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Examining the Minnesota Twins upcoming rotation conundrum

By John Geiger II

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 11: Manager Paul Molitor #4 of the Minnesota Twins looks on as starting pitcher Lance Lynn #31 is checked by medical staff during the third inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on May 11, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 11: Manager Paul Molitor #4 of the Minnesota Twins looks on as starting pitcher Lance Lynn #31 is checked by medical staff during the third inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on May 11, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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Jake Odorizzi

Jake Odorizzi was the Opening Day starter for Minnesota and showed Twins fans why the team traded for him. He had seven strikeouts and allowed zero earned runs while pitching six innings that day. Although he didn’t factor into the decision, Odorizzi gave fans reason for hope.

However, things did not stay that way for long for Odorizzi as the calendar flipped to April. He allowed 13 earned runs while pitching only 20 innings during his first four starts in April.

However, since his April 28th start against Cincinnati, he has been stellar. Odorizzi has pitched 28 innings with 31 strikeouts and only nine walks. He has only allowed six earned runs giving him a 1.93 ERA with a solid .218 batting average against.

Odorizzi’s has earned his place in the Minnesota Twins rotation. Without Odorizzi, this season would look even worse than it already does. Without question, his recent performance guarantees his place in this rotation, leading us to the obvious lock at the top of the rotation.

Jose Berríos

I don’t mean any disrespect to Jose Berríos for not talking about him right off the bat. It’s obvious that he will be toward the top of the Twins rotation, not just for this season, but for the foreseeable future.

Berríos has had his struggles at times during the 2018 season. However, he has the type of raw “stuff” that Minnesota Twins fans haven’t witnessed since Francisco Liriano possessed. On top of that, Berríos has shown glimpses of the greatness that he can achieve in the future.

When he’s right, Berríos is painting the corners with his hitter and keeping hitting off-balance with his breaking ball. Berríos is just wild enough to keep hitters honest on the inside corner and has shown his future is bright in MLB.

He has 61 1/3 innings pitched with a 3.82 ERA during his first 10 starts this season. Berríos has walked only 12 batters with a 4.94 K/BB ratio and IS the future for this rotation. Opponents are batting only .196 with against Berríos while only managing a .228 batting average on balls in play.

Berríos will be the pitcher leading this organization into the future. Next, we’ll take a look at a pitcher making a name for himself, and another hoping to turn things around.

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