Using MLB 13: The Show to improve the Minnesota Twins' 2013 Season: Part II

I have been using an old video game to recap a season that already happened.  Sounds enticing, right?  If you missed part I, here you go.  In part I, we went through Spring Training and played out Opening Day.  Sony made some pretty surprising moves after Spring Training and now we're in April and who knows what could happen next?!?!

The suspense is killing you; let's begin. 

April

The Oswaldo Arcia experiment didn't last very long.  Apparently Robot Ron Gardenhire (RoboRon going forward) has a quicker hook than 2007 Bassmaster Classic winner Boyd Duckett!  Chris Parmelee was inserted into the lineup after Arcia posted a miniscule .121 batting average in his first eight professional games.  Yikes. 

In real life, Darin Mastroianni suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle on April 16 and missed almost four months.  In fake life, Mastroianni suffered a sprained knee on April 16 and would miss just 15 days.  Wilkin Ramirez was promoted from AAA to take his place.  The clubhouse chemistry rating spiked. 

The Twins won seven games in a row from April 12 to April 19.  Then, they lost their next six games.  Life imitates art.  I keep saying that.  Is this art?

The Twins ended April 12-14, four games behind Detroit.  Joe Mauer was the team's best hitter with a .867 OPS.  He also had the best digital sideburns.  He had 19 walks and 22 hits.  Get the bat off your digital shoulder, bum!  Aaron Hicks hit .292 with four home runs and five steals.  The digital fans wanted him sent to Digital New Britain.  Vance Worley was 1-4 with an ERA north of 7.  Digital ball don't lie. 

May

Remember this date - May 8, 2013.  On that day, the Twins dove headfirst into this pennant race.  They sent Liam Hendriks and his ERA over 8 to AAA.  The sent Kyle Gibson and his ERA over 6 to the bullpen.  They sent Shairon Martis to Class A, just because.  They used the extra roster spot to sign Shaun Marcum, who had been cut in Spring Training.  They signed him for one year, 857K.  Digital Twins Daily applauded!  Also on that day:  Oswaldo Arcia reclaimed his starting spot in right field.  On May 8, 2013, the Twins were just three games behind Detroit and occupied the second Wild Card spot.  Remember this day...

Because it didn't last.  They lost their next 6 games.  By the end of May, the Twins were 13.5 games behind Detroit and sat at 23-32.  GUH.  At the end of May, Brian Duensing led the pitchers with a record of 5-1.  Vance Worley was 3-6 with an ERA over nine!  Scott Diamond, Cole De Vries (lol) and Mike Pelfrey all had ERAs over 5.50.  Aaron Hicks led the Twins with a .843 OPS, 10 doubles, 7 home runs and 12 stolen bases.  No, I did not program this game.  Pelfrey had 22 strikeouts in 63 innings.  Mauer had more GD walks than hits.  IT'S ALL FALLING APART!!!

Then, in a baffling move, the Twins added Josmil Pinto to their trade block.  WTH?  Panic switch engaged, amiright?  They also sent Drew Butera from AAA to AA, which is just not a cool thing to do. 

June

Well, I suppose we should have seen this coming.  On June 1, the Twins traded Josmil Pinto AND Mike Pelfrey to the Phillies for Dalton Castro.  Trading Pelfrey - fine.  Trading Pinto - confusing?  It's one thing to trade a really young, talented player.  It's another thing to trade him for a fake player.  Let's get to know Dalton a bit:

Sweet.  25 years old, low K/9, low BB/9...where have we seen this before.  Even Robo-Terry Ryan has a soft spot for soft-tossers.  He was assigned to AAA Rochester.  Remember the name Dalton Castro; he's going to come up again later.

June 1 was a significant date for a couple of other reasons too.  The Twins grew tired of Jamey Carroll's .286 batting average and called up Top 50 prospect Boyce Mosley to play short.  Mosley was created by EA, giving Robo-Twins fans the hope that they have a long-term answer at fake short. 

Looks like he might be a lefty-killer.  Decent potential.  Pretty good fielder.  Some pop.  Good baserunner.  Not a good bunter.  Short.  B+ prospect?

