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Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffy was abysmal as a starting pitcher during the 2015-16 seasons. Duffy transitioned to the Twins bullpen last season and the results didn’t change.
Duffy made 10 starts during his debut season in ’15 and finished with a very good 3.10 ERA across 58 innings pitched. He definitely had the look of a future rotation piece. However, that success didn’t last long and Duffy learned quickly how fast Major League hitters can make adjustments.
In ’16 Duffy started 25 games and the results were horrendous. He pitched 133 innings and had a brutal 6.54 ERA with 114 strikeouts and only 32 walks. Command has never been the issue with Duffy, it’s what happens when hitters barrel up the baseball that causes problems.
Duffy allowed a whopping 25 home runs while surrendering 167 hits and his WHIP was a staggering 1.496. A team won’t win many games with pitching like that so Minnesota gave him a chance in the bullpen.
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The results were not encouraging for Duffy out of the pen. He had a 4.94 ERA in 71 innings pitched while appearing in 56 games for the Twins last season. He allowed 79 hits and 18 walks giving him a less than inspiring 1.366 WHIP. Cloudy doesn’t even begin to describe Duffy’s future and he will need to rebound in 2018 if he wants to make a difference for the Twins.
What to expect from Duffy in ’18
Duffy has two minor league options remaining and is likely ticketed for Triple-A to start this season. However, the Minnesota Twins would be wise to continue to have patience with him. The bullpen is always difficult to keep stocked and you never know what a player will do from year to year. Duffy has a chance to be a solid bullpen piece in the future, if he can keep the ball in the park.
Minnesota has high aspirations for the ’18 season and players like Duffy inevitably end up playing crucial roles. Duffy will have to restore the Twins faith in him while playing in the Minors to start this season.
Duffy will undoubtedly see time in the Twin Cities at some point during this season. He has faced only six batters to this point of Spring Training and has allowed only 1 baserunner. Those are encouraging numbers, albeit a small sample size, and if Duffy continues to pitch well he’ll be with the Minnesota Twins before too long.
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