Why is Presley on the roster at all? Much less pitching in a tied game?

[DaveW]

Seriously?

 

This is failure across the board by this so called "new" front office and Paul Molitor.

[Otto von Ballpark]

What do you mean? He pulled double duty tonight, creating his own mop-up situation!

[Vanimal46]

Pressly and Breslow still having a job in the majors has certainly bothered me the most this season.

[kab21]

Pressly bothers me less than Breslow and Belisle.

 

At least in Pressly's case his K/BB rates (and swstr%) are good (near elite). He is getting rocked when the ball is put in play though. And it isn't even every time the ball is put into play. He has a normal BAPIP and is getting a lot of GB's. But he has a 25% HR/FB rate and a 55% LOB rate. If a hitter can get under a ball then it's a goner. If they can get on base then they are going to score. When he misses, he must be laying the biggest meatballs across the plate.

Note - I am not making an argument for him but there are statistical oddities.

 

25% K rate - 6% BB rate - 50 GB rate

[Twodogs]

That 96 MPH fastball looks great as it's rocketing out of the building. Maybe since he throws so hard, he could do everyone a favor and just turn around and throw the ball out of the stadium, save us all a lot of headaches watching guys just crush that **** everytime.

[Blake]

I'm not nearly so concerned by Pressley as I'm by a manager who put two people who aren't hitting in the lineup tonight.

 

How many LOB tonight? This was a winnable game with just one or two clutch hits.

[Bill Brown69]

 

I'm not nearly so concerned by Pressley as I'm by a manager who put two people who aren't hitting in the lineup tonight.

 

How many LOB tonight? This was a winnable game with just one or two clutch hits.

 

So who should we have pulled? Granite our prospect that has been clamored for or our starting catcher?

 

BTW 12 LOB with Rosario leaving 7.

[Blake]

 

So who should we have pulled? Granite our prospect that has been clamored for or our starting catcher?

 

BTW 12 LOB with Rosario leaving 7.

Polanco hasn't been hitting. I accept that Granite needs to be in the lineup because the Twins need an outfielder. I don't accept there weren't better options at short.

[Mike Sixel]

Because Haley isn't available?

[drjim]

I probably would have used Hildenberger there.

 

Would be nice to upgrade the pen a little.

[kab21]

When the starter only makes it through 4 IP then you are almost guaranteed to use someone that you don't want to use in the game when there are so many bad options.

[Doomtints]

Ya got me stumped on this question, Dave.  

 

But hey, let's release Gee and keep Pressly (or take your pick of 5 others).

 

Who did Gee anger in the organization so much that the Twins would choose losing games over letting him pitch?

[John Kelsey]

Have to say it because it drives me nuts, it's spelled Pressly. 

[Doomtints]

 

When the starter only makes it through 4 IP then you are almost guaranteed to use someone that you don't want to use in the game when there are so many bad options.

 

If Pressly's strength is a 96+ MPH fastball, he's a set up man or a closer. He's not the guy you put in to shut down a rally or in the 4th inning. If Pressly cannot handle being a set up man or a closer, then he has to adapt or the Twins should let him go.

[Squirrel]

If Pressly's strength is a 96+ MPH fastball, he's a set up man or a closer. He's not the guy you put in to shut down a rally or in the 4th inning. If Pressly cannot handle being a set up man or a closer, then he has to adapt or the Twins should let him go.

My opinion ... while I know that some RPs perform better under different situations, if a RP comes in at any time and can't shut it down, in more than a few opportunities to do so, the problem isn't when he was used.

[Vanimal46]

Seeing Pressly come into the game during the 8th or 9th inning would be disastrous this season. I don't know what it is this year - mental, physical, mechanical - something is broken. He's not going to fix it in the majors.  

[kab21]

 

If Pressly's strength is a 96+ MPH fastball, he's a set up man or a closer. He's not the guy you put in to shut down a rally or in the 4th inning. If Pressly cannot handle being a set up man or a closer, then he has to adapt or the Twins should let him go.

So you are going to put someone that has struggled as much as Pressly this season into the setup/closer roles?

It looks like Molitor has decided that Pressly will be used as a long man and that is the guy that goes into the game in the 4th inning (actually the 5th I think) when you know you are going to use several RP's that night.

[Doomtints]

 

So you are going to put someone that has struggled as much as Pressly this season into the setup/closer roles?

It looks like Molitor has decided that Pressly will be used as a long man and that is the guy that goes into the game in the 4th inning (actually the 5th I think) when you know you are going to use several RP's that night.

 

No, with Pressly I am advocating the latter:

 

"If Pressly cannot handle being a set up man or a closer, then he has to adapt or the Twins should let him go."

 

Pressly does not profile as a mop-up guy and he can't handle the role that fits his pitching profile. Let him go.

[bluechipper]

Alan Busenitz needs to be called back up to take Pressly's spot. I think Pressly can still be a decent reliever, at least when his crazy HR/FB rate normalizes.

[bluechipper]

 

No, with Pressly I am advocating the latter:

 

"If Pressly cannot handle being a set up man or a closer, then he has to adapt or the Twins should let him go."