In addition, the Pelfrey trade opened a spot in the rotation for the return of Kyle Gibson.  The Twins used their other open roster spot to promote Michael Tonkin.  For the record, Trevor Plouffe is currently hitting .190 and Jamey Carroll's secondary position is listed as 3B.  Just saying. 

The Draft!

The Twins participated in the Rule 4 draft on June 6.  Since Kohl Stewart isn't in the game, the Twins had to go another route with their fourth-overall selection.  Meet Omar Mota, the Twins' first-round selection:

Mota is a 21-year-old second baseman with good contact skills.  His fielding needs some work and he doesn't have much power.  He's not much on the basepaths either.  His upside is probably Brian Dozier.  Great pick, Robo-Ryan!

Twins' seventh-round selection, Nolan Coulter has an MLB ETA of 2023, when he'll be 31 years old.  That seems a bit conservative.  As you can see from this blurry image, all of his bar graphs are very low:

And, he's not on Twitter:

Bummer.  With the draft in the rearview, I think this is a perfect time to stop for today.  We'll cover some big June news and get through the trade deadline next week.  The Twins have one more big trade left in them, I can feel it.  I hope Dalton Castro doesn't buy a home in Minnesota.  Cliffhanger! 

Have a nice day, everyone!

Paul the Positive Puma's Postmortem: 2013 Minnesota Twins

In case you missed my post yesterday, I introduced my friends Paul and Peter.  They are twin pumas who happen to be Twins fans.  Each submitted their own summary of the Twins' 2013 season and I posted Peter's yesterday.  I should warn you, he's kind of a drag.  He's a nice enough puma, but he gets really emotional about the team.  I'd say he means about 10% of what he says, but then I am also slightly terrified of him so don't tell him I said that.  If you missed it or just want to know what on Earth I am talking about, click here.

Paul and I are a bit closer.  He's a gentler soul, although a part of me is still really anxious when we hang out in the dark.  Paul loves the Twins as much as any human I know.  Not only that, but he loves Minor League baseball.  He bought MiLB.tv to go with MLB.tv.  Peter thinks it's stupid to blindly hope for the future, but Paul believes that good teams are build and not bought.  When Paul expressed interest in writing something for The Slow (that's what I'm calling it now, what do you think?), I was excited to see what positive spin he would put on this relatively dreadful season.  He didn't disappoint.

Here's Paul the Positive Puma's Postmortem:

I love Twins baseball.  I've been a fan since I was just a cub.  I grew up in the glory days of Joe Mauer's MVP season, Carl Pavano's mustache and Joe Nathan's dominance at the end of games (editor's note:  pumas only live about 12-13 years, which is making me terribly sad).  I've been with this team from the highs of Game 163 to the lows of 2013.  I have loved every minute of it!  Even though the last few years have been tough, I feel that 2013 was a successful season for the organization and I have high hopes for the near future. 

There was plenty to get excited about on the field.  Brian Dozier!  Who gave up on Brian Dozier after last year?  I didn't, but I'm sure many did.  He was outstanding.  He really adjusted to the move to second base.  After a rough couple months, he was one of the best second basemen in baseball!  Oswaldo Arcia and Josmil Pinto both look like future stars as well.  Arcia can be streaky, but his hot streaks are really exciting.  Pinto looks like a masher and another great offensive catcher.  I also enjoyed Andrew Albers' mini-breakout, even if my head tells me that it won't last.  Also, Joe Mauer was excellent until his brain injury.  I am hopeful that he will come back next season as good as ever.

Early in the season, it seemed you couldn't go a day without reading some excellent news about a player in the Twins' Minor Leagues.  Byron Buxton broke out and became the best prospect in baseball.  He showed what a real five-tool player looks like and the promise of Buxton on a future Twins team is too exciting to bear.  Miguel Sano had a minor hiccup when he broke an unwritten baseball rule, but other than that one instance, he was fantastic as always.  His power is immense and I can't wait to see him launch bombs out of Target Field.  Beyond the two big names, the Twins have exciting prospects at just about every position, including Kohl Stewart, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler,  and Alex Meyer, just to name a few.  What a windfall!

