May

[jctwins]

Can you guys that pay attention to details more closely than I do tell me why I shouldn't loathe Trevor May right now?

 

The mega two handed fist pump on the mound yesterday after the third out strikeout put me over the top. He let an inning get away from him and bailed himself out before completely melting down. You don't fist pump that, you walk off the mound and go away. 

 

 

[SwainZag]

 

Can you guys that pay attention to details more closely than I do tell me why I shouldn't loathe Trevor May right now?

 

The mega two handed fist pump on the mound yesterday after the third out strikeout put me over the top. He let an inning get away from him and bailed himself out before completely melting down. You don't fist pump that, you walk off the mound and go away. 

 

I mean.....the way he is pitching I completely loathe him as well.  His command with all his pitches seems to be lacking right now.  He had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and the only run scored on a passed ball while he struck out the side.....what's wrong with showing a little emotion?  It was the next inning that really got me.

[Tom Froemming]

Had Jason Castro done a reasonable job at keeping the ball in front of him, only one run would have scored while May was on the mound instead of three.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I have a hard time being too angry at May when he was left out for 50 pitches, which is on Baldelli. And the fact that Baldelli felt pressured to do that to May is on the front office.

 

Look upward a bit with the blame.

[howeda7]

Does May have an option left? He could use a mental reset in AAA.

[Thrylos]

After last season I thought that May had turned a corner and would be a great late inning contributor in the Twins pen.   This season for some reason he is too tentative.  Thinking too much before pitching.  That was my impression and checking out fangraphs, this season indeed, he takes 2 more seconds before pitches on average than last season.  And gets about 3% fewer swinging strikes, mainly due to lack of command of the curveball.  His fastball is better this season.

 

Can he be part of the solution in the pen?  Maybe, but the problem (which I think is between his ears) better get fixed sooner, because when you compete, you cannot afford later.

[USAFChief]

 

Does May have an option left? He could use a mental reset in AAA.

He doesn't have any options left.

 

He's also 30 yrs old, at some point, he is what he is. I don't know how much good more AAA time would do anyway.

 

 

[nicksaviking]

His recent results aren't cutting it, but I don't care about a fist pump. 

 

I'm quite confident he's going to turn it around at some point. But it might not be here.

[SpicyGarvSauce]

 

I have a hard time being too angry at May when he was left out for 50 pitches, which is on Baldelli. And the fact that Baldelli felt pressured to do that to May is on the front office.

Look upward a bit with the blame.

 

Bingo. May shouldn't be asked to fill that role, or the expectation shouldn't be on him to do that.

 

Plus, the starters not logging innings lately has also put the Twins and their staff in a bind.

[Tomj14]

I think May is what he is, not as good as he was when his ERA was in the mid 2's, and not as bad as he has been the last three games.

He is a middle inning pitcher with an ERA in the mid to lower 3's and a good 4th or 5th option out a Team's bullpen.

Right now he is basically the 2nd option for the Twins and that is WAY too high for a team competing for a division title let alone home field in the playoffs.

[obtusebanter]

 

 

 

He's also 30 yrs old, at some point, he is what he is. I don't know how much good more AAA time would do anyway.

 

That's the nub.  Every time May has looked good it's because he ain't giving up free passes.  He's reverted back to form this year.  May got in trouble last night by handing out leadoff and 1-out walks.  It's his modus operandi.  

[DocBauer]

I like May. We've seen the best of him and we've seen the worst. Up until his last couple of appearances, his numbers, and results, were all pretty solid.

 

I commented elsewhere that if he was a 2nd guy brought in via trade, most everyone would be pretty happy.

 

Implosion or not, he should be the 3rd or 4th guy out of the pen at this point. Not a 50 pitch long man!

[jz7233]

 

Had Jason Castro done a reasonable job at keeping the ball in front of him, only one run would have scored while May was on the mound instead of three.

Agreed. May should really work on command of his pitches though.

[Riverbrian]

He’s got the stuff. Just needs stabilization.

 

I may not totally trust him high leverage now but I still think he could be. Need to add arms for today so you can afford to see what May is tomorrow.

 

Showing Emotion on the Mound? Baseball needs more emotion. Don’t care if he runs up to the batter and tweaks his nose while saying boop after a K.

[nokomismod]

I agree with LA Vikes Fan that the Twins need to find 2A and 2B bullpen pitchers fairly soon. I think I would keep Duffey, Harper, Parker, and of course Rogers over May now if they added two bullpen arms. Duffey isn't great either but I have more confidence in him and his abilities to not walk the leadoff guy. He can throw two pitches more consistenly for strikes than May.

[alarp33]

 

I have a hard time being too angry at May when he was left out for 50 pitches, which is on Baldelli. And the fact that Baldelli felt pressured to do that to May is on the front office.

Look upward a bit with the blame.

 

Can we be angry at him for the Cleveland game? How about the Mets? 

 

Blame whoever, but the fact is he's not doing his job and cost the Twins almost 3 times in an 8 day period

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Can we be angry at him for the Cleveland game? How about the Mets? 

 

Blame whoever, but the fact is he's not doing his job and cost the Twins almost 3 times in an 8 day period

This is the problem that arises when your bullpen is paper-thin. Baldelli is stuck relying on May to come into games with a higher leverage than you want a guy like May to pitch in.

 

He's a decent sixth inning guy but I don't want him pitching the seventh or later in close games. 

 

Because he just ain't that good. And pitchers that ain't that good tend to spectacularly implode from time to time.

