Front Page: Get To Know: Twins Pro Scout Wesley Wright

[Seth Stohs]

Wesley Wright spent 15 years as a pitcher in professional baseball including parts of eight seasons in the big leagues. Upon his retirement, he stayed in the game and was given an opportunity with the Minnesota Twins pro scouting department. Get to know him.Wesley Wright grew up in Alabama. He was the 7th round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003. He signed and spent five years in that organization. In December 2007, he was a Rule 5 pick by the Houston Astros. He made the team's opening-day roster and spent parts of the next six seasons with the team. He was traded to the Rays in August 2013 and pitched well down the stretch and into the playoffs. He also spent time with the Cubs, Orioles and Angels in the big leagues.

 

After some injuries, he retired in 2017. Later that year, he became a pro scout for the Twins and has been on that job for the past two years.

 

 

In this week's podcast, we talk about his early baseball days, getting drafted and developing in the minor leagues. He talked about being a Rule 5 draft and joining his first big-league spring training, in a clubhouse that included the likes of Lance Berkman, Aaron Boone, Darin Erstad and LaTroy Hawkins.

 

We also talked about how analytics have come into the game and how its usage has continued to evolve.

 

Following his career, he transitioned into the world of pro scouting. We talked about his day-to-day work, and how analytics have altered what he does. It was interested to hear what the most difficult part of scouting is, and why he enjoys it so much.

 

Tune in and get to know Twins pro scout Wesley Wright.

 

 

 

 

You can subscribe to the Get to Know 'Em podcast on iTunes. or follow Libsyn for new episodes here as well. Please leave ratings or feedback.

 

And did you know that you can listen to the Get To Know 'Em podcast by asking Alexa to "Listen to the Get To Know 'Em Podcast."

 

PAST EPISODES

 

Episode 1: Get to know Niko Guardado (Actor and son of Eddie Guardado)

Episode 2: Get to know Pat Dean, Brent Rooker

Episode 3: Get to know Royce Lewis, AJ Achter

Episode 4: Get to know Devin Smeltzer

Episode 5: Get to know Jaylin Davis, Tyler Wells

Episode 6: Get to know: Travis Blankenhorn, LaMonte Wade

Episode 7: Get to know: Matt Wallner (and Ten Minutes with Tyler Wells)

Episode 8: Get to know: Caleb Hamilton, Austin Schulfer, Nick Anderson

Episode 9: Get to know: Andy Young, Billy Boyer (and Ten Minutes with Tyler)

 

 

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[Doctor Wu]

Interesting to read details about this guy ... but darn it , you teased me with that photo. My first thought was: Yes! We had just nabbed some hot young prospect from Texas! Oh well, I'll keep hoping ...

[rdehring]

Thanks, Seth.  A couple questions.

 

He looks awfully young in that photo.  Was it taken a long time ago?

 

Back in the day, teams had some scouts who weren't full time employees.  I assume that the entire staff now works full time for the Twins?  Does he have a specific area of the country that he scouts?  Or does he move around?  

 

I know the Twins at one time had over 50 scouts.  Is it still that many?  Seeing that dollars are always a concern in comments here, what does someone like Wright earn.  I expect that amount, plus expenses, times say 50 is a pretty big number.

 

 

[MMMordabito]

I wonder what he thinks of Royce Lewis' swing.  

[ashbury]

He looks awfully young in that photo.  Was it taken a long time ago?

He was with the Rangers organization in 2017 only, so that would make him 32 in that photo. Blessed/cursed with a baby face, even with the facial hair. The good news is that when he's in his 80s, he might still be able to run with the 65-year old crowd.

 

Hope he's got the eye for what makes players successful.