Opening Day Starter?

[Brad.dahlen]

Who do you think will be the opening day starter? The veteran Sonny Gray? The new guy, Pablo Lopez? Or the young franchise building block, Joe Ryan? 

 

Who would you pick and who do you think the Twins will chose?

 

I'd let Joe Ryan have the honor but I think they will go with Sonny Gray.

[Cris E]

They open on the road and the first game at Target Field is the seventh overall.  I expect the rotation to be based at least as much on performance as contract and curb appeal, so we won't know for a month. I wouldn't even guess at this point.

[lecroy24fan]

I think it will be Ryan, just like last year.

[notoriousgod71]

Pagan because they give the fans what they want.

[Parfigliano]

Id guess Ryan but with injuries who knows who's even going north.

[Danchat]

I like the idea of breaking the tie between pitchers by picking how threw the most innings last year... so Ryan it is.

[Doctor Gast]

IMO Sonny Gray has preference but the top 4 are very close, it could be anyone's if they all are 100%.  

[Blyleven2011]

I'd say Ryan,  just to piss off Sonny Gray more ...

[Richie the Rally Goat]

7 hours ago, Danchat said:

I like the idea of breaking the tie between pitchers by picking how threw the most innings last year... so Ryan it is.

Pablo Lopez threw the most innings last year. 33 innings more than Ryan

[Doctor Gast]

12 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

I'd say Ryan,  just to piss off Sonny Gray more ...

LOL, I was leaning towards Gray because I thought they'd try to get on his good side.😄

[Doctor Gast]

4 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Pablo Lopez threw the most innings last year. 33 innings more than Ryan

Good point, Richie. to go with the one that might give you the most innings

[dxpavelka]

Joe Ryan for me but I COULD be talked into Pablo Lopez.

[Beast]

Ryan’s the future, maybe even current, “face” of this pitching staff.  I’d go with him.

Gray is just meh.  Nobody is talking about with excitement, nobody is driving to the ballpark from places like Luverne, Roseau, North/South Dakota to see Gray pitch.

Cant give it to either Mahle or Lopez.  You just got the fans walked back from ledge after trading a load of prospects for an injured Mahle and a fan favorite in Arraez for Lopez.  You think they’ll risk one of them going out and putting up a 5 run first inning on opening day?  PR train wreck.

[weitz41]

Which ever one signs an extension...or Joe Ryan.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

By ‘22 WPA

Lopez 1.79

Mahle 1.26

Ryan 1.23

Gray .81

Ober .61

 

By ‘22 FWAR

Lopez 2.8

Gray 2.4

Mahle 2.1

Ryan 2.1

Ober 1.4

 

Yup! Lopez

I’ll take 1.4 FWAR out of their 5th starter! That’s looking to be a solid foundation

[chpettit19]

Gray, Lopez, Ryan would be my opening day ranking as of today (not necessarily my rotation order, but just ranking of who to throw opening day). I'd actually lean towards putting Mahle ahead of Ryan here if I knew anything real about his shoulder and how it's looking. We'll see what ST brings in terms of health and performance. But I think Gray is their best pitcher so I'd put him out there first.

[baul0010]

15 hours ago, Cris E said:

They open on the road and the first game at Target Field is the seventh overall.  I expect the rotation to be based at least as much on performance as contract and curb appeal, so we won't know for a month. I wouldn't even guess at this point.

I'd need to know who is going to be healthy!

[MMMordabito]

• Joe Ryan for me.  OP should get a poll going at the top of this post, if possible. @Squirrel might be able to help.

[Squirrel]

3 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

I'd say Ryan,  just to piss off Sonny Gray more ...

?

I'm not sure I get this?

[Squirrel]

18 minutes ago, MMMordabito said:

• Joe Ryan for me.  OP should get a poll going at the top of this post, if possible. @Squirrel might be able to help.

Okay, done ... it's now a poll ... everyone who commented will now have to come back and vote 😊

[stringer bell]

The Twins open on the road in KC. The Home Opener is a week later against the Nats, I believe. So, which is really more prestigious? If I’m the manager, I start Gray in the season opener and Ryan in the Home Opener. The good thing is that there really are four good candidates for either start. 

