Minnesota Twins: Things Sam Deduno Must Do to Continue Hot Start

[SoCalTwinsfan]

I looked in-depth at what Deduno has done this season and what he needs to do to continue to have good results.

Through his first five starts of 2013, Deduno is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA. Plus, his walk rate is at a career-low 3.3 per nine innings. However, he also has seen his strikeout rate drop to a career-low 4.5 per nine innings.

 

You can read the rest of Minnesota Twins: Things Sam Deduno Must Do to Continue Hot Start at Yahoo! Sports.

 

Can Deduno maintain his success or has he just been "lucky?"

[jay]

Deduno's FIP is 3.98, but it seems he has that profile that can consistently outperform that figure given his 'effective wildness' and groundballs. His BABIP has also generally been below league average figures. Deduno seems to be one of those guys who can really confound the numbers.

 

I'm glad he's getting a chance here. Hopefully he's figured out how to pitch with his 'stuff' and he can contribute here for a while.

[Brad Swanson]

Deduno would lead the Majors in GB% if he qualified. If he can maintain an elite ground ball rate, and I mean truly elite territory, and keep his walk rate lower than he has ever shown, even at AAA, he can remain effective. That seems to be asking a lot considering his strikeout rate is much lower than he has posted at AAA.

 

I hope it happens. It would be a pretty unlikely story and certainly a huge find for the Twins.

[Parker Hageman]

Instead, he has too often gone to the curveball while looking for a strikeout, and he has often left his curveball up in the strike zone and allowed batters to make solid contact. His fastball has such great natural movement, that it will be a better pitch to use to put away batters.

 

Player Card: Samuel Deduno

 

Yes, he goes to his curve a lot in two-strike situations but opponents are hitting just .191 off him when he has two-strikes on a batter. The curve has generated fewer swing-and-misses this year (the fastball has actually obtained more) than the past but it is still getting grounders 63% of the time. I do not see this approach as something he needs to adjust at this point.

[D-Hawk]

He reminds me a lot of a Pedro Martinez/Brian Bass hybrid type pitcher with his style and career development.

[DaveW]

Pedro Martinez/Brian

 

lmao

[jay]

He reminds me a lot of a Pedro Martinez/Brian Bass hybrid type pitcher with his style and career development.

 

Brodin? Is that you?

[huhguy]

I looked in-depth at what Deduno has done this season and what he needs to do to continue to have good results.

 

 

You can read the rest of Minnesota Twins: Things Sam Deduno Must Do to Continue Hot Start at Yahoo! Sports.

 

Can Deduno maintain his success or has he just been "lucky?"

Trying to apply standard stats and observations to Deduno is useless, he is an extraordinary talent, bottom line, Deduno can beat anybody anytime, now let him be himself, and he will return great dividends

[Brad Swanson]

Trying to apply standard stats and observations to Deduno is useless, he is an extraordinary talent, bottom line, Deduno can beat anybody anytime, now let him be himself, and he will return great dividends

 

I just have a hard time believing that the Twins stumbled upon a player unlike anyone who has ever been seen in the over 120-year history of Major League Baseball. Every defense of Deduno relies far too heavily on magical terms like "effectively wild" and "extraordinary talent" and they ignore the nearly 800 inning Minor League track record that point in the opposite direction.

 

His MLB "success" can be explained using stats: high GB rate, low HR rate, good strand rate, etc.

[Riverbrian]

I'm a believer... Deduno was a find... He is exactly what we need right now. A Pitcher with Stuff and enthusiasm for his team and job. I think he is here to stay.

 

I will not miss any of his starts... If I can't be home to watch him pitch... I'm recording it.

[whatever54]

Generally speaking I have more faith than belief, but I do know I really like to watch Deduno pitch. I'm glad he pitches for the Twins, and am guardedly more optimistic now about his future with the Twins than I was at any time last year. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like he's growing into a major league starter.