The Youth Movement

In the starting lineup tonight will be 2 guys making their 2011 debut.  Both Trevor Plouffe and Ben Revere spent a little time with the club last year, and they are back for round 2.  With the slow start the Twins are off to and the slump that everyone (except Kubel and Span) is in, these moves are a positive change in my opinion.  Today Gardenhire said that Plouffe will be the starting shortstop moving forward, and I would expect Revere to get regular playing time until Delmon Young comes back.


Revere was hitting .293 at Rochester with 7 stolen bases in 9 attempts.  That is what I am most excited about - this guy can really move and he puts the bat on the ball.  He'll also be able to cover some ground out in left field, and we'll see if he gets a shot to spell Span for a day or two out in center as well.  This guy is a fascinating player and the kind of kid that will really embrace this opportunity.

Trevor Plouffe has also been hitting very well after a slow start in spring training.  Hitting .282 with 6 home runs, Plouffe definitely has some pop in his bat and we'll see how he handles the big league pitching his second time around.  I like Casilla a lot and I think he has a ton of potential, but if Plouffe plays well, Casilla may be the odd man out when Nishioka returns if Plouffe handles this well.

I love the youth movement, and I believe giving young guys a chance is always a good thing in baseball.  This is really how the Twins have been built over the last ten years, so we'll see how these two kids do compared to that third baseman we all love did last season as a rookie.