Off the field, I actually like the strategy the Twins' front office used with their money this season.  They knew the team wasn't quite ready to compete, so they saved some money for down the road.  I foresee a major jump in payroll in the coming seasons and I think that saving some money while the team is down is a very good strategy.  While the team on the 2013 field was not great, the team on the 2015 season could be that much better.  It's a worthwhile trade-off.  Pumas have learned to be very patient. 

I have high hopes for this coming off-season.  The Twins made a couple of very smart trades last off-season, and I think a couple more are coming.  The Twins have some trade chips in Josh Willingham, Ryan Doumit and potentially a couple of the relief pitchers.  If the Twins can land even more young, promising talent, the future will only get brighter.  I trust the front office to make smart trades and add a couple of veteran pieces along the lines of Kevin Correia to supplement the on-field product.  Maybe Correia isn't an exciting player, but he really helped the team this season.  He was the best starter on the team!

I'm definitely an optimist when it comes to Twins' baseball.  I tend to look at the bright side of things.  This has been more difficult in the past few seasons, but I have enjoyed watching the vast majority of the games.  If the team can just get a bit better next year, they will keep my attention.  I'm not looking for a World Series in 2014 or even in 2015, but I feel that the Twins will be in that discussion within the next five years.  For some, that's not enough.  I'll take my chances.  I enjoy watching the team through the good and bad, so a couple of lean seasons won't turn me away anytime soon.  

Peter the Pessimistic Puma's Postmortem: 2013 Minnesota Twins

Back in July, I was doing some intense mountain climbing in the Sierra Nevada when I happened across a family of pumas.  Normally, I'd be cautious and probably flee.  These pumas were different.  Something was clearly unique about these pumas.  I approached the family slowly.  While these pumas seemed cool, they were still dangerous predators.  I noticed something on their heads.  As I inched closer and closer, one of the adult male pumas shot me a glance.  I froze.  I readied my trusty blow dart, just in case I needed to make a quick escape.  As if he sensed it, the puma rose to his feet.  In an act that I will never forget, this grand, tall, powerful feline addressed me:

"Hey man, what's up?"

The puma spoke!  It was unlike anything I had ever experienced.  I then quickly realized what was on his head.  He was wearing a Twins cap.  A second puma approached, wearing the same cap.  He addressed me as well:

"Sup?"

That was when I officially met Paul and Peter, the twin Twin's fan pumas.  I introduced myself and they asked me if I wanted to join them.  These wild and cagey beasts were accepting me as their own!  They invited me to their feast (the meat was a little rare) and then we sat around the campfire (that I had to build with my hands/thumbs) and talked about the Twins.  How strange and fitting that I come across two maniacal Twins fans who happen to be talking pumas?

We watched that night's game on MLB.tv and talked about the 2013 season.  Paul was positive, stating that it was a rebuilding year and that the team made great organizational strides.  Peter was more pessimistic.  He feels the team has gone backwards and worries about the competence of management.  I mentioned that I was feeling overwhelmed with my duties and a blog-guy and if they wanted to write a guest column, I 'd be happy to share my internet space with them.  They roared with excitement!

Each puma submitted a postmortem column to me.  I had to edit them for spelling and bloodstains, but when it was done, I think they did a pretty good job of presenting two very different sides of the Twins' 2013 season story. 

Here's Peter, the Pessimistic Puma's Postmortem.  Warning!  He's a bit of a bummer.

I don't know why I'm surprised.  The Twins are just as good as I thought they would be:  awful.  I told Paul before the season started that if this team wins more than 70 games, I'd catch and prepare him a delicious elk dinner.  Luckily for me, the Twins suck because I haven't seen an elk in weeks.  As soon as the team signed Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey in an effort to improve the team starting pitching, I knew this team was doomed. 

