Last week’s column dealt with an amateur’s futuristic look at Justin Morneau using the divisions: what is likely? What is unlikely and wild cards? This week’s column deals with position players of our Twins and the likely batting order against right-handed pitching. I am again using the three divisions to help determine the prediction.
Take the starting lineup one by one, beginning with Denard Span. He is likely to be a slightly better than average leadoff hitter and centerfielder. Unlikely but possible that he may play to his previous batting capabilities shown during the 2009 season.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka, second baseman, is the Twins’ biggest wild card. His being given second base by Manager Ron Gardenhire without a strong major league backup is a gamble, not so much from a fielding standpoint, but will Nishioka be able to hit major league hitting for six months? How Nishioka fares will reflect strongly on how the Twins fare.
Batting third, catcher Joe Mauer is as sure a thing as you can find in the majors. Joe is very likely to have a year similar to his past years and that’s very good. Will he be among the top five hitters in the American League? Very likely!
Clean-up hitter Justin Morneau is another wild card, although I’d go with Morneau over Nishioka when attempting to forecast each one’s success this season. Morneau ‘although recovering from his injury, is a proven major league all-star. Nishioka is not.
Batting fifth, left fielder Delmon Young is likely to be the same good hitter, poor fielder he was during 2010. Delmon has gained weight, which probably means he’ll have a little more power at the plate and have a little less speed on the base paths and in the outfield.
Designated hitter Jim Thome will bat sixth when there is a right-handed pitcher on the mound. His hitting is eventually destined to drop off as his batting skills diminish with age, but most observers are not ready to pull the plug and I look for him to have a good year, likely not as good as last season, but still a slugger’s year.
Batting seventh, right fielder Michael Cuddyer is likely to have a Michael Cuddyer year. The trouble is, no one knows what that is. He has varied between being an average fielder and hitter to a better than average Twin. He carried the team the last half of 2009, but was very average last year. If he is able to stay at one position all year he is likely to have a good season.
Third baseman Danny Valencia is batting eighth andwhile nobody expects him to repeat last year, he doesn’t have to. His average could drop 30 points and the Twins would be satisfied. As an aside, I think it says something about the Twins’ lineup when they have a .300 hitter batting eighth.
Alexi Casilla batting ninth is a wild card. He has been unable to assume a starter’s role in the past and the Twins are taking a chance in handing him the shortstop job.
If I had to point out what is most likely to be a Twins’ weakness, it would be their gamble with the middle infielders. I would have liked the Twins to have Casilla or even Punto available if needed. Why didn’t the Twins resign Punto? If he was good enough to start last year as the third baseman, why isn’t he good enough to be a utility man and possible relief starter this year?
The Twins’ position players look good overall and most are likely to succeed, but there are question marks with the middle infielders and Justin Morneau.
Next week: the pitching staff and will the Twins go to the World Series?
