Kyle Gibson Now Looking The Part

Jesse Johnson / USA TODAY Sports

If you asked a handful of different credible Twins sources who they were excited to see pitch coming into the 2015 Major League Baseball season, one of the most common answers would have been Kyle Gibson. The former first round pick is now 27 years old, and there were stretches that looked very promising over the course of the 2014 season. Hoping he was close to putting it together, the upcoming season provided plenty of intrigue. Now just over a month in, the former Missouri Tiger has not disappointed.

Gibson made his major league debut at the age of 25, and while that is relatively old for a top prospect coming out of college, his late start was not due to talent related issues. Undergoing Tommy John surgery while still in the Twins farm system, Gibson had to battle back and work his way back into the fold. Getting his first cup of coffee in the middle of the 2013 season, it was 2014 that Gibson finally broke into the rotation full time. His first full season at the big league level was filled with generally mixed results, and he owned a 4.47 ERA with a 3.80 FIP.

At nearly every level through the system, Gibson has been the same kind of pitcher. He's more reliable than overpowering, and despite strikeout numbers near 10.0 K/9 during the 2012 season, it was always somewhat expected that he may be more of a finesse pitcher at the major league level. Having owned a 5.4 K/9 mark in 2013, the Twins were no doubt hoping that the ratio would continue to climb as he settles into big league pitching.

Now with seven starts under his belt in 2015, Gibson has exploded out of the gate, and owns the 13th best ERA in the American League. At 2.70, Gibson trails only Mike Pelfrey (2.62) in the ERA department amongst starters. While generally there may be some concern for regression due to Gibson's high 4.52 FIP, the recipe currently in play could actually benefit him for the long haul.

As has been noted plenty this offseason and in the early portion of the year, the Twins have some significant defensive deficiencies. That being said, the largest liabilities in the field reside in the corner outfield positions. With outfield defense improving somewhat with the call up of Aaron Hicks, there still remains little doubt that fly ball pitchers will be hurt by the guys in the grass behind them. For Gibson however, this isn't exactly an issue for him.

For groundball pitchers such as Gibson, lifting a ball into the outfield because somewhat of a relative chore. In turn, the most taxed defensive players with Kyle on the mound become the infield, and they have played to his favor. Gibson has generated 50.3% ground balls this season, while giving up fly balls on just 27.3% of his batted balls. Better yet, of the fly balls he has given up, just 7.7% (a career best) have landed over the fence.

A sinkerball pitcher, there's always going to be an increased ability to keep the ball on the ground. As Pelfrey has noticed too however, the infield has done an exceptional job of taking care of the guy on the mound. Despite the major league leading nine errors, Danny Santana has proved invaluable in getting to 15 balls deemed out of his zone already on the season. Trevor Plouffe greatly expanding his defensive acumen has been a welcomed sight, and Brian Dozier continues to be a strong second basemen.

Statistically speaking, regression due to an out of whack FIP (fielding independent pitching) mark would make sense, but Gibson could continue to benefit from the greater whole as well. Generating ground balls on the mound, and his infield making plays behind him, Gibson is well on his way to his best season as a pro. No doubt his best start of the year, Gibson went 7 innings giving up just five hits, one run on a solo home run, and striking out six while walking none against the Tigers.

If the strikeout numbers can hold, and everything else stays the course, Kyle Gibson could continue to be one of the best stories for the Twins in 2015.

The Twins Outfield Future Begins

Last night former first round draft pick, Aaron Hicks, got the call from the Minnesota Twins. While it isn't his first rodeo in the big leagues, there's no doubt this time signifies what might be the most important. After playing 27 games at the Triple-A level and batting .336/.415/.561, Minnesota saw fit to improve their outfield by bringing Hicks back into the fold. With more weighing on Hicks this time around, there's also plenty of reason to believe things click.