 

Pressly does not profile as a mop-up guy and he can't handle the role that fits his pitching profile. Let him go.

There's more than just setup guys and mop-up guys. You don't just let someone with Pressly's ability go.

[Doomtints]

 

There's more than just setup guys and mop-up guys. You don't just let someone with Pressly's ability go.

 

What you are saying here is that the Twins were fools for letting Jim Hoey go. The two of them have the same skillset.

[jokin]

 

Have to say it because it drives me nuts, it's spelled Pressly. 

 

Yeah, for a minute there, I thought the Twins re-signed Alex Presley.

[bluechipper]

 

What you are saying here is that the Twins were fools for letting Jim Hoey go. The two of them have the same skillset.

Except Pressly has actually gotten solid results in the MLB.

[kab21]

 

No, with Pressly I am advocating the latter:

 

"If Pressly cannot handle being a set up man or a closer, then he has to adapt or the Twins should let him go."

 

Pressly does not profile as a mop-up guy and he can't handle the role that fits his pitching profile. Let him go.

If I am cutting RP'ers then Pressly is 3rd or 4th on the list and not where I start.

I think you are too set on roles. Pressly is stashed somewhere before he goes back to a larger role. If...

[Jacksson]

Pressly is ok to start a fresh inning with the bases empty but his usual pattern is to give up a hit to the first batter he faces (you can look it up) and then give up at least one more hit or walk in each appearance. Not the track record you want for a guy you bring in with runners on base. Also check out his stat line on inherited runners scored. Perhaps his pitches have speed, but they must be straight as an arrow and easy to hit in the early parts of the game. The misuse of Pressly is on Molitor and Everyday Eddy - Pressly is what he is.

[DocBauer]

Pressly is ok to start a fresh inning with the bases empty but his usual pattern is to give up a hit to the first batter he faces (you can look it up) and then give up at least one more hit or walk in each appearance. Not the track record you want for a guy you bring in with runners on base. Also check out his stat line on inherited runners scored. Perhaps his pitches have speed, but they must be straight as an arrow and easy to hit in the early parts of the game. The misuse of Pressly is on Molitor and Everyday Eddy - Pressly is what he is.

Don't have stats to back up your thoughts, but just from my own observations, you sure seem correct here. I'm sure it's a gross generalization, but it appears to be some combination of walk and then big running scoring hit followed by a couple of SO.

 

Is he not warmed up properly? Is he nervous now, feeling snakebit and trying too hard, but he settles down after a better or two? Is he overthrowing and losing control?

 

I don't think anyone knows and that's the problem. Right now, I'd use him to start an inning and let Hildenberger take his spot in higher leverage situations.

 

I still wouldn't be opposed to letting him work it out and gain confidence at Rochester before brining him back in September. But I wouldn't give up on him. He has the stuff. He's not old, especially for a RP. He's had success before.

[Twodogs]

There's more than just setup guys and mop-up guys. You don't just let someone with Pressly's ability go.

In all honesty, if Pressly can get his curve ball over for a strike his 96 MPH fastball would be dangerous. I watched a couple of his curve balls last night hit the dirt about 3 feet in front of the plate. If he can throw a few of those for strikes, and then have them drop out of the zone, but not hit the dirt 3 feet in front of the plate he would be deadly as a relief pitcher. So maybe putting him in long relief/mop up duty, he can work on that very pitch, because he will often get 2 innings of work so plenty of low stress opportunities to try and throw that pitch for a strike. Build up confidence. He probably doesn't trust throwing it in high stress situations where they have a 1 run lead in the 7th, so he keeps chucking the 96-97 MPH fastball up there because it's the only pitch he knows he can throw for a strike, he gets lots of K's but also has a crazy HR rate because of it. So give him a month as a mop up guy to work on that pitch, it could pay dividens in the future. But he can't be brought in in high stress situations until he has that fixed. I mean that home run last night; it reminded me of nuke Laloush from Bull Durham, "Man he hit that thing like he knew it was coming?" "He did, I told him." But it's just a fact that the hitters know he has to throw it to them or walk them. I really hope Pressly can get that curve ball to work for him. Once he does, he will be tough.

 

It looked like he also threw a couple of change ups last night too.

[Guest]

Last year, Pressly averaged 8 K/9 and 2.75 BB/9 in 75 innings. That's pretty good. His K/BB rates are even better this year, but his fastball seems worse, even though his velocity is stable, so he's getting hit hard. It seems like they should be able to figure out what he's doing differently.

[SweetOne69]

 

Pressly is ok to start a fresh inning with the bases empty but his usual pattern is to give up a hit to the first batter he faces (you can look it up) and then give up at least one more hit or walk in each appearance. Not the track record you want for a guy you bring in with runners on base. Also check out his stat line on inherited runners scored. Perhaps his pitches have speed, but they must be straight as an arrow and easy to hit in the early parts of the game. The misuse of Pressly is on Molitor and Everyday Eddy - Pressly is what he is.

This year Pressly has only allow 2 of the 14 inherited runners score this year (14%), far below his career average of 30%