Then, the season started and the team looked fine.  The bullpen was great, the offense was solid and the starting pitching was existent.  Of course, it was all just a giant mirage.  I knew it all along.  Honestly, the starting staff was like a poorly guarded flock of sheep.  All would be killed.  There was no reason to think that this team could sustain any kind of success with starters who can barely get out of the fifth inning.  Pelfrey was a disaster, Scott Diamond regressed, Liam Hendriks and Kyle Gibson flopped and Rich Harden never got healthy.  Yeah, remember Rich Harden?  Correia was the team's best starter, which pretty much says all you can about this team.

The offense quickly became a huge joke.  Aaron Hicks flopped so hard.  I called that one a mile away.  He just looked lost at the plate, like a moose who wandered too far into the mountains.  There was no way he wouldn't become delicious meat to the pitchers of the Major Leagues.  Josh Willingham also flopped, which doesn't surprise me.  I wanted the Twins to trade him instead of Ben Revere, who I actually liked.  Ryan Doumit looks like easy prey.  Trevor Plouffe and Chris Parmelee are nothings.  Speaking of nothing, way to trade Justin Morneau, an MVP, and get nothing, Terry Ryan!  Bold move!  The Twins' best hitter is Brian Dozier and he sucked in 2012.  He'll probably regress in 2014.  The only guy I really liked was that Clete Thomas, but the Twins will probably blow it and let him go after the season.

Joe Mauer had a typical Joe Mauer season, which I refuse to be impressed by.  Sure, if the team is in need of an opposite-field single, he's the man.  Who watches baseball for opposite-field singles?  Remember when Bill Mazeroski hit that walk-off opposite-field single to win the World Series?  What about when Babe Ruth called his shot and then doinked the ball over the shortstop's head?  Or when Roger Maris lost all his hair because he was trying to set the record for most ground balls hit between the first and second baseman?  Those guys hit home runs!  Hey Mauer, you're as big as I am.  You should see me crush homers in our jungle cat softball league.  I'm a machine and I didn't have a fancy prep school education either.  Jungle School is all I know.

The leaders of this organization can drone on and on about how they want to improve the team, but everyone knows that it's all about making money.  Like most pumas, I'm a conservative.  I'm a fan of the free market.  I respect the desire to turn a profit.  However, when you own a sports team, you have a responsibility to your consumers.  I didn't shell out 200 bucks to bring MLB.tv to the mountains to watch a crappy team again.  In hindsight, I'm glad I wasn't allowed in any of those haughty Minneapolis shops back in 2009.  I'd hate to think my taxes had anything to do with this giant money-making Ponzi scheme. 

I'll remain a fan because I am a loyal puma.  I won't be surprised if 2014 brings more of the same garbage as 2013 brought.  The Twins need a major overhaul, from top to bottom.  No one should be spared.  Terry Ryan - out!  Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson - gone! (editor's note:  Ron Gardenhire is not "out" but pumas often submit their articles a few days before they post).  Joe Mauer - traded!  No one should be spared.  Everyone is devou...I mean fired!  There is no reason that a team should lose 90+ games for three straight seasons in a brand new ballpark.  It's despicable.  The team should really consider issuing refunds or at least apologies.  I'll take mine in the form of a new jersey.  I accidentally tore the other one. 

National League Award Predictions

Predictions are fun.  In March and April, anyone worth their weight in stubby pencils and blog ink will make preseason predictions.  The beauty is that no one really remembers predictions by the time awards and championships are won.  Therefore, anybody with a forum to "predict" is able to say whatever they want, without any accountability.  I like that.  Here are my predictions.

Breakout Player - Wilson Ramos

B-B-B-B-Bonus-s-s-s-s-s prediction!  Wilson Ramos has had an eventful career.  He has been traded, injured and even kidnapped.  Thankfully, he is safe and healthy now.  I think 2013 will be a breakout year for Ramos.  I actually like Kurt Suzuki and I understand why Washington likes him as well.  However, Ramos's talent is too hard to keep on the bench.  He may never post an OBP over .350, but I'd be willing to bet that he slugs .500 one day.  This could happen very soon.  I expect Ramos to be in the lineup more often than not. I also predict you will read a lot about the Nationals in the next few minutes. 

