Why the Twins’ Eddie Rosario MUST START Right Now

The Minnesota Twins are stocked in the Minor Leagues. They have five prospects in the Grading on the Curve Top 50, led by one of the brightest stars in all of Minor League Baseball, No. 3 prospect Byron Buxton. It wasn’t Buxton, Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer, Jose Berrios or Kohl Stewart making waves on Monday, however.

So, who is Eddie Rosario? Rosario is the 23-year old left fielder that ranks No. 9 in the Minnesota Twins highly coveted farm system. His numbers don’t knock you out when you read them, and quite honestly he has somewhat of a checkered past. One thing is certain, however: he should be starting in left field from this moment until Oswaldo Arcia returns from the disabled list.

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Rosario isn’t having a stellar season in Triple-A. He is only slashing .242/.280/.379 with three home runs and 12 RBI. He is coming off of an emotional roller coaster of a 2014 season. It began when he was popped for a drug of abuse for the second time, and began the season suspended for 50 games. He concluded the season with a miserable run in Double-A with a .237/.277/.396 line.

He then turned it around in the Arizona Fall League. He put up numbers worthy of MVP consideration, finishing second in batting at .330 with 10 stolen bases. He would be named to the AzFL Rising Stars team for the Salt River Rafters.

The numbers aren’t why Rosario should start, though. The Minnesota Twins are currently 14-12. This is a team that has taken a huge step back the past few seasons, having not won more than 70 games in four years now. The future is here, and it should start with Rosario.

Rosario was struggling with the Rochester Red Wings finding his timing and groove at the plate. It makes little sense to call Rosario up and plop him on the bench. Now is the time to see what he can do. Can he hit big league pitching despite his Triple-A batting woes? I’m not so sure, but there is only one way to find out, and that is playing him every day until Arcia returns.

Do you know who Shane Robinson is? How about Eduardo Escobar? Not many people do. These are the other two options in left field. Both of those players have had their chances in the big leagues and both have proven that they are bench players. That is not an insult, the Major Leagues are full of clutch role players off of the bench. That does not mean they translate well as a starter. 

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Little is know as to how Rosario will perform, but the possibilities are exciting. Should Rosario excel, he should stay in the bigs and platoon with Torii Hunter in right field. Hunter’s guidance and tutelage would be huge in developing a transition to right field for Rosario.

It would also set up the possibility of an Arcia, Buxton and Rosario outfield as soon as next year. That is what the Twins’ fans have been patiently watching four rough seasons on: the future. Eddie Rosario begins that future, and it should start today. Paul Molitor has this team surprising a lot of people. Hopefully, he does not rest on his laurels and continues to move forward everyday.