Minnesota Twins designated hitter Jason Kubel only looks like a 40-year-old seasoned veteran. Reality is, he is just 27 years old and in his fourth full season in the big leagues. Each of those four seasons has been better than the one before, by the way, including this season, in which he is on pace for career-highs in batting average, home runs and RBIs.

Kubel’s situation reminds us a little of Texas Rangers’ DH Hank Blalock - find a way to keep his fragile body healthy, get big results. Well, the Twins have given Kubel that chance this season, thanks in large part to a glut of talented outfielders in Denard Span, Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young. Kubel, who can play both corner outfield positions, has gotten the majority of his at-bats as a DH. Read more »