Just thought I'd post a few links to Twins-related stuff that I've been reading today.
Recap of Last Night's game
StarTribune
MLB.com
Twins 2, Tigers 0: Play of the Game (TwinsGeek.com)
Span Ejected, Throws Bat (yahoo.com)
Previews of Tonight's game
Twins vs. Detroit (ESPN.com)
Twins vs. Detroit (MLB.com)
Notes on Morneau
Morneau Leaves Game with Stiff Back (MLB.com)
Morneau is Cleaning Up (Nick's Twins Blog)
Morneau Leaves in Fifth Inning (ESPN.com)
Kubel's Slump
DH a Problem Spot for a Number of Clubs (ESPN.com)
Liriano's Electric Start
Strikeouts and Grounds: Francisco Liriano is Dealing Again (AaronGleeman.com)
How Ridiculous is Liriano's Slider? (Over the Baggy)
Oh My Goodness! (sethspeaks.net)
Francisco Liriano's Great Start (FanGraphs.com)
Other (Non-Twins) Interesting Stories
Howard's End (Joe Posnanski)
If you have any other links to add, please do so in the comments.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
A New Swagger
The Twins have been walking around with a bit of a different attitude this year. It's no surprise really when you look at their record (11-5) and realize that they still haven't really clicked on offense yet. They've beaten teams that expect to be in the playoff hunt come September (Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago) and they've beat up on the teams that they need to (Kansas City, Cleveland). They've won five straight series and look to continue that trend on their upcoming 9 game road trip.
Perhaps the biggest difference between this year and years past is the extra money spent on acquiring quality players that will hopefully be the rest of the puzzle for this young Twins team. Orlando Cabrera, Carl Pavano, and Jim Thome are adding a veteran presence to a strong core of players in Kubel, Cuddyer, Span, Mauer and Morneau. Francisco Liriano has looked sharp in his two most recent outtings and while he may never return to 2006 form, he could be a dark horse ace for the Twins. Kevin Slowey has also looked sharp in the starting rotation.
Last year when the Twins won the division, needing a 163rd game, they spent only 9 days in first place the entire season. This year? Well they've almost doubled that total (16 days) and it's not even May yet. They haven't lost 2 games in a row yet this year and already have 2 team shutouts of their opponents (compared to 7 all of last year).
The Twins beat up on the division last year, which is generally a good indicator of a playoff contender, to the tune of 46-27 and are off to a strong start this year going 6-3 so far. They also posted another impressive inter-league record at 12-6 which they hope to build on this year.
It is only three weeks into the season, but so far this Twins team is living up to expectations. When the offense finally gets going, watch out for them to take the next step and maybe even take 2 out of 3 from the Yankees in New York (My bold prediction for the year).
Perhaps the biggest difference between this year and years past is the extra money spent on acquiring quality players that will hopefully be the rest of the puzzle for this young Twins team. Orlando Cabrera, Carl Pavano, and Jim Thome are adding a veteran presence to a strong core of players in Kubel, Cuddyer, Span, Mauer and Morneau. Francisco Liriano has looked sharp in his two most recent outtings and while he may never return to 2006 form, he could be a dark horse ace for the Twins. Kevin Slowey has also looked sharp in the starting rotation.
Last year when the Twins won the division, needing a 163rd game, they spent only 9 days in first place the entire season. This year? Well they've almost doubled that total (16 days) and it's not even May yet. They haven't lost 2 games in a row yet this year and already have 2 team shutouts of their opponents (compared to 7 all of last year).
The Twins beat up on the division last year, which is generally a good indicator of a playoff contender, to the tune of 46-27 and are off to a strong start this year going 6-3 so far. They also posted another impressive inter-league record at 12-6 which they hope to build on this year.
It is only three weeks into the season, but so far this Twins team is living up to expectations. When the offense finally gets going, watch out for them to take the next step and maybe even take 2 out of 3 from the Yankees in New York (My bold prediction for the year).
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Indians at Twins - 4/22
Scott Baker will look to win his third straight decision in the final game of the series while taking on the Indians' Mitch Talbot who is coming off of a complete game effort of his own.
Talbot is not a strikeout pitcher and will need to attack the strike zone early against a patient Twins lineup. Jim Thome will likely get the start in the DH spot while Jason Kubel will take over left field for the final game of the current homestand. No Twins hitters have faced Talbot at the major league level.
