Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - 306 | Minnesota Twins | Profile & Projection

Episode Date: March 19, 2021

You guys ranked Trevor Plouffe's Twins the ninth-best team in baseball! Jomboy, Jake, & Plouffe preview their 2021 season Presented by DraftKings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trevor, I mean to not do that. Not do that for his twins, man. Team profile and projection number 21 or something. We're in the top 10. The twins came in ranked number nine. It's talking baseball brought to you by draft kings. I've talked a lot of shit about twins in my day. I find them creepy.

I think they're natural rivals, not natural best friends. I mean, I might have twins. I might have to walk a lot of that back. Travelier takes on twins before we go to Jake. Twins as in babies? Or adult human twins, like 80-year-old twins. Weird. A little strange.

Okay. Jake, what are the twins? They finished last year with a 36 and 24 record on pace for 97 wins. Lost in the playoffs immediately. What did they do? Did they get better? Do they get worse? Jim.

They lost a guy. I love. He's been a heart and soul of the twins for a little while. Every day Eddie Rosario, guy was teammates with Trev. He went to Cleveland in division. Trevor May, fast riser in the bullpen world. He's now with the Mets. And John Boy Media. Rich Hill and John Boy Media.

Sergio Romo, my hair cup, buddy. I miss him in a bad way. You can tell if you're watching this. Caught me a Marwin, Alex Avila, Clippert. Jake Oda, Rizzy, friend of the. Pod still unsigned as we record this. I don't know if he's going back to Minnesota. They got guys coming in because you have guys leave.

You have to bring in guys to replace them. Otherwise, you don't have a full team. So they brought in Andrelton Simmons. Facts. One of the best defensive shortstops to ever play this game, Trevor Plouffe. Alex Colomey comes over from the White Sox. Gets a little messy, but he gets out of it. that Hansel is so hot right now.

Hansel Robles, can he find his form in that bullpen? And how about the happer? Jay Hap leaves the Bronx. He's still doing it. Twisted steel and sex appeal. Man, stuff coming in, stuff coming out. I don't know. It's a new look, Twins team.

But Trev, what's the lineup even looking like? I can't name one guy. That's a lie. This lineup is locked and loaded. We'll start the catcher position. Mitch Garber after winning, but he won a Silver Slugger in 2019. I think he did.

Kind of a rough year last year. And they got a guy named Ryan Jeffers. So they could be kind of going back and forth for playing time. I like both of them. Shout out sequence. Mitch Garver, go check it out. First base, my guy, Miggie Sun, no.

Biggest thighs in the game, Jake. What you say? He's got a bad case of diabetes. Yeah, big guy. Bigger than Jake. Anyways, second base. We got Jorge Palanco, or the week.

arise. I think they're going to be platooning together. We'll see what happens. There are two very excellent options at second base. Jorge got moved off a shortstop because they did bring in Angelton Simmons, who I did say, and I don't know if I need to walk this back or not, but I did say he might have surpassed Alzy Smith

as the greatest defensive shorts of all time. It's close enough that you can make the argument, and that'll tell you something because Alzy Smith is Alsy Smith. Third base, our guy, bring her a rain, Josh Donaldson. And then we get to my outfield. My outfield. Yes, they lost Eddie Rosario, but they replaced him with a stud, and Alex Kirolov, he'll be in left field.

Centerfield, Byron Buxton, who had some MVP votes last season and right field, the hottest guy in baseball, Max Kepler. And then, like the yachty thing in St. Louis, this was inevitable. Nelson Cruz back at DH for the Twinkies. So, Jim, tell me about their starting pitch. Well, Trevor, their starting pitching is interesting. Jose Barrios. Did I say it correctly?

Yes. Okay, you're my guy. You always tell me I'm saying it wrong. He's back. Trevor says he's an ace. Trevor might be the only person that's ever said he's an ace. Kenta Maeda. He's there.

