Minnesota Twins: Bold Predictions

Written by: Seth Stohs on 4th April 2009

Minnesota Twins: Bold Predictions | read this item

With just one more day before Opening Day, the writers that you find here at the Twins page of BaseballDigest.com are still making predictions on the 2009 season. We started the week with some league-wide award predictions before diving into that playoffs. Now we will continue to make some more Twins-specific predictions. Please take a few minutes to click on the writers’ name to learn more about each of them.

This week, the Twins BaseballDigest.com writers have been making our selections for league awards (MVP Predictions, Cy Young Predictions, Rookie of the Year Predictions, Breakout Players of the Year, and Playoff Predictions. Today we will be making some team picks. We will make a couple of bold statements about the Twins, and then you can tell us your thoughts.

Minnesota Twins

Seth Stohs –

The Twins and Joe Mauer will come to an agreement to keep him in a Twins uniform for a long time. This will happen during the All-Star break.
Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young will both get on base over 34% of the time.
The Twins will be represented at the All Star game by three players… Joe Nathan, Justin Morneau and… Kevin Slowey.
By August, the Twins 8th inning man will be Rob Delaney.

Parker Hageman –

Brian Buscher and Brendan Harris will be the Twins third basemen after the All-Star Break. Yeah, Crede’s back can’t handle it. Though he will play highlight reel defense, your common fan will welcome the change as Crede’s average will be around .230 when he hits the DL.
Carlos Gomez wins a well-deserved Gold Glove. The AL’s top-ranked centerfielder should have had it in 2008. He’ll get it in 2009.

Josh Johnson –

Both Kevin Slowey and Francisco Lirano will win 15+ games this season.
Glen Perkins will be out of the rotation by late May.
Delmon Young will be hitting in the 5^th spot by the end of the season.

Nick Nelson –

Carlos Gomez will win a Gold Glove
Joe Mauer will miss at least half the season.
Alexi Casilla will lose his starting job at second base a few months into the year.

John Meyer –

When Joe Mauer gets back at the end of April he’ll start off on a tear. Flirting with .400 through July and winning his 3rd batting title with an outstanding .381 average.
Joe Crede will manage to stay healthy all year belting 31 homeruns for the Twins. Scott Boras will start demanding an $80 million multi-year deal despite Crede’s strong desire to stay in Minnesota.
Kevin Slowey will shatter Twins record books with his insane 18 to 1 K/BB ratio and will become the “King of Control” across the Major Leagues.

Alex Halsted –

Joe Mauer will win a third batting title with an average near .330.
Every starting pitcher will have double-digit win totals.
Every outfielder (Kubel, Young, Span, Gomez and Cuddyer) will have at least 10 homeruns.

Again it is now your turn. Make your picks. Add your categories. Be creative. Leave your choices in the comments today, and we can always revisit them later in the season.

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thrylos98 says:

April 5, 2009 at 12:47 am

* Kevin Slowey win the AL Cy Young
* R.A. Dickey will more than exceed expectations and will be signed to a 2-year deal
* Brian Buscher will be traded by the trading deadline
thrylos98 says:

April 5, 2009 at 12:50 am

Seth, btw, have you noticed that Delaney and Slama are both stuck in the same team (Rock Cats) again? Something gotta give with the minor league brain trust…
Josh Johnson says:

April 5, 2009 at 1:25 am

I want to point out that my prediction of Perkins being out of the rotation is not something I’m hoping for. It just seems to me that the past couple years that there’s one pitcher that struggles and finds their way out of the rotation. It was really down to either Perkins or Blackburn, but I went with Perkins. Hopefully I’m completely wrong!
JimCrikket says:

April 5, 2009 at 11:05 am

* Justin Morneau fails to win the MVP when he loses votes to his own team mate, Jason Kubel, who hits 30 HR.

* Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan combine to throw the Twins’ first no-hitter since 1999.

* The Twins overcome a slow start in April to draw even with the Tribe at the top of the Division at the All-Star break, then hold off a hot by the surprising KC Royals to win the AL Central Division.
CapitalBabs says:

April 5, 2009 at 11:57 am

oh JC… that first one… poor guy with a NSMC on Kubel.

here’s mine:

* The Twins will have FOUR players hit more than 20 HR’s in a season for the first time in my memory. (and I’m 100% ok that one of those four will NOT be Mauer)

* Nathan will have more Save Opportunities and more Saves on his record but also more blown saves and a less efficient percentage – hey, it happens.

* The Twins will settle for the Wild Card but actually WIN the first round of the playoffs.
Rick says:

April 5, 2009 at 1:00 pm

R.A. Dickey will put up respectable numbers and pitch 120+ innings between being a part time starter and bullpen arm.

By the trade deadline, Smith will acquire a right handed bat for several minor league pitchers headlined by Jose Mijares.

Ozzie Guillen will have a meltdown of epic scale when, in the last of the 11th, Carlos Gomez races from first to score the winning run on a bloop single by Buscher. Buscher will have entered the game in a double swap after A.J. spikes Crede starting a brawl with multiple ejections. Elias will frantically search to see when was the last time a team lost a game after hitting 8-HRs (all solo shots).
JimCrikket says:

April 5, 2009 at 1:39 pm

Well, Babs, remember I’m not saying Kubel will challenge for the MVP (rare for a DH to do that), but I see him hitting a ton this year… enough to pull a few votes from Doc.

Your four 20+ HRs would be a good sign of success. I don’t believe that has happened since the 1965 pennant season. Of course, we could hope to repeat the SIX players with 20+ that the Twins had in 1964!
coco says:

April 5, 2009 at 1:53 pm

* In 2009, the Twins score more runs, hit more home runs, commit fewer errors, steal more bases, issue fewer walks & and strike out more opposing batters than in 2008. * The Twins win 90+ games. * Three starters win 15 or more games.
SethSpeaks says:

April 5, 2009 at 2:45 pm

“have you noticed that Delaney and Slama are both stuck in the same team (Rock Cats) again? Something gotta give with the minor league brain trust…”

I hadn’t seen that, but it’s not a big deal… What if they were both at Rochester? Would that matter? They’ll both get equivalent innings and probably both will get save opportunities again. Not a big deal at all.
Matt says:

April 6, 2009 at 2:04 am

* Morneau will have the best year of his still young career and hit over 40 home runs all while winning his second MVP.

* Liriano will finish in the top 3 of the Cy Young voting after winning 18 games with 220+ strikeouts.

* Delmon will become a fan favorite after winning the April AL player of the month and earning more at bats than the other 3 outfielders.

Mmmmmmmmm… This Twins kool-aid tastes great.

Seth, do you know where I could find a schedule of Twins high definition broadcasts?
Fixing Second Base : Baseball Digest says:

May 5, 2009 at 10:00 am

[...] an article posted before the season, in which the Twins Writers here at Baseball Digest made some Bold Predictions, Nick Nelson added “Alexi Casilla will lose his starting job at second base a few months into [...]