Ervin Santana

[DaveW]

Gotta say, this guy has looked very impressive and I think he is likely our current best pitcher. Could end up being a real nice signing for TR and co.

[nicksaviking]

 

Gotta say, this guy has looked very impressive and I think he is likely our current best pitcher.

 

He's paid like it too. I'd guess that hasn't happened with the Twins since 2007.

[Brock Beauchamp]

He looks like a pro. Doesn't have the greatest stuff but he works with what he has and gets the team off the field.

[DaveW]

 

He looks like a pro. Doesn't have the greatest stuff but he works with what he has and gets the team off the field.

He actually is able to strike out some guys as well so far, very encouraging so far. Hopefully some of the younger guys can learn a few things from him.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

He actually is able to strike out some guys as well so far, very encouraging so far. Hopefully some of the younger guys can learn a few things from him.

Yeah, I don't mean to imply he's Nick Blackburn, just that his stuff isn't elite.

[Squirrel]

This was what I thought seeing him at Spring Training. Those thoughts were then tempered by his suspension. But I'm coming back around now.

[twinsnorth49]

I think that's a good description, he's a pro, really handles his business well and knows his approach.

[70charger]

If this is one of those jinx threads, you're doing it wrong.

[Linus]

His slider is a plus pitch, no question.

 

I think it is interesting that on the broadcasts they are saying that is velocity is down and that is due to the layoff.

 

Hello, he was suspended for steroid use.  His fastball is down because he is au natural now.  Hopefully he can win with it.  I think he will be our best pitcher for the remainder of the season.

[DaveW]

Do roids add MPH? I thought the pitchers take them to just recover quicker/stave off injury etc

[twinsnorth49]

Do roids add MPH? I thought the pitchers take them to just recover quicker/stave off injury etc

Yeah, I don't think steroids can make you throw a fastball harder. It can make you throw one hard for longer maybe and like you say, speed up your injury recovery.

 

I think his fastball is down a tick because his season just basically started. Not all that unusual early on.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I think it is interesting that on the broadcasts they are saying that is velocity is down and that is due to the layoff.

 

Hello, he was suspended for steroid use.  His fastball is down because he is au natural now.  Hopefully he can win with it.  I think he will be our best pitcher for the remainder of the season.

It's not steroids because his velocity isn't down much, if at all.

 

It's kinda fascinating, actually... Santana is a model of consistency. From his debut in 2005 until today, his fastball velocity has stayed between 91.7 (91.9 this season) and 94.4, which came pretty early in his career. The vast majority of his seasons are 92-93 with only three seasons sitting outside that range.

 

I think it's likely his 2015 number will creep back into the 92 range and then all but two seasons will be 92-93.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Gotta say, this guy has looked very impressive and I think he is likely our current best pitcher. Could end up being a real nice signing for TR and co.

 

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STICK A FORK IN HIM.

 

you hate the Twins

[DaveW]

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STICK A FORK IN HIM.

 

you hate the Twins

I calls it likes I sees it

[twinsnorth49]

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STICK A FORK IN HIM.

 

you hate the Twins

But sticking a fork in him is supposed to turnaround poor play. If he's playing well will it have the reverse effect? We should try this on the Yankees.

[Linus]

 

Do roids add MPH? I thought the pitchers take them to just recover quicker/stave off injury etc

Juan Rincon says hello.  He went from 94-95 to 91-92.  That was enough to send him out of the league.  Anything that adds strength and promotes recovery is definitely going to make you throw harder.

[Craig Arko]

Oy vey.

 

http://www.cmi-gold-silver.com/pdf/mackaych2451824518-8.pdf

[twinsnorth49]

Juan Rincon says hello. He went from 94-95 to 91-92. That was enough to send him out of the league. Anything that adds strength and promotes recovery is definitely going to make you throw harder.

Funny more pitchers aren't muscle heads then eh? Pitching isn't an exercise of strength, it's one mainly of explosive speed, building muscle is counter to that. Santana wasn't taking steroids to build muscle and throw harder, he was doing it to recover more quickly and improve his stamina, like pretty much all of them.

[kab21]

 

Juan Rincon says hello.  He went from 94-95 to 91-92.  That was enough to send him out of the league.  Anything that adds strength and promotes recovery is definitely going to make you throw harder.

This really isn't true.  fangraphs shows that his velocity went from 94.1 the year he was suspended to 93 for the two years following his suspension.  In addition to that he was very good the year following the suspension.  One thing about steroids is that the positive effect doesn't leave your body immediately.  You still see the increased benefits from being able to train harder and more often for quite awhile afterwards. 

 

Of course Rincon's situation is nothing like the situation described from Santana and the stats don't really back up anything.  Santana's average fastball has been between 91.7 and 92.3 for the last 4 seasons.  This year it is at 91.9.

 

It is too bad that the Twins couldn't have signed Santana last year.  I think many liked him more than Nolasco but the biggest argument against was the draft pick compensation. 

[GACbaseball]

I thought everyone wanted Ervin Santana in the bullpen because he wasn't any better than any of our other guys....?

[nicksaviking]

I'm not a doctor but I play a pharmaceuticologist (sp?) on Twinsdaily and my expert opinion is that if all PEDs were created to do the same thing, there would probably be just one.

[stringer bell]

I "watched" part of today's game on GameDay and the report there was Santana's FB was a quick as 96, with several 95s. Lost velo? Not today. The steroid that Ervin was busted for is to help recover, not build muscle mass, correct? That would mean that perhaps he won't be able to sustain when pitching on normal rest. He did have an extra day this time.

[curt1965]

The thing that impressed me the most was how quickly and effectively he pitched. You could say he was almost Beuhrle-esk.

[70charger]

But sticking a fork in him is supposed to turnaround poor play. If he's playing well will it have the reverse effect? We should try this on the Yankees.

Wow, the Yankees are really goolerrrrgh.

 

Sorry, I gagged.

[jorgenswest]

Great game from Santana. I also appreciated the defense Molitor have the fly ball pitcher. Right time to get Nunez in infield. Best possible OF defense.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I'm glad that Santana is not Nolasco level terrible. The PED suspension may have hurt the team, though it's impossible to ever know what could have been. Hopefully half a season off will make him more effective than his opponents in late August / September.  

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

Great game from Santana. I also appreciated the defense Molitor have the fly ball pitcher. Right time to get Nunez in infield. Best possible OF defense.

can't wait for Buxton to be back so the best possible defense can be Hicks, Rosario, and Buxton. No offense to Shane Robinson, but that trio will be even better!