He pitched really well last year. Michael Pineda. Born with the wrong size legs. He's pretty good. Jay Hap is there. Matt Shoemaker is there. And they got a bunch of other guys. Dobnack

Devon Smelser Smelzer In the bullpen They got Columet They got Taylor Rogers Tyler Duffy Hunsel As Jake said

That rotation is kind of weird It's good It's not bad rotation at all It's definitely a good rotation That's kind of weird Like if you gave that rotation Whatever Say it baby

Let them off your chest. People are going to be mad at me. Yeah. Well, can Penaeta and Happer, both Yankee pitchers that had stints in the Bronx. And if you told any Yankee fan that they were in the rotation, their reaction would be to scream and yell and pull out their hair and say, get in the fuck out of my rotation. But I think Twins fans are celebrating them.

So it's just interesting. Trev, this is your team. I don't know if the people listening know this. You played for the Minnesota Twins. You were first round draft pick for them to play shortstop. They realized like, oh, he can't do that. So we moved him to third. They juiced you up.

You got thick. Took you while to figure it out. You and your lovely wife got engaged. And then you realized, like, I got to get better at baseball. You got better. You had a couple big years. And then you were with the twins. Then you drifted around a couple times after that.

So what do you think about this team? Timelines a little off there. Okay. You know, enough was active. So is Jake. What? Jake's a little off too. Yeah, that's true.

What do I have on this team? I mean, I really like this team. I think we all are in agreement. This is a very good baseball team. The elephant in the room, we just got to get it out of the way. They got to be able to do it in the playoffs. Yeah. I say it year after year.

This team doesn't care what happened, you know, in 2006, 7, 8, 9. 10. They don't care about that. It's a new team. Then it's followed them along. It's followed them along. So are they going to be there? Yes. Are they going to be in the playoffs? Most likely they got to get it done. And I think this group of guys can do it. They have the team. It didn't happen last year. It's essentially the same team. A few pieces, you know, move back and forth here and there. But the lineup is great. The pitching is underrated. I've told you guys this before. Like they they're ranked top six, seven in most metrics in the last two. or three years. So, like, as people think, oh, the pitching has been a sore spot for them,

it really hasn't. And similar to that, we saw that with the Yankees, too. But I love the team. I love, I love everything. You guys know, I have an affinity for this team. Maybe I'm a little biased, but Trevor. A little bit funky guy, man. This team is one of the best built regular season teams in baseball. I mean, the lineup, it's all the guys you know, and even the guys you don't know. You mentioned Ryan Jeffers. He's a pretty good catching prospect. The fact that they have him and Garver ready to go.

I mean, that's Hugh. Anderson Simmons, you know what you're going to get. And then, dude, like, people are not appreciating what Buxton's done the past couple years. He's become an 8 OPS guy, which for originally the dream was if he puts it in the 7s, He can be like a four war type player. He's a special dude. We'll see what Kirolov can offer. I do think, you know, Eddie Rosario Wow and the kid in.

But we saw him. He showed some stones stepping in in the playoffs. I mean, with Polanco or Arias, potentially on the bench, this lineup is stacked day in, day out. They've got, you know, Polanco can move around a little bit. Arias can move around a little bit. They've got options. And what you're saying about the pitching isn't wrong, Trevor.

On a day-to-day basis, you know, some of their depth pieces in that bullpen, teal bar, Stashak, they get dudes out. But, and we said this with the Oakland A's a little bit, when it becomes a five-game set, a seven-game set, and you've got to go against other teams one-and-twos, you know, where's Burrios going to be at the end of the year? Where's Kent and Maeda? He was awesome last year. Awesome. But every question with this team comes back to how good is your good in the playoffs? If you've got to go your one starter to your three best guys in your bullpen, I think they end up getting outmatched.

That being said, regular season, you know, I think this team could easily sneak near a Hyundai wins again if they want. Yeah, and remember in the playoffs, Mayeta did well, and the pitching actually did well, the error was quite costly and the bats didn't hit at all in that first game and then what happened in the second game? They just lose. I forget. They just lose.

