Minnesota "Rookies" Getting a Chance  (5/29/2017)

Partially due to injuries but more due to turnover, the Berserkers have six of nine starting lineup spots held by players with less than a year of major league experience.   Together, they are making up the most fearsome Minnesota lineup since the inaugural season.   Four of the six players are from the 2015 draft, which could turn out to be an important turning point in Minnesota's future success.




1B Bob Brown was a fourth round pick in 2015.  He's currently leading the team with a .349 AVG and has a .921 OPS.   Called up late last season, the 24 year old has stabilized 1B defense as well, improving over Blanchard's double digit -ZR by simply hovering around average.




The 3B starting job went to rookie Alan Hurt, who was much talked about in last month's article and in the offseason.   Hurt continues to prove that he deserved a chance, with an .844 OPS thanks to seven HR in 43 games.  Hurt was a third round pick in 2015.

Luis "Patches" Rodriguez, one of the two Luis Rodriguez's on the team,  got his chance to start last season around the midway point when it was clear Minnesota was out of the running.  Patches has provided elite defense (a +4.4 ZR through May) and though he has been a below average hitter due to his struggles against LHP, he holds an .853 OPS against RHP.  Rodriguez was acquired on a minor league deal in 2014 as an international amateur.

Patrolling CF this season is Harley Fisher.  Acquired in a trade from Ann Arbor for 2B Reese O'Higgins, another 3rd Rd Pick but in 2013.   Fisher has been a late bloomer in Minnesota, growing in potential after getting the starting job late last season.   Thanks to an increased contact rate and power, he's produced a .952 OPS with a .333 AVG and 10 HR.  Maybe most surprising is his plus CF defense at +3.5 ZR.




A recent call-up due to injuries, OF Frank White has a .283/.367/.434 triple slash.  Not dominating but a good start after a sudden call-up.  Not that White needed more seasoning after a .998 OPS in AAA, but there just wasn't room on the roster for this #16 Pick in 2015.  White is another young player that has brought above average defense along with a decent bat and has a +1.3 ZR in just 13 games.


The second Luis Rodriguez, "Too," has gotten a start at SS after Chip Render and Sam Harper, the #1 and #2 on the depth chart, went down with injury.  Rodriguez was the fifth round pick in the 2015 draft.   He's made a big impact in just six games, hitting .440.   It's likely he'll be moved back down once the other starters get healthy since the front office wants him playing every day and would also like him to get experienced at 2B and 3B.

Minnesota fans should be excited by such a young core, that incidentally, also includes 23 year old Peter Blanchard, for years to come.

Filling the Hot Corner 

As Minnesota looked toward this season and made moves to fill or improve many positions, one of their largest holes was at 3B.

Steady Gardening...

From the inaugural season until the the end of 2016, Bryan Gardner appeared in 675 games and took 2550 ABs as the Starting 3B for the Berserkers. 

Now with Seattle, he struggled his last two seasons in the frigid north, but Gardner still managed to leave Minnesota with a .793 OPS and an OPS+ of 101 and managed over 25 HR a season on average, with a high of 31.  

His plus glove helped him finish with a total of 26.6 ZR over the course of 2012-2016.

Add it all up and Gardner was an 11.5 WAR player over five seasons, or 2.3 WAR p/season, the definition of a solid starter.

Minnesota's GM brokered a couple of deals this offseason, but there wasn't much out there in terms of 3B, and the FA market was equally of any decent long term solution.

This meant the front office would have to turn to in-house options, or perhaps find value in a journeyman signing.

Bring on the Hurt

As Minnesota looked at possible replacements this offseason, the two main in-house options were Matt Reynolds or Alan Hurt, both very similar players.  Low contact bats, average defense, but big potential power.   They were less than ideal replacements for multiple reasons, but one thing Minnesota often tries to do is keep decent prospects out of the majors at the start of the season to maximize team control.  

It might have been possible to avoid calling one up, but in the end because of the lack of available options, that strategy looked like it would hurt the team and their goal to make the playoffs this season.

There was also the option of Chip Render or Sam Harper, but the front office was hoping to keep one of them as a utility infielder while the other started at SS.   So, the organization sat back and waited to see what improvements Hurt or Reynolds might make and had their head scout, Craig, keep a close eye on both.

In the meantime, 3B/1B Lou Gibson and 3B Andy Miller were signed as depth options.  Gibson would be the better option at the plate, but Miller was a gold glove caliber fielder with a decent eye.  As it turned out, Gibson ended up starting the season in AAA and Miller is the platoon option vs. LHP.

As the offseason progressed, Craig's reports about Hurt continued to improve.  It seemed in the Arizona Fall League his bat looked quicker and he improved at third base, extending his range a bit and fielding the ball more cleanly.   These two clear advances made him the obvious choice, especially when paired with his ability to play some second base and switch hit.

As Minnesota rarely makes any decisions based on spring training numbers, this meant that Hurt got the invite and Reynolds would stay in AAA.  Hurt's numbers weren't all that impressive: .222/.246/.492.  He was still given the starting job at 3B against RHP, with the plan to utilize their veteran acquisitions, Miller or Gibson, if Hurt struggled.

So far, their faith in him has been rewarded, even if it has been just three short weeks.  Hurt has hit .314/.375/.627 overall with three HR in 51 PAs.   It's a bit above expectations for the 23 year-old who moved quickly through the minors and pitchers will likely adjust to him soon, but it's an encouraging start.