The Indians will get their first look of the year at Scott Baker who has gotten a bit roughed up by the Indians in the past. Travis Hafner has hit .387/.441/.935 against Baker in 31 at bats, including 4 HRs and 5 2Bs. Mark Grudzielanek has also had success against baker, hitting at a .471/.471/.647 clip against the righty in 17 ABs. Baker will look to draw upon Kevin Slowey and Francisco Liriano's success against the Indian line-up as each were able to go 8 innings. The Twins pitching staff has only allowed 1 ER to the Indians throughout the first two games in 18 innings pitched.
The Twins have won 5 straight series to enter the season, but are looking to make their first sweep. They begin a 9 game road trip after the game this afternoon. The weather looks beautiful outside and it should be another great day of outdoor baseball in Minneapolis.
Talbot is not a strikeout pitcher and will need to attack the strike zone early against a patient Twins lineup. Jim Thome will likely get the start in the DH spot while Jason Kubel will take over left field for the final game of the current homestand. No Twins hitters have faced Talbot at the major league level.
The Indians will get their first look of the year at Scott Baker who has gotten a bit roughed up by the Indians in the past. Travis Hafner has hit .387/.441/.935 against Baker in 31 at bats, including 4 HRs and 5 2Bs. Mark Grudzielanek has also had success against baker, hitting at a .471/.471/.647 clip against the righty in 17 ABs. Baker will look to draw upon Kevin Slowey and Francisco Liriano's success against the Indian line-up as each were able to go 8 innings. The Twins pitching staff has only allowed 1 ER to the Indians throughout the first two games in 18 innings pitched.
The Twins have won 5 straight series to enter the season, but are looking to make their first sweep. They begin a 9 game road trip after the game this afternoon. The weather looks beautiful outside and it should be another great day of outdoor baseball in Minneapolis.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
A Tale of Two Francisco's
Francisco Liriano has made two starts for the Twins so far this season: one not so good and one not so bad. Luckily he's trending the right way. Here's a look at the two different Liriano's we've seen so far this year:
Walks/K's
In his first outting, Liriano was erratic and had trouble finding the plate, throwing 92 pitches and only 56 for strikes (60.8%). He walked 5 and only struk out 3 for a terrible BB/K ratio. In his second start, Liriano fared a bit better, throwing 96 pitches, 64 for strikes (66.6%). He struck out 8 while only walking 2. If Liriano can cut down on the number of walks allowed, he's going to be a dangerous fifth starter for Minnesota.
WPA
One of my favorite stats, WPA measures a players win probability added. This is on a scale of -1 to 1 where 1 would mean the player was solely responsible for the win and -1 meaning the opposite. In Liriano's first start, he posted a -0.120 wpa comapred to a 0.341 effort his second time around. This is a 0.461 swing which is pretty impressive, but also a bit concerning since there is such a large gap there. His third start will hopefully give us a better idea of where he's at this year.
GB/FB
One of the more telling stats between Liriano's two starts is the number of ground ball outs compared to fly ball outs that he was able to get. In his first start Liriano was only able to get 7 ground ball outs compared to 10 flyball outs. He turned this around in his second outing, getting 12 outs on the ground and only 5 in the air. If Liriano can continue to get outs on the ground, he will be able to pitch much more effectively. (In 2006, Liriano's break out year, he posted a 1.93 GB/FB ratio compared to last year, maybe his most disappointing year, when he posted only a 0.95 GB/FB ratio)
Liriano will face an Indians line-up that struggled against right-hander Kevin Slowey last night, but is heavily left-handed. He'll look to repeat his successful start his last time out and continue to give Twins fans a reason to hope that he can return to something near his dominating 2006 form.
Walks/K's
In his first outting, Liriano was erratic and had trouble finding the plate, throwing 92 pitches and only 56 for strikes (60.8%). He walked 5 and only struk out 3 for a terrible BB/K ratio. In his second start, Liriano fared a bit better, throwing 96 pitches, 64 for strikes (66.6%). He struck out 8 while only walking 2. If Liriano can cut down on the number of walks allowed, he's going to be a dangerous fifth starter for Minnesota.
