Article: Twins Select Matt Canterino with 54th Overall Pick

[Cody Christie]

The Twins had three picks on the opening day of the MLB Draft. With their first-round pick, the Twins selected SS/3B Keoni Cavaco. During the competitive balance round, the club took Minnesota native Matt Wallner, a college outfielder. With the 54th overall pick in the MLB Draft, Minnesota selected RHP Matt Canterino.The Twins had three picks on the opening day of the MLB Draft. With their first-round pick, the Twins selected SS/3B Keoni Cavaco. During the competitive balance round, the club took Minnesota native Matt Walner, a college outfielder. With the 54th overall pick in the MLB Draft, Minnesota selected RHP Matt Canterino.

 

***Listen to Across the Meadow's breakdown of the Canterino pick.***

 

Canterino is a right-handed pitcher out of the Rice University. As a freshman, he led Conference USA with 111 strikeouts in 96 innings. Only two college pitchers have struck out over 100 batters over the last three seasons and he is one of them. He’s been making the rounds as he pitched for the US collegiate national team and he pitched in last year’s Cap Cod League. He even won that league’s All-Star Game.

His fastball can reach into the upper-90’s but it typically sits in the low 90s. His slider might be his best pitch as it can reach the mid-80s. He also has a spike curveball with a lot of action. His high strikeout totals show that he can get both righties and lefties out on a consistent basis. The Twins hope he can remain a starter as he transitions to his professional career.

Some scouts have been critical of his delivery during his collegiate career. He uses a lot of effort during his delivery and this makes it tough to stick as a starting pitcher. Because of the effectiveness of his other breaking pitches, he hasn’t had to rely on his change-up as much. This could be another thing for him to work on as he moves through the Twins system.

Feel free to discuss and check back for more information.

 

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[mlhouse]

Like this pick, but my god, does that guy have some weird delivery.  

[ToddlerHarmon]

Edit the headline please, move the "with" to the right of Matt Canterino

[MikeW]

Like the pick. He’ll need to fix that loopy delivery. Base runners will have field day

[Otwins]

Wes Johnson has some work to do with the windup but he has nice size.

[RaoulDuke]

Definitely a bullpen delivery at the moment, but this seems like the somewhat unorthodox kind of guy Cleveland has done well developing. 

[operation mindcrime]

Congrats to Matt Canterino!!!!!

[dougd]

BPro article today: Expanding the Zone: Examining 2019 College Pitcher Workloads.

 

Of the 10 pitchers, only Matt Canterino and Nick Lodolo have been used as starters in nearly all of their three seasons.

 

Portion of games where pitcher had over 110 pitches: Canterino 12% 2017, 12% 2018, 13% 2019. For 2019, Manoah was at 44%, Jameson 38%, Thompson and Kirby 29%.

 

Games in which a pitcher was not provided enough rest for the length of his outing, Pitch Smart Violations per game: Manoah 25%,Jameson 25%, Canterino 0% (6 and 12% in 2017 and 2018).

 

 

[chichi34]

To me, his delivery is almost identical to Blake Parker's--

[Seth Stohs]

Biggest concern for any college pitcher, and more so for Rice pitchers, is innings and work load in college. My guess is that Canterino doesn't pitch the rest of this season. If he does, maybe get him 10-15 innings in E-Town and call it a season. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Wes Johnson has some work to do with the windup but he has nice size.

 

Wes Johnson working with a Rice U pitcher is like next-level scary. 

[TKGuy]

Seems like Rice was careful with his outings based on the stats above

[twins1095]

Posted this in the draft thread, but thought I would also post here:

 

 

Big fan of this pick. Disagree that the delivery is a negative unless there are injury concerns. I have yet to see an explanation or read about why there should be.

 

Baseball America rated him as the best control in the country pre-draft. He repeats his mechanics and can control the ball. His delivery makes it hard to read over his hand and his over the top delivery creates a really nice downward plane and will lead to a lot of ground ball outs and the downward movement you see on his spike curve as well as some of the movement you see on his fastball.

