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.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #280-288

 51 Cards Left in This Set! We've hit the last month of this project, and we've got only a few more posts to go til we're through with it. Yet despite all the progress we've made and the cards we've shelled out, there's still some very big guns left in this post, a few of which really, REALLY should have gotten Topps cards in 2020. 

Here's the next 9:

Card #280- Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals

After Brady Singer became a smashing success out of camp with the Royals, the team looked to another minor league arm that was ready to call up, that being Kris Bubic, the fresh-faced hurler who started 10 games for KC last year. While not quite as showy as Singer, Bubic was steady enough in his 2020 tenure, with a 4.32 ERA and 49 Ks. Bubic has been used more as a replacement starter in 2021, but his numbers have been more impressive.

Card #281- Dylan Bundy ASG, Los Angeles Angels

2020 was an incredible year for former Orioles homegrown hurler Dylan Bundy, and if the 2020 season hadn't been preempted as it has, he would have earned an All Star Game nomination, and would have probably stood by for an inning for the AL. Bundy's high-strikeout work was sensational in his first season in Anaheim, making his 2021 crash down to earth all the more heartbreaking.

Card #282- Mychal Givens, Colorado Rockies

After Richard Bleier was dealt to Miami, Mychal Givens was one of the last few veteran relief assets the Baltimore Orioles had left in 2020. That being said, him and Miguel Castro being dealt at the deadline shouldn't have been much of a shocker. Givens was traded to the Rockies to abet their potential postseason push, and he struggled in 10 games with a 6.75 ERA. Thankfully, Givens's numbers have improved to their normal rates in a full year with the Rox.

Card #283- Blake Taylor, Houston Astros

Blake Taylor was the Astros' return in the Jake Marisnick trade, after already being traded to New York in exchange for Ike Davis 5 years earlier. The Astros had some pen space for Taylor in 2020, and he became one of the more crucial rookie relief options last year. In 22 games, Taylor hit a 2.18 ERA with 17 Ks, and had a 1.59 postseason ERA with 8 appearances over 2 series for the Astros. Taylor's sophomore season for the Stros has been slightly disappointing thus far, though.

Card #284- Phillip Ervin, Seattle Mariners,

In an outfield that was running out of room, Phillip Ervin became the odd person out in Cincinnati very quickly, and was dealt to Seattle right around the time of the Brian Goodwin trade [which got the Reds nowhere]. His numbers improved slightly for the Ms, with 4 RBIs in 18 games, though his playing time was minimal due to the burgeoning youth movement there. Ervin is currently in the Braves' minor league system, waiting for another opportunity.

Card #285- Jake Diekman, Oakland Athletics

This, along with Jeffress, may have been one of the most sinful omissions by Topps during their 2020 flagship run. Jake Diekman finished the 2019 season with the Oakland Athletics, a uniform change that was not depicted in 2019 Update because they weren't doing deadline deals. So you'd figure, okay, they do a Diekman A's card in 2020 Topps. They did not, because they don't think relievers exist past the ones who are relevant. Their loss. Diekman had an INSANELY strong 2020 season, only allowing 1 earned run in 21 innings, with 31 Ks. He'd also strike out 5 more in the postseason, despite giving up some runs to Houston. Diekman was one of the best relievers in baseball during the 2020 season, and is off to a nice start in 2021. Hopefully Topps gets the memo this time.

Card #286- Luis Torrens, San Diego Padres

Years after floating around the Yankees and Padres farm systems and...inspiring a blog or two, Luis Torrens FINALLY got some reps at catcher on a consistent basis in 2020. As Austin Hedges pulled his usual 'refusing to hit' schtick, Torrens was a useful backup option for the Padres, hitting .273 in 7 games before getting injured. Unfortunately, Torrens' time in San Diego would come to a close once he'd get traded to Seattle for Austin Nola. The Mariners' end of his season will be discussed fairly soon.

Card #287- Andrew Chafin, Chicago Cubs

Andrew Chafin, longtime relief weapon for the Diamondbacks, was off to a terrible start in 2020, with an 8 ERA in 11 games. So buyers wondered if it was the environment rather than the pitcher that was causing this, and asked for Chafin's availability. The Cubs traded for him, and got 4 relief appearances out of him last year, improving over his D-Backs numbers and leading to a very small postseason appearance. Thankfully, Chafin has been outstanding so far for the Cubs in 2021, and is one of the top relievers in a very strong bullpen.

Card #288- Erik Gonzalez, Pittsburgh Pirates

Erik Gonzalez was a backup infielder from Cleveland that was traded for Jordan Luplow. That deal has worked for both parties- Luplow has been an intriguing bench piece for the Tribe, while Gonzalez has been a high-quality backup infielder for the Bucs. Last year, for a small period of time, Gonzalez was the highest-ranking player on the Pirates. August was Gonzalez' biggest month at the plate, with a .282 average and 15 RBIs, but everything around that month dragged him back down. He's been decent enough so far in 2021. 

Monday, we get 9 more cards from this set. Two very big stars and some big rookies are in here.