WPA
One of my favorite stats, WPA measures a players win probability added. This is on a scale of -1 to 1 where 1 would mean the player was solely responsible for the win and -1 meaning the opposite. In Liriano's first start, he posted a -0.120 wpa comapred to a 0.341 effort his second time around. This is a 0.461 swing which is pretty impressive, but also a bit concerning since there is such a large gap there. His third start will hopefully give us a better idea of where he's at this year.
GB/FB
One of the more telling stats between Liriano's two starts is the number of ground ball outs compared to fly ball outs that he was able to get. In his first start Liriano was only able to get 7 ground ball outs compared to 10 flyball outs. He turned this around in his second outing, getting 12 outs on the ground and only 5 in the air. If Liriano can continue to get outs on the ground, he will be able to pitch much more effectively. (In 2006, Liriano's break out year, he posted a 1.93 GB/FB ratio compared to last year, maybe his most disappointing year, when he posted only a 0.95 GB/FB ratio)
Liriano will face an Indians line-up that struggled against right-hander Kevin Slowey last night, but is heavily left-handed. He'll look to repeat his successful start his last time out and continue to give Twins fans a reason to hope that he can return to something near his dominating 2006 form.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Post Game: Twins vs. Indians 4/20
Final Score: Twins 5, Indians 1
Recap:
Overall it was an ugly game for the Indians who committed 2 errors which combined with erratic starting pitching gave the Twins an early lead that they would not give up. Kevin Slowey looked sharped and the 5 runs (3 unearned) that the offense mustered were plenty.
Twins
Kevin Slowey looked good on the mound, pitching effectively and efficiently limiting the reigning AL Player of the week Shin-Soo Choo to 0-3 with 3 K's (0-4 total on the day). He looked very sharp, pitching 8 innings, giving up 5 hits and only 1 run. He had 9 strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Brian Duensing wrapped up the 9th with a 1-2-3 effort.
Justin Morneau got it done at the plate going 2-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI while Joe Mauer was held hitless. The bottom of the order (Hardy and Harris) each had an RBI while the Twins' struggles with runners in scoring position continued as they went 1-7 and left 6 runners on base. Jason Kubel also had a tough day at the plate going 0-4 with 3 K's.
The Twins can clinch their 5th consecutive series victory with a win tomorrow.
Indians
Justin Masterson was erratic and poor defense behind him led to the Indian loss. Masterson needed 96 pitches to get through 4 innings, giving up 5 runs, only 2 earned. His 5 walks, including one with the bases loaded, helped spur a Twins rally in the 3rd that put the Indians in an early hole.
Travis Hafner provided the lone run for the Indians, connecting on a deep blast to right in the 2nd inning off of Kevin Slowey. Asdrubal Cabrera had a 2-hit night, but that was it for the Indians who looked off-balance all night at the plate.
The lone bright spot for the Indians was their bullpen. After Masterson's early exit, three cleveland pitchers (Jamey Wright, Rafael Perez, Jensen Lewis) combined for four innings of one-hit ball.
Recap:
Overall it was an ugly game for the Indians who committed 2 errors which combined with erratic starting pitching gave the Twins an early lead that they would not give up. Kevin Slowey looked sharped and the 5 runs (3 unearned) that the offense mustered were plenty.
Twins
Kevin Slowey looked good on the mound, pitching effectively and efficiently limiting the reigning AL Player of the week Shin-Soo Choo to 0-3 with 3 K's (0-4 total on the day). He looked very sharp, pitching 8 innings, giving up 5 hits and only 1 run. He had 9 strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Brian Duensing wrapped up the 9th with a 1-2-3 effort.
Justin Morneau got it done at the plate going 2-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI while Joe Mauer was held hitless. The bottom of the order (Hardy and Harris) each had an RBI while the Twins' struggles with runners in scoring position continued as they went 1-7 and left 6 runners on base. Jason Kubel also had a tough day at the plate going 0-4 with 3 K's.
The Twins can clinch their 5th consecutive series victory with a win tomorrow.
Indians
Justin Masterson was erratic and poor defense behind him led to the Indian loss. Masterson needed 96 pitches to get through 4 innings, giving up 5 runs, only 2 earned. His 5 walks, including one with the bases loaded, helped spur a Twins rally in the 3rd that put the Indians in an early hole.
