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I know the Minnesota Twins don’t exactly inspire confidence in fantasy circle as baseball’s worse team. Even fantasy staples Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau aren’t performing at the levels you’d expect. The only player to truly deliver this year has been Josh Willingham.
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Suddenly there is another player that is producing above expectations. That player is shortstop Brian Dozier. He is riding a six-game hitting streak that saw his average jump from .242 to .279. In fact, he has had a hit in eight of his last nine games and eleven of fourteen overall.
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The rookie has not been overwhelmed in his first taste of the bigs, sporting a .279-8-2-8-0 line in 61 at bats. He’s been decent against left-handed pitching (.250 vs. .292 against righties) and on the road (.263 vs. .297 at home).
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Dozier had exceeded at every step along the way. He dominated at Southern Miss, hitting .355 with a .917 OPS over his four years. He then hit .305 in his 1329 Minor League at bats with a .795 OPS.
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He really set the stage last year when he hit .318 with a .885 OPS for Double-A New Britain, along with flashing some speed with 11 stolen bases in 311 at bats.
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Dozier had been solid for Triple-A Rochester prior to his call-up hitting .276 with a .716 OPS, which is nearly identical to what he’s produced for the big league club.
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Dozier is owned in less than five percent of fantasy leagues. If he can continue to produce for the Twins, he’s a nice low-end option for deeper leagues.
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After two disappointing seasons Denard Span is off to a hot start, hitting .323. Span has collected a hit in all but three games on the young season.
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Span is among the league leaders in hits with 21, and his regularity on the base paths has led to three stolen bases.
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Unfortunately that hasn’t led to stats elsewhere. You knew he wasn’t going to be a major source for home runs and RBI, and his zero HRs and two RBI reflect that. His run total (six) is also low considering the amount of times he’s been on base, but Minnesota isn’t one of the most potent offenses in the league though.
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It should improve though. With Span hitting at a high clip, Josh Willingham providing power, and Justin Morneau getting more comfortable at the plate, they can at least be competitive offensively.
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In his first two seasons Span hit .305. He also stole 41 bases and scored 167 runs over that stretch. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him return to that form. After all, he’s just 28.
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Span is reasonably in fantasy leagues. He is owned in just 18.0 percent of Yahoo! and 21.3 percent of ESPN leagues.
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If you are looking for outfield depth, he’s a solid option. If you want to improve your batting average, stolen base, and eventually run categories, Span is a nice fit. If you have an open roster spot, he could provide good trade value for those in need.
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Last year Joe Mauer’s health limited him to 82 games, with only 52 games coming at catcher.
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Not only that, but the lifetime .323 hitter hit just .287. Making matters worse he had just 18 extra base hits (three HRs) in 296 at bats for a paltry .368 slugging percentage. He nearly hit that for average during two of his his three batting average titles.
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Not exactly what you expect from a guy cashing in 23 million dollars for the year. For the first time in his career, the fans turned on Mauer. In their minds he wasn’t being paid that much to play a fraction of the games and show no resemblance of the guy that hit 28 home runs in 2009, which seems like an eternity ago.
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A lot of the blame can go to the lower body injuries, to steal a hockey term, that sapped his power. Without that core strength you can’t drive the baseball. He also battled pneumonia, which ultimately ended his season. Not only did that drain his energy, but it led to some serious weight loss.
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Mauer is healthy once again and back to his playing weight. It is a bit of a gamble to say he is completely back to form, but he definitely appears to be in much better shape heading into the season.
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He is also enjoying a solid time at the plate this spring. He still isn’t producing the extra base hits, but if he stays healthy, they will come.
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I wouldn’t expect 2009 to ever be anything more than a blip in his career, but at least the doubles should return.
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Also check out:

• 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Third Base Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Outfielder Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball First Base Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Third Base Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Outfielder Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Options
• Additional 2012 Fantasy Baseball Closer Options
• 2012 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
• AL-Only Fantasy Baseball Rankings
• NL-Only Fantasy Baseball Rankings

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Injuries forced Danny Valencia into the Twins’ lineup last year and he responded with a .311 average, 30 runs, seven home runs, and 40 RBI in 299 at bats. Aside from the average the numbers weren’t all that useful, but he did have some fantasy value, especially in September when he found his power stroke hitting five home runs with 17 RBI in 84 at bats.
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That strong finish led to some optimism heading into the season. Then April happened. Valencia hit .217. Then May happened. Valencia hit .243. Then June happened. Valencia hit .191. Valencia entered July hitting .218. The saving grace was his RBI production. Valencia reached double-digit RBI in each of the first three months despite his struggles at the plate. He also topped last year’s home run production with eight through June.
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Suddenly Valencia turned on a switch in July. For the month he has hit .368 in 38 at bats. He has already hit two home runs for the month to give him double-digits on the year. We won’t confuse him for this year’s Jose Bautista, but his ten dingers ranks ninth among third basemen. He has also reach double-digit RBI for the fourth straight month. His 46 ribbies puts him in a tie for sixth.