Although he was the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft, Hicks took a more accelerated route to the big leagues than would have been expected. Despite playing five seasons in the minors, his best season at the plate saw him hit .318/.409/.491 in Rookie ball immediately after being drafted. A strong 2013 spring training, combined with the Twins dealing both Denard Span and Ben Revere, had Hicks being promoted directly from Double-A. After 150 games of struggle at the big league level, it was apparent a new approach was needed with Hicks.

Last season, the Twins demoted Hicks from the major leagues to Double-A. Playing in 43 games for Double-A New Britain in 2014, Hicks batted .297/.404/.466 and once again looked the part of an exciting prospect. Hicks was promoted to Triple-A Rochester, and for the first time in his career, played through Double and Triple-A in succession.

Expected to come into the 2015 season with the starting centerfield job his to lose once again, the Twins opted to go a different direction. With returns in spring training not being where the club wanted, Paul Molitor brought both Jordan Schafer and Shane Robinson north. A confusing decision at the time, there's no doubt that Hicks made the most of his time in Triple-A. Abusing opposing pitchers while being the offensive catalyst for the Red Wings in 2015, Hicks no doubt earned his most recent promotion back to the big leagues.

Now in line for the starting centerfield role for the forseeable future, the Twins are hopeful they can begin to watch their outfield unfold. Hicks will immediately bring not only an offensive boost, but also defensive help, to a lackluster outfield. He presents opportunity for a Twins team in a good spot, to reach even new heights. The Twins hope is that Hicks will play his way into their future plans.

There's little doubt that Byron Buxton is eventually going to take over the centerfield role for the Twins. He's the number one prospect in all of baseball, and he's looked the part at every level. Buxton and Hicks are mutually exclusive however, in that the success of each of them would be huge for the Twins. Casting aside Hicks' previous struggles (remember, he's in uncharted territory now having excelled at each level of the farm system in order), a solid start for Hicks makes him an ideal corner fit for the Twins. Hicks has a plus arm, and could profile nicely in right field down the line.

Minnesota is no doubt enjoying the success that the 2015 season has brought them in the early going, but this team is built to contend for years to come. The hope would no doubt be that an outfield of Oswaldo Arcia, Byron Buxton, and Aaron Hicks would be the configuration for many years to come. Adding in Eddie Rosario as a 4th option would only further the talent that the Twins could employ out of the gate next season.

The Minnesota Twins, Aaron Hicks, and most everyone sees this as a last shot for the former first round pick, but smart money may be on the player. Hicks has shown plenty of reason to believe in him, and for the sake of an improved outfield going forward, the hope would be that it all comes full circle.

How Do The Twins Manage The Current Success?

With the Minnesota Twins getting their first off day since April 23, the team is no doubt in a good spot. Owners of an 18-14 record, and finding themselves just 2.5 games back in the AL Central, the break provides a perfect opportunity to set things up going forward. With some key games upcoming, and the club looking to stay on the right side of the win column, there's a few key areas of focus for the team as the season goes on.

Coming off of a 2014 season in which the Twins offense produced a top 10 number in the runs scored category, there was little reason to worry about how this team would score. Although regression was bound to set in for players such as Kurt Suzuki and Danny Santana (and it has), there has been a handful of key contributors that have picked up the slack. However, going forward, there's no doubt the Twins will need to combat continued regression with timely additions.

In the outfield, it's become way past time for Minnesota to make the call for Aaron Hicks. Regardless of his previous major league track record, he's more than earned his way back. Slashing .330/.412/.553 at Triple-A Rochester, and bringing strong defense to the outfield, he's an asset the Twins currently don't have. Shane Robinson and Jordan Schafer currently own a combined .603 OPS for the Twins, while Hicks has a stout .965 number. Even in past struggles, Hicks has always gotten on base, and he could provide some added firepower to the back of the Twins lineup. With the off day prior to kicking off a series with the Tigers, there's no better time than now for the move to be made.

