We're using an arbitrary standard of 150 at-bats and 50 IP to determine rate leaders.
OPS
Byron Buxton, .927
Eddie Rosario, .881
Jorge Polanco, .793
AVG
Rosario, .319
Buxton, .305
Polanco, .276
OBP
Kennys Vargas, .361
Buxton, .359
Rosario, ,343
SLG
Buxton, .568
Rosario, .538
Daniel Palka, .483
HR
Adam Brett Walker II, 27
Vargas, 15
Palka, 13
DOUBLES
Wilfredo Tovar, 24
Walker II, 22
Vargas, 16
RBI
Walker II, 75
Vargas, 58
Tommy Field, 44
SB
Tovar, 29
Darin Mastroianni, 8
Buxton, 7
Walker II, 7
ERA
Jose Berrios, 2.51
Nick Greenwood, 2.84
Logan Darnell, 3.53
Jason Wheeler, 3.53
WHIP
Berrios, 0.99
Greenwood, 1.10
Wheeler, 1.20
WINS
Wheeler, 11
Berrios, 10
Andrew Albers, 10
STRIKEOUTS
Berrios, 125
Wheeler, 113
Albers, 84
SAVES
Alex Wimmers, 11
J. T. Chargois, 9
Marcus Walden, 7
STARTS
Wheeler, 24
Albers, 21
Darnell, 18
GAMES
Wimmers, 39
Walden, 36
Ryan O'Rourke, 33
INNINGS
Wheeler, 145.1
Albers, 124.1
Berrios, 111.1
NOTES
Mitch Garver did very well in his short time in Rochester, hitting .329/.381/.434 in 76 at-bats. The Twins say his defense behind the plate improved quite a bit, too.
The Twins dropped John Hicks to make room for David Murphy, who didn't want to play for them. Hicks went on to bat .296/.346/.474 in AAA.
I'm happy that James Beresford got a September callup. But in three and a half AAA seasons he's hit .286/.334/.342. He's twenty-seven. It's quite possible that this September callup will be his entire big-league career.
As Wilfredo Tovar's name popped up in a couple lists, I thought you might want to know about him. He's twenty-five. He played in nine games for the Mets from 2013-14. He hit .249/.301/.327. He's stolen fifty-nine bases over his last two AAA seasons. In the old days, when teams only carried eight or nine pitchers, he might've had a decent career as a pinch runner/utility infielder. Now, though, I don't see much future for him.
What about Adam Brett Walker II? Well, he hit .243/.305/.479. He also struck out 202 times in 478 at-bats. That's a strikeout average of .423. I can't see him getting much of a chance with anybody unless he can cut down on the strikeouts. Unfortunately, he's going the other way: he had 156 strikeouts in 505 at-bats in Class A in 2014 and 195 strikeouts in 502 at-bats in AA last year. He'll turn twenty-five next month.
Kennys Vargas and Byungho Park both had low averages with power. Vargas was .233/.361/.424 with 15 homers. Park was .224/.297/.526 with 10 homers.
Daniel Palka's numbers went down significantly when he made the jump from AA to AAA, but he continued to hit with power, too. .232/.296/.483 with 13 homers.
Jason Wheeler turned in a fine season, going 11-6, 3.53, 1.20 WHIP. He'll turn 26 next month.
Nick Greenwood pretty quietly had a fine season. He went 6-3, 2.84, 1.10 WHIP in 79.1 innings after getting called up from AA. Unfortunately, he'll be twenty-nine at the end of the month. Still, there are pitchers who figure it out late, and with that kind of record there's a pretty good chance he'll be pitching somewhere next season.
D. J. Baxendale and J. T. Chargois had remarkably similar seasons. They were both 2-1, 1.29. Chargois had a WHIP of 1.00 and Baxendale was 1.03. Chargois struck out 41 and Baxendale 40. They each pitched 35 innings in AAA. They'll also each turn twenty-six in December.
I wonder how many of these players will be with the Twins for most or all of next season. Buxton, Rosario, Polanco, and Berrios are givens. Probably for Berrios, assuming he's given more than five starts to adjust. Chargois and Baxendale are obvious choices to put in the bullpen. Greenwood may be a candidate too. He has a lot of relief appearances in the minors so it's not too crazy. His brief MLB stint says don't expect much but that was a few years ago.
sean - something to look forward to! Just when you think you're out, they reel you back in, eh?
I'd forgotten about this move, and now I see why. Murphy hit .194/.256/.306 in 10 games with Rochester before being granted his release in late-April.* He did not play anywhere the remainder of the year ... maybe that's what you meant by "didn't want to play for them." but that's not the way I interpreted it.
I have no problem saying that moving a solid 27-year-old catcher* in favor of a declining 34-year-old outfielder was a bad move. Especially because, in hindsight, catcher turned out to be a position of need. But, of all the bad results from this year, at all levels of the organization...
They (and we?) obviously thought they had something in John Ryan Murphy, and it only took a few months to learn they were wrong. On the other hand, Suzuki has played remarkably well over the last 3 or so months, and Centeno** - .247/.287/.354 in ~50 MLB games hasn't been a train wreck. Sure I'd rather have Hicks, but with everything else that failed miserably in Minneapolis this summer (pitching especially), well, I'm not going to cry too much about this one.
*3 weeks later, the Twins signed 26-year-old Robbie Grossman who, despite his lack of defense, was better offensively with the big club than at any point in his minor or major league career. I would argue this signing was a pretty good move despite his defensive flaws.
**Career MiLB numbers
As I recall the story, the Twins removed Hicks from the forty-man roster so they could add Murphy (who had signed a minor league deal) and promote him to the majors. Instead, he retired. I don't see Hicks as any kind of a star, but it does seem like a shame to lose him for no reason.
Agreed - I thought something like that was the case. Not a lot of foresight there by TR.
maybe I am missing something, but what does being removed from the 40-man roster have to do with retiring? Did they release him, or just DFA him through the waiver process to clear him off the 40-man?
Doesn't he have to pass through waivers once taken off 40 man?
Hicks was put on waivers and was claimed by Detroit. He was waived so the Twins could add Murphy. Murphy then asked for his release and retired.
Right, so they didn't "drop" him per se. They tried to get him through waivers to remove him from the 40-man, and lost him when Detroit made a claim. [I see that I jumbled Hicks' removal from the 40-man with Murphy's subsequent retirement]