Jhoan Duran is What the Twins Have Always Needed

[Ted Schwerzler]

The day before the 2022 Major League Baseball season began, the Minnesota Twins traded their closer, Taylor Rogers. Long before that move, it appeared that Jhoan Duran would make the Opening Day roster, and closer or not, it seems he may be everything the organization has been looking for.

I won’t fault you if you don’t remember Juan Morillo. He pitched for Minnesota in 2009 and threw just two innings. He gave up a home run and five runs before never seeing the big leagues again. What he did do in that brief six-out appearance was throw a pitch clocked at 101.1 mph. 
 
After his departure, Minnesota has seen just two other pitchers register a triple-digit fastball. Brusdar Graterol, now with the Dodgers, checked in at 101.9 mph, and current reliever Jorge Alcala, who went on the IL on Tuesday with elbow inflamation, once touched 100.9 mph. Until now.

Duran has been groomed as a starter for the Twins throughout his development. Across 82 minor league games, 80 of those appearances have come in a start. It’s gone well to the tune of a 3.99 ERA and consistent double-digit strikeout per nine numbers since 2018. If there’s been a problem, it’s been in the form of health and durability. Duran has never pitched more than 115 innings during a season, and last year for St. Paul, he was limited to just 16 innings while battling shoulder issues.
 
Fast forward to this spring, and it seemed both beneficial and planned that Duran would throw out of the bullpen. The fireballer was used in relief, whether by design and adding to their internal group or through necessity to protect his workload. After a strong showing down in Fort Myers, Duran is now three innings into his Major League career. The Dominican has a 4/1 K/BB ratio while allowing just two hits.
 
Aside from the eye-popping velocity, which has averaged 100.9 mph this season, his Statcast numbers compare beautifully across the league. His current 19% whiff rate would’ve ranked 4th among qualified relievers last season, just behind Liam Hendriks and ahead of Devin Williams. He’s avoided hard contact and missed barrels. Although Duran hasn’t yet forced batters to chase outside the zone, he’s kept them off-balance by simply being unhittable.

The problem for the opposition is that Duran isn’t just firing straight fastballs either. His splinker is a unique offering, and that pitch has averaged 96.1 mph. The amount of movement and run he gets on both pitches creates an unfair situation for opposing batters when trying to both meet the pitch and connect optimally. 
 
It’s in the repertoire that we find his most significant reason to remain in relief. Again, the sample size is tiny, but Minnesota has turned its weapon into a two-pitch pitcher. He’s throwing the slider, a pitch the organization definitely believes in, just two percent of the time. His curveball offering has shown up 19% of the time but remains an off-speed secondary to combat the velocity.
 
Each time Duran has stepped onto the mount this season, it’s been guaranteed that the radar gun will light up. He turns a Statcast readout red and gives the Twins something they haven’t had. What his current or future role becomes in the bullpen pecking order seems to be determined, but closer or not, knowing he’s a weapon is a significant value add for both Rocco Baldelli and Wes Johnson. In the age of mixing and matching arms situationally, someone like this could be matchup proof, and at just 24-years-old, that’s massive.

These Twins aren’t the ones you’ve been used to in the past. It’s a different front office and now an organization that employs both the highest-paid infielder and one of the hardest throwers in the league—what a time to be alive.

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[GNess]

Yes, Duran can be an asset in the BP, but he should eventually be given an opportunity to be a SP. This may not be a true parallel, but who would the Yankees consider more valuable Gerrit Cole or Aroldis Chapman?

[Linus]

Just pray for good health. All this velocity is great but pitchers have been dropping like flies as they ramp up the velocity. 

[cheeseheadgophfan]

Please stay healthy......please stay healthy......

[mikelink45]

After the Alcala announcement we are all worried about the future.  Please no more bad arms, shoulders, elbow....

[goulik]

I’m more along the lines of hoping he’s 1 year in the bullpen type and then takes the Johan Santana path to Ace pitcher. It’s not like he is a 2 trick pony… that 87 mile an hour Curve mixed in with the Splinker? He Nasty!! Let’s not limit his potential quite yet…

[Karbo]

I would normally be real cautious after only 2 outings and 3IP but this kid looks to be the real deal. High velo with good control and movement, a couple of off speed pitches to mess with a hitters timing, wow, what a weapon. I can see why he would make a dominate starter at some point and why the FO would want to keep him in the pen to reduce the strain on his arm. I just look forward to watching him pitch!

[KBJ1]

Duran as Closer is the one thing that could save the Twins season.

Arraez at 3rd is too much of a liability.

Trade him for relief pitching PLEASE!!!

[KnoblauchWasFramed]

It is truly amazing on how quick the Twins will highly draft, or trade for, a pitcher with all of the potential in the world to greatly impact the Twins rotation for years to come and then turn that pitcher into a bullpen option.  Or worse, the pitcher never even has a career.

2010 (RD – Pick)

Alex Wimmers (1-21) – 0 Career Starts

Pat Dean (3-20) - 9 Career Starts

2011

Hudson Boyd (1-50) – 0 Career Appearances

Madison Boer (2-27) – 0 Career Appearances

Corey Williams (3-27) – 0 Career Appearances

2012

Jose Berrios (1-32) – 148 Career Starts

Luke Bard ( 1-42)   – 3 Career Starts

Mason Melotakis (2-3) - 0 Career Appearances

JT Chargois (2-12) - 0 Career Starts

2013

Kohl Stewart (1-4) - 9 Career Starts

Ryan Eades (2-4)  – 0 Career Starts

Stephen Golsalves (4-4) – 4 Career Starts

2014

Nick Burdi (2-5) - 0 Career Starts

Michael Cederoth (3-5) – 0 Career Appearances

Jake Reed (5-5) - 1 Career Start

John Curtis (6-5) - 5 Career Starts

Jorge Alcala (IFA) - 0 Career Starts (Currently In Bullpen)

Jhoan Duran (IFA) - 0 Career Starts (Currently In Bullpen)

2015

Tyler Jay (1-6) - 0 Career Appearances (Currently Out Of Baseball)

2016

Griffin Jax (3-16) - 14 Career Starts (Currently In Bullpen)

2017

Blayne Enlow (3-1) – On 40 Man Roster (AAA)