Much like Hicks, Josmil Pinto has all but proven himself at the Triple-A level as well. Assumed by many that he was left off of the Opening Day roster due to a late spring injury, the stay in Triple-A has been longer than expected. Now the owner of an impressive .303/.398/.438 line complete with three home runs and 14 runs batted in, Minnesota's lineup would only benefit from his inclusion. Despite his deficiencies behind the plate, Pinto would be a vast offensive upgrade over the Twins current options. Chris Herrmann owns a .179 average across 11 games, and Kurt Suzuki has started off the season batting just .233 in 26 contests. The Twins making an addition from within would no doubt be beneficial to them.

Looking past offensive upgrades, there's no doubt that the Twins need to continue to refine their pitching outlook. Over the course of their last 13 games, the Twins starters own just a 4.74 K/9 combined with a 2.31 BB/9. Considering the defensive liabilities, Twins pitchers are still making their defense work incredibly too hard. Although Phil Hughes has actually started 2015 off on a better foot than he did 2014, he's gone back to being home run prone. After giving up just 16 home runs in 32 starts a season ago, he has already surrendered 9 long balls in just seven starts this season. As would be expected, the Twins have struggled to win games in which their pitchers have given up home runs.

Knowing that the rotation will be afforded the opportunity to insert Ervin Santana in July, there's plenty of reason to hope the current construction can hold until then. Mike Pelfrey has been the clubs best starter despite owning a 4.64 FIP (fielding independent pitching) against a 2.62 ERA. Where it stands currently, Pelfrey finds himself owning the 10th best ERA in the American League. With his FIP suggesting regression is coming, the Twins need someone else to step up. Conversely, Ricky Nolasco owns a 3.69 FIP and a 9.00 ERA across his first three starts. The FIP mark checks in as the fourth lowest across his 10 year major league career. Assuming he continues to pitch as he has, better days should lie ahead for Nolasco, and he could become an asset in the current rotation.

Although Minnesota has started out hot, they have just one series win against a team with a record over .500 (Kansas City). Getting ready for a three game set against the Detroit Tigers in which they miss David Price, there's no doubt a series victory would be a big boost to the club's future prospectus. Following up the Tigers series with winnable contests against the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota finds themselves in a position to continue the narrative of beating the teams that they should.

Looking ahead, there's little reason to suggest that this team should be viewed in the same context of those in recent memory. While losing 90 games last year, the Twins found themselves competitive early. The difference this time around is that the hammer shouldn't be expected to fall. With plenty of internal options at hand to supplement what is already an improved major league squad, this team should remain relevant and competitive going forward. Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan must continue to stack the deck in their favor, and key roster decisions and moves will pave the way for that to take place.

On A-Rod, The Longball, And Those Damn Yankees

Kim Klement/USA Today

Sure, I know this is a Minnesota Twins blog, but at times it's ok to deviate a little bit from the mean. After all, if we're going to focus solely on another team in baseball, it's probably worth talking about the New York Yankees. There's probably not another foe more hated in the state of Minnesota, and for good reason, but the recent history runs plenty deep. With Alex Rodriguez hitting home run number 661 last night, it would seem now is as good of a time as any for a little reflection.

First let's start with the hear and now. On the season, the former Yankee posterboy Rodriguez has seven home runs. That total equals the mark he recorded in 2013 (albeit he played in only 44 games). Having served a season long suspension a year ago, it looks like Rodriguez has his legs back under him, and he's looking straight up at Barry Bonds record. Had it not been for former Twin Delmon Young robbing a home run from A-Rod last night (surprisingly Delmon Young robbed a home-run, crazy things do happen), the Yankee slugger would be sitting exactly 100 longballs away from tying Bonds' mark. So how do we put it all into context?

