Kuzul

I’m sure that tonight many Twins fans are again ruing management’s decision to send Matt Garza to the Rays before the 2008 season.  The deal has definitely played out better for the Rays so far, and the Twins could sure use Garza’s strong right arm this season. Nevertheless, Twins fans still have plenty to be hopeful for in this deal.

One of the things that frustrates me about fans and the media is their inability to see the long term—beyond the present season or the next season at most.  The key piece in this deal for Minnesota was obtaining Delmon Young. 

While he was disappointing his first two seasons (and he really wasn’t that bad either season), he’s now hitting .328 with an .895 OPS after tonight’s 19-1 pounding of the Royals in which Delmon got four hits including two doubles.  The thing is, Delmon’s still only 24 years old.

As I said, the Rays got the better end of this deal, because Garza has been the best player of the bunch.  Going forward from this moment, I’d still rather have Garza than Young, because, even though Garza, as a pitcher, has a higher probability of getting hurt, he may have an additional season before he becomes a free agent.  I’m also concerned about whether Young can be consistently good as an offensive player due to his inability to draw walks.

With that being said, Young’s talents are obvious, and he could easily be an All-Star each of the next two seasons.  Young had a reputation as a hot-head early in his career, mainly due to an incident in the minors in which he earned a 50 game suspension for throwing his bat into the chest of an umpire. 

However, the fact that he’s still in Minnesota after two-plus seasons with the Twins, who highly value “character” and don’t put up with a lot of guff in the clubhouse, suggests Young has matured considerably.

As for the rest of the deal, it has been kind of a wash.  Jason Bartlett had a great year in 2009 (.879 OPS), but his OPS as a Ray in 2008 was a mediocre .690, and he has a meager .665 OPS this season.  At age 30 this year, he isn’t likely to reach a .775 OPS again in any full season going forward.

Brendan Harris has now played his way out of the majors this season, but he had a solid season for the Twins in 2008.  Although his defense wasn’t particularly good anywhere, he gave the team some flexibility by playing 2B, SS, and 3B that year.

The final players in the deal, OF Jason Pridie and RHP Eddie Morlan, are no longer with either team.  Pridie is 26 this year and now playing for the Mets’ top farm club, the Buffalo Bison.  He doesn’t look like a future major leaguer, but he’s close enough and young enough that he could get lucky.

The Rays released Morlan after a poor start at AA Montgomery, which doesn’t really make sense given that Morlan is only 24 this year.  The Brewers picked him up and he’s now pitching pretty well for their AA team in Huntsville.  Given his age, he’s still a prospect, but he hasn’t shown any improvement since reaching AA ball in late 2007.

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When the Minnesota Twins completed a six-player deal for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, and Jason Pridie for Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Eduardo Morlan, many questioned whether the Twins made the right move.

In his two seasons with the Rays, Young accumulated 16 home runs, 103 RBI, 226 hits, and 12 stolen bases.

To be honest, some players have better seasons than that in just one year.

The Twins, at the time, were desperate to add another power bat into the lineup in order to keep up with the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians. Minnesota traded one of their best up-and-coming pitchers in Matt Garza and a talented defensive shortstop in Jason Bartlett to get the struggling former No. 1 overall pick.

As a Twins fan, I was disappointed in the acquisition. I felt as though Matt Garza was going to be a No. 2 starter in the rotation in the future. Where we stand now, it’s clear to see that Minnesota ended up getting the better of the deal.

In 2008, Delmon Young cranked out 10 homers, 69 RBI, 167 hits, and a .290 average in 152 games. The following year, Young had 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 112 hits, and averaged .284 at the plate. It’s no surprise that Minnesota fans wanted Delmon Young’s head on a plate or to be simply traded away.

It’s a good thing that we don’t run the organization.

Thus far in 2010, Delmon has hit 12 home runs, 73 RBI, 104 hits and is averaging an outstanding .325. These stats include Delmon Young’s four-hit, three-RBI performance tonight against the worst team in baseball, the Baltimore Orioles.

Currently, he ranks fourth in the American League in RBI behind Vladimir Guerrero of the Rangers (76), Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees (78), and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (86). I can personally guarantee that nobody expected Delmon to be in the top five of any major category in the American League.

If Young can continue the pace he’s been on for the past two weeks, he could be a serious contender for the AL MVP award. Delmon has gone from being eighth in the lineup to as high as fourth.

At only 24 years of age, Minnesota fans will be seeing a lot of Delmon Young in the near future. If the MLB had a comeback player of the year award, I would be the first to say that Delmon Young is definitely most deserving of the award.

Don’t be shocked to see Mr. Young playing in the 2011 All-Star game next year if he continues to progress in his game. I guess dropping 30 pounds in the offseason really did pan out for the young slugger.

If the Twins can acquire a top-notch pitcher, get Justin Morneau healthy, and have Jason Kubel start hitting again, they will become the team to beat in the American League.

It’s going to be an exciting stretch for the next two months, Twins fans.

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At this time last season, you couldn’t have paid me to wear a Delmon Young t-shirt.

