Twins Daily Minor League Reliever of the Month: July 2024

[Ted Schwerzler]

The Minnesota Twins set out thinking they may have one of the better bullpens in baseball. It took some time to get there, but the group is putting it together. July brought some glimpses of the next wave of solid relief arms rising through the farm, too.

Image courtesy of David Malamut (@MWLArchives on X)

While starting pitching typically draws the favor of fans, it’s the big bullpen arms who often handle the biggest situations during any given game. Minnesota is currently developing some talented hurlers in relief on the farm, and more than a couple stood out in the last month.

Here are the best performances from July:

#8 Matt Bowman (St. Paul) - 8 G, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP, 1.03 WHIP, .206 BAA, 11/3 K/BB
After pitching for Minnesota earlier this season, Bowman made stops in Arizona and Seattle. He’s back in St. Paul now, and had a great July. He’s carrying a 1.72 ERA across 15 2/3 innings with the Saints and may again be a depth reliever to get a look down the stretch.

#7 Jeff Brigham (St. Paul) - 7 G, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP, 1.34 WHIP, .222 BA, 13/5 K/BB
Brigham signed with the Twins this offseason, and has spent the entire year at Triple-A. His 3.91 ERA isn’t dazzling, but he has put together some strong stretches. The Saints reliever owns a solid 11.4 K/9. He has been bitten by the long ball, and has allowed too many walks, but July was a strong month for him.

#6 Xander Hamilton (Ft. Myers) 9 G, 2.70 ERA, 13.1 IP, 1.13 WHIP, .235 BAA, 17/3 K/BB
The Mighty Mussels have employed Hamilton as their closer at times during the year, and he has picked up five saves. July was a great month for both the strikeout totals and his command. A 2023 draft pick, Hamilton has worked 41 1/3 innings this year at Fort Myers, and he has often been put in high-leverage spots.

#5 Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 8 G, 2.61 ERA, 10.1 IP, 1.35 WHIP, .225 BAA, 16/5 K/BB
After not reaching the majors last season and being cast off the 40-man roster, Henriquez has worked himself back into the Twins' plans. He has taken a few trips up to the Twins bullpen, and months like the one he put up in July will keep him around longer. Minnesota liked what they saw from Henriquez enough to target him in the Mitch Garver trade. Still just 24 years old, there could be more to unlock.

#4 Wilker Reyes (Fort Myers) - 8 G, 2.45 ERA, 14.2 IP, 0.89 WHIP, .180 BAA, 19/4 K/BB
A Dominican native, Reyes is having a solid season at Fort Myers. The lefty owns a 3.45 ERA but had a solid July. At just 22 years old, he has 34 strikeouts across 28 2/3 innings. Reyes will need to dial in command a bit more, but could be a candidate to join Cedar Rapids when 2025 starts.

#3 Jarret Whorff (Cedar Rapids) - 6 G, 0.63 ERA, 14.1 IP, 0.70 WHIP, .157 BAA, 16/2 K/BB
After going undrafted, Whorff signed with the Twins and pitched at Fort Myers last season. This year, he has pitched for both Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita. In High-A during July, Whorff was the best version of himself. On the year, he owns a 2.28 ERA and 9.5 K/9 while limiting walks for the Kernels. He needs to harness that in Wichita, but has shown that the stuff plays. He began August with a promotion to the Wind Surge.

#2 Mike Paredes (Cedar Rapids) 4 G, 0.57 ERA, 15.2 IP, 1.09 WHIP, .276 BAA, 14/1 K/BB
The Kernels have used Paredes as a long man, with a couple of starts sprinkled in. He worked around some base hits this month, but the 14/1 K/BB jumps off the page. Paredes has a 6.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio at High-A this year, and while he’s not a huge strikeout guy, he keeps himself in good spots by avoiding free passes.

Relief Pitcher of the Month - Kyle Bischoff (Cedar Rapids/Wichita) - 8 G, 1.54 ERA, 11.2 IP, .143 BAA, 16/2 K/BB
Undrafted out of Michigan State, Bischoff spent time in the United Shore League before signing with the Twins. After pitching in the Complex League last season, the 25-year-old has been at Cedar Rapids this year. He finished the month with a couple of appearances at Double-A Wichita. Bischoff was nearly perfect in July, and confused hitters at both levels.

His 16/2 K/BB last month jives with the strong 11.7 K/9 he owns on the season. Bischoff earned a promotion to Double-A, and should be there the rest of the season. He has continued to keep the gaudy strikeout numbers at each stop he has made, and continued development could yet make him a future big-leaguer.

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[FlyingFinn]

My favorite monthly award just because I have no clue who the names on this list are going to be, even though I pay attention almost daily to the teams. The names from last month to the current month are almost always different as well.

[mikelink45]

I never know the minor league relievers - thank you for the education.

[twinstalker]

A few names to keep an eye on, but you can easily fool with relief stats.  Most outing are going to be giving up zero runs, so when you inevitably get more lucky during certain periods, your stats look great.  Think Josh Staumont.  It's an accomplishment award rather than a prospect ranking, so these may or may not be guys who have a chance.

Your best relievers are high, high velocity guys who K a ton and don't walk many (obviously).  Very few come up through the minors as relievers and very few would be in one's top 40 prospects.

So while it's fun to see if a names been on the list previously, that's pretty much the only value of listing this position.  I think there was someone last year who won it multiple months.  It wouldn't shock me if that player isn't pitching very well this year.