On September 5, 2007 Barry Bonds hit his last home run, number 762. At the age of 42, he was winding down a season in which he launched 28 homers, while hitting .276 and leading the majors with a .480(!!!) on base percentage. I was in the stands at Great American Ballpark in the summer of 2003 when Bonds launched number 647 against the Cincinnati Reds, there's no doubt in my mind he was one of the greatest power hitters of all time. Now with Rodriguez quickly approaching that territory, it's time to contextualize the concept as well.

Both Bonds and Rodriguez used performance-enhancing drugs. I don't need a grand jury or either player to outright admit to that, it's more the validated. Each of them stacked the deck in their favor. While baseball was searching for an offensive revitalizing, commissioner Bud Selig turned a blind eye, and players like the two mentioned took advantage. Eventually Selig decided he'd had enough, it had gotten out of control on his watch, and now he'd go on a witch hunt to reign it back in. Fortunate or not, both Bonds and Rodriguez have become the gold standard for negativity in the steroid era of baseball. For me however, it's tough to chalk up their accomplishments as nonsensical due to that understanding.

In nearly every era over the course of the existence of baseball, circumstances have remained difficult to compare. Whether it be amphetamines, the exclusion of African-American players, the live ball era, or some combination of other events, baseball has consistently been inconsistent. Although not to condone cheating, I find slighting otherworldly performances in the greatest game on earth to be shortsighted. I can dismiss Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds the individuals, neither of them seem like great people, their accomplishments reside in a different category.

As Bonds launched number 762 on September 5, it could have been reasoned that an entire generation of baseball fans had just experienced something they would never see again. Fast forwarding to 2015, it stands to reason that same generation may just be lucky enough to see it happen twice. With each Rodriguez home run, he moves one step closer to breaking what seemed to be an insurmountable record. At 39, time is running out, but the baseball fan in me is hoping there's just enough.

Do I think Alex Rodriguez is the greatest power hitter to ever play the game, probably not. Would I love to witness Rodriguez being the second all-time home run record breaker in my lifetime, there's no doubt about it. While I still will always dismiss Alex Rodriguez the person, I love the longball as much as anyone else, and despite hating those damn Yankees, it's about so much more than that.

Early Returns Show New Era With Molitor

Manager Paul Molitor #4 outfield the Minnesota Twins watches as his team takes on the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on April 12, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/ Getty Images)

At the end of the 2014 Major League Baseball season, and consequently the Twins fourth consecutive with 90 losses, the organization decided to relieve skipper Ron Gardenhire of his duties. After being the head of the clubhouse in Minnesota for 13 seasons, it was decided that Terry Ryan would be going a new direction. After interviewing everyone from Chip Hale to Doug Mientkiewicz, the Twins found their heir apparent in Paul Molitor. Now with his first month under his belt, it appears a new era has been ushered in.

While it might be nice to immediately point to the fact that Molitor helped the Twins reached a record of three games over .500 for the first time since 2010, it's far to early to start suggesting what will be made of the 2015 season. Knowing that the club has played a handful of AL Central opponents and has remained competitive is a good start, but there's far more factors at play when looking at Molitor's influence. For the Twins, there's no doubt that the continuing trend this season will be that process should drive results.

In baseball, managers have a significantly lesser effect on the game than say a head coach in football, there's little denying that. However, knowing that the effect is seen only in short bursts, it is up to the manager to make the right decisions, at the right times, to put their respective ball club in the best position to succeed. With Gardy at the helm for 13 years, the Twins rarely reinvented themselves, and the style of the man in charge became widely apparent. Because of that, it is in Molitor's early actions that evidence of new thought processes have already grown prevalent.

Through the first month of the season, Molitor has shown little regard to keeping things certain. One of the most glaring areas of example may be the batting order. Having shuffled it on nearly a bi-nightly basis, Molitor has pushed his team from a -20 run differential through their first seven games, to a +13 mark as of May 8. Deciding to move on from the strikeout prone Danny Santana as the leadoff guy, pushing Trevor Plouffe into the cleanup hole, and jump-starting Kennys Vargas after a short benching have all been positive situations.