I hated the way the guy played, pure and simple.  I wanted an everyday outfield of Span in left, Gomez in center, and Cuddyer in right, even though Gomez’s numbers were as erratic as ever.  Gomez offered speed and excitement, for better or worse. 

Young was epitomizing why many writers had called GM Bill Smith’s first trade with the Twins a disaster.

Delmon hadn’t proven much in his two seasons with the Twins, though he did have a much stronger second half in 2009.  But I didn’t trust him out there at all.

Then came the offseason trade of Gomez for shortstop J.J. Hardy.  I was once again left cursing Smith, though I was happy to have Hardy shoring up the infield. 

However, once the 2010 season began, Delmon Young took every Twins fan into the Twilight Zone.  His numbers have been way up, and he is finally proving to be the everyday left fielder who can produce both offensively and defensively.

Minnesota has been missing that since Shannon Stewart.

Young dropped 30 pounds over the winter, showing up to spring training with a much leaner frame.  He was suddenly able to get to balls in the outfield that would have left him flopping around on the ‘Dome’s Astroturf only months before.

Young batted .284 last year, driving in 60 RBI.  In 2010, he’s batting .308 and has already surpassed his RBI mark from last season, and is leading the Twins in that category.  His numbers are indicative of a player who has truly turned a corner in his career.

Not only is Young putting up the stats to show his improvement, but his timing has improved markedly, as well.  At the end of last season, he drove in 10 runs over the critical last few games of the season.  He has carried that ability over to this season, most recently driving in three key runs in the Twins’ come-from-behind victory over the Sox at Target Field.

This is clearly not the angry, sometimes pouty Young that Twins fans saw in previous seasons. 

He has matured and improved in both major aspects of the game. 

Defensively, the stats show that Delmon is having his best season to date with the Twins.  His fielding percent is 98.1 percent, surpassing the 97.3 mark he put up in each of his first two seasons in the Twin Cities.  He has only recorded three errors so far, another positive indicator. 

By this point in the 2009 season, I remember being so angry with Young that, any time a ball was sent towards left field, I cringed a little, wondering if he would make an ill-advised slide to get under the ball, wind up coming up short, and then scramble to try to prevent the ball from going to the warning track.

I remember thinking, “Well, here’s an out” every time Young stepped to the plate in 2009, despite his late-season heroics.  I’m swallowing my words right now.

I am quickly gaining confidence in Young’s abilities in the field, and he truly has made left field at Target Field his own.  Generally batting seventh, he’s solidifying the back end of a lineup that used to have all the danger of a bag of cats.  Last season’s back end had the likes of Gomez, Matt Tolbert, and other fill-ins. 

Now, Young sets the table for Nick Punto and J.J. Hardy… neither of them big bats, but both representing a significant improvement over prior seasons.  Young is able to combine with their speed to create danger.

So folks, welcome to the Twilight Zone, where Delmon Young comes through in the clutch and is finally finding living up to his potential.

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In a Major League season full of surprises, 2010 has brought on a handful of unexpected producers during the first half of the season.

Whether it has been the utter dominance of young pitchers, or the outburst of power from the big bats, there are veterans bouncing back, and many potential stars in the making.

Between some of baseball’s younger generation and some of the old, a wide variety of players have stood out on an unexpected level.

On the other hand, some of the early surprises of 2010 could be just a brief flash of stardom rather than more permanent dominance.

Whether they are for real, or just a flash in the pan, here is a breakdown of 25 of baseball’s biggest producers in the first half of 2010 that were definitely not predicted to perform as well as they have.

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Perpetual breakout/perpetual bust Delmon Young has long frustrated fantasy owners who have drafted him based on the unlimited potential we have been sold on for years.  For the better part of the last month, however, he may finally be living up to the hype.

It’s been more then that, too, as his overall numbers (all statistics are through Saturday) are solid:

205 At Bats
.307 Batting Average (63 Hits)
8 Home Runs
43 RBI
32 Runs
3 Stolen Bases
.345 On Base Percentage
.502 Slugging Percentage
.306 Batting Average on Balls in Play

In June, the numbers have been even better, hitting .387 with 3 HR, 16 RBI and 12 R.  While the BABIP is inflated, at .375, the big change has been in his ability to make contact.  In June he’s struck out just 6.5 percent of the time and for the year, he’s at 11.2 percent.  Just compare that to what he’s done the previous three seasons:

2007 (645 AB) – 19.7 percent 2008 (575 AB) – 18.3 percent 2009 (395 AB) – 23.3 percent

The lack of strikeouts coincides without drawing a walk, with just a 1.5 percent walk rate in June.  He’s never been someone who walked a significant amount, with a 4.2 percent career mark, but this is a little bit extreme.

The rest of the numbers are very similar to what he’s done in the past.  To date, he has an 11.4 percent HR/FB, the exact same rate he posted last season.  The reason we are seeing a little bit more power is due to an increase in fly ball rate.  For his career he’s at a 31.6 percent rate, but has it up to 37.2 percent in 2010.  At 24-years old (he turns 25 in September), seeing him gain power really isn’t a surprise.

