Article: Get to Know: RHP Tyler Duffey

[Seth Stohs]

In 2012, the Minnesota Twins drafted several college relief pitchers with the idea that some would get the opportunity to start. Tyler Duffey has been the success story of that strategy to this point. Others have been hurt or returned to the bullpen, but Duffey was one of the better minor league pitchers in the Twins organization in 2014. He was invited to big league spring training this year and has a good chance of surfacing with the Twins in 2015.The Houston native stayed home and attended Rice University. There, he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. In 2012, his junior season, he was co-closer with JT Chargois (who the Twins drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft).

 

“If he played first base, or he made a lot of throws, they’d call me in. If I was getting loose, they said ‘You take the 8^th and JT will take the 9^th.’ It just depended upon the situation. If we needed his bat or something, they wouldn’t mess with him. It was fun though. It wasn’t really a competition, but we kind of fed off each other a bit like I did with Tony Cingrani (now with the Cincinnati Reds) the year before. We had the same kind of role. I’d be the 8^th and he’d be the 9^th. We’d have strikeout competitions. It was fun.”

 

That June, the Twins used their fifth round pick to select Duffey. He was sent to Elizabethton where the Twins chose to have him work out of the bullpen. As expected, he dominated the Appalachian League. In 19 innings, he walked two and struck out 27 batters.

 

He made the transition to starting in 2013. “Except for a summer when I went to the Cape and somebody got sick and I made a couple of starts, but other than that, I was a closer/second inning panic guy to come in and throw four innings.”

 

He began the season in Cedar Rapids where he made nine starts. In his first start, he threw the first seven innings of a no-hitter. After nine starts, he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he made nine more starts before being ending the season in the Miracle bullpen to keep his innings down. He worked 121 innings in all.

 

He began the 2014 season with the Miracle, but after just four starts (and a 3-0 record), he advanced to New Britain. There he made 18 starts and went 8-3. He ended last season with three starts for Rochester and went 2-0. Overall, in 149.1 innings, he went 13-3 with a 3.68 ERA. He walked 30 and struck out 113. He was happy with his season.

 

“I exceeded all of my own expectations. I was just hoping to get to AA a little bit at the end of the season, just get a taste of that. But I’ve always been told to take advantage of the opportunities that you’re given. That’s all I really tried to do, and it really worked out for me.”

 

Although he has made the transition to starting successfully, it has been a process for him. A starter has to pitch and think differently than a relief pitcher. He said, “Initially, I was trying to strike everybody out, but I realize that the less pitches you throw, the more innings you can throw. If I need a strikeout or try to get a strikeout, I will.”

 

To be able to do that successfully, Duffey had to adapt a bit. “I’ve gotten better with my sinker as I’ve become a starter and I’ve used that a lot. I try to get ground balls. Not trying to strike everybody out is the only transition I made. Instead of worrying about that-- OK, get a guy out in less than three pitches. That’s something they’ve preached since I’ve been here. On or off in three or less, so I try to follow that. I try to go deep in games. That’s any starters’ goal, I think, to give your team a chance to win. That’s my goal at the end of the day.”

 

Duffey has a four-pitch mix. As he explains, “I throw a four-seam and a two-seam which I throw a majority of the two-seam, to try to get ground balls or whatever happens with it. My curveball is, I consider it my best pitch. I relied on it in college. My change-up, I’ve messed with a couple of them, but I’ve been throwing one since I’ve been down here that I feel good about.”

 

In late December, Duffey’s phone rang with some news. “I got a call from (minor league director) Brad (Steil), and he said, ‘Hey Terry’s on the phone. We wanted to talk to you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I’m getting traded’ because I wasn’t expecting anything. Then he told me ‘great season, I’d like for you to come out (to Ft. Myers for big league spring training).” Obviously I was pretty excited about that. It’s was kind of a big deal.”

 

He received the phone call while he was at the airport to get on a flight to Mexico with his fiance’s family. “I waited until I got there because I knew it was going to be a long phone call. Got there and called my grandmother and my dad. It was exciting.”

 

Getting the opportunity to be a non-roster invitee is exciting for a prospect. It’s an opportunity to work with the big league coaches and have them see what he is about. “I’ve talked to Neil Allen and Eddie Guardado and just pick their brains on stuff that they know that I should know in the future. I think that’s the main reason guys like me are here, just to learn how to do it, and from there, hopefully, apply it to yourself.”