Turning attention to the pitching mound, Gardenhire and Rick Anderson became frustratingly stubborn late in their tenure with the Twins. For all the positives they had both given the organization over the years, they were seemingly set against better judgement the past few seasons. A struggling pitcher was left in too long, bullpen usage became questionable, and runs against totals went through the roof. With Molitor at the helm, the change has already been more than apparent.

Forget the fact that Glen Perkins has been used for four-out saves (which makes so much sense!), but there's also the examples of Molitor realizing his starters end. While the bullpen is a pieced together hodgepodge in its current state, there's no doubt Molitor has navigated it wonderfully. Making sure to go get starters before they do themselves in, and working to put relievers in consistently workable situations, the Twins have actually benefited from their own decision making far more often than not.

For Minnesota to fully feel the addition of Paul Molitor as their manager, a full season worth of information is going to need to be gathered. In the early going however, there's no doubt that Molitor has made strides with a team not currently at its peak, void of some superior options, and looking to squeeze out every advantage it can. Prior to his hiring, Molitor was described as an elite baseball mind, and it's hard to argue otherwise at this point.

Byron Buxton, And The Trip To The Show

Byron Buxton is not only the Minnesota Twins most exciting and number one prospect, but also is regarded as the best prospect in all of baseball. Having been drafted out of high school with the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, he's no knocking on the door of the major leagues. Before he gets the call though, what do the Twins want him to do to earn it?

After missing what amounted to the majority of the 2014 season due to a multitude of different injuries, Buxton entered spring training with no chance of making the big league club. Expecting some rust from the get go, the Twins sent Buxton to Double-A Chattanooga. In his first few games, Buxton showed definite signs of that rust, and his average rested right around the Mendoza Line. Now with a stellar few weeks under his belt, he's batting .274/.340/.505. Having blasted three home runs, driven in 15 runs, stolen seven bases, and ran out five triples, Buxton is showing off his offensive prowess. There's no doubt he could immediately be a Gold Glove caliber centerfielder, but the Twins want the complete package. Putting together a good couple of weeks is a good start, but there's no doubt Minnesota wants a little more.

While healthy, the Twins organization has been aggressive with their promotion of Buxton. He played just 68 games at Cedar Rapids before being promoted to Fort Myers in the 2013 season. Then in 2014, injuries slowed him out of the gate, but it took only 30 games before Minnesota moved their stud prospect to Double-A New Britain. Having been injured in his very first game, it's hard to project how 2014 could have ended, but there's no doubt he would have been pushing for his next challenge. Stringing together some strong performances in Chattanooga will have Buxton looking to move again, but the question will be where.

Looking at similarly aggressively accelerated prospects, Mike Trout and Kris Bryant, the Angels and Cubs saw plenty in their young stars. Trout played at Cedar Rapids just two years before Buxton and batted .362/.454/.526 (compared to Buxton's .341/.431/.559). It took just 91 games at Double-A (while hitting .326/.414/.544) before the Angels moved Trout to Triple-A Salt Lake. Trout batted over .400 for 20 games, and it was apparent his time in the minors was done.

Although more comparable to trout from a pure hitting perspective, Buxton can also be tied to the promotion of the Cubs Bryant. Promoted just a matter of weeks ago, Bryant dominated the minor leagues. Hitting .336/.390/.688 across three different levels in his first professional season, as well as .325/.438/.661 in Double and Triple-A in 2014, the Cubs knew what they had. It took 77 Triple-A games before the Cubs gave their third basemen of the future the call.

So looking at Buxton, what does it all mean? There's probably little reason to expect the power numbers to be the same as the two compared prospects. Both Bryant and Trout are much more consistent home run hitters, that said, expecting Buxton to contribute 15-20 at the next level is more than fair. The pop in his bat has shown just fine, the defense is there, and so is the speed. Right now, the biggest thing Buxton needs on his side is time.