Travis Hafner provided the lone run for the Indians, connecting on a deep blast to right in the 2nd inning off of Kevin Slowey. Asdrubal Cabrera had a 2-hit night, but that was it for the Indians who looked off-balance all night at the plate.
The lone bright spot for the Indians was their bullpen. After Masterson's early exit, three cleveland pitchers (Jamey Wright, Rafael Perez, Jensen Lewis) combined for four innings of one-hit ball.
Preview: Twins vs. Indians 4/20
Pitching Matchup - Justin Masterson (0-1, 2.45 ERA) vs. Kevin Slowey (1-1, 3.48 ERA)
This should be a good match up between two hot teams. Cleveland is coming off of a four-game win streak and will face three tough teams in succession on the road. The Twins are coming off of a tough loss to Kansas City in which they left 11 runners on base and came up short in the clutch.
Key Matchups
Jason Kubel vs. Justin Masterson
In a limited sample, Kubel has gone 2-3 in his career against Masterson with an RBI
Joe Mauer vs. Justin Masterson
Mauer is 3-5 liftetime against Masterson and has 5 hits in his last two games.
Russel Branyan vs. Kevin Slowey
Branyan is coming off of the DL and will make his first start against Slowey who he holds a career .417 avg against with 2 HRs in 12 ABs.
Grady Sizemore vs. Kevin Slowey
Sizemore has hit Slowey at just a .250 clip in 16 matchups with 1 HR and 3RBI
What to Expect
Another beautiful day in the Twin Cities in mid-April with a first pitch temp of around 70 degrees.
The Twins have won the season series the last two years 10-8 and look to get off to another good series start by taking the first against a hot Cleveland team. In the last week Shin-Soo Choo has hit .545 with 4 HRs and 12 RBIs. Kevin Slowey will do his best to contain him. Should be a fun one to watch.
Interesting Notes
Nick Blackburn's next start will be pushed back a day to deal with some elbow soreness.
Pat Neshek has still not thrown a bullpen session after injuring a finger on his throwing hand. Ron Gardenhire likely won't wait much longer before making a move to give him some more flexibility in his bullpen.
Nick Punto will be a game time decision, but don't be surprised to see him sit one more as a precaution to his injured groin. It's early in the season and Gardenhire won't push his luck.
This should be a good match up between two hot teams. Cleveland is coming off of a four-game win streak and will face three tough teams in succession on the road. The Twins are coming off of a tough loss to Kansas City in which they left 11 runners on base and came up short in the clutch.
Key Matchups
Jason Kubel vs. Justin Masterson
In a limited sample, Kubel has gone 2-3 in his career against Masterson with an RBI
Joe Mauer vs. Justin Masterson
Mauer is 3-5 liftetime against Masterson and has 5 hits in his last two games.
Russel Branyan vs. Kevin Slowey
Branyan is coming off of the DL and will make his first start against Slowey who he holds a career .417 avg against with 2 HRs in 12 ABs.
Grady Sizemore vs. Kevin Slowey
Sizemore has hit Slowey at just a .250 clip in 16 matchups with 1 HR and 3RBI
What to Expect
Another beautiful day in the Twin Cities in mid-April with a first pitch temp of around 70 degrees.
The Twins have won the season series the last two years 10-8 and look to get off to another good series start by taking the first against a hot Cleveland team. In the last week Shin-Soo Choo has hit .545 with 4 HRs and 12 RBIs. Kevin Slowey will do his best to contain him. Should be a fun one to watch.
Interesting Notes
Nick Blackburn's next start will be pushed back a day to deal with some elbow soreness.
Pat Neshek has still not thrown a bullpen session after injuring a finger on his throwing hand. Ron Gardenhire likely won't wait much longer before making a move to give him some more flexibility in his bullpen.
Nick Punto will be a game time decision, but don't be surprised to see him sit one more as a precaution to his injured groin. It's early in the season and Gardenhire won't push his luck.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Where Are They Now? – 1st Overall Draft Picks of the Decade
2000 – 1B Adrian Gonzalez (Florida Marlins)
After being drafted by the Marlins in 2000, Gonzalez spent three years in the minors before making his debut with Texas in 2004. Gonzalez split parts of two years between the Texas farm system and the major league ballclub, playing in 16 major league games in 2004 and 43 in 2005. After the 2005 season, Gonzalez was traded to the San Diego Padres where he emerged as a star. Getting a chance to start every day, the slugger hit .304 with 24 homeruns and drove in 82 in his first, full big league season.
