All Things 2024 Minnesota Twins In-Season Thread

*me watching Ober pitch all 9 innings…


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some stats courtesy of Sarah Langs & MLB:

9-inning complete games with 10+ strikeouts and fewer than 90 pitches (since pitch counts were tracked starting in 1988)
Bailey Ober (today)
David Cone (perfect game - July 18, 1999
---------
for the Twins - 9-inning complete games on fewer than 90 pitches since 1988
Carlos Silva (74 pitches) 5/20/2005
John Smiley (80 pitches) 10/2/1992
Bill Krueger (85 pitches) 4/17/1992
Rick Aguilera (88 pitches) 9/26/1989
Bailey Ober (89 pitches) 6/22/2024
 

some stats courtesy of Sarah Langs & MLB:

9-inning complete games with 10+ strikeouts and fewer than 90 pitches (since pitch counts were tracked starting in 1988)
Bailey Ober (today)
David Cone (perfect game - July 18, 1999
---------
for the Twins - 9-inning complete games on fewer than 90 pitches since 1988
Carlos Silva (74 pitches) 5/20/2005
John Smiley (80 pitches) 10/2/1992
Bill Krueger (85 pitches) 4/17/1992
Rick Aguilera (88 pitches) 9/26/1989
Bailey Ober (89 pitches) 6/22/2024

Strikeouts are fascist.

-
Crash Davis
 



Jeffers is 3rd on the team in plate appearances and he had 94 more than Vasquez so far this season. This seems pretty reasonable as opposed to "so, so stupid".

To last all 162 and a potential post-season, I'm totally good with it.
Other teams don't start their back-up catcher every other game. Especially when he hits sub .200. Yes it remains stupid. Jeffers DH'd a fair amount while Lewis was out, but he hasn't since he came back. So it's even harder to defend now.
 

Other teams don't start their back-up catcher every other game. Especially when he hits sub .200. Yes it remains stupid. Jeffers DH'd a fair amount while Lewis was out, but he hasn't since he came back. So it's even harder to defend now.
On yesterdays TV broadcast Glen Perkins indicated he thought Jeffers production in the past month, because of his previous workload with very few total off days, and that he was fatigued.

I think your assessment that they should use him more is ill advised. The Twins approach is quite far from "stupid". I would call it to prudent.
 

On yesterdays TV broadcast Glen Perkins indicated he thought Jeffers production in the past month, because of his previous workload with very few total off days, and that he was fatigued.

I think your assessment that they should use him more is ill advised. The Twins approach is quite far from "stupid". I would call it to prudent.
He hasn't played back-to-back games in weeks. Hard to get out of a batting slump that way. Can you find any example of any other team with a border-line All-Star catcher that only starts him 50% of the time? If it's a great strategy, I assume lots of other teams do it. Jeffers is in his prime. This "keep him from getting fatigued" stuff is dumb. I'm not saying he should catch 150 games. But 110? Yes.
 



He hasn't played back-to-back games in weeks. Hard to get out of a batting slump that way. Can you find any example of any other team with a border-line All-Star catcher that only starts him 50% of the time? If it's a great strategy, I assume lots of other teams do it. Jeffers is in his prime. This "keep him from getting fatigued" stuff is dumb. I'm not saying he should catch 150 games. But 110? Yes.
If his production warrants and he maintains health, he will be in the 95 range at catcher with more than a couple dozen DH starts. I'm good with that. I don't think it's a huge dropoff with Vasquez.
 


If his production warrants and he maintains health, he will be in the 95 range at catcher with more than a couple dozen DH starts. I'm good with that. I don't think it's a huge dropoff with Vasquez.
If Lewis and Miranda stay healthy, Jeffers won't be DH'ing and shouldn't be. And if he does, it means you're taking AB's away from Miranda/Lewis and giving them to Vazquez, which is even worse.
 




If Lewis and Miranda stay healthy, Jeffers won't be DH'ing and shouldn't be. And if he does, it means you're taking AB's away from Miranda/Lewis and giving them to Vazquez, which is even worse.
Assuming Miranda & Lewis stay healthy based on their track record seems like a stretch, plus they need full off days too on occasion.

The splitting time behind the plate appears to be working. I agree to disagree with your opinion at this moment.
 

Assuming Miranda & Lewis stay healthy based on their track record seems like a stretch, plus they need full off days too on occasion.

The splitting time behind the plate appears to be working. I agree to disagree with your opinion at this moment.
To the average fickle fan like myself, it comes across like we're trying scrape every dime out of that guaranteed contract.

Of course, you could ultimately be proven correct, too.
 

To the average fickle fan like myself, it comes across like we're trying scrape every dime out of that guaranteed contract.

Of course, you could ultimately be proven correct, too.
Undoubtedly, Vasquez' contract is playing a part in it. I just don't view it as Jeffers dominating to a point that it requires a shift in the workload.

Vasquez is starting today, Lewis at DH and Jeffers as a reserve. Clearly, day game after a previous matinee, they are sticking with it.

Sure it's fine to question the philosophy, but to me just flat out dismissing it as "stupid" seems way over the line.
 


by this point, I think it's pretty clear that the Twins and Rocco have a very clear philosophy when it comes to using players, giving players rest, platooning, etc. this is what they want to do. this is what they are going to do.

at the same time, the Twins are operating under self-imposed payroll limits. for all we know, Rocco might secretly hate Vazquez, but the team is not going to eat that contract, or any contract for that matter. so as long as Vazquez, Farmer, etc are on the roster, Rocco is going to use them.

depending on what happens with the TV deal and local revenue going forward, maybe ownership decides to bump up the payroll - but I'm not holding my breath. Vazquez is under contract through 2025, so barring a trade, it's likely that he'll be on the Twins roster next season.

and - there's almost always 1 or 2 players on every roster who the fans hate. (Nick Punto.......)
 



Blue Jays Orelvis Martinez made his major league debut on Friday and he now suspended 80 games for PEDS.

 




more statistical nuggets from Sarah Langs:

most games by a pitcher with 14 or more strikeouts in Senators/Twins history:
Walter Johnson 4x
Camilo Pascual 3x
Johan Santana 3x
Bert Blyleven 3x
Pablo Lopez 2x

actually surprised the Big Train only had 4 of them. Johnson 9th all-time with 3509 K - Blyleven 5th with 3701. Pascual 2167, Johan S. 1988 in 12 yrs.
 

It was the A’s but his command was great today. Hopefully this is the start of a better stretch for Lopez.
 


Undoubtedly, Vasquez' contract is playing a part in it. I just don't view it as Jeffers dominating to a point that it requires a shift in the workload.

Vasquez is starting today, Lewis at DH and Jeffers as a reserve. Clearly, day game after a previous matinee, they are sticking with it.

Sure it's fine to question the philosophy, but to me just flat out dismissing it as "stupid" seems way over the line.
Today is a game Jeffers should have started. Day game yesterday, day game today. Off day tomorrow. Zero reason Vazquez needed to start this one. Ultimately it's a difference of 1 or 2 games/week but that adds up to a lot of unnecessary ABs given to the worst hitter in baseball over the course of a season.
 

Today is a game Jeffers should have started. Day game yesterday, day game today. Off day tomorrow. Zero reason Vazquez needed to start this one. Ultimately it's a difference of 1 or 2 games/week but that adds up to a lot of unnecessary ABs given to the worst hitter in baseball over the course of a season.
Vasquez caught a combined shutout and drew a walk. They won. All good.
 





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