There are way too many variables here to draw valid conclusions about what one organization would do compared to another.  Every pitching prospect needs to be regarded uniquely. For example, Meyer was injured, and Ventura was a more highly-rated prospect. Ventura was ready in 2014. Meyer would have had his head handed to him, if you ask me. Maybe the Twins are slightly more deliberate in advancing prospects, but it's hardly a pattern that allows one to conclude something about one organization's success compared to another, IMO.

Alex Meyer was the better rated prospect by both MLB.com and Baseball America at the time the Twins acquired him.

The Royals gave Duffy a combined 15 starts in AA and AAA before he hit the majors.

Jake Odorizzi followed the same route as Ventura. Low A, Hi A/AA, AA/AAA/September call up.

In mid June last year, Meyer had 14 starts for AAA. He had good numbers certainly comparable with Ventura in as many AAA starts. He had many more AA/AAA starts than Duffy. The Twins were looking for a replacement for Deduno. The Twins went with Yohan Pino. I think the Royals make a different decision.

Perkins Garza, Baker, Blackburn all came up through the system rather quickly.. Berrios is doing that now. Gibson would have except for arm issues.

Odorizzi may have been called up, but the pitching savvy Rays sent him down the following year.

Had Meyer not have had shoulder issues the Twins might have brought him up for September. There are differernt issues for each pitcher. To say that the Twins handling of Meyer represents an overly cautious system is a stretch.

The biggest problem in assessing how the Twins handle a drafted pitcher's progression to a  major leauge caliber starter is that there was such a dry strech that there is not a reference point.

Alex Meyer was the better rated prospect by both MLB.com and Baseball America at the time the Twins acquired him.

 

The Royals gave Duffy a combined 15 starts in AA and AAA before he hit the majors.

 

Jake Odorizzi followed the same route as Ventura. Low A, Hi A/AA, AA/AAA/September call up.

 

In mid June last year, Meyer had 14 starts for AAA. He had good numbers certainly comparable with Ventura in as many AAA starts. He had many more AA/AAA starts than Duffy. The Twins were looking for a replacement for Deduno. The Twins went with Yohan Pino. I think the Royals make a different decision.

Ventura, by anyone's estimation, was a superior pitcher to Meyer in 2014. Part of this may be related to Meyer's return from injury.

Duffy has had his struggles. Could this be in part because he was rushed?

Jake Odorizzi has yet to establish himself as a rotation mainstay, although he's closer than May or Meyer at doing so. Like Meyer, he's likely to do so in 2015.

Yohan Pino was the better pitcher at the time of that decision. Meyer was on a pitch limit and had some control issues. I think the Royals make the same decision.

Perkins Garza, Baker, Blackburn all came up through the system rather quickly.. Berrios is doing that now. Gibson would have except for arm issues.

Generally agree, but you probably want to leave Blackburn off this list -- it was over 6 years between his draft and his debut at age 25 and a half.

Yohan Pino was the better pitcher at the time of that decision.

I get the situational factors around Meyer, but I don't think this phrasing is going to win many arguments.

I get the situational factors around Meyer, but I don't think this phrasing is going to win many arguments.

Yohan Pino was the better performer at the time?

The Twins were mildly aggressive (is that a thing? ) when they acquired Meyer, slotting him into AA.  He injured his shoulder on June 1st that year, which knocked him out over 2 months and pretty much nixed his chance at a midseason or late season promotion.

True, they handled him with kid gloves in 2014, including passing him up for promotions which many of us disagreed with, but it does seem to be health-related.  As a poster upthread mentioned, Perkins, Baker, Slowey, Garza, Gibson, Hendriks, and now Berrios have all been moved quickly through the system.  (Lohse, Radke, and Milton are a few older names that moved quickly. Adam Johnson too.)

The Twins problem has been lack of such prospects, or the prospects busting.  Maybe we're more conservative with international guys rather than draft guys, but in the Terry Ryan era, we don't even have a international signing equivalent of Yordano Ventura to compare against, really.