Burrios, he would pitch well again. They just didn't really hit. They only got one run. Gotta get the monkey off their back. Gotta do it, Trev. Gotta do it. Burrios started using his curveball, which is his best pitch to get whiffs on

as his most used pitch. Kenta Mayeta had a good year. I don't know. What are you expecting from Pineda and Hap and who's the and Shoemaker? Is that the is that it? Is Dobnack not going to do it? I think Dobnick will be in there. I don't I don't know a ton about those other guys. Paneda, Hap and Shoemaker. I faced them all. I don't know what they're going to bring to the table this year. I do know. I'm going to bring it up again like I'm doing a lot of these things. They're able to develop players here. They can do that in Minnesota.

but they've struggled with developing homegrown pitchers but I think there's some new guys in there and they're doing some new things that, yeah, they need to have big years out of those guys. Dobnack was having a really good year. Do you guys remember that? Dobnack was having a really good year

and then his last three of his last four starts, he just six run runs, five run runs, four runs. He's got to be perfect. His first six starts, it was 178 ERA against

White Sox Cleveland, Brewers were there. So not bad. Do you think this is the first year in the last couple years where the twins aren't a lock to win the division? Like last year, the twins were winning the division. I don't think anyone would have said otherwise

besides an Indians fan. Even White Sox Royals, you know, even other fans in the division besides Indians fans, I think everyone was like, yeah, twins have that division. I think this year they don't. I still think they have a, chunk of it, maybe 60%

of the poll. Yeah, I don't know. I don't, I don't think there are a lot to run away with the division at all this year. I don't know if they necessarily were last year, maybe in people's minds. You know, they didn't see the white socks coming, but the white socks are here. And Cleveland still is going to be hanging around. I'm not going to really mention the Royals,

but they've made some improvements. So I think it's probably going to be a two-horse race here. White Sox. twins twins need to hit like they always hit they've been hitting but I think really

what's gonna get them that title is if they can have some of those their three four guys step up yeah I think Barrios and Maida are locked in one two and I think they can match up

with a lot of different teams but then the depth and the rotation has to step up and so the White Sox I think to Vegas right now are the second favorites in the AL to come out of the whole American League. So I think, you know, it's coin tossy, if anything, with the twins and white socks.

I think people around baseball are leaning white socks with some of their big ads. But I also think that's new and that's sex appeal. And that's something I want to, what I said before, I want to give compliments to the twins. Like the way they've been winning games under Rocco, I know that division was weaker to a degree. but the Indians, I don't know, they're kind of like easing their way down. They can still pitch a little bit, but they've lost Lindor, like blah, blah, blah. The White Sox are on the up and up. The Royals are trying.

I still have this team day and day out winning a lot of baseball games and a lot of series. How many series? I'd have to look at the schedule, and I can do that. That's how we're going to end this. I'm going to go through the twin schedule and go series by series how I think they're going to fare. I think I'd rather game by game, but you do whatever you want to do. Well, that's how you figure out a series. It's true.

Yeah. So get ready for that at the bottom half of this hour. Yeah, man. No, I'm not, I'm personally not fully drinking the White Sox Kool-Aid. I think they should be there with the twins. But, man, like this, the depth is there. The lineup is there. Their pitching is going to do the same thing.

Like Trev says, they do develop. well and they do what they do well. It's just kind of that high-end playoff stuff, and you're right, Trayv. Nothing is linked back to the old teams when people say the Owen 18 streak or whatever it's at now. They don't care. Nobody cares.

But you've got to win one at some point. And again, the best way to do that in a playoff game is to have your lights out starter, just drop it on the table, and you still don't see that from these guys. Yeah, I mean, I know, I hate to say, we just talked about how their pitching staff hasn't been the problem. But I do agree with you, Jim, where it's like,

when you match up top end, top end, Maeda was great last year, can he repeat that? Burrios, I really believe in this kid, and I think maybe his best season is still in front of him. I'll just keep saying that until it happens. But it's kind of the same old song and dance in Minnesota where it's like they've needed starting pitching for a long time. And like, and like the ace guy.

