Saturday, February 6, 2010

The Twins are going to be pretty good.

Yeah yeah. We know. And in other news, water is wet and coffee tastes good. But for real...the Twins are going to be special this year. We couldn't be more excited about the upcoming season and we can't believe we are actually going to be a part of the magic. For the first time ever, we are officially season tickets holders. Yup...my dad, a buddy of his and my buddy the Dicker decided to get season tickets together. Section 102 at the new ball park -- it is going to be pretty sweet.

The Twins are set for a great year. Just take a look at this projected lineup:

CF - Denard Span
Could boost his OBP (.392 last year) but he's a great lead-off hitter because he takes pitches and isn't afraid to be aggressive when he needs to be. We don't want to say too much here because we really feel like he's playing above his head and we don't want to jinx him.

2B - Orlando Hudson
This 8-year vet has had stops in Toronto, Arizona and LA and has a career batting average of .282. He's a 4-time gold glove winner and 2-time all star. We still can't believe the Twins actually opened up the checkbook and added this guy. He will be a game changer at the top of the lineup. He averages 79 runs scored per season and we are going to guarantee you right now that he scores 100 runs this year.

C - Joe Mauer
Not much needs to be said here. He's going to sign a long-term contract with the Twins before the season starts and he will average more than $20 million per season. And that would be a deal because he could get $25-$30 million on the open market. He's just entering his hitting prime and while he probably won't be a catcher for more than 4-5 more years, he will be able to play some first base and will DH well into his mid to late 30's. He's won batting titles and an MVP award.

1B - Justin Morneau
The other former MVP needs to stay healthy but if he does, he will once again be one of the top power hitters in the game this year. Again, not much needs to be said about this guy.

DH - Jason Kubel/Jim Thome
Holy crap, we just wrote Jim's Thome's name in the Twins lineup! That was fun. And, Jason Kubel is - and has been - one of our favorite Twin's players over the last ten years. Kubel was great last year and is finally healthy enough to play outfield on a regular basis which would give Thome even more at-bats. We have no idea how Thome will hold up but if he can stay upright and can be even remotely as good as the old Jim Thome, he is going to be a great addition.

RF --Michael Cuddyer
He turned into a homer and RBI machine last year. We don't know what to expect from Mike. He's an overachiever in our mind, but he's shown that he belongs in the lineup everyday. He needs to stop sliding headfirst and beating up his hands. And stop with all the magic tricks, its embarrassing.

SS - JJ Hardy
Hardy hit 26 home runs in 2007 and 24 in 2008. He dropped off last year and fell out of favor with the Brewers but we firmly believe last year was a mirage. Yes, we liked Orlando Cabrera and we would have loved it if he stayed here. But Hardy is younger and has a lot more upside so the Twins actually made the right move by bringing him in here. And...they got rid of Carlos Gomez in that deal - who can argue with that?

LF - Delmon Young
I know, he hits everything to right field, he can't catch a cold and he looks really uninterested during games. But you know what? He's a player. The kid is only 23 and just three years ago he was the best hitting prospect in baseball. He lost 30 lbs in the off-season and he is saying all the right things about being dedicated to getting better and wanting to learn from the team veterans. Call us foolish, but we want to think this could be Delmon's break-out campaign. My Dad accused me of being drunk when I said this back in the fall, but I think Delmon could be an MVP candidate as soon as 2011.

3B - Danny Valencia
Yes, Nick Punto and/or Brendan Harris will most likely be in this spot on opening day but I really hate both of those guys as players so I don't want them in there anymore. Third base is going to be the weak link on this team, so why not have a prospect in that spot who can learn on the job, get some big-league experience, and become the cornerstone player that we need at the hot corner? Valencia is up to the task. He's 25-years-old, so it's not like he's wet behind the ears. He's torn up the minors with a .299 batting average in 4 seasons -- he's got power potential and he isn't a hack with the glove. Wouldn't you rather watch a kid with potential than watch Brendan Harris or Nick Punto? Us too. We might have to wait until the weather warms up to see him, but we think Valencia will play a big role this season.

So...there you have it. Looks pretty good, right? It's going to look even better from our seats down the first base line and in wonderful HD television. Ugh. We can't wait.

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