Has anyone seen Matt Wallner? That is the refrain you hear when the Minnesota Twins strand a couple more runners in scoring position. People exclaim it as they watch the team’s batting average sink lower and lower. And it’s what fans scream as they watch the Twins fall back in the pack of the mediocre American League Central.
Has anyone seen Matt Wallner? It’s on the minds of every Twins fan as they watch Max Kepler’s batting average slip further and further south of the Mendoza Line. And haven’t you heard that statement every time Joey Gallo follows Kepler down that same sinkhole? Finally, this is shouted out every time Manager Rocco Baldelli tries to find a player who can drive in a run from second base.
Matt Wallner is Dominating the International League
Has anyone seen Matt Wallner? The answer is quite simple. He is where he has been for most of the 2023 season. He is in St. Paul Minnesota, playing right field for the Twins Triple-A ballclub, the St. Paul Saints. Wallner is not in the witness protection program. He can be found every night in the cozy confines of CHS Field or some other International League ballpark.
And Wallner is not just taking up space in the Saints’ lineup. In his last seven games, he is sporting a .636 batting average, an on-base percentage of .714, and a slugging percentage of 1.000. Pretty hard to hide in plain sight with numbers like that.
Wallner has Excelled in the Majors
And Matt Wallner is no flash in the pan. For the season, he has hit nine home runs, driven in 35 runs, and has a flashy slugging percentage of .535. And he has been hammering the ball all through his minor league career. In his 312 minor league at-bats, Wallner has connected on 59 home runs while driving in 211 runs.
Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Matt Wallner is some Triple-A phenom who will get ground down when he faces Major League pitching. Not so fast! Wallner has already been up in the Show and excelled there also. In a brief stint with the Twins this season, he batted .368 and drove in four runs.
And did I mention he has a cannon for an arm? Ask Brandon Belt from the Toronto Blue Jays. He attempted to take an extra base in a game against Minnesota in May and was gunned down on a rocket throw by Wallner. He is reputed to have the best outfield throwing arm in the Twins organization.
Now he has some work to do on his outfield defense and his penchant for striking out certainly won’t help the Twins. But the overall package is too compelling for Rocco Baldelli not to bring him back up. He has proven that he has outgrown the International League and its ballparks.
So, has anyone seen Matt Wallner? I believe that is the wrong question to be asking. The appropriate question is, Why isn’t Matt Wallner with the Minnesota Twins? Derek Falvey and Rocco, are you list ening?
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