That's what I'm talking about. Who's the last ace that the twins have had? I mean, I know my Ada was one last year, but before that. Is it Johan? That's pretty long ago. I don't, I'm asking you guys, I'm blanking also. I don't think we ever truly had an ace while I was there. Yeah, you would know those years, right?

If I'm forgetting someone, I'm really apologized. That one year of Husey? Gibby ever have a year where you'd be like, that was a stud? Leariano. But that was back in the day. That was 2006, bro.

Yeah, I was really good with the twins. Liriano's 2010 was pretty good. Yeah, still tough to call that an ace. In 2010, Carl Pavano was our best starter, and that's not really a guy that you're like, and like an ace has to do it multiple years in a row, kind of. So that's kind of been a thing. Kevin Corella?

What's that? Kevin Corrella. Would you say Kevin Corrella? Correa. Why is that? It looks like an L in the baseball reference. I want to tell. Football team name was North Korea.

I have something cool to tell you. Do you like baseball's getting hit really hard? Oh, they can do that. One guy in particular can do it. One guy has been in the top 1% of the league in barrel percentage Hard hit percentage And exit velocity

And for the last two seasons 2020 and 2019 Miguel Size the size of Jake's Hides 1% of the league Like Dude hits the ball harder

Faster than anyone else Why do you guys think he hits the ball so hard Swings hard Because he's the thickest human I've ever been in reach of? He might be the strongest person I've ever been. Did you see the Nelson Cruz wearing his pants thing, Trev? I mean, that's some, like Nelson Cruz makes a lot of people look small.

And he was wearing Sino's pants and they looked like cartoon pants. I'll Google image Miguel Sanoe thighs and see what comes up. I mean, I saw him in person when we interviewed him. I think I already have that Google search up. Okay, well, I'm going to add naked in there. Okay. Let's see what comes up. I don't know.

This is an exciting team. Minnesota, you've had some really good teams to cheer for the last couple years, but I know that everybody's waiting for them to get in the playoffs and make some noise, at least win a game. How rowdy? How rowdy can the Minnesota fans get this year if there's not a playoff series win? Like how mad can they be at the organization? Yeah, like, I get it that there's some sustained success that's very impressive in any kind of sport.

But at the same time, if you're doing that and you're not doing anything to get to the next level, I just, I don't know, there's got to be frustration that kicks in. Oh, my goodness. Look at that. That's a big boy, man. It's a big boy. And Suno doesn't wear his pants baggy. Yeah, he does. They're pretty baggy.

He does? It's a little baggy. He's just a monster of a huge. human. He really is. He's I don't know. The Minnesota sports fan

is used to agony, I guess I could say. You know, the Vikings haven't been very good. They had the one moment with Stefan Diggs against the Saints and then that was it. They've had the missed kick. I think it was, who missed

that? Dan Bailey. I don't know. Somebody missed that for them. And then obviously with the twins of done. So they need to go have some postseason success in one of the sports. And I just think the attitude there is, yes, they're nice people, but they're frustrated. But their frustration doesn't show like a New Yorker's frustration would be. It's just very like they keep it inside and they might say, gosh, dang it or something like that. But there's 100% a ton of frustration with the state of Minnesota sports right now.

I think this is the second team that I'm going to say this about. and I get it, it's a little unfair because it's a trade, but why wasn't this team in on you Darvish? I mean, the prospect package that went back for him, the performance you could get, like that, you know, I think this whole conversation changes. Like, we're stoked they went out and got someone to be the difference maker. Potentially, you never know with baseball.

