Minnesota Twins: Giving the players their final letter grades

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 18: Jake Odorizzi #12 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of the game at Target Field on September 18, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Grading the starting rotation

Jose Berrios: C

Things started off great for the Twins “ace” during the early months of the season and up until the calendar turned to August, the right-hander was 10-5 with a 2.80 ERA and made his second consecutive All-Star team. The wheels fell off however as Berrios posted a 5.83 ERA in his final 10 starts after the Twins opted not to make a move at the trade deadline.

Jake Odorizzi: B

The first two seasons with the Twins were mired in mediocrity, but something clicked when Odorizzi was coached up by new pitching coach Wes Johnson. The right-hander flirted with a sub-2.00 ERA during the first half of the season and made his first All-Star game, but he returned to being a five-and-fly pitcher in the second half. That being said, he was one of the Twins’ most effective pitchers down the stretch.

Michael Pineda: B

This was a tough one to grade because of the 60-game PED suspension that Pineda was slapped with in September. With the Twins needing some resemblance of legitimate starting pitching, Pineda’s decision failed the Twins. But he was really good on the mound, going 9-3 with a 3.46 ERA after having a rough April. Pineda will be a free agent and with the Twins poised to lose four pitchers from their 2019 rotation, it will be interesting if they bring him back.

Kyle Gibson: C

Much like the rest of the staff, Gibson was serviceable during the first half going 7-3 with a 3.70 ERA in his first 13 starts. However, an offseason bout with E. Coli would turn into ulcerative colitis and his energy would be sapped. Still, Gibson tended to nibble too much and threw just 34.2% of his pitches in the strike zone. Although he posted a career-high in chase rate (36%), it was the same style that has put Gibson in bad situations for years with or without stomach problems.

Martin Perez: C

Through the first couple weeks of the season, the Twins appeared to have found a diamond in the rough as Perez went 7-1 with a 2.95 ERA in his first 11 appearances (eight starts). Like everyone else, Perez struggled as teams caught onto his new cutter and he refused to adapt, throwing it 30.8% of the time. With teams teeing off on Perez, he was left off the postseason roster.

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