From 2007-2009, Gonzalez averaged 161 games per season and has flourished as a power threat. Over that same time period, Gonzalez hit 106 HRs while driving in 318 runs. After two all-star appearances and a couple of Gold Glove Awards, Gonzalez has become one of the true stars of his generation.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Chase Utley (15th) and Adam Wainwright (29th)
2001 – C Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)
The first two number one picks of the decades were good ones. Joe Mauer is a household name and with free agency looming, his press time will not be diminished. Unlike Gonzalez, Mauer is still playing for the team that drafted him, but similar to Gonzalez, Mauer broke into the big leagues in 2004. After a solid 2005 (.294/.372/.411), Mauer really began to shine in 2006, winning his first batting title with a staggering .347 average. His 2006 season was MVP worthy, but he lost out to his teammate, Justin Morneau for the honors, finishing 6th in the balloting.
After an off-year in 2007, plagued by injuries, Mauer established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the game by winning two consecutive batting titles in 2008 and 2009. The power also came in 2009 as Mauer belted a career high 28 HR with 96 RBIs, hitting at an astonishing .365 clip. Mauer led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+ on his way to winning his first MVP Award by a nearly unanimous vote. Oh yeah, he also missed the first month of the season with back problems. Mauer also secured his second Gold Glove Award and third Silver Slugger.
Mauer’s dominance with the stick and not-too-shabby defensive skills have finally exonerated the Twins for taking him over Mark Prior who’s injury-riddled career has been well documented.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Mark Prior (2nd), Mark Teixeira (5th) and David Wright (supplemental round – 38th)
2002 – RHP Bryan Bullington (Pittsburgh Pirates)
This first round pick by the Pittsburg Pirates has yet to emerge as a dominant pitcher. His career stats (0-5, 5.08 ERA in only 39 IP) show that he has not had much playing time due to poor performance and an abundance of injuries. His first year after the draft in A and Advanced A ball were promising as Bullington posted a 13-5 record with a 2.52 ERA. He struggled in AA and has toiled most of the last five years at AAA posting a combined 28-24 record with a 4.16 ERA in over 400 IP.
Bullington has moved around. In 2008, he was selected off of waivers by the Cleveland Indians and then later the same year, selected off of waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays. He currently resides in the Kansas City Royals organization. Bullington will turn 30 this year and it looks like this may be the first poor draft choice of the decade especially given the abundant talent available within the draft class.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Zach Greinke (6th), Prince Fielder (7th), Joe Saunders (12th), Scott Kazmir (15th), Cole Hamels (17th), Denard Span (20th), Matt Cain (25th)
2003 – OF Delmon Young (Tampa Bay Rays)
Known perhaps more for his troubles in the minors (hitting an umpire with a bat) or his brother (Dimitri Young), Delmon has yet to really find a home in the majors. After making his big league debut in 2006, he went on to drive in 93 runs while playing all 162 games in his rookie season in 2007, finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year balloting. With his value high, the Rays completed a trade of Young to the Minnesota Twins where he has been a notorious slow-starter.
The power has not been there for this projected hitting savant, but his average has hovered around .290 the last three years. When the Twins traded Carlos Gomez to the Brewers earlier this offseason, Young was pretty much handed the starting left field job in 2010 after only making 93 starts there last season.
Young has been labeled somewhat of a defensive liability and has been very average at the plate through his short career. His upside is high though as he already has three full seasons under his belt and he is only 24 years old. The Twins hope that he can prove his status as legitimate number one pick as they set to open Target Field in downtown Minneapolis in just a few short months.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Rickie Weeks (2nd), Aaron Hill (13th), Chad Billingsley (24th), Carlos Quentin (29th), and Adam Jones (37th)
2004 – SS Matt Bush (San Diego Padres)
This might be one of the worst picks of the decade as the Padres passed up other notable talent in order to save some money. Bush has been plagued by off the field issues since the beginning. He was suspended before even setting foot on a professional field for his part in a bar brawl. His terrible hitting performance in the minors lead to the Padres converting him to a pitcher in 2007. After tearing a ligament in his arm, Bush missed the entire 2008 season.