But, like, that's what it feels like. And, you know, I see Kiroloff and he's penciled in, and, you know, I hope he's the future for them. Trevor Larnack is the other corner outfield prospect for them that's supposed to be a dude. So you wonder how he gets involved in what the future looks like. But, yeah, I mean, it just feels like they haven't played their all-in-hand yet. And I don't know.

I wish they would. Okay, well, do you think they're going to trade for... Who do you think they're going to trade for at the deadline? This is great, great insight. Trevor, do you think they're going to trade for Garrett Richards, Johnny Quato, Kevin Gossman, or Alex Cobb? None of them. Okay, what about you say?

You say, Cacucci. You didn't let me finish. You say Cacucci. I don't know, man. It depends if they can unlock something in Panetta. They like Big Mike out there. I don't know what Hap's got. She had a damn good career.

I remember we looked at his base for reference page. We're like, okay, pretty good. I can tell you the scouting report on HAP. We've been watching them for the last couple of seasons. Some days, it's so boring. And when it's boring, that means it's great. You're never going to be like locked and loaded

and like look at the sequencing, look at the movement. This is amazing. I'm eating this up. If you're like, oh yeah, haps pitching. If you forget that haps on the mound, that means he's steamrolling people in the most boring way.

And it'll happen a couple games. You're like, damn, this dude's sharp, crispy, placing the ball exactly where he wants to. When he gets in trouble, he stalls big time. He wipes the swaps. the sweat off the top of his head takes the hat off with like

the thumb and the finger and then rips the sweat like this and you can see him yeah like just all of his bald head and then uh that's when he's in trouble and then I'll start walking people and then I'll start complaining with the um a little bit about not getting calls and that's when you get real frustrated

watching a half game I want Jose Berrios to stop moving the ball so much like pitching or on the mound? When I watch him pitch, it's too much, almost like too much. I feel like he's got electric velo in him.

And I just kind of want him to just go with that. Like throw the crap out of your off-speed pitch and throw the crap out of your fastball. The old Charlie Morton trick. Ah. Just throw it hard, man. Just go for it.

I feel like a lot of times looking for movement. And I think a lot of it's natural. so he doesn't even have maybe he can't do that but when I see his ball like when I watch him pitch I'm like man I wish he would just kind of attack guys more like you know I think he has trouble thrown strikes sometimes he gets he'll get behind some guys whatever it is but he has so much potential man that's why I keep saying this guy could be a nice this guy could be nice and I think a lot of twins fans are would say the same thing especially when he first came up and now they're like is

is he ever going to be that guy or is he going to be a three starter two time all star but he's got to go. I think this could be the year. I think I said that last year too, but... Can I tell you guys something? Tell us everything. They open up in Milwaukee. Oh. So that kind of sucks for Nelson Cruz. Yeah. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what they do there. I'll just take longer naps. I have them losing game one. Oh, shit. Off day. I have them losing game two. I think they get Burns and Woodruff, the law firm. They win games. Game three. Okay.

They head to Detroit. Who's on the bump firm game three? Pineda? Pinita. Cool. Or Hap if, you know, they won against them again. Then they head to Detroit. Okay.

Three games set. They win two out of three. They win the first two. They lose the third. They do the old flip. And it's like, oh, my God. You know, getting Detroit's second series might mean you're actually getting Detroit's good pitchers.

They might go, like, Boyd-Fomer in the first series. And Detroit might go Casey Mize and Turnbull. It's actually kind of funny. I know when we've done some schedule stuff, we've seen, like, we've looked at the East teams and we've been like, oh, brutal. The Phillies April, yeah. The Central's kind of, they go Brewers, Tigers, Mariners, Red Sox,

Angels, A's, Pirates, Cleveland, Kansas City. Paul to Paul, baby. Paul to Paul. Treve, would you put money on them going pole to Paul? And then after Kansas City, it's Texas and Detroit. Twins are going to run. Twins are going to be breezy. But I just, I mean, got to win a playoff game.

Yes, that's the main takeaway here. The lineup is good. I think the starting pitching can find a way. I think the bullpen is good. I think they have depth. Like, there's a lot to like about this team. But yeah, we got to go do it. And we got teams now.