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I believe a continued turnaround is a realistic expectation. The Twins finished strong and as their confidence has increased, the bats should follow. Plus, Valencia has been unlucky this year. His BABIP sits at .257, which is well below the .345 mark he set last year. If you look at his track record Valencia has been consistently above a .300 BABIP. Not surprising, Valencia’s turnaround coincides with his improved BABIP. In April it was .234. In May it was .262. In June it was .212. Through the All-Star Break Valencia’s July BABIP is .400.
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Baseball has a way of averaging itself out. If Danny Valencia can have a .300 BABIP the rest of the way, along with his increased power and RBI production, he could be a worthwhile fantasy third basemen down the stretch.
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Living in Minnesota and having a son that loves Michael Cuddyer I’m not sure I get the proper perspective as to how Cuddy is viewed on a national level. He is owned in the vast majority of fantasy leagues so that should serve as some indication.
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Cuddy got off to a brutal start hitting .226 in April. He managed just four RBI, but hit three home runs. He stepped up his game in May as the Twins dealt with injuries. He hit .300 for the month with two home runs and nine RBI. Cuddy was just getting started. As we roll into July, Cuddyer closes the chapter on a June in which he hit .323 with 15 runs, five home runs, 17 RBI, and four stolen bases. Talk about stuffing the stat sheet.
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Even more valuable than his production is his versatility. Both for the Twins and for fantasy teams alike.  He has played 43 games in right field, 21 games, at first base, and 13 games at second base. Last year he played 84 at first, 66 in right, and 14 at third base. In 2009 he played 117 in right and 34 at first. The modern athlete isn’t often willing to accept this kind of change. The fact that Cuddy does it with a smile just reinforces how valuable his is to the Twins.
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Cuddy should keep on producing. The past two year his first and second half splits were nearly identical. He’s not going to guarantee you a fantasy title, but he’s entering July hitting .283 with 33 runs, ten home runs, 30 RBI, and seven stolen bases. That production and the ability to juggle him in your lineup as you see fit is invaluable to fantasy owners. While he’s not the straw that stirs the drink, he’s the glue that helps patch your holes and keep the boat afloat.
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Brian Duensing isn’t have a terrible season. He’s 4-6 with a 4.82 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. That said, he’s not living up to the expectations he set last year by going 10-3 with a 2.62 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.
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He’s been a roller coaster ride this year starting off on fire going 2-1 with a 2.91 ERA in April before floundering in May at 0-4 with a 8.76 ERA. He’s bounced back nicely in June going 2-1 again with a 2.81 ERA. His ERA in June is a little suspect though as he has four additional unearned runs. Still, after such a poor May it’s nice to see him pitching well again.
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Last year Duensing was a beast at home going 6-1 with a 2.00 ERA. This year he’s just 2-3 with a 5.45 ERA. Disasters against Toronto and Texas help push those numbers up though. His other four home starts were quality starts.
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The Twins have been scoring more lately and are on what seems like an annual hot streak. Their confidence is high as they try to get back into the race for the A.L. Central title.
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Luck hasn’t been on Duensing’s side this year. His BABIP is .333, which puts him among the leaders. Last year it was .272. Even though he has had success in June, his mark for the month is .351. As things start to even out, his peripherals will come down. While they won’t likely reach anywhere near last year’s numbers, they should be good enough to make him a nice spot starter when the match-up is right.
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Don’t expect a win out of Brian the next time he takes the mound as he has to lock horns with Tim Lincecum. That doesn’t mean he can’t turn in a solid performance on the road, where he’s 2-3 with a 4.32 ERA.
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Jason Kubel is about the only Twin that is off to a fast start offensively. The lefty is hitting .354. Nobody else is hitting even .285. His OPS is .916. Nobody else is even at .710. He only has two home runs, but he has nine doubles. He has yet to hit a home run at Target Field, but that should change when the weather improves. It has been an unseasonably cold spring in Minnesota. Trust me, I know.
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Kubel got off to a slow start last year, which makes his early success this year even sweeter. Last year he hit .219 in April and .254 the rest of the way.
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Part of his success has been his ability to hit lefties this year. He is a career .239 hitter against lefties (.233 the past three years), but is hitting at a .290 clip this year. He has always had success against right-handed pitching hitting .286 over his career and .289 the past three years. So far he’s hitting .385 against them with a 1.000 OPS.
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He’s hitting with nobody on (.365), with runners on (.341), with runners in scoring position (.409), and leading off the innings (.450). The only thing he is lacking in is timely hits. Kubel is hitting just .125 with runners in scoring position and two outs.
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Kubel is hitting just .231 as the designated hitter, but thanks to Tsuyoshi Nishioka’s injury, Kubel has been able to play the field. He is hitting .397 when he plays the field. He hit .234 at DH last year and .258 when he played the field.
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With Alexi Casilla struggling, the Twins could opt to keep Michael Cuddyer at second, shifting Nishioka over to shortstop when he returns. This will enable Kubel to stay in the outfield and Thome at DH.
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Obviously he’s not going to hit .354 all year, but he hit .300 in 2009 so you know he’s capable of hitting for average. When the weather warms up some of his doubles could turn into home runs.
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So if you have Kubel, keep enjoying his success.  You can try to sell high on him, but be cautious. You may not get good trade value for him since he hasn’t had a power surge and he isn’t a big name. He’s the type of player that can help you win a fantasy championship though.
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