With the MLB All-Star Game in a few weeks, players like Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Willy Castro and Ryan Jeffers could all be considered Twins fielders who have been relatively consistent on the field this season. Even Carlos Santana, who got off to a slow start, deserves All-Star consideration.
Besides the deserving nominations for the Midsummer Classic, the Twins have seen these three players take positive steps in recent weeks.
Kyle Farmer
With more playing time following Edouard Julien’s demotion to Triple-A St. Paul, Farmer had a chance to bounce back from a dismal start to the season, and he did it quickly. It’s been a terrible year for the veteran, and his roster spot, along with his $6.5 million fee, has come under scrutiny going back to the offseason.
Farmer, tasked with playing second base, especially against left-handed pitching, has appeared in eight games since Julien was demoted, slashing .320/.414/.400 with two doubles. It’s a very small sample size, but he’s fitting exactly what Minnesota needs when they need him most.
Julien hasn’t thrived in Triple-A and isn’t expected to return anytime soon, but Brooks Lee is back and looking strong — something Farmer will need to continue if he wants to keep the promising prospect in the farm team longer.
Manuel Margo
It’s hard to imagine a worse start for Margot, who replaced Michael A. Taylor as the fourth outfielder with the Twins. He couldn’t hit and Willy Castro was a better defensive player than Margot in center field. Margot, who has mostly played corner, is starting to improve.
He has been the leadoff hitter against left-handed pitching and is batting .298 with an .857 OPS since June 1. Margot has had five extra-base hits this month, raising his OPS against lefties to .837 for the year, meaning he is everything the team hoped he would be when they acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Matt Wallner left earlier this season, Trevor Larnach isn’t the same type of player as Margot, and Da’Shawn Carcy Jr. might see him get more playing time down the stretch, but if results continue like this it’s hard to argue against keeping him on the roster.
Byron Buxton
Buxton was placed on the disabled list at the beginning of May and returned midway through the month. His return to the lineup was tough, but things have improved over the past few weeks. Buxton’s pitching style has changed a lot over the years, and he’s always going to be looking to whiff quite a bit when trying to do damage.
Still, the center fielder is batting .291 with a .328 on-base percentage over his last 14 games, and while his numbers aren’t ideal (14 strikeouts and 2 walks), he did hit a home run against Hogan-Harris and a double to bring his extra base total to six in his last 14 games.
Having Buxton as a regular in the lineup, both from a health and production standpoint, is something the Twins absolutely need down the stretch.
Minnesota has had a rollercoaster season so far, but if they can maintain their consistency the rest of the season they should be able to make a run at the postseason.
Has their recent good form changed your thinking about these players? What do you want to see next from them?