White Sox looking really good. Can't count Cleveland out. But I still think they, I still think that they make the playoffs. Okay. Can you do me one quick favor? Can you Google image a picture of Michael Pineda standing where you can see. I did Michael Penaenaed a Google image, and I got like the fourth row down, him in a Yankees uniform walking towards second base.

And if you look at his legs and then you picture Jake's torso on top of those, can you do that for me? Yeah, walking towards second base in the Yankees uniform. It's a really good mental image. I'll read Max's fun stat While Trevor looks for that I don't have it I don't have it

Despite the twins having three of the five Slowest average home run trots Marwin Sinoa and Cruz None of the three ranked in the bottom 40 Of all of MLB In first to sprint First base sprint speed

So Mickey can run a little bit The twins For his size They like to enjoy their trip around the bases And why not Trev You know these pitchers

they get hitters out at a 70% clip and they're out here. I'm watching these college world series highlights. Guys are celebrating. Yeah. Oh, good, good job, dude.

Good job you got me out. You're supposed to get me out. I'm with you, Trajews to get me out. Supposed to get me out. Anyways, go twins. Royce Lewis.

Shout out to Royce Lewis. The guy is an absolute stud. Heard his ACL. Do they have any prospects that? anyone needs to be aware of. Carolov and Larnak. We're not, but no, like, anyone else that they haven't already been aware of. Drafers, Kirillov, we know those two dudes.

Larnak. No, no one else. Jeffers. Brett Blocke. Belazovic? No. Duran. Don't say that.

There's a lot of guys. They have a great farm system. They've been able to develop position players. They needed to develop that ace. Draft King's over under is 88 and a half. Over. Over. Drav?

Trev's nervous about being over Tres. A lot of people have been saying I've been taking too many overs. People have been calling you Trevor, Trevor the over, dude. Over is in my name. Trover plover. I said it first. I said it like right before you. I said it right after.

Yeah. This is going to be the first season ever that every team is over their projection. It would be really cool. That would be. I'm going to take the over because I want to root for my voice. I have another question. Yep. Who do you guys have winning the A.L. Central?

Twins. I do, too. I'm not 100% on that. You guys seem very sure. I'm not that sure. The White Sox have some players, man. Oh, I like the White Sox team better. I like the White Sox team better.

But you don't think they're going to win. I think the twins have the know-how to win 162. 162. They have no idea I don't win a playoff game. It's almost like they walk through like a time warp, like Wanda Vision like wall and then just become other people. I'm taking the over and I'll pose a question to end this episode. Huge. Is Brian Dozier, who said he wanted to be a manager in the next couple years, is Brian Dozier the Minnesota Twins manager in 2024?

Yes. There's only one way that can happen. And Jake knows it. and we all know it, is he needs a hustle double in the postseason for a go-ahead RBI. That's how you become a manager or broadcaster. Well, he hit the Homer in the wildcar game against the Yankees. I think that's his hustle double. When they lost?

No. Twins don't have winning memories. Well, who's the broadcaster we met on the twins that we all loved? Dan Gladden? Yes, and Dan Glatton has a hustle double. But that's to get in the booth. Oh, okay. Not for manager?

Sometimes for management. manager for crats. If Dozier's the manager in 2024, I will have a special assistant role somewhere. Oh, I don't know what I do, but I'll just be there. Quality assurance. Does Doge do the analytics? I'm asking.

I'll just say this. He's smarter than he looks. He looks dumb. What do you say about me? Just kidding, Dosh. Adds up. You are dumb and you look dumb. I don't know.

I mean, you're not deceptive. Good episode. See you guys. No twins. Twin up. No. I was talking about the humans. Twin humans are strange, people.

It's just an odd thing. Same person? I thought of Jake K. We didn't mention him. Jake have yours done. Gray hair. I want twin boys. Get your ass.