La Velle E. Neal III's recent story on Eduardo Escobar and Eddie Rosario underscored just how bad everyone else in the Twins lineup has been. A few players are at a proper level of achievement (Max Kepler, .760 OPS and Ehire Adrianza at .703 fit that description). Others have underachieved relative to recent years (Brian Dozier, Logan Morrison and Robbie Grossman fit that description).
But two have been awful or injured: Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. Both have shown flashes: Sano in the second half of 2015 and first half of 2017, and Buxton in the second half of 2017.
Both debuted in 2015, so this is the fourth year in the majors. Overall, we're no closer now than we were when Sano and Buxton arrived to knowing what their futures hold — or if we are, the needle is tilted in a negative direction.
And if they don't make it, everything we thought we knew about the Twins' ceiling changes.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
