Twins preview 09
It’s time to dust off that baseball glove and put on your eye black because baseball season is back ladies and gents. For those who do not know me I am quite the Twins fan. They are my team and I live and die with every Francisco Liriano pitch; every Nick Punto diving play; every Joe Mauer 6-4-3 DP. All said; here is your 2009 Minnesota Twins preview. (Starters in batting order. Projected Stat line as follows: Average, Runs, Home Runs, RBIs, SB)
Carlos Gomez – Center Field
Go-Go burst onto the scene with a great beginning to his major league career, topped off by hitting for the cycle vs the White Sox in early May (after which my Gomez jersey t-shirt was purchased). His free swinging ways caught up to him as he posted the lowest OBP of any leadoff hitters prompting Gardy to switch him and Denard Span in the order. Gomez finished strong and is by far the Twins most exciting player. He is still young and will have a much better year this year with the work he put in the off season.
Stat Line: .270 / 90 / 11 / 65 / 40
Alexi Casilla – 2nd Base
After starting the year in the minor leagues, Alexi took over the 2nd basemen’s job midway through the season and never looked back. With his slick fielding and steady hitting, Alexi became the player that Terry Ryan always knew he could be. Perfectly suited for the 2 spot because of how well he handles the bat.
Stat Line: .280 / 80 / 8 / 60 / 18
Joe Mauer – Catcher
Joey baseball is the face of the Twins and will start the season most likely on the DL. He is feeling some pain in his back so that is no good. We all want Joe to get well asap but this is a guy that you cannot rush back into the lineup. Playing catcher doesn’t help his durability either. Everyone knows that he is the best average hitter in the league and he is one of the toughest guys to strike out. He is just a great player all around and his hitting overshadows his brilliance behind the plate.
Stat Line: .320 / 98 / 12 / 85 / 3
Justin Morneau – 1st base
Morneau provides the pop in the Twins lineup. The former MVP and last years runner-up will look to continue to drive in runs and play stellar defense at first. His glove gets lost in the shuffle when speaking about Morneau and his abilities. I think Morneau will produce once again and set the pace for the rest of this team.
Stat Line: .305 / 100 / 33 / 137 / 0
Justin Kubel – Designated Hitter
Kubel was the only other Twin hitter to amass 20 homeruns or more (Morneau was the other) and he looks to improve on the 20 he hit last year. Once the best hitter in the Twins minor league system, Kubel is finally 100% healthy after knee surgeries and showed what he can do in last year’s season. Kubel can be the DH that the Twins have desperately needed for decades.
Stat Line: .275 / 70 / 24 / 82 / 0
Michael Cuddyer – Right Field
Cuddy looks to return to 2006 form while trying to stay healthy for the 2009 season. His 08 season was cut short by numerous injuries and most of them of the bad luck kind. Cuddyer has to improve his power numbers if he wants to stay in the lineup because Span did more then fill in for him last year. You could see Cuddy moved by the deadline.
Stat Line: .270 / 55 / 15 / 67 / 9
Delmon Young – Left Field
Delmon gets the starting nod in my starting lineup because of how he has rededicated himself in the off season and he is tearing the cover off the ball so far this spring. Young is still only 24 years old and will continue to improve each game. He is a liability out in left field but so is Manny Ramirez. Look for Delmon to break out this year and become the feared hitter the Twins hoped for when they made the trade and possibly become a 20/20 player.
Stat Line: .296 / 82 / 21 / 88 / 20
Joe Crede – 3rd Base
The Twins are continuing the theme of signing players that killed the Twins (Craig Monroe, Rondell Black, Dustin Pedroia in 2017) with the signing of Joe Crede to fill the 3rd base “hole”. At first I was very skeptical of the signing but the more and more I think about the power upgrade we get at a power position. Not to mention the gold glove caliber defense he plays. It will be tough to get balls past this infield.
Stat Line: .263 / 68 / 19 / 68 / 0
Nick Punto – Short Stop
A fan favorite, Nick Punto continues to find a place on the field to play baseball. Whether it be at 2nd, 3rd, or short, Punto plays gold glove D and loves to dive and get dirty. Punto at the plate is a different story. After batting .290 in 135 games for the 2006 season, Nicky battled the Mendoza line for much of the 2007 campaign finishing at .210 (in 150 games). Punto rebounded from the career low and hit a respectable .284 (99 games) last year. Which Punto shows up this year? I don’t think it matters, Nicky is the man and plays mean defense.
Stat Line: .271 / 57 / 2 / 25 / 20
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