After what was a wasted 2014 season, Minnesota wants to make sure Buxton is comfortable. He's played just 24 games in Chattanooga, and roughly half have been good ones at the plate. Unlike Trout and Bryant, there may not be reason that Buxton needs Triple-A exposure. No matter how the Twins decide to promote him however, the timeline is running short on his minors stay. With the recent tear, and the club winning at the top level, Buxton probably has less than 70 games left down on the farm. I'll leave it to the Twins to split that up how they choose.

Initially I thought we'd see Buxton sometime in late August at the earliest. If he can continue to trend upwards and stay healthy, there's no reason to believe he wouldn't be the best addition to the Twins in July. Right now he's not ready, and it isn't about the Twins slow-moving him or avoiding arbitration. His readiness can continue to change drastically though as long as things continue to progress positively. No matter what, Byron Buxton is going to be here sooner rather than later, and we are all in for some excitement.

Is It Time To Take The Twins Seriously?

Courtesy: Pioneer Press

Now into the second month of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins have just under 30 games under their belt. Looking at the landscape of the season that is to come, they've completed roughly one-fifth of their slate, and played through the month of April against foes coming largely from the AL Central. At 15-13 as of May 6, and just 2.5 games out of first in the Central Division, things are in a good place. Now the question is, should we take this Twins team seriously?

After starting 1-6 through on the season, and seeing plenty of misguided "the sky is falling" type comments, the Twins have turned it around big time. Winners of 11 out of 16 games at home, they currently own the best home record in the America League. After being -20 early in the season in the run differential category, Minnesota is now +12 in that department (trailing only the Royals, Yankees, and Astros). With plenty of time left until the heat of the summer, Minnesota has plenty of time to continue to shape their 2015 narrative.

Taking a look at previous Opening Day Twins rosters (check them out here at Twinkie Town, Jesse does a great job with these), there's been a looming cloud for the past four seasons. With plenty of areas for concern, and few alternative options, the question was always when would the bottom fall out. Last season, the Twins hung around longer than expected, and even made a move to add Kendrys Morales into the lineup. The eventual result in recent seasons has always been a late summer slide that has turned into uninspired September baseball. With Paul Molitor in his first season, this club looks poised to turn the corner.

Arguably one of the worst lineups the Twins have put on the field during 2015, Molitor went with Eduardo Escobar, Chris Herrmann, and Shane Robinson as his 5-7 hitters against the Athletics last night. While Herrmann went hitless, Escobar paced the lineup, and the team hung a 13 spot on Oakland. Although that's obviously an isolated example, the fact of the matter is that this team has battled in the early going, and has found ways to get it done.

When the summer months roll around, and this team is looking for an added jolt, there doesn't seem to be a point where the bottom should drop out. Guys like Herrmann, Eduardo Nunez, Jordan Schafer, and Shane Robinson are all replaceable from within the organization, and their eventual removal should be a net positive. Getting a hot hitting Josmil Pinto, Aaron Hicks, or even Byron Buxton into the lineup should only give the Twins a better chance on a nightly basis.

With the lineup producing where it is, it might be best to remember that everything begins and ends with pitching. Sure, the Twins haven't lit the world on fire, by Trevor May, Mike Pelfrey, and Kyle Gibson have all been nice surprises in the early going. If this club can continue to pitch at a respectable level, they should expect to be in games on a night basis.

There's no doubt the AL Central will continue to be one of the toughest divisions throughout the remainder of the season. I find it hard to believe that the White Sox and Indians will continue to be as bad as they have been, as well as believing the Royals and Tigers won't be as good as they have started. If Minnesota can continue to stay even keel, there's no doubt they'll be in a position to make some waves come September.

It's early, but it's time to stop comparing this team to the futility that has come before it. This roster is cut from a different cloth, and the performance has warranted a new line of optimism. There's no doubt this Twins team is capable of continuing to make believers out of people.