4 Candidates to be This Season's Cody Stashak

By nature, baseball bullpens are extremely volatile. This comes from the randomness that results from one inning appearances as well as the fact that relievers typically aren’t as talented as their starting pitcher counterparts. Bullpen rosters ebb and flow every season, and without a doubt the Twins will need to rely on pitchers down the organization

In April last season, Tyler Duffey and Zack Littell were in AAA while Cody Stashak was in Pensacola with the AA affiliate. None of these pitchers were in the Twins’ bullpen plans for 2019, but each of them played crucial roles with the Major League squad down the stretch and even made playoff appearances. Whether by injury or poor performance, the Twins needed to dig into their organizational depth and ended up finding some gems as a result.

With the inevitable call ups and bullpen re-shuffling that will come, especially in a compressed season, who will be this year’s Tyler Duffey, Zack Littell or Cody Stashak? Let’s look at the top candidates:

Caleb Theilbar

While he hasn’t played Major League ball since he was designated for assignment by Minnesota in 2015, Thielbar has put up great numbers at each stop he has made since leaving the Twins. After dominating the Independent League with the St. Paul Saints in 2016 and 2017, Thielbar has put together back-to-back quality seasons with the Detroit Tigers organization. In 2019, Thielbar pitched 76 1/3 innings for the Tigers’ AAA affiliate, posting a 3.30 ERA with a 10.8 K/9. The Northfield native is 33-years-old, but if given a chance to return to the Majors once again could be a contributor for the Twins in 2020.

Jorge Alcala

The Minnesota Twins traded away an excellent relief pitcher when they dealt Ryan Pressley to the Houston Astros, but they may have gotten a really good pitcher in return with Jorge Alcala. As a starting pitcher, Alcala has not shown the control or consistency you’re looking for, but with the nasty stuff he possesses, he still has what it takes to be a potentially dominant reliever one day. With a fastball that can get into the upper-90s, Alcala has flamethrower setup-man potential, and if given the chance could make a name for himself in the Twins bullpen this season.

Sean Poppen

Another guy who came up through the organization as a starting pitcher, the bullpen may also be where Poppen eventually finds his place on the Minnesota Twins’ roster. While his 3.84 ERA across 61 innings in AAA in 2019 were impressive, what sticks out most with Sean Poppen are his strikeout numbers. Across his three seasons in the Twins’ organization, Poppen has consistently posted a K% north of 25, and has the stuff to miss bats consistently in the big leagues with his sharp fastball and slider. As stated by Twins Daily’s Seth Stohs, “If (Poppen) is able to tunnel his pitches at all, the combination of (his fastball and slider) could be a nightmare for opposing hitters. Don’t be surprised at all to see Poppen get a bullpen shot this year.

Edwar Colina

Although he’s just 23-years-old, Colina has impressed more in a short period of time than just about any other prospect in the Minnesota Twins organization. Last season, Colina dominated his way through A+ and AA ball and worked his way up to AAA. Colina has a plus-fastball and plus-slider and has the demeanor of a pitcher that isn’t afraid of any moment. While nominally a starting-pitcher prospect, could Colina get a call up in 2020 and grab hold of a bullpen spot like Zack Littell did last season? Absolutely.

Which of the four guys above do you think has the best chance to be this year's Zack Littell or Cody Stashak? Or do you think it will be somebody not listed? Leave a comment below and start the conversation?

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