Get to Know Minnesota Twins 2024 Draft Pick: Jason Doktorczyk

[Ted Schwerzler]

When the Minnesota Twins began selecting new prospects during the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft they went with hitters first. Then the run on pitchers came and Nevada's Jason Doktorczyk was the name called for their ninth round pick.

Image courtesy of Andressa Cholodovskis/Nevada Athletics

A 6'6" junior, Jason Doktorczyk is an imposing presence on the mound. The big right handed pitcher is a name to watch as he progresses through the Twins system, and he put up some impressive numbers with the Wolfpack. After transferring from Sonoma State, Doktorczyk started over two seasons with Nevada. Last year he owned a 3.95 ERA across 84 1/3 innings while striking out 91 batters.

Doktorczyk has been tested at some of the highest levels of amateur baseball as well. He pitched just shy of 30 innings on the Cape and racked up strikeouts in droves there as well. Named to the All-Mountain West First Team this past season, Doktorczyk has continued to make his name known.

Prior to getting started with the Twins, I caught up with him to introduce Doktorczyk to Twins Territory.

Twins Daily: You've been a starter over the entirety of your college career. How have you been able to manage your body and continue to build adding innings?
 

Jason Doktorczyk: It all comes with learning and preparation. I have had the opportunity to be around a lot of great players and major league level coaches, and having a routine is one of the biggest things that they believe brings success and longevity. I have spent a lot of time over the past few years perfecting my routine and preparation to ensure that I can be my best self on the mound, eat up innings, and give my team a chance to win.

 

TD: This season was a pretty significant step forward in the ERA department. What tweaks helped you to be a more complete and effective pitcher?

JD: The biggest tweak that helped me increase my numbers this year was shifting to the third base side of the rubber. It brought out a funky release angle to go with my competitive gameplay.

 

TD: What's your repertoire on the mound like? What do you feel is your best pitch, and what are your most confident offerings?

JD: I am a competitor who will pound the zone with authority. I have a lot of run on my fastball which is my favorite pitch to throw in all counts. Over the past couple years I have worked a lot on my changeup and sweeping slider and have developed a good pitch overlay, which gives me confidence to throw either in any count.

TD: Is there a pitcher you have emulated or looked up to through your development? Someone you maybe model your game after?

JD: I grew up an Angels fan, living 20 minutes from the stadium, so when I was younger I looked up to guys like Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana. Now, I try to model my mound presence after Max Scherzer and pitch with some fire.

TD: The Twins are known as a solid pitching development organization, both in getting more from mid-round picks and adding velocity. What do you know about Minnesota, or the organization?

JD: My pitching coach at the University of Nevada, Mark Moriarty, is the former pitching coach of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. So for the past couple years, I have been exposed to a lot of workouts and training practices that are used within the organization. I have learned a lot of new things about the game and about myself being under this coaching for the past couple years, and I expect it to only help my progress in the Twins organization.

TD: What are you most looking forward to in playing pro ball and ultimately striving toward a debut at Target Field?

JD: The biggest thing that I’m looking forward to in pro ball is continuously getting better everyday while being surrounded by great talent from all around the world and playing the game I love.

Welcome to Twins Territory, Jason!

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[Paul Walerius]

The Draft Tracker still has him as 54 years old.   Seems a little old to be drafted.   

[Doctor Wu]

Another very interesting interview. Thank you! Seeing his name, my first question is obviously: How do you pronounce Doktorczyk ?

[nclahammer]

Very nice interview.  Good luck kiddo!

[DocBauer]

He's one of my top 5 or 6 draft selections as an outsider  looking in. 

His first season at Nevada, 2023,  wasn't so great. Mainly because he got hit a LOT. But his BB were low and he K'd 8.5 per so you can see there was something to work with there. This past season, the BB remained low, the K per 9 climbed from 8.5 to 9.7, and the hits dropped WAY down.

The control seems there, and he's got the kind of long and solid frame that suggests endurance, a bit of deception, and a possible  uptick in velocity. 

[Larry Janisewski]

7 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

Another very interesting interview. Thank you! Seeing his name, my first question is obviously: How do you pronounce Doktorczyk ?

I'm guessing it's: Doc-tor-sheck.