 

May is the easy scapegoat right now but it's not his fault the team has failed to put 2-3 more good relievers in front of him to pitch higher leverage innings.

[alarp33]

 

This is the problem that arises when your bullpen is paper-thin. Baldelli is stuck relying on May to come into games with a higher leverage than you want a guy like May to pitch in.

 

He's a decent sixth inning guy but I don't want him pitching the seventh or later in close games. 

 

Because he just ain't that good. And pitchers that ain't that good tend to spectacularly implode from time to time.

 

May is the easy scapegoat right now but it's not his fault the team has failed to put 2-3 more good relievers in front of him to pitch higher leverage innings.

 

Totally disagree. Yes, he has turned out to be a major disappointment, but isn't it ok to expect a guy like him to be able to pitch the 7th inning of a close game? I think most of us here expected him to be a decent to good bullpen piece this year. How deep do you think this theoretical bullpen can go where he'll never have to pitch 7th inning or later? 

 

His job is to get (usually) 3 batters out before 1 crosses the plate, whether thats in the 6th inning or 8th inning, the job is the same. He's not doing it right now. 

[ashbury]

He doesn't have any options left.

 

He's also 30 yrs old, at some point, he is what he is.

And at some point not too long after, he no longer is.

[USAFChief]

May has pretty good stuff, but his problem's, IMO:

 

1) his command is spotty at best. Not just missing outside the strike zone, but missing inside the strike zone. Twice in a week, he was supposed to bury an 0-2 curve, and instead left a lollypop right in the middle of the zone. Right where it's a "gift from God." Just terrible, and it's because he, way too often, can't put the ball where he's aiming.

 

2) just my opinion, but he seems to me susceptible to any kind of stress. Like...for instance...baserunners. 

[nicksaviking]

 

This is the problem that arises when your bullpen is paper-thin. Baldelli is stuck relying on May to come into games with a higher leverage than you want a guy like May to pitch in.

 

He's a decent sixth inning guy but I don't want him pitching the seventh or later in close games. 

 

Because he just ain't that good. And pitchers that ain't that good tend to spectacularly implode from time to time.

 

May is the easy scapegoat right now but it's not his fault the team has failed to put 2-3 more good relievers in front of him to pitch higher leverage innings.

 

I agree with most of this, but maybe not the part about the pen being thin. Harper, May, Duffey and Parker have been generally underwhelming, but their overall body of work has been mostly satisfactory; just about every team in the league would find room for these guys in their pen if available, even if we are cursing one or more of them out daily. But I completely agree that they all appear to be best served in 5th, 6th, 7th inning kind of duties.

 

They all seem to have their meltdown moments simultaneously these days. Which maybe is fair since they all seemed to pitch above their heads simultaneously for the first two months.

[Jham]

In my opinion, May has never made it back to pre tj form. He's had some stretches, and his velo is mostly back I think. (Everyone's is apparently... The smoother balls?) That said, I think he could be a late inning reliever, but he seems to be running out of gas. Has the look of a guy who needs a break.

[Thegrin]

lol  I did a double fist bump when he struck the last batter.  It was a hard inning and he hung in there.  There is hope. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I agree with most of this, but maybe not the part about the pen being thin. Harper, May, Duffey and Parker have been generally underwhelming, but their overall body of work has been mostly satisfactory; just about every team in the league would find room for these guys in their pen if available, even if we are cursing one or more of them out daily. But I completely agree that they all appear to be best served in 5th, 6th, 7th inning kind of duties.

 

They all seem to have their meltdown moments simultaneously these days. Which maybe is fair since they all seemed to pitch above their heads simultaneously for the first two months.

That’s fair. There’s a difference between “paper thin” and “Rogers, then a bunch of guys you don’t mind pitching the sixth”.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Just throw more early strikes.

[OldTimeTwinkie]

There is a comparison to look at. The Indians had a pitcher by the name of Zach McAllister who was a starter threw hard but had problems so they turned into a reliever but also had problems very similar to may eventually they cut him loose.

[stringer bell]

The entire body of work tells the story of a guy with major league stuff, but he's not overpowering on a regular basis. Specifically, with his breaking pitches, he doesn't get enough chases and with his fastball, he doesn't have superior command. If he can get ahead, maybe he'd get more chases on the curve ball and fastball, but he doesn't routinely get ahead. The breaking ball in the zone seems very hittable.

[obtusebanter]

 

The entire body of work tells the story of a guy with major league stuff, but he's not overpowering on a regular basis. Specifically, with his breaking pitches, he doesn't get enough chases and with his fastball, he doesn't have superior command. If he can get ahead, maybe he'd get more chases on the curve ball and fastball, but he doesn't routinely get ahead. The breaking ball in the zone seems very hittable.

 

Agreed. This could also double for the Matt Magill write up. May and Magill are awfully similar with the biggest difference being pedigree.  

[SpicyGarvSauce]

And to think we traded a 1st round draft pick away for this guy! AND got Vance Worley!

 

Man, Ben Revere isn't even in professional ball anymore.

[gocgo]

The fist pump to me showed me that perhaps he is struggling with his confidence right now....and he should be...especially in the curve ball that continues to get hammered.  Visually, it looks good, but it must also look good to the hitter because it is taking a ride that should have a flight attendant.  So, that sort of eliminates a pitch from his arsenal.  And I do have to point out that he was blowing a guy away with his fastball and then threw a curve that got whacked...why?  Don't know if he shook off the catcher or not, but that was the wrong call.