Quantcast
Channel: isportsweb
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 20

Minnesota Twins: Four bold predictions for 2015

0
0

As the 2015 season fast approaches, Minnesota Twins fans are well aware that the 2015 (and possibly 2016) seasons look to be rebuilding seasons in one of the deepest and most talented divisions in the MLB. While it is hard to find optimism in a team that has lost 90-plus games for four consecutive seasons, there are potential bright spots and exciting players that can cement themselves as permanent fixtures on the roster.

Here are four bold predictions for the 2015 Twins that could either make me look really smart, or really dumb:

1. Kennys Vargas cements himself as a strong hitter

Kennys Vargas looks to be the starting DH for the Twins to start the season. Vargas, 24, has been criticized for having poor plate discipline, and his 63 strikeouts to only 12 walks last year seem to support that notion.

But Vargas only has 215 big-league at-bats, and he made an immediate splash last year after being called up on August 1 and hitting .295 with nine home runs in his first 190 at-bats.

While manager Paul Molitor has hinted at possibly also using Vargas occasionally in the field at first base to help Joe Mauer, the key for Vargas is to become a better all-around DH hitter. Twins fans are well aware of his power, and if he can get the ball in play more often, good things should happen with both Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer hitting before him.

Vargas loves to swing for the fences, and if he can add in a few more singles and walks, the DH hitter should have a strong season at the plate.

2. Brian Dozier proves worthy of his contract

Brian Dozier and the Twins recently agreed to a four-year, $20 million contract, after the second baseman hit 21 home runs and ranked among the half-dozen best players at his position defensively. It was a stand-out season for Dozier, where before last year he hit just .240 in 231 career games with the Twins.

Twins fans have become wary of signing players to large contracts, with Joe Mauer agreeing to an eight-year extension worth $184 million in 2010, and last year the signing of free agent Ricky Nolasco for four years and $49 million. Mauer has been plagued with injuries and inconsistency since his extension, and Nolasco, well we’ll get to him in a bit.

minnesota twins
Brian Dozier could be worth the money in 2015.

But Dozier could be worth the money over the next couple of years. It’s possible Dozier switches places with Mauer in the lineup and hits third instead of second, which would give him a chance to show off that power from last season and take some pressure off of Mauer.

Dozier can still succeed in the two hole, though. He showed incredible plate discipline with 89 walks last year, and can get on for Mauer and the dangerous DH Kennys Vargas hitting after him.

3. Kurt Suzuki anchors bottom of the lineup

Last year, the Twins signed 30-year-old Kurt Suzuki to a two-year contract extension that will give him $6 million this season and the next. Despite injury, Suzuki hit .304 with an .753 OPS in 89 games last season, as he made his first All-Star team.

Despite hitting poorly from 2010-2013 (.237), Suzuki seemed to turn around his middle-aged career and found success in Minneapolis last season. He has become a favored player on the team, with fans noticing his consistency, skill behind the plate as a catcher, and knack for big hits in tough situations.

Suzuki is expected to hit around seventh or eighth in the lineup this year, and that seems to be fine with him. He was honored with the Heart and Hustle Award twice during his time with the Oakland A’s, and received the Bob Allison Award for Outstanding Leadership last year with the Twins.

Suzuki is a season veteran and can give solid advice to the young hitters that will randomly be inserted into the Twins lineup at different points throughout the season. If he can avoid injury, Suzuki will build off his success from last year and help anchor the bottom of the Twins lineup throughout the season.

4. Ricky Nolasco continues to struggle

While my first three predictions are filled with optimism, my last one takes a different position. Last year, in his first season for the Twins after signing a $49 million contract, Ricky Nolasco went 6-12 with a 5.38 ERA in 27 starts and 159 innings, as he was limited with elbow issues.

Nolasco also discovered the negative impact of social media last September, where he tweeted a fan saying he wished he was still pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Naturally, Nolasco deleted the tweet immediately after, but Twins fans have not forgotten.

After starting Opening Day last season, Nolasco will likely be the third pitcher in the Twins rotation, behind Phil Hughes and Ervin Santana. I can see Nolasco, after a rough first season with the team and still battling injury, lose confidence within himself and continue to struggle in the rotation that cannot afford any weak spots.

With Tommy Milone, Trevor May, and top prospect Alex Meyer fighting to get into the rotation at some point, Nolasco could be on a short leash by June or July if the team finds itself at the bottom of the division.

The post Minnesota Twins: Four bold predictions for 2015 appeared first on isportsweb.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 20

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images