Rookie of the Year - Jedd Gyorko

It seems that for every Buster Posey, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper Rookie of the Year, there's a Jedd Gyorko, Chris Coghlan, Andrew Bailey Rookie of the Year.  While Gyorko is a legitimate prospect, he certainly is not a household name.  However, he has a starting job on Opening Day, and that is a huge advantage over the bigger names who will be called upon later in the season.  He is also a good hitter and will provide good defense for a team that might be surprisingly good. 

I would have picked Adam Eaton for this award, had he not injured his elbow.  Unfortunately, he is likely to miss two months.  I think Eaton is going to be a scrappy overachiever who "plays the right way" and exceeds expectations.  He would have been a lock for NL ROY and still might eek it out.

My apologies to Eaton, Tyler Skaggs, Oscar Taveras, and Gerrit Cole.

Cy Young Award - Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg is not the best pitcher in baseball, but he might have the best stuff.  He's going to get the chance to show what he can do over a full season, and I am guessing he will be extremely impressive.  Strasburg has name appeal as well.  I also expect Washington to have huge team success, which will certainly raise his stock and profile during award season.  He'll lead the league in strikeouts and could push 20 wins.  Plus, he throws so dern hard.

My apologies to Clayton Kershaw, Matt Cain and Cole Hamels.

MVP - Bryce Harper

Harper is my real NL breakout player.  I foresee big to huge things from Harper in 2013.  I actually think he goes 40-40.  I know, crazy, right!  I'm clearly just saying that to get attention.  Of course, no one knows my blog exists except a few members of my family and they already give me attention.  I truly believe that Harper provides baseball fans with a second consecutive season where we all get to enjoy a 20-year-old superstar. 

He has a ton of natural talent and he plays extremely hard.  He is basically a mash-up of Nick Punto and Mickey Mantle.  Right?  Regardless, Harper will be a monster and the Nationals will probably push 100 wins.  It just adds up.  A WAR in the 8-10 range seems about right.  (Obligatory WAR reference/WAR-hater-bait completed).

My apologies to Jason Heyward, Buster Posey and Joey Votto.

NL Champion - Washington Nationals

The Nationals seem to be a consensus pick to win a lot of games in 2013.  I haven't seen many people predict against them.  The Denard Span trade was extremely savvy; the Washington outfield is going to be tremendous.  Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Gio Gonzalez and Dan Haren has to be one of the best 1-4 starter combinations in baseball.  Their infield is stacked, with Anthony Rendon ready to help if needed.  I already proclaimed my undying love for Bryce Harper.  What more can I say?

My apologies to the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

World Series Champion - Washington Nationals

I guess I can say that I think Washington wins a title in 2013.  I love this team as much as I love pizza.  I love pizza.  Should I make some pizza analogies?  I'll save those.  But seriously, this team looks loaded.  Like toppings on a pizza, right?  Their starters are excellent, their bullpen is excellent, their offense is excellent, their defense is excellent, and their manager is excellent.  Perhaps I am overstating their excellence, but it's hard to find a hole on this team. 

The D.C. area hasn't enjoyed a lot of sporting success in the past couple decades, so this makes me happy.  I always like to see new teams enjoy big success and nothing is bigger than a World Series title.  Nothing.

If you want to read my American League predictions, please click here.  That way, you can see who I think Washington will beat in the World Series.  Fun!

American League Award Predictions

Predictions are fun.  In March and April, anyone worth their weight in stubby pencils and blog ink will make preseason predictions.  The beauty is that no one really remembers predictions by the time awards and championships are won.  Therefore, anybody with a forum to "predict" is able to say whatever they want, without any accountability.  I like that.  Here are my predictions.

Breakout Player - Matt Moore

B-B-B-B-Bonus-s-s-s-s-s prediction!  I think Matt Moore joins former uber-prospects Mike Trout and Bryce Harper in the ranks of superstar players and I think he does it this season.  The Rays traded James Shields away and I don't think they will miss him at all.  Moore has crazy good stuff and a really smart defense behind him.  I also predict that you will read a lot about the Rays in the next few minutes.