 

However, Duffey was also able to learn from the veteran pitchers in the clubhouse. “I try and watch how guys carry themselves. I’ve got a routine that I’ve learned, but I’ve been starting for two years and there’s guys who have been doing it for 10, 15 years, or did it for 15, 20 years. They know a little more about the game than I ever will. So, I just try to pick up things here and there, just listen.”

 

He continued, “Just being here is kind of crazy. Seeing guys that I watched growing up playing baseball. Watching TV, I saw highlights of Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter, it’s just like… and they’re right down the locker room from me. I can talk to them.”

 

Soon after chatting with me, Duffey was called into manager Paul Molitor’s office and informed that he was being sent back to minor league camp, but he enjoyed the opportunity and learned a lot.

 

The reality is that Tyler Duffey could make his major league debut as early as 2015. “It’d be pretty surreal. Getting that chance, that’s one out of a million. 1% guys who get drafted get a chance. I probably can’t put it into words, but it’d be pretty exciting.”

 

Most likely, Duffey will return to AA, this time in Chattanooga, to make a few starts before returning to Rochester. So, what are his goals for 2015?

 

“Stay healthy and give my team a chance to win. Wherever I end up, I end up. It’s not really up to me at this point. I just hope that, wherever I go, I want to pitch and hope that good things happen. That’s really all I can hope for.”

 

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Regarding his college teammate JT Chargois, Duffey said, “If he’s healthy, he’s got really good stuff. I haven’t seen him throw, but I heard in Instructs, he was throwing 100 mph which I don’t doubt because he works really hard at everything he does. He’s got really good stuff. We were co-closers together, so I saw him throw pretty much every day. For everybody’s sake, I want him to be healthy, to have fun playing baseball. He’s been down here for I think almost two years, with rehab and surgery and then rehab again. That’s not fun for anybody. I just hope that he gets a chance to play a full season and let’s see what he can do.”

 

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[HitInAPinch]

Another pitcher that may be called up this year?  COOL!  The question that keeps popping up in my head is why did they sign E. Santana and resign Pelfry?

[Seth Stohs]

 

Another pitcher that may be called up this year?  COOL!  The question that keeps popping up in my head is why did they sign E. Santana and resign Pelfry?

 

I don't know the right answer on Pelfrey, but Ervin Santana has been a good pitcher for a long time. 

[Paul Pleiss]

J.T. Chargois #BigVelo

[diehardtwinsfan]

Duffy wasn't on the radar when the resigned Pelfrey. I doubt anyone expected him to do as well as he did last year. I was wondering about Santana. I get that he's a good pitcher. However, for all intents and purposes, that leaves one open spot for the next 3 seasons for Meyer, May, Berrios, and others to fight over (baring a trade).

 

Back to the topic at hand. While he may not be trying to strike everyone out, he needs to up that K rate a bit more I suspect. From what I've read, he throws in the mid-90s, so velocity isn't the issue. But if he can up the K rate, he can end up being a bit more than a back of the rotation arm.

[Mike Sixel]

Another great interview. Thanks to the Twins,Twins Daily, and the players.

[70charger]

 

Getting that chance, that’s one out of a million. 1% guys who get drafted get a chance.

 

I'm assuming he wasn't a math major at Rice?

[jimmer]

He's exactly the kind of pitcher the Twins have traditionally loved and has moved quickly due to that.  We should see him soon.

[Shane Wahl]

Duffey is in the Travis Harrison boat for me. These guys are tradeable assets. As in a deadline deal with some MLBer headlining with Harrison and Duffey as support. Neither one has a spot on this team in the future. Shipping by July 31st could be quite useful.

[The Wise One]

Thanks for the link. I hope tonight I get a good laugh from the previous comment

[Monkeypaws]

Why not Duffey - looks ike the kind of guy who will stick in the majors in one way or another.

 

Effective 4 pitch mix - watching the Twins get dominated lately, it's been strikes, changing speeds, locations. Iwakuma gave a master class on pitching last Sunday - I was there, and left impressed. (Pelf was pretty good too).

 

If you can nullify the patient approach by throwing strikes, but mix it up with speed and location, you will have success.

 

[The Wise One]

One good start after one bad start.  Maybe the scouting director got one right.

[Seth Stohs]

 

One good start after one bad start.  Maybe the scouting director got one right.

 

I'd now say two really good starts after one really bad start... That curveball is legit!