 

Sure, he’ll refine his delivery like any pitcher but I think the funky delivery is a plus until it’s proven not to be rather than the other way around. The only real argument I’ve seen for changing it is that it seems like something to do because it looks different than prototype, which isn’t actually a reason at all unless that difference in pitching motion is causing control issues through unrepeatablility or injury concerns.

I think he’s going to be a starter of the good Odorizzi or Gibson version. Really excited.

 

Here’s a good article I found with a nice profile:

 

https://www.google.c...-matt-canterino

 

A couple of quotes from that article:

 

**Canterino also does the little things to help his cause, including having an above-average pickoff move. However, there’s still a concern that he may eventually be a reliever. Why should this be a concern, when he’s get the build, control, athleticism and repertoire to be successful as a starter? Rice does have a history of its pitchers breaking down physically at the professional level. More than that, however, it’s due to his unorthodox, high-effort delivery with a head jerk. It is that delivery, however, that just may give him the deception he needs at the professional level to help supplement good, albeit unsensational, stuff.**

 

**One side note — in Baseball America’s preseason list of loudest tools, Canterino was listed as having the best control. Certainly after looking at his results over the past couple seasons, it’s difficult to refute that analysis.**

Edited June 4, 2019 by twins1095

[Blake]

 

Wes Johnson working with a Rice U pitcher is like next-level scary. 

Would you mind elaborating?

 

Thanks.

[Trov]

Sounds like he may be a bit of possible steal at this point.  I am no expert on potential for injury based on his delivery, if it is any more likely than any other delivery.  However, he strikes guys out at high rates, so even if he becomes only a bullpen guy is that really a knock anymore?  

[Aerodeliria]

I think twins1095 has a point. The odd delivery seems to add to the deception of the pitches. His hook looked great.

[Rigby]

 

Seems like Rice was careful with his outings based on the stats above

Wayne Graham retired at the end of 2018.

[Mr. Brooks]

Sounds like he may be a bit of possible steal at this point. I am no expert on potential for injury based on his delivery, if it is any more likely than any other delivery. However, he strikes guys out at high rates, so even if he becomes only a bullpen guy is that really a knock anymore?

I think as much, or more concern than injury, is that he isn't going to be able to control the running game with that delivery.

[Mike Sixel]

Fangraph's report: (109th on their list)

 

TLDR
Canterino will regularly show a plus fastball/breaker combo, but there's some effort and relief risk. This spring he's dialed down the stuff a bit and the strike throwing is better.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2019-mlb-draft?sort=-1,1&type=0&team=&pagenum=2

[ashbury]

OK,  here is my exact problem with the Poor'lads... 13th ranked pick goes in third round due to 4mil. signing demand. We don't bite. $4mil. ONE TIME signing bonus.

It's morning in Minnesota and the birds all say CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP 

For the past several years, a team's draft money goes into and out of a pool of funds, the size of which varies from team to team. The Twins will likely spend every penny of their allotment. $4M to one player comes out of what could go to other draftees, causing them to refuse to sign, which in turn has a negative effect on the size of the pool. If as you say this one guy fell to the third round, then all 30 teams went through this exact calculation, one or two or three times. It's not reasonable to chalk this up to ownership.

[Knuckleball9]

Having said that I'm not all in on Keuchel unless he fits the culture.. and doesn't cost Jim an extra Yacht.

[Mr. Brooks]

OK, here is my exact problem with the Poor'lads... 13th ranked pick goes in third round due to 4mil. signing demand. We don't bite. $4mil. ONE TIME signing bonus.

It's morning in Minnesota and the birds all say CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP

Each team has a bonus pool allotment. That is the maximum that they are allowed to spend signing draft picks. The Twins will spend their entire draft pool allotment, how is that being cheap? They may not allocate the money to the player that you want them to, but they are still spending it.

[Trov]

 

I think as much, or more concern than injury, is that he isn't going to be able to control the running game with that delivery.

Scout reports state he holds runners will with a good pickoff move, and not many teams run now a days.  Also, his K rate has been high in college, if he can carry that over, running on him is not as effective, because striking out hitters at plate means no sac flies.