Stataholics Anonymous

Okay, so I used to rag on Alexi Casilla as much as the next guy that hates utility infielders that hit around the Mendoza-line, but, suddenly, he’s doing something he never did before: producing.

Over the last two weeks, the previously down-and-out Twinkies have made a ridiculous resurgence (much to my delight), and much of this has been largely due to the 180 degree turn-around Casilla has experienced at the plate. Since this is “Stataholics Anonymous,” let’s take a look inside the numbers.

• In the month of June, the Twins are sporting a 14-3 record. They have gone from 16.5 games behind the Indians to only 7.5 over that span.
• In the month of April, Casilla hit for a .167 average. In June, that has sprung up to .328. 
• Even more impressively, Casilla’s OPS has gone from .427 in April to .825 in June.
• When Casilla starts, the Twins are a respectable 30-25. However, when Casilla is not in the opening line-up, that record slips to an abysmal 1-14. Ouch.

So, even though I used to cringe every time this pesky second-baseman came to the plate, now, I always know that he has a chance to get on base. He’s bringing the Twins production from the #2 hole in the batting order that they haven’t seen since before I followed the team. Because of this, I’m actually going to vote for Casilla for the All-Star game in July. Boy, I never thought I’d say that, but, oh, how sweet it is.