Article: Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month - August 2015

[Seth Stohs]

In the last several days, we have posted our Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher and Hitter of the Month of August. There have been a lot of strong candidates for each category and that remains the case as we look at the top performing relief pitchers for August. There are a couple of 2015 draft picks, some guys who have been around a long time, and a guy who has a really long last name.There were a lot of very strong August performances out of the bullpen at the Twins affiliates. Below you’ll find the Top 5 Relief Pitchers in August, but first a few relievers worthy of mention:

• RHP Yorman Landa – Cedar Rapids – 7 G, 1-1, 0.71 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 13 H, 4 BB, 12 K
• RHP Jake Reed – Ft. Myers – 9 G, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 7 K
• LHP Corey Williams - Chattanooga – 10 G, 0-0, 1.54 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 4 H, 8 BB, 11 K

THE TOP FIVE

 

Number 5 – Cedar Rapids Kernels – LHP Mike Theofanopoulos - 7 G, 1.59 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 11.1 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 15 K

 

 

The Twins drafted the southpaw with their 30^th round draft pick in 2014 out of California where he teamed with Trevor Hildenberger and Chris Paul. He turned 23 years old in early August and put together arguably his best month of the season. Opponents hit just .222 off of him in the month. He isn’t a flame-thrower, but he has some deception and enough movement to miss bats. In 68.1 innings this season, he has walked 29, but he’s also struck out 74 batters.

Number 4 – Elizabethton Twins – Logan Lombana - 7 G, 1.35 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 17 H, 3 BB, 23 K

 

Lombana is on this list, in large part for the sheer number of innings that he pitched for the E-Twins. Twenty innings in one month as a reliever is pretty impressive. The three walks to 23 strikeout ratio is also very impressive. Lombana was the Twins 25^th round draft pick this year out of Long Beach State. Overall this year, he went 1-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 15 games (32 innings) for the E-Twins.

Number 3 – Ft. Myers – Tyler Jay - 8 G, 1.13 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 12 K

 

The Twins first-round pick from Illinois struggled in his jump from the Big 10 to the Florida State League. Through July 31, he pitched 8.1 innings and gave up nine runs (7 earned) on 13 hits and five walks. However, things were much better in his second month. The Twins are always cautious with their current-year picks, so Jay pitches about every fourth day and only for one inning. He greatly improved his walk to strikeout rate and was much more successful.

Number 2 – Chattanooga – JT Chargois - 9 G, 0.87 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 11 K

 

What a story JT Chargois has and will have later in life to tell. The Twins second round pick in 2012 out of Rice, he had pitched in just 12 games as a professional and none in the last two seasons due to elbow injury and surgery. He impressed at Instructional League last year, touching triple digits. The goal was likely to get him through this season healthy, and he has done that. He posted a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings in Ft. Myers before moving up to Double-A Chattanooga. There, he has posted a 3.52 ERA in 30.2 innings. However, it is important to note that he has allowed just one earned run in his last 17.2 innings. He definitely is one to watch in 2016.

And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is:

 

Elizabethton Twins – Kuo Hua Lo - 9 G, 1.98 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 8 H, 6 BB, 23 K

 

Lo was signed by the Twins as a free agent from Taiwan in 2011. He pitched in the GCL in 2012. He has spent the last three seasons with the Elizabethton Twins. As a 22-year-old this year, he has pitched very well. In fact, last week, he was named to the Appalachian League post-season All-Star list as the top reliever. Domination would be a good word to describe his August, striking out almost two batters per inning. In 19 games and 31.1 innings this season, he gave up just 15 hits, walked eight and struck out 43 batters. He is 4-1 with seven saves. He has a 1.44 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP.

After three years in the Appy League, he has earned an opportunity in the Midwest League.

 

So what do you think? I’ve ranked the top five bullpen arms in the Twins organization in August, along with several more that deserve to be recognized for their great final month to the 2015 season. Who would your choice be? How would you rank these guys (and feel free to include others)?

 

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[nyazbeck]

1 lo

2 chargois

3 reed

4jay

5 landa

[Seth Stohs]

Reed and Landa were certainly strongly considered.

[Shane Wahl]

I still can't figure out why Lo was still stuck in E-Town.

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

Didn't My

Meyer and Burdi have great months? Maybe it's been more the past 30 days, than last month, but thought I remember looking at our top three bullpen prospects in Jay, Burdi, and Meyer and that they had all turned around terrible starts to awesome last 30 days or so.

[Seth Stohs]

I still can't figure out why Lo was still stuck in E-Town.

I still think decision-makers in the organization have mixed thoughts on his abilities.