Minnesota Twins Pitching Battles to Keep an Eye on This Spring: Starters Edition
Our candidates for the 4th and 5th spots:
– 3.10 ERA 15.66 P/IP* 8.22 K/9
– 3.92 ERA 16.06 P/IP 6.37 K/9
Trevor May
– 4.00 ERA 16.26 P/IP 8.63 K/9
– 6.75 ERA 17.81 P/IP 8.44 K/9
*Phil Hughes lead Twins starters in pitches per innings pitched (P/IP) with 14.5
Before last season, no one thought Tyler Duffey would essentially become the Twins’ pitching savior and almost help lead them to the playoffs. But after a disastrous first start against Toronto (6 ER in 2 innings), Duffey was arguably the Twins’ best pitcher after that. In fact, after his major league debut, he had an almost Kershaw-like 2.25 ERA the rest of the way.
Despite hitting just 91 on the radar gun with his fourseam fastball, it’s his unique arm angles, and the ability to mix in a 79 mph curve and a sinker that’s similar in speed and release to his fastball, that produces an unlikely amount of strikeouts. In fact, putting Tyler’s 8.22 K/9 up against the other six pitchers that started at least 10 games, only Trevor May’s 8.63 was any better. And Trevor made 32 relief appearances, where relievers can throw a little harder knowing they have a limited time on the mound.
Next, we get to the sole lefty starter option available, Tommy Milone. And while being a southpaw may be his defining characteristic, Milone has been pitching better than fans believe, and has actual stats (and wins) to back that up. His main problem is easy to pick out. He is a slow starter, and because of those early-inning struggles, his pitch counts get high quickly, letting him average just 5.5 innings per start, thereby taxing the bullpen.
His best, and longest, outing was his first of the year against the White Sox in a 6-0 Twins win (7 2/3 IP). He averages 89 pitches in each of his starts, but he pitched less than 7 innings in 17 of his 23 starts. He needs to be more of a workhorse if he wants to make the rotation.
Next: Trevor May and Ricky Nolasco