That idea goes hand-in-hand with the number of doubles (16), which matches his total for 2009 in 190 fewer at bats.  The doubles haven’t been in June (3), but May, where he hit nine.  In other words, the power surge does not simply coincide with the current hot streak.

The question is, can Young finally continue this showing for the entire season?  Chances are he is not going to strikeout as rarely as he currently is, but there is every bit the chance that the power is for real.  Just look at what Baseball America said about him prior to the 2007 season when he was ranked as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays top prospect:

“Young possesses a smooth and consistent right-handed swing that produces line drives and the occasional cannon shot. He has an excellent approach, trying to drive every pitch back up the middle, which allows him to use the entire field and drive the ball consistently from gap to gap. He has the potential to contend for batting titles with at least 25-30 homers per season.”

Basically, that sounds like what he’s doing now.  He is putting the ball in the alleys and using his legs for doubles, occasionally catching one and sending it over the fence.  I’m not about to say that he’s finally developed into the stud player we thought he would, but he certainly has the potential to continue contributing all year long.

Given the upside and his current production, he is worth owning in all formats (and is a definite must own in five-outfielder formats).  Maybe it took him longer to get there, but either way, he has value.

What are your thoughts on Young?  Is this hot stretch for real or is it nothing but an aberration?

Make sure to check out our recent Scouting Reports:

Brett Cecil Jason Donald John Ely Brett Gardner John Jaso Brad Lincoln Jonathan Lucroy Jonathan Niese Jake Peavy Sean Rodriguez Mike Stanton Andres Torres

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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Every week, aside from my standard Fantasy Baseball dealings, I practice a little exercise to improve my research and team management skills.

On Sunday evenings I comb through who is available on the waiver/free agent wire, regardless of need, to familiarize myself with the current inventory.

Next, I try and create an entire starting team from all available players to compete against my current starting squad. This helps me on a broad spectrum for watching the trends of potential replacements, upgrades, and the occasional spot starter.

Below are the players I feel have the best chance of competing against my Starters.  FYI: It’s a Yahoo – 12 Team – H2H – 5X5. 



Included are the previous four weeks stats:



Week 12 Hitters (R-HR-RBI-SB-AVG)

C = Ronny Paulino FLA  (11-1-15-1-.333): With John Baker on the 60-day DL until August, Ronny has been very productive playing every day, and is worth the start with the hot bat.



1B = Lyle Overbay TOR (10-3-11-0-.298): Lyle has had four mutli-hit games in the past ten days. I’ll take that over the inconsistency of rookie Justin Smoak, even though his numbers are better over the month.



2B = Neil Walker PIT (12-2-9-2-.299): WHO??? That’s right Neil Tops my list at a VERY weak position. He was the 11th overall pick in 2004, but is still only 25. Needing runs from this position, he fits the bill because of his ability to get on base while hitting 2nd in the order.



3B = Kevin Kouzmanoff  OAK (11-3-14-1-.327): Finally….Kouz since May 31st has raised his BA 41 points from .244 to .285.  It didn’t hurt that he had seven multi-hit games in nine days over the last two weeks.

SS = Cliff Pennington OAK (11-0-3-3-.213): Anther Athletic making the list here.  Rookies like Cliff have stats that are Volatile and Inconsistent. I’ll ride the bullish bat in a current five game hit streak and seven of eight.



OF = Delmon Young MIN (15-4-26-1-.360): Ninth HOTTEST hitting Outfielder in ALL of baseball right now.



OF = Angel Pagan NYM (16-1-13-9-.311): Pick a Met, any Met (I can’t believe I’m saying that). You get a little bit of everything with Pagan. The stolen bases are especially nice.



OF = Jason Kubel MIN (12-6-22-0-.277): The law of baseball averages is never wrong…it was only a matter of time. Hitters will hit.

Week 12 Pitchers (IP – W – SV – K – ERA – WHIP)

SP = Jeremy Bonderman DET (40.2 -2 -0-30-3.32-1.20): Good to see him back to form. 



SP = Mark Buehrle CWS (32.2-3-0-23-3.86-1.47): Probably the most consistent in baseball. One of only a few TRUE Aces.



SP = Bronson Arroyo CIN (40.2-3-0-16-4.20-1.43): Ground ball pitcher is finally getting run support & Wins.  Can’t rely on him for many or any strikeouts he’s just not overpowering enough.



SP = Scott Feldman TEX (39.1-4-0-24-4.35-1.53): 17 Wins in 2009, but only five in 2010. The good news, four have been in the last month, and the Rangers are winning lots of games. May still get to 15 this season.



SP = Jason Hammel COL (41.1-4-0-32-1.74-1.16): WOW I can’t believe this guy is not on a roster.



RP = R.A. DICKEY NYM (32.1-5-0-29-2.78-1.39): There are NO closers available, so I felt that R.A. deserved the final spot on my roster.  As my reliever (Duel Eligibility SP/RP) he has more wins than any of my starters over the past month with five.  And oh yeah…. Pick a Met, any Met.

Who could you use to beat your starters?  
Post a comment with your thoughts and your Free Agent Roster. 
I’ll post the results next Sunday night.

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