Liam Hendriks

I think a lot of people seem to be overlooking him. I think he could still be a big part of our rotation. I know his time in the Majors last year didn't really impress anyone, but he had some good starts (including shutting out Detroit for 7 innings) and he had an outstanding year in Rochester. You would think some of the success could easily carry over to the majors eventually. He has a little more experience this year maybe he can surprise us.

Liam Hendriks Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights | MiLB.com Stats | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball

Liam Hendriks Stats, Video Highlights, Photos, Bio | twinsbaseball.com: Team

I'm not sure if its the fact that he is being overlooked so much as it is that we need to see him put things together at the major league level before you can rely on him for the whole year.

Huge believer in him.
Have no doubt he'll start season as #5 starter (if he's not dealt this offseason which was my prediction early).
Could be helped by having a better INF defense.....but Plouffe/Florimon are gonna be historically bad left side (one defense/one offensively)

I just don't see it. He has no out pitch. Doesn't overpower anybody. I never see him transitioning into anything more then a AAAA pitcher at best. We have plenty of those types already. I'd take my chances with PJ Walters or Sam Deduno before I'd pencil this guy into the rotation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rick Niedermann

I just don't see it. He has no out pitch. Doesn't overpower anybody. I never see him transitioning into anything more then a AAAA pitcher at best. We have plenty of those types already. I'd take my chances with PJ Walters or Sam Deduno before I'd pencil this guy into the rotation.

---

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | DET@MIN: Hendriks shuts out Tigers over seven frames - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

I couldn't disagree with you more. In the minors he has shown control and command which if you put the ball wherever you want it in the zone that is an out pitch. His last start against Detroit was very good and he put on the black a few times for outs. He also has shown a decent amount of strikeouts in Rochester (82K's for 106.1 IP). I think he has shown he has command and control which definitely makes him better than a AAAA pitcher.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rick Niedermann

I just don't see it. He has no out pitch. Doesn't overpower anybody. I never see him transitioning into anything more then a AAAA pitcher at best. We have plenty of those types already. I'd take my chances with PJ Walters or Sam Deduno before I'd pencil this guy into the rotation.

---

PJ Walters? Over Hendriks? Really?

You have to be joking. I don't think Hendriks will ever be a very good pitcher but at least he is 23 and has dominated the minors. That's more than Walters has ever done.

I think Hendriks just needs to get a few batters out... He needs to feel like he can pitch at the MLB level. Just my opinion... He seemed to be a little overwhelmed. Pitched a little scared... In my opinion.

I ain't over looking... I'm hopeful he puts it together and is locked in solid for 2014. For 2013... I think TR will bring in another pitcher and Hendriks will start in AAA... As the year goes forward... Rochester will be needed and up comes Gibson and Hendriks. When that time comes... I hope they grab the bull by the horns and cement themselves a major league career.

Is Slowey a good comp for him, stats in the minors wise? I honestly don't remember specifics from Slowey's minor.league career.

Edit. I checked to compare AAA stats and WHIP, BB/9 and K/9 are pretty similar. I'm mobile so I can't really link to it.

I find it more likely Hendriks is a useful pitcher in 2013 than I do Correia or Pelfry. Though his intro into the AL was rough last year, his limited experience is still more than those two combined, and while he will not be a big strikeout pitcher, he will still miss a hell of a lot more bats than those two.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edavis0308

Is Slowey a good comp for him, stats in the minors wise? I honestly don't remember specifics from Slowey's minor.league career.

---

I'd say Slowey is a good comp:

Hendriks through Age 23 in the minors:
482IP, 2.65 ERA, 1.064 WHIP, 7.9/1.6 K9/BB9

Slowey (Age 28)
466.1, 2.45., 0.934, 8.4/1.4

Walters (Age 27 - really, you think he is better Rick?)
760.1, 4.06, 1.349, 8.4/3.1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nicksaviking

I find it more likely Hendriks is a useful pitcher in 2013 than I do Correia or Pelfry. Though his intro into the AL was rough last year, his limited experience is still more than those two combined, and while he will not be a big strikeout pitcher, he will still miss a hell of a lot more bats than those two.

---

Agreed. I'm not a big Hendriks fan but there's a chance he turns into Scott Diamond with a few more Ks (not many, just a few more).

Correia and Pelfrey, not so much.

I'm a huge believer in Liam Hendriks. Having talked to him several times, he is very smart, great baseball IQ, knows how to pitch. I think he experiences a little struggle last year for the first time, and he probably over-thought. t kind of looked like that at least. He's got better control of three pitches than he showed in the big leagues last year. He's just got to relax.

The comp to Slowey is fair, and it shows how you just never know with any prospect. Slowey missed a lot of bats in the minors without walking people, and to this point, he's only had some big league success. There are a lot of pitchers having good MLB careers who didn't put up nearly the nmbers that Slowey or Hendriks have put up in the minors. So, you never know, but I will stand behind my thinking that Hendriks can be a solid #3 for years. If I'm wrong, so be it.

Just for the record, the Slowey comparison was meant as a positive, not a slight. Dude put up solid numbers in the minors.

If he can eat innings effectively as a #3-4 that would be great. Need these guys as well (especially cheap, team controlled ones).

He should be up all year ....let's see what he has.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edavis0308

Just for the record, the Slowey comparison was meant as a positive, not a slight. Dude put up solid numbers in the minors.

---

I still wonder what life for Slowey would have been like had he not been hit in the wrist by that liner... He looked like he was breaking out before that day...

I was just thinking of starting this thread, and here it is. Good stuff.

I've been on record saying that I'm a believer in Hendriks. His minor league track record is outstanding, and he got his first taste of the bigs at only 22 years old. Of course there are no sure things in baseball, but I'll take that.

Besides, there were many pitchers who turned out well who struggled in their first taste of the show. Frank Viola ring a bell? He needs more time to put it all together, and we need more time to really know what we have. I think he should be making starts all year.

I'm just crossing my fingers it's this year he puts it together. Not next year. We really need him to be aggressive and step up. He really is an ace in the hole for us.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 70charger

I was just thinking of starting this thread, and here it is. Good stuff.

I've been on record saying that I'm a believer in Hendriks. His minor league track record is outstanding, and he got his first taste of the bigs at only 22 years old. Of course there are no sure things in baseball, but I'll take that.

Besides, there were many pitchers who turned out well who struggled in their first taste of the show. Frank Viola ring a bell? He needs more time to put it all together, and we need more time to really know what we have. I think he should be making starts all year.

---

I'm with you on hoping Hendriks is destined for better days. I believe I looked a few weeks back and saw similar numbers to Liam from Frankie V and Milton when they first came up. I just wish Gardy would give him the time that Kelly gave the other two. I'd say he has nothing to lose as most don't expect much from the Twins this year, but another bad season costs Gardy his job. I hope Liam gets out of the gates quickly this year.

Hendriks will be good enough in the long-term as a 4 or 5 starter and decent enough in 2013 to be a fifth starter. He is simply going to get better. He has the brains and has the capability to be Diamond-esque to some degree. The same CANNOT be said for Correia or Blackburn. Pelfrey is interesting to me to some degree.