In early 2009, Bush was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays and released less than two months later for violating the teams zero tolerance behavioral policy. Bush has still yet to even play AA ball.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Justin Verlander (2nd), Jered Weaver (12th), Stephen Drew (15th), and Philip Hughes (23rd)
2005 – SS Justin Upton (Arizona Diamondbacks)
The brother of notable Tampa Bay Ray B.J. Upton, Justin has had a fast track to the big leagues. In 2007, Upton was called up from the minors at the ripe age of 19. He never looked back. After limited playing time in 2008, Upton broke out in 2009, delivering a .300/.366/.532 line with 26 HRs and 86 RBIs. He also made his first all-star appearance.
While the sample size is small, Upton looks to be another fantastic pick in the hallowed number one slot. As an all-star at 21, he no doubt has many more years to show that the Diamondbacks didn’t make a mistake in a draft class full of talent.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Ryan Zimmerman (4th), Ryan Braun (5th), Troy Tulowitzki (7th), Andrew McCuthen (11th), Jacoby Ellsbury (23rd), and Clay Buchholz (supplemental round – 42nd)
2006 – RHP Luck Hochevar (Kansas City Royals)
Like Justin Upton, Hochevar made it to the majors in a relatively timely fashion. His big league debut came in 2007 and he has since made 48 starts over the course of the last three years for the Royals.
Hochevar lit up the minors, posting a 1.89 ERA in 8 starts in 2006, recording 50 punch-outs in only 38 IP. In 2007 he moved in the wrong direction, posting a 4-9 record in 26 starts with a 4.86 ERA. In 2009, Hochevar posted a blistering 5-1 record in AAA with a 1.50 ERA in 8 starts, but his major league stats were a bit less dominant (7-13, 6.55 ERA). The Royals hope he can get back on track and be a legitimate number two to ace Zach Grienke going forward.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Evan Longoria (3rd), Tim Lincecum (10th), Max Scherzer (11th), Kyle Drabek (18th), Ian Kennedy (21st), and Joba Chamberlain (supplemental round – 41st)
2007 – LHP David Price (Tampa Bay Rays)
David Price continued the trend of overall first round picks to fly through the minors. After posting a combined 12-1 record with a 2.30 ERA in 2008 between A, AA, and AAA ball, Price made his major league debut with the Rays in the midst of a pennant race. He made one start along with four relief appearances in 2008, posting a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings of work. His performance led to him being added to the post-season roster. In the ALCS, price made three appearances and pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, recording a win and a save. In the World Series, Price made two appearances, posting a 1.59 ERA.
Price began the 2009 season in AAA. After a fairly underwhelming start (1-4, 3.93 ERA), he was again promoted to the major league club. He went on to make 23 starts and posted a 10-7 record with a 4.42 ERA. He was fairly average in his first full season and the Rays will look for him to step up in 2010 to be a major part of their rotation.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Matt Wieters (5th) and Rick Porcello (27th)
2008 – SS Tim Beckham (Tampa Bay Rays)
The Rays took a little bit slower approach with Beckham than with Price and probably won’t ask Beckham to be a contributor for at least a couple more years. He spent 2008 in rookie ball and all of 2009 in A ball. His .275/.328/.389 line was less than dominating. Look for him to make strides over the next few years as he develops. His age is working to his advantage (he will be 20 for the 2010 season).
The verdict is still out on most of the recent picks and that is the case here.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Brian Matusz (4th), Buster Posey (5th), and Josh Fields (20th)
2009 – RHP Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals)
Perhaps one of the most talked about number one picks of all time. Strasburg set a record by signing a four-year, $15 million dollar deal with the Washington Nationals. Stasburg pitched in the 2008 Summer Olympics, bringing home a bronze medal after going 1-1 with a 1.67 ERA. The jury is still out on Strasburg, but the Nationals have committed a lot of money to him and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him rise through the minor league system quickly much like David Price did for the Tampa Bay Rays. Look for Strasburg to contribute as soon as 2011.