[Squirrel]

I think they'll work it out so that one of Ryan or Gray has the opening day start, and they other has the home opener start. If they can work it that way. Haven't really looked at the schedule to see how probable that would be.

Kind of ninja'd by @stringer bell on that.

[Parfigliano]

4 hours ago, Beast said:

Ryan’s the future, maybe even current, “face” of this pitching staff.  I’d go with him.

Gray is just meh.  Nobody is talking about with excitement, nobody is driving to the ballpark from places like Luverne, Roseau, North/South Dakota to see Gray pitch.

Cant give it to either Mahle or Lopez.  You just got the fans walked back from ledge after trading a load of prospects for an injured Mahle and a fan favorite in Arraez for Lopez.  You think they’ll risk one of them going out and putting up a 5 run first inning on opening day?  PR train wreck.

Not so fast.  Drove up from NM and saw Gray.  Your right though.  Didnt know it was his day.

[cHawk]

I think they'll start Lopez on Opening Day given that he's their new acquisition. I could see Gray or Ryan too.

[chpettit19]

I think a really fascinating piece about the early season pitching setup is what they do with Lopez knowing the Marlins are the 2nd series of the year. Do they want him to start against his old team or not (or does he want/ask to?)? If they do they need him to either start opening day (assuming a 5 man rotation) or save him for games 4 or 5. 

Also, knowing Ryan absolutely sliced up KC last year I'd think they'd want him to go in the first 3 games at some point.

Would they be interested in leaving Mahle and/or Maeda in Florida to get a little extra work/treatment at the facility while the rest of the team heads to KC and have them be your #4 and 5 guys who face the Marlins?

[stringer bell]

2 hours ago, Squirrel said:

I think they'll work it out so that one of Ryan or Gray has the opening day start, and they other has the home opener start. If they can work it that way. Haven't really looked at the schedule to see how probable that would be.

Kind of ninja'd by @stringer bell on that.

Great minds!!!!

[stringer bell]

15 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I think a really fascinating piece about the early season pitching setup is what they do with Lopez knowing the Marlins are the 2nd series of the year. Do they want him to start against his old team or not (or does he want/ask to?)? If they do they need him to either start opening day (assuming a 5 man rotation) or save him for games 4 or 5. 

Also, knowing Ryan absolutely sliced up KC last year I'd think they'd want him to go in the first 3 games at some point.

Would they be interested in leaving Mahle and/or Maeda in Florida to get a little extra work/treatment at the facility while the rest of the team heads to KC and have them be your #4 and 5 guys who face the Marlins?

I think this is all speculation at this point. I do know Rocco has said more than once that Maeda is a “full go” coming into spring training. Reports on Mahle have been equally optimistic. Spring training should reveal a lot. 
 

By the way, except for the WBC guys, this will be a normal spring training—a welcome change. 

[chpettit19]

47 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

I think this is all speculation at this point. I do know Rocco has said more than once that Maeda is a “full go” coming into spring training. Reports on Mahle have been equally optimistic. Spring training should reveal a lot. 
 

By the way, except for the WBC guys, this will be a normal spring training—a welcome change. 

Oh, 100% speculation. I have no idea if they'd want to keep them there, or if they'd want to do it no matter who their 4th and 5th guys are or if it's just a ridiculous idea at all. Was just a thought since they'll be back for the second series and starters 4 and 5 won't have any role during games 1 through 3. 

I have no real fears about either Mahle or Maeda. At least no more than I do about pitchers in general. They're all massive injury concerns as far as I'm concerned. My hope is that they all look great and make it through ST healthy and it's basically a flip of the coin on who starts where in the rotation. To me it's way more about early season matchups than actually ranking them 1 through 5. It's why I'd go Lopez-Gray-Ryan-Mahle-Maeda to start. Just cuz I want to see Lopez start against Arraez and the Marlins, and Ryan needs to face the Royals.

[Brad.dahlen]

For the first time in how long there are three solid names being debated here. Gray, Ryan, or Lopez would surprise no one. We are fortunate to be able to have the discussion in Twins Territory. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Give it to Gray. He’s the most experienced veteran and ultimately, opening day starter doesn’t really matter.