Rookie of the Year - Wil Myers

Myers was sent to the minors, but I don't think he'll be there for long.  The Rays will probably call him up in late April, sign him to a 7-year-team-friendly-deal and then watch as he helps lead their offense to an AL East title.  Myers can hit, throw, field and slug.  He's pretty close to a sure thing and will show the world what he can do in 2013.

My apologies to Jurickson Profar, Trevor Bauer, Nick Franklin and Aaron Hicks.

Cy Young Award - Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander is the best pitcher in baseball right now.  He throws a ton of innings, strikes out a ton of batters and wins a ton of games.  He has name appeal and he is going to pitch for a very good team.  He has basically had 4 straight Cy Young worthy seasons in a row, and I don't see that streak ending in 2013.  He's too good to pick against.

My apologies to Felix Hernandez, David Price and Yu Darvish.

MVP - Evan Longoria

This is the year.  I feel it.  Longoria is going to stay healthy, play over 150 games and win the MVP.  Longoria is the best position player on what I feel will be the best team in the American League.  He plays excellent defense and provides excellent offense.  It seems that an MVP season has been brewing for years, but injuries have hampered him the past two seasons.  The "Law of Not Needlessly Punishing Everyone By Keeping an Excellent Player Injured For Three Straight Seasons" would indicate that 2013 will be a healthy season.  When healthy, Longoria is one of the best.

Special Note regarding Mike Trout:  Get ready to see a lot of people writing about how Trout isn't living up to expectations in 2013.  His expectations are sky-high and he will be hard-pressed to match his 2012.  He will still be an elite player, but I am betting there will be a lot fewer people writing about that.  It will make me very sad.  :( 

My apologies to Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols and Robinson Cano.

AL Champion - Tampa Bay Rays

Experts seem to be worried about their offense, but hasn't that been the worry in the past few seasons?  I think Myers spends less than a month in AAA.  I think the Yunel Escobar trade was brilliant and I think he bounces back to 2011 Yunel Escobar.  I already proclaimed my love for Matt Moore and Evan Longoria.  Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce are nice players.  David Price and Jeremy Hellickson are great, and Chris Archer should be helping the rotation by mid-season.  They have holes, but I'd like them in a series against every other team in the AL.  That seems to be the goal in the playoffs. 

My apologies to the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Anaheim Angels and Texas Rangers.

If you want to read my National League predictions, please click here.  You might notice that I didn't predict a World Series Champion.  If you use context clues, you might be able to figure out why.  Or you can just click that link.  That should clear it all up.  

Which Minnesota Twins have something to prove in 2013?

The 2013 Minnesota Twins are in a unique position.  Their present doesn't seem all that promising, but their future looks pretty bright.  The future is near as well.  It is entirely possible that this team starts their turnaround as early as next season.  Some might argue that the turnaround started in June of 2012 at the draft, with a new commitment to power pitching.  This commitment was renewed during the off-season when fan-favorites Denard Span and Ben Revere were traded for young, power arms.  The Twins are building something here.  I can feel it. 

Who will be a part of that something?  Joe Mauer seems likely (understatement!).  For many players, the 2013 season is an audition to be a part of the next good Twins team.  These are young players who need to prove that they can contribute to a contending team.  If they can't, the Twins have the money and resources to replace them in the near future.  I feel the Twins are going to be much more likely to make major moves, once they know where their foundation lies.  Who has the most to prove this season?

Something to prove in 2013

Brian Dozier

Brian Dozier needs to show that he can replicate the plate discipline that he showed in 2011.  He needs to show that he can handle second base as well.  He was not a good player in 2012.  He may have been rushed to Minnesota, but he didn't show a whole lot in AAA either.  Dozier will be 26 this season.  In order to be looked at as more than a stopgap or a utility player, he needs to show something this season.  If he posts another sub .300 OBP in 2013, there is no reason to think that he should be a part of the Twins' future plans.

