Puckett’s Pond presents our Top 10 Minnesota Twins prospects. At #3 is Tyler Jay.
Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft, Tyler Jay is our No. 3-ranked prospect.
The left-handed reliever owned a 1.67 ERA in college with the University of Illinois. He collected 24 saves while striking out 143 batters in 129 2-3 innings.
The Twins front office responsible for drafting him felt Jay could morph into a reliable starter, even though he had just two starts in college.
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Last season, Jay proved he could become the starter the team had hoped he would become. He started 13 games, pitching 69 2-3 innings with single-A Fort Myers. His 8.8 SO/9 and 2.7 BB/9 were encouraging to see.
However, after the Twins promoted him to Double-A, Jay struggled. In his first two starts with the Chattanooga Lookouts, Jay allowed nine earned runs in 10 innings.
He moved the bullpen to manage his workload after the two starts. He appeared in three games before landing on the disabled list with a neck strain.
#3 – Tyler Jay
- Name: Tyler Jay
- Position: SP Age: 22
- Height: 6’1” Weight: 185 lbs.
- Throws: Left Bats: Left
- Acquired: 6th overall in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft
The Twins new front office and Jay’s performance with Chattanooga this season will determine his outlook as a starter.
Another factor is the competition within the Twins organization. There is a cluster of pitchers trying to make the Twins organization this spring (i.e. Adalberto Mejia, Jose Berrios, Trevor May), while others are not quite major league but could make their major league debuts in 2017 (i.e. Stephen Gonsalves, Aaron Slegers).
Jay should start the year with double-A Chattanooga and could see time with triple-A Rochester. Whether he continues to progress as a starter or a reliever, Jay has shown the ability to service in either role.
Next: Twins Top 10 Prospects: No. 8 Ben Rortvedt
Previous stories on Puckett’s Pond Top 10 Prospects:
Honorable Mentions #10: Adalberto Mejia
#9: Nick Burdi #8: Ben Rortvedt
#7: J.T. Chargois #6: Kohl Stewart
#5: Alex Kirilloff #4: Fernando Romero