PROJECTED STARTER
Trevor Plouffe (.258/.328/.423, 14 HR, 40 2B, 80 RBI in 136 games)
KEY BACKUPS
2014 IN REVIEW
Plouffe entered spring training last year knowing that third base prospect Miguel Sano was on his heels, inching closer to the major leagues. However, unfortunately for Sano, an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery forced the Dominican Republic native to miss the entire 2014 season. Whether or not Plouffe viewed that as a weight off his shoulders, Minnesota's third baseman took a step in the right direction last year.
After hitting 24 home runs in 2013, Plouffe hasn't quite seen his power numbers reach that total in the last two seasons. However, he raised his offense in most other categories. His .258 average was a career high, as were his 80 RBI and 40 doubles, and his OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .751 almost equaled the .756 OPS he had in 2013. While Plouffe might not have been hitting the ball over the fence as much, he was still one of the Twins' most productive hitters in 2014.
Plouffe also saw an uptick in his defense at third base this past season. When he started his career at shortstop, Plouffe was prone to throwing errors and would occasionally throw the ball over the first baseman's head and into the stands. Though he committed one more error in 2014 (14) than 2013, he did so in seven more games and more than 50 extra chances at third base. According to FanGraphs, Plouffe's defensive runs saved at third base went from -8 in 2012 to zero in 2013 to six in 2014. Similarly, his UZR (ultimate zone rating) jumped from -10.8 to -7.4 to 6.7 over that same time frame. The defensive metrics seem to match the eye test when evaluating Plouffe's improved defense over the last three seasons.
The 136 games Plouffe played -- 127 at third base -- also happened to be a career high, meaning Minnesota didn't need much in the way of a backup third baseman. Escobar made 23 starts at third base, while Nunez started the remaining 12. As a team, the Twins' third basemen ranked fourth overall in the majors for RBI (92) and first in doubles (49).
2015 OUTLOOK
With Sano starting the season at Double-A Chattanooga, the third base job is Plouffe's for the foreseeable future. Minnesota would love if Plouffe could replicate his production in 2014, when he led the team in both doubles and RBI. It remains to be seen where new manager Paul Molitor will hit Plouffe in the lineup. Plouffe batted third in the lineup in 65 games last season, fifth in the batting order a total of 31 games, and 23 games in the No. 6 spot. It's likely that he could hit fifth or sixth for much of the 2015 season.
The Twins are also hoping that Plouffe continues to play steady defense at third base. He made strides in that department in each of the last two seasons, and Minnesota ranked 10th in the majors in overall defense at third base in 2014, per FanGraphs. Another step in the right direction by Plouffe could make that ranking even better in 2015.
Fans in Minnesota continue to clamor for the arrivals of Sano and fellow top prospect Byron Buxton. After missing all of last season, it's likely that Sano will need a decent number of games in the minors before a big league call-up becomes a real possibility. There's a good chance he will make his MLB debut this year. The question is when. Also, Minnesota will have to figure out a way to find at-bats for Plouffe and Sano if and when Sano is called up.
KEY TO SUCCESS
Replicate the offensive production of 2014. Plouffe raised his on-base percentage while dropping his strikeout rate last year, and the results showed in his final stats. He'll likely be batting in the heart of the order this season. If the guys ahead of him in the lineup can get on base, Plouffe will be expected to drive them in. As long as he doesn't see a dropoff from last year at the plate, that shouldn't be a problem.
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