Joe Benson

Joe Benson is probably getting his last real chance with the Twins.  He doesn't necessarily have to win the center field job outright, but he needs to show that he can make contact against major league pitching.  He has a good glove and a good arm.  He has power and speed.  It all comes down to contact.  If he can't make contact, there is no reason to keep giving him chances.  All that being said, he could still carve out a niche as a fourth outfielder, even if he can't overcome the contact issues. 

Chris Parmelee

Chris Parmelee needs to hit.  Odds are, he will never be an above-average defender.  In fact, he could be pretty bad in the outfield.  However, he can't help that the Twins chose that position for him.  All he can do is go out and play right field as best he can.  His real value should come from his bat.  I won't be expecting huge home run power, but a .275/.350/.450 line is what he will need to provide to overcome his defensive limitations.  Those aren't huge numbers, but very valuable from a young, cheap player.  If he doesn't hit, then he might get relegated to the bench.

Trevor Plouffe

Is Trevor Plouffe a steady, powerful third baseman, or a shaky, low-contact third baseman?  Plouffe's thumb injury makes it hard to properly evaluate his 2012 season (which, was a make-or-break season in itself).  Even with his early struggles and late swoon, he still slugged over .450.  If he can provide steady defense and 25 home run power, he can be a very useful player going forward.  If his June/July power surge was a fluke, his future might be as a super utility player, capable of playing infield and outfield. 

Brian Duensing

It looks like Brian Duensing will get to show what he can produce as a full-time 
reliever in 2013.  Over the past two seasons, Duensing has been a terrible starter and a productive reliever.  His platoon splits are fairly massive, and it is very clear that his role should be that of a lefty specialist.  The team has needed him to start games due to injuries, but should have enough depth to avoid this going forward.  The question about Duensing is just how effective he can be.  Is he a set-up man, or a middle reliever?  We should learn the answer to that question this season.

Something, but less to prove in 2013

Scott Diamond

Scott Diamond will be a part of the Twins' plans, regardless of how 2013 goes.  However, we will get answers about whether Scott Diamond can be as effective in the future as he was in 2012.  I broke his 2012 season down in detail, and I think it was real production that can be replicated.  However, he has a very small margin of error.  I'm excited to watch him try to duplicate his 2012 success.

Liam Hendriks

Liam Hendriks was not impressive as a Twin last season.  However, he was very good for Rochester.  As a Twin, Hendriks gave up a lot of home runs.  In Rochester, he limited home runs, and posted a 2.93 K:BB ratio.  While 2013 will be an important season for Hendriks, he should not be given up on if he struggles.  He is only 24 and has a good minor league track record.  It will be very interesting to see how he adjusts to major league hitters this season.

Kyle Gibson

Kyle Gibson is coming off of a serious injury.  His innings will be limited and he may not get to pitch in Minnesota very much, if at all.  He is still relatively young.  He was never known for his stuff.  His command and control make him a good prospect.  If he needs another season to get his feel back, it would be worth giving it to him.  I feel that he should be ready to contribute full-time in 2014. 

Aaron Hicks

If Aaron Hicks looks awful in Spring Training and loses the center field job, that should change nothing about how we view his future.  If he then goes to AAA and struggles, that should still change nothing about how we view his future.  Hicks has typically adjusted to new levels slowly, and the same could happen this season.  He is only 23.  Defensively, he is ready to go.  He'll likely need time to adjust to new pitchers.  This could take a full season or more.  However, he has the skills and he seems to have the aptitude to eventually adjust.  I still hope he comes out like a freight train and wins the 2013 Rookie of the Year award though. 

All of the Prospects

Any player that is considered a legitimate prospect should not be given up on 
during this season.  If Oswaldo Arcia fails to get to Minnesota, that doesn't change his long-term future.  If Miguel Sano hits 15 home runs, if Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios struggle, if Alex Meyer is a little wild, if Eddie Rosario boots a bunch of ground balls, if...  You get the point.  We kind of collectively gave up on Aaron Hicks last year, and look, he might be the 2013 Rookie of the Year.  Right?  The Twins aren't a good enough team to give up on prospects.  At least not yet. 

Who did I miss?  Who else has something to prove in 2013?  Also, who am I wrong about?  Let's chat.  A/S/L please.