Bundy Driver

 

Yesterday the Angels had first place. Today, thanks to some Twins-inflicted off days, the Mariners have caught up. So they're just sitting in limbo for a few days til their series with the Rangers starts today. Which, when you have as much momentum as the Angels have this year, is not the place you wanna be.

Look, we've been waiting patiently since the middle of the decade for an Angels team to compete mightily, and 2021 might finally be the year where they have something that works. Not only do they still have a surging star in Mike Trout, but they have a competent, on-target base around him, with Jared Walsh, David Fletcher, Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani all performing really well around him. One thing the lineup needs to be careful of right now is injuries- Rendon and Max Stassi are missing some time this month, in addition to the out-for-the-year Dexter Fowler, and so having competent performances from Luis Rengifo and Kurt Suzuki in their absence will be very important. This is the most in-tune this lineup has been in a while, and I really hope they don't waste it.

Also, this is a lot more selfish, but this is probably Albert Pujols' last season. He's not doing too badly right now, but I would love if his WAR passed into the positive so he can finish his career with an 100 WAR. That'd be awesome in the post-steroids era. 

And heck, the pitching is doing well enough right now as well. The big takeaway right now is that Dylan Bundy is capable of recreating his ace material from 2020. He's already got 22 Ks and has a low enough ERA. Alex Cobb is also doing alright in a starting role, and Shohei Ohtani's few starts so far have been golden. The bullpen is really doing a lot of the work right now, not only with traditional types like Junior Guerra and Mike Mayers, but late-offseason pickups like Steve Cishek [from Houston] and Tony Watson [from, sniff, Philly]. Like last year, Raisel Iglesias is having trouble keeping runs down entirely in the ninth, but he seems to be getting slightly better as it goes along. 

This team has too much going for them to be completely lapped by the Mariners, so I hope they gain some ground against the Rangers this week. 

Coming Tomorrow- He made a last-minute decision to return to his beloved team, and it's been working out for him because he's absolutely on fire right now.

Angels Pitchers That Can Get Outs

The rumors of Shohei Ohtani's renewed two-way strength have been greatly exaggerated.

The supposed constants in LA have been failing the Angels so far in 2020. Mike Trout was out for a bit as his kid was born, Ohtani's pitching arm isn't ready yet, Simmons  is hurt again, and now Patrick Sandoval is on the DL. Despite all this, and a last-place finish, the Angels aren't entirely screwed yet.

For one thing, Jo Adell just got called up. Adell is the  Angels' premier outfield prospect, he's been a spring training mainstay for them since 2018, and he's got the kind of pop this lineup needs. He'll be facing  off against the M's tonight. Also, the Angels lineup is sort of working, and guys like David Fletcher, Max Stassi, Brian Goodwin and, yes, Trout and Rendon, are in solid form so far. It's not perfect, but it's a start.

Also, regardless of Ohtani poopin' out and Sandoval getting hurt....Bundy-Canning-Heaney is frigging awesome. All 3 have tons of strikeouts and great ERA, and Bundy in particular is looking sharp. Now, beyond  those three? Matt Andriese is trying stuff. Maybe they'll get Jaime Barria back? Dillon Peters? There's options, but they're not as firm.

So far, the Angels are looking like the biggest flop of the AL, especially after the Rangers have won a few. I'm waiting for them to pull together, but it's not looking good so far.

Coming Tomorrow- Meanwhile, on the other side of LA, a seldom-talked-about infielder is off to his best start yet. Granted, he  was doing better when I made the custom, and now I look bad not doing a Mookie Betts, but...still.

Where Does This Leave Them? Royals & Orioles

This is a variant on 'Crappy Team Roundup', which I did last August a few times to combine posts from teams I don't have a ton to write about. Seeing as people just got traded a few days ago, I do want to put into perspective what these teams still have, because some guys really got picked clean. Inadvertently, I wound up with the 2014 ALCS matchup. Oh, how I sometimes wish that the O's had made the Series that year.

We'll start with the Royals, who lost Jake Diekman, Homer Bailey and Martin Maldonado. At first glance, that looks like nothing, but as you zoom in, you realize that now their starting catcher is Cam Gallagher. This is the Drew Butera thing all over again. You limit your backup options so much, and you wind up with a bland backup once the trades come. Yes, this won't especially be a problem in a year when Salvador Perez returns, but...Cam Gallagher is a very okay catcher, and his backup, a rookie named Meibrys Viloria, is probably the better option, as he's a better hitter. But I imagine come next year he'll be traded to some team who needs a catcher and wind up with a career somewhere else, because the Royals are banking hard on Gallagher.

As for the pitching? The Royals slid Mike Montgomery into Bailey's open spot in the rotation, and it...hasn't especially worked. Montgomery has had a 7.94 ERA with 10 earned runs in 3 games, which is...honestly, the kind of start I would have expected from Homer Bailey. The rest of the rotation, Duffy, Keller, Junis and Sparkman, are all exceedingly okay. And while Diekman wounds the bullpen, they still have some decent arms left, like the wonderfully named Richard Lovelady (I knew I'd get a chance to write about him again)

So the Royals, while lessened, are still basically where they were before the deadline.

