Minnesota Twins: Top 10 players on the Twins right now
6. LF Eddie Rosario
Arguably the biggest surprise of 2017 was Eddie Rosario, representing another young player to breakout. In retrospect, a huge reason the Twins made the playoffs was the fact they saw so many of their young players produce breakout seasons. Yet, the scary part is that those players only look to be trending upward and that’s the case when it comes to Rosario.
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Unlike his first couple of seasons, Rosario showed much more consistency at the plate. Known as a free-swinging hitter, the 26-year-old actually showed a better eye at the plate, producing 35 walks in 151 games. This is by no means a fantastic number, but an encouraging one, given he only walked a total of 27 times in 214 games prior to last season.
Nevertheless, the walks weren’t the only drastic improvement. Rosario also hit 27 home runs after hitting a total of 23 the previous two seasons. Additionally, he added 33 doubles and 78 RBIs compared to 35 and 82 previously. As a result, he showed that his ceiling is higher than what many imagined coming into the year.
Compared to other 2017 breakout performances, what stands out about Rosario’s year is that he was consistent all year long. Prior to the All-Star break, he hit .287, whereas afterward, he hit .292. Yes, the power and RBI totals were higher in the second half, but that was largely due to moving up the order and taking advantage of the scoring opportunities in front of him.
Overall, the trio of Rosario, Max Kepler, and Byron Buxton looks like one of the most promising outfield groups in the MLB.