, know they might not be able to compete with the top 3, so they're trying to be the best fourth place team they can be, which is...kinda working. Chris Archer's still a great pitcher, but he gets no run support. Sadly, the rest of the rotation doesn't have much going on. The lineup had so many great kernels and extra players...and now that half the team's injured, they're all being rushed into starting positions and it's not going very well.

For right now, they need to get to an equilibrium and figure out what kind of fourth place team they're gonna be. From there...things will kinda work themselves out.

Coming Tomorrow- Best player on one of the worst teams.

And now, without comment, Chris Archer looking awesome

Beautiful.

I'm kind of exhausted tonight, so I'm sticking with that one.

Coming Tomorrow- He's not the first starter for the Nationals...or the second...but he's still pretty damn impressive, especially considering his slump a few years back.

All-Star Custom of the Night: Archer Edition

This is gonna be a one-note post tonight, because I'm tired, but tomorrow I have a couple ideas for posts that are longer than a sentence.

Coming Tomorrow- The Tigers outfielder that has become a HUGE force, even if the team hasn't especially been one.

Customs for Christmas: Rays

The Rays lost their best pitcher this year, which was sad, but on the bright side they still had another great pitcher, Chris Archer, in their repertoire. Archer will likely step up and have a big season next year for the Rays.

Meanwhile, James Loney recovered from landing in Tampa last year by having another nice season, especially as a hitter.

Coming Later: Two of the few impressive Red Sox this year.