Twins Minor League Report (4/23): Jhoan Duran Begins Rehab Assignment

[jkcarew]

3 hours ago, Steve Lein said:

I think this is becoming, in general, a plan to keep guys like Festa who should pitch in the majors this year, ready for longer. i.e.: available for more innings later in the season instead of using them up early. But, I think there are major detriments to this from a development standpoint as well. How do you know how they will handle and order the third time around, etc... if they never see it.

I certainly would like a guy like him (who is older than Simeon Woods Richardson, as an example) to be pitching longer, but we'll see if this plan works out. 

Surprised they don’t start the “prospects” less frequently but have them attempt more pitches/innings per start? They have the numbers.

The shorter starts, but ever-increasing injury rates nonetheless, in the majors are a direct result of this approach of starter development, IMO.

[jkcarew]

3 hours ago, Steve Lein said:

Not going to lie, I see a lot of similarities to Jordan Balazovic. But Festa also hasn't hit a wall yet, so still plenty to like. 95+ MPH as a starter has been rare for the Twins, and his slider was excellent yesterday. Per baseballsavant, he threw 26 on the game, getting 8 swings and misses on it.

For now, it just seems Festa is struggling with command and efficiency. He doesn’t seem to have entered the Balazovic stage of constantly getting hit hard…pitches in the strike zone getting demolished on a regular basis. Until then, I’ll remain optimistic.

[2wins87]

I'm not really concerned about short starts for the top pitching prospects (Festa, Raya, Soto) right now.

With Raya and Festa, I am still optimistic that they will be starters, but I guess I'm just not expecting them to be big inning eaters anytime soon.

Obviously an ace that regularly pitches into the 7th is ideal, but most prospects end up being less than ideal in several ways, and if both end up being more 5 and done guys but are effective in that role I'll be fairly happy.  They would certainly not be alone in that role the way things are going across the league.

I still hope that Festa builds more stamina eventually, but I think the Twins have made the determination that he's just not that kind of pitcher now, and I don't really disagree.  He's listed at 6'6" and 185 lbs and definitely still looks it.  He is clearly the type of guy that doesn't put on mass easily. He has been built up to 80-90ish pitches in the past and hasn't maintained velocity. 

I'm not sure why his pitch limit hasn't seemed to have increased even a little from the start of the season, but I'm pretty sure that if they did start throwing him out there for 100 pitch outings, we wouldn't find out that he's suddenly become a workhorse.  If short outings and conditioning behind the scenes lead him to make a positive contribution in the majors this year then I'll be pretty happy.

[Linus]

Count me in the camp of skeptical of Festa. Pitchers with his lack of command rarely make it in the bigs. Obviously hope for the best but whips of 1.5+ in AAA doesn’t work. 

[FlyingFinn]

19 hours ago, jkcarew said:

For now, it just seems Festa is struggling with command and efficiency. He doesn’t seem to have entered the Balazovic stage of constantly getting hit hard…pitches in the strike zone getting demolished on a regular basis. Until then, I’ll remain optimistic.

Festa's first three games - 8.1 innings with 8 hits and 9 BB's but no homers. Last two games - 7.1 innings, 6 hits, 3 BB's and 1 HR. I love the 1 homer in 15 innings. Innings at least moving in the right direction, as well as his walks per inning.