The Orioles faired...a little better.

There were swirling rumors that someone like Hanser Alberto, Mychal Givens, Jonathan Villar or Trey Mancini would be dealt, but they all stuck around. The only real piece that they lost was Andrew Cashner, who's dealing in Boston now, so on the surface you can't really see much damage.

But...these are the last place Orioles, though. The damage is beneath the surface.

Yes, only one starter was lost, but only Bundy and John Means are competent, and only Bundy is still healthy. Guys like David Hess, Gabriel Ynoa, and Asher Wojciechowski (wow, I spelled his name from memory this time), are filling starting spots, and they're not really doing a great job of it. And as for the bullpen...perhaps the fact that nobody was traded for in this bunch doesn't especially mean they were worth trading for.

Same kinda goes for the lineup. Yes, these guys can get some production, but not especially often. They still have 3 more years of Chris Davis to pay for, and are still waiting for Mark Trumbo to activate, and the rookies they banked on to carry the load, like Richie Martin, DJ Stewart, Cedric Mullins and Stevie Wilkerson, haven't really. And if Alberto, Villar and Mancini don't leave this year, they will certainly leave next year.

So...look...if the Orioles survived the deadline, that doesn't especially mean they still have a chance.

Coming Tomorrow- His team may be inching out of the NL Wild Card race, but he's still had a fantastic breakout season.

Would You Like to Buy an O?

(Music Pun #3. ....YES, SESAME STREET COUNTS NOW. I DON'T CARE IF IT'S LOWBROW, I'M USING IT.)

Now, for so many AL East teams to do great this year, somebody had to take the short end of the stick...but oh, gosh, why did it have to be the Orioles?

They're still a fun team! Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Dylan Bundy are still great! The rookies have promise. But...so much on this team is so blueprint-esque that everyone else is taking advantage of it, and making them look truly bad. And yes, it's not helping that a lot of the power core that made last year so fun is either injured or slumping.

The solution is probably gonna be to pawn some people away by August, and while people are already shouting about Machado and where he could go, there's also not a great deal of other people that are worth looking at. Dylan Bundy's having another great season, but is he eligible for trades? Same question goes to somebody like Trey Mancini. Is it possible for this team to be dissected, or is it just going to have to be the contract-applicable pieces that are working.

Still, you never know- they could go on a tear this month. But not a ton is working, and not a ton is fun to watch, so we may have to run with this for a bit.

Coming Tonight: One of the best pitchers in baseball.

Dylan Bundy (FINALLY) Rules

Some rookie prospects pay off 5 years after they were supposed to be rookies.

In 2012, even while a certain third baseman named Manny Machado was roaming around the base paths at Camden Yards, everyone was pulling for a pitching prospect named Dylan Bundy to ride in and take the reins of the still-shaky rotation. The minor leagues were buzzing, especially after the high drafting, and people were really excited to see what he had to offer.

They got to see it shortly...though, in relief.

As the rotation was filled with surefire guys like Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez and, later, Dylan's superior Kevin Gausman, there was never enough room for Bundy, and he was forced to stick in the bullpen until he got truly hot.

Last year he got truly hot, and snuck his way into the rotation. He actually showed up in time for me to watch him pitch in Baltimore, and while he was a bit shaky the day I was there, and gave up some runs to Washington, he still threw a ton of strikeouts, and surprised me.

So far this season he's been surprising even more people, taking command of the Baltimore rotation and helping the O's circle first, even with the Yankees battling for the spot as well. Bundy definitely has the talent and materials that people were talking about 5 years ago, and he's helping others in the rotation, such as Wade Miley and, yes, Chris Tillman, excel in the rotation as well.

So yeah, I'm pretty happy that Dylan Bundy's having a great 2017. It is about time.

Coming Tomorrow- One of the few things Phillies fans have to look forward to.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Orioles

The Orioles took a team nobody was thinking about and made the heroes. That is something pretty great. The strength of the lineup was unparalleled, and people like Mark Trumbo, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop were huge and potent this year.

Pedro Alvarez had a slightly quieter year in comparison, but still did some amazing things, and hit enough to be taken seriously. He's not at Pirates levels, but he's not completely done yet either.

Hyun-Soo Kim was a Korean import that came in, played a pretty nice rookie season and nailed down an outfield gig away from fellow rookie Joey Rickard. He'll probably get the starting gig next season, as he's become a nice bench hitter as well.

Dylan Bundy's been simmering in the minors for year, so it's ABOUT TIME he had a nice enough season in the bigs, here coming into the rotation and saving the day in the absence of Yovani Gallardo and Chris Tillman. He did a pretty great job, and will likely get the rotation gig next year as well.

Trey Mancini was a very late rookie call-up that made an impact in September, making a serious case for a starting gig in 2017, which...might happen. He's definitely got the average, and he could be pretty cool, but the question is whether or not the O's have room.

Coming Tomorrow- Oh, those pathetic Padres...