After being drafted by the Marlins in 2000, Gonzalez spent three years in the minors before making his debut with Texas in 2004. Gonzalez split parts of two years between the Texas farm system and the major league ballclub, playing in 16 major league games in 2004 and 43 in 2005. After the 2005 season, Gonzalez was traded to the San Diego Padres where he emerged as a star. Getting a chance to start every day, the slugger hit .304 with 24 homeruns and drove in 82 in his first, full big league season.
From 2007-2009, Gonzalez averaged 161 games per season and has flourished as a power threat. Over that same time period, Gonzalez hit 106 HRs while driving in 318 runs. After two all-star appearances and a couple of Gold Glove Awards, Gonzalez has become one of the true stars of his generation.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Chase Utley (15th) and Adam Wainwright (29th)
2001 – C Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)
The first two number one picks of the decades were good ones. Joe Mauer is a household name and with free agency looming, his press time will not be diminished. Unlike Gonzalez, Mauer is still playing for the team that drafted him, but similar to Gonzalez, Mauer broke into the big leagues in 2004. After a solid 2005 (.294/.372/.411), Mauer really began to shine in 2006, winning his first batting title with a staggering .347 average. His 2006 season was MVP worthy, but he lost out to his teammate, Justin Morneau for the honors, finishing 6th in the balloting.
After an off-year in 2007, plagued by injuries, Mauer established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the game by winning two consecutive batting titles in 2008 and 2009. The power also came in 2009 as Mauer belted a career high 28 HR with 96 RBIs, hitting at an astonishing .365 clip. Mauer led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+ on his way to winning his first MVP Award by a nearly unanimous vote. Oh yeah, he also missed the first month of the season with back problems. Mauer also secured his second Gold Glove Award and third Silver Slugger.
Mauer’s dominance with the stick and not-too-shabby defensive skills have finally exonerated the Twins for taking him over Mark Prior who’s injury-riddled career has been well documented.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Mark Prior (2nd), Mark Teixeira (5th) and David Wright (supplemental round – 38th)
2002 – RHP Bryan Bullington (Pittsburgh Pirates)
This first round pick by the Pittsburg Pirates has yet to emerge as a dominant pitcher. His career stats (0-5, 5.08 ERA in only 39 IP) show that he has not had much playing time due to poor performance and an abundance of injuries. His first year after the draft in A and Advanced A ball were promising as Bullington posted a 13-5 record with a 2.52 ERA. He struggled in AA and has toiled most of the last five years at AAA posting a combined 28-24 record with a 4.16 ERA in over 400 IP.
Bullington has moved around. In 2008, he was selected off of waivers by the Cleveland Indians and then later the same year, selected off of waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays. He currently resides in the Kansas City Royals organization. Bullington will turn 30 this year and it looks like this may be the first poor draft choice of the decade especially given the abundant talent available within the draft class.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Zach Greinke (6th), Prince Fielder (7th), Joe Saunders (12th), Scott Kazmir (15th), Cole Hamels (17th), Denard Span (20th), Matt Cain (25th)
2003 – OF Delmon Young (Tampa Bay Rays)
Known perhaps more for his troubles in the minors (hitting an umpire with a bat) or his brother (Dimitri Young), Delmon has yet to really find a home in the majors. After making his big league debut in 2006, he went on to drive in 93 runs while playing all 162 games in his rookie season in 2007, finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year balloting. With his value high, the Rays completed a trade of Young to the Minnesota Twins where he has been a notorious slow-starter.
The power has not been there for this projected hitting savant, but his average has hovered around .290 the last three years. When the Twins traded Carlos Gomez to the Brewers earlier this offseason, Young was pretty much handed the starting left field job in 2010 after only making 93 starts there last season.
Young has been labeled somewhat of a defensive liability and has been very average at the plate through his short career. His upside is high though as he already has three full seasons under his belt and he is only 24 years old. The Twins hope that he can prove his status as legitimate number one pick as they set to open Target Field in downtown Minneapolis in just a few short months.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Rickie Weeks (2nd), Aaron Hill (13th), Chad Billingsley (24th), Carlos Quentin (29th), and Adam Jones (37th)
2004 – SS Matt Bush (San Diego Padres)
This might be one of the worst picks of the decade as the Padres passed up other notable talent in order to save some money. Bush has been plagued by off the field issues since the beginning. He was suspended before even setting foot on a professional field for his part in a bar brawl. His terrible hitting performance in the minors lead to the Padres converting him to a pitcher in 2007. After tearing a ligament in his arm, Bush missed the entire 2008 season.
