Tyler Duffey--2015

[stringer bell]

I haven't seen his name on the Adopt a Prospect list, so I am adding Tyler Duffy.  He is 24 years old, right handed and a starting pitcher for Chattanooga this spring.  Duffy is listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds.  He has progressed through the system, playing at three levels last year including three starts with Rochester in Triple A.

 

Duffy is off to a tremendous start with the Lookouts, having started two games, worked 13.2 innings, allowing six hits, with two walks and 18 strikeouts. 

 

I never noticed Duffy this spring while observing spring training and I have no idea what pitches he features.  If he continues his fine work on the mound, he should see Rochester soon and perhaps get a shot with the Twins sometime this year.

[Lonestar]

I am glad you started this, Stringer.  He reportedly has a 4-pitch mix.  I know he throws a fastball, curve, and changeup.  I don't know what the 4th pitch is.

 

His scouting report before the season (according to MLB Pipeline) is

 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

 

Before the Twins focused in on power arms in the Draft recently, they had a penchant for strike-throwers with a feel for pitching. Duffey, the Rice Univesity product, certainly fits that description.

Duffey has risen to the top of the organizational ladder by using his fastball-curveball combination effectively. His heater is average to a tick above, playing up when he pounds the bottom of the zone. He throws a solid average curveball to go along with it. Duffey has a decent changeup, but doesn't use it enough, something the Twins would like to see him do more of to be more effective against left-handed hitters. While he's walked fewer than two batters per nine innings, he can get in trouble when he doesn't keep the ball down consistently, which adversely affects his numbers.
 

There might not be a ton of ceiling for Duffey, but he has the chance to be an innings-eating back-of-the-rotation starter in the very near future.

 

No mention of a 4th pitch.  Still something seems to have changed with the upsurge in K%.  Is it his changeup?  I would love to hear an updated scouting report.

 

He was good enough to share closer duties at Rice with the Twins' 2nd round pick in 2012 - Chargois.  What would happen if he returned to the bullpen?

 

He also seems to be the ideal candidate to learn the splitter.

[Shane Wahl]

Duffey has 130 IP between AA and AAA this year. He was great in AA.

 

The promotion to AAA:

 

77.1 IP, 2.68 ERA, 58 K, 17 BB (6.8/2/0), 1.112 WHIP

 

Duffey is one of the 11 best pitchers in the organization right now, in my view. I would have liked some time in the bullpen this year, and maybe it does happen because he is getting up there in innings.

[Mike Sixel]

I'd love to see him in the bullpen right now, like other teams do. He could possibly help the MLB team, imo.

[stringer bell]

I had forgotten that I chose Duffey as one of my prospects. I knew there was a guy.....anyway, he's done very well his last two starts for the Twins. He may have graduated from the minors.