Danny Valencia can bring offense home

PROJECTED STARTER
Danny Valencia, .246 BA, 15 HRs, 72 RBIs in 2011

After an impressive rookie campaign in which Valencia batted .311 with 40 RBIs in 85 games in 2010, his offensive numbers regressed last season. His batting average dropped nearly 70 points, and his on-base percentage fell more than 50 points from the previous year. Still, some of Valencia's offensive numbers in 2011 were impressive.

His 15 homers were second on the Twins, behind only Michael Cuddyer's 20. Valencia's 154 games played led an injury-plagued Minnesota team. He was one of just a few every-day position players to avoid the disabled list last season, something Valencia took pride in.

Offensively, Valencia has been working on driving the ball to the opposite field. According to baseball-reference.com, just 12 of Valencia's 139 hits in 2011 were to the opposite field. Fifty of his hits were pulled to left, while 77 were up the middle.

"Danny has been working at it. He's been on the extra field taking extra swings, doing things in the cages," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "He's told himself he's going to use the whole field and drive the ball. When he starts looking around and tries to hit the ball where they ain't is when he starts to get in trouble. But when he gets the barrel out on the ball he can drive it with anybody."

So far this spring, Valencia has a team-high three home runs through Wednesday, along with seven RBIs in 13 games. He's batting .308 (12-for-39) and slugging .615. He has also improved his ability to hit to the opposite field.

"It makes it all the more worthwhile, that's for sure," Valencia said of his success driving the ball this spring. "It makes you feel like you're not out there taking 100 swings and getting blisters all over your hands for nothing. It's not so much the results I'm looking for, but the comfort in the batter's box and the feeling of my swing being short and direct to the ball."


(foxsportsouth.com)