In early 2009, Bush was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays and released less than two months later for violating the teams zero tolerance behavioral policy. Bush has still yet to even play AA ball.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Justin Verlander (2nd), Jered Weaver (12th), Stephen Drew (15th), and Philip Hughes (23rd)
2005 – SS Justin Upton (Arizona Diamondbacks)
The brother of notable Tampa Bay Ray B.J. Upton, Justin has had a fast track to the big leagues. In 2007, Upton was called up from the minors at the ripe age of 19. He never looked back. After limited playing time in 2008, Upton broke out in 2009, delivering a .300/.366/.532 line with 26 HRs and 86 RBIs. He also made his first all-star appearance.
While the sample size is small, Upton looks to be another fantastic pick in the hallowed number one slot. As an all-star at 21, he no doubt has many more years to show that the Diamondbacks didn’t make a mistake in a draft class full of talent.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Ryan Zimmerman (4th), Ryan Braun (5th), Troy Tulowitzki (7th), Andrew McCuthen (11th), Jacoby Ellsbury (23rd), and Clay Buchholz (supplemental round – 42nd)
2006 – RHP Luck Hochevar (Kansas City Royals)
Like Justin Upton, Hochevar made it to the majors in a relatively timely fashion. His big league debut came in 2007 and he has since made 48 starts over the course of the last three years for the Royals.
Hochevar lit up the minors, posting a 1.89 ERA in 8 starts in 2006, recording 50 punch-outs in only 38 IP. In 2007 he moved in the wrong direction, posting a 4-9 record in 26 starts with a 4.86 ERA. In 2009, Hochevar posted a blistering 5-1 record in AAA with a 1.50 ERA in 8 starts, but his major league stats were a bit less dominant (7-13, 6.55 ERA). The Royals hope he can get back on track and be a legitimate number two to ace Zach Grienke going forward.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Evan Longoria (3rd), Tim Lincecum (10th), Max Scherzer (11th), Kyle Drabek (18th), Ian Kennedy (21st), and Joba Chamberlain (supplemental round – 41st)
2007 – LHP David Price (Tampa Bay Rays)
David Price continued the trend of overall first round picks to fly through the minors. After posting a combined 12-1 record with a 2.30 ERA in 2008 between A, AA, and AAA ball, Price made his major league debut with the Rays in the midst of a pennant race. He made one start along with four relief appearances in 2008, posting a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings of work. His performance led to him being added to the post-season roster. In the ALCS, price made three appearances and pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, recording a win and a save. In the World Series, Price made two appearances, posting a 1.59 ERA.
Price began the 2009 season in AAA. After a fairly underwhelming start (1-4, 3.93 ERA), he was again promoted to the major league club. He went on to make 23 starts and posted a 10-7 record with a 4.42 ERA. He was fairly average in his first full season and the Rays will look for him to step up in 2010 to be a major part of their rotation.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Matt Wieters (5th) and Rick Porcello (27th)
2008 – SS Tim Beckham (Tampa Bay Rays)
The Rays took a little bit slower approach with Beckham than with Price and probably won’t ask Beckham to be a contributor for at least a couple more years. He spent 2008 in rookie ball and all of 2009 in A ball. His .275/.328/.389 line was less than dominating. Look for him to make strides over the next few years as he develops. His age is working to his advantage (he will be 20 for the 2010 season).
The verdict is still out on most of the recent picks and that is the case here.
Other notable first-round picks from this year: Brian Matusz (4th), Buster Posey (5th), and Josh Fields (20th)
2009 – RHP Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals)
Perhaps one of the most talked about number one picks of all time. Strasburg set a record by signing a four-year, $15 million dollar deal with the Washington Nationals. Stasburg pitched in the 2008 Summer Olympics, bringing home a bronze medal after going 1-1 with a 1.67 ERA. The jury is still out on Strasburg, but the Nationals have committed a lot of money to him and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him rise through the minor league system quickly much like David Price did for the Tampa Bay Rays. Look for Strasburg to contribute as soon as 2011.
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