Trevor May and His Monday Night Approach

The Minnesota Twins are set to do battle with the Kansas City Royals tonight at Target Field in what will be the final game of a four game series.  The Royals lead the series 2-1, and are fresh off a thrashing of Tommy Milone to the tune of a 12-6 victory.  Tonight, Trevor May makes his second major league start, and honestly, the result doesn’t matter.

As August turns into September, the Twins are in a position where they find themselves in evaluation time.  For many guys on the roster, the last month and a half of the season could be their last in a Twins uniform.  For others, it’s about figuring out where they fit into future plans.

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Trevor May falls into that category.

For the first time in a matter of four years, the Twins should have plenty of options when it comes to their 2015 starting rotation.  Names like May, Kyle Gibson, Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, Alex Meyer, and Tommy Milone are all very real names.  With only five spots, the conclusion of this year will help decide who the odd man out is, and what the order looks like.

For May, a bounce back is going to be in order.  In a tough first matchup against the Athletics, May gave up four earned on three hits in two innings pitched.  While that line wasn’t great, it was the seven walks that haunted May.

For young pitchers, control is typically the toughest thing to master at the big league level.  Having to face guys that can take you deep on every pitch, and figuring out where to pitch them is a daunting task.  Top prospects across the board struggle with it, ask Andrew Heaney.

Tonight, Trevor May has a new opportunity.

The Royals provide much of the same daunting task as the Athletics.  They are incredibly hot right now, and have very few hitters in their lineup that you’d circle as an out.

For May, tonight isn’t about the final tally, not even so much how many runs he gets tagged for.  Tonight is about finding the strike zone and pounding it.

Trevor May has logged only two strikeouts, and those were both in his relief appearance against the Astros.  Racking up a handful of strikeouts while limiting the walks needs to be his go to.  Efficiency will also be something to monitor.  May will look to stay close to the zone, and limit the big pitch inning.  Should he execute those things, tonight can be deemed a success.

As Trevor Mays looks to lay claim to a 2015 opening day rotation spot for the Minnesota Twins, the next month and a half will be vastly important in ironing out his kinks.  The more command and resolve he can show, the better position he will find himself in.

Trevor May will deliver the first pitch in tonight’s tilt with the Royals at 7:10pm central time at Target Field.