Article: Trevor May States His Case

[John Bonnes]

Trevor May made the Twins decision-makers job a little tougher on Saturday afternoon. In his return to Grapefruit League action, he threw an efficient, fast-paced four innings, giving up zero hits, striking out three and walking zero. Manager Paul Molitor was impressed. “His first three innings were clean [with] nice variety [and he] commanded well.”

 

Twins fans recognize that command is the key for May, and he knows it, too. That’s why this outing was so impressive. He threw only 12 balls among 42 pitches, and most of those in his last inning. He was so efficient he needed to go to the bullpen after to throw another 15 pitches so he can continue to build arm strength for the season.So why was he lifted? The Twins certainly wanted to get some innings for relievers Mark Hamburger, Aaron Thompson and AJ Achter, who are all competing for a bullpen role. But manager Paul Molitor added that May’s pitches were changing and elevating in the fourth inning. “Out of the stretch, he started elevating. He got the strikeout on the high fastball but his pitches were changing,” said Molitor.

 

Whether the Twins were guarding against a negative impact to May’s confidence or his health isn’t clear. Both have been issues. May started spring training with the flu that was going around the Twins clubhouse, and that gave his candidacy for the fifth starter’s spot an early setback. Today’s game marked his return to an official Grapefruit League game; his last (reportedly impressive) start was on the minor league fields due to limited Grapefruit games and the Twins crowded rotation.

 

The topic of May’s confidence came up in the pregame meeting with Terry Ryan, and Ryan says he sees a difference between May and the pitcher who took the mound last August and September. “For me, that experience that he got from August and September, looks to me like it’s been beneficial to him. He looks like he wants to fit in and belong. His body language is pretty good. His confidence level looks pretty high.”

 

May also says he feels confidence is playing a part in how he is performing. “You gain confidence from a level of comfort, and having done it for a while and throwing to the hitters and in front of the crowd and stuff a few times, it’s easier to push that out of the way.”

 

We’ll see if today’s effort earns May yet one more Grapefruit League start. He would be in line to pitch again on Thursday, though the Twins could juggle things a little, because they won’t have the luxury of a split squad game that day and Tommy Milone would also be in line to start. Milone pitched today in Fort Myers and also lasted four innings, but gave up five hits, two walks and four earned runs courtesy of a rocky second inning.

 

Regardless of what plays out this week, in Terry Ryan’s mind, May looks like someone who can play a big role in the future. “I’m eagerly anxious to see him perform today, because we’re counting on this guy,” said Ryan before the game. From the glimpse we saw, that future looks a lot brighter now than it did last August. And maybe, just maybe, that future is now.

 

 

Escobar Keeps Doing His Job – Whatever That Job Is

 

Eduardo Escobar added an eleventh RBI to his spring training totals by driving in the game’s first run in the fifth inning. He was praised after the game by Molitor, just like he was praised after yesterday’s game when asked about Escobar’s production. Today Escobar played at second base, because “We want to get him prepared possibly to be a guy that will play around a little bit to get at-bats.”

 

That sounds a lot like Escobar won’t be the Twins everyday shortstop unless something changes, and playing every day is one of the reasons Escobar thought he had such a good season last year. But regardless, he seems to be ready to embrace whichever role he has. “I come into the stadium ready to play. I’m here for Molitor. I’m ready for my chance,” stated Escobar. “When I have my opportunity, I play hard.”

 

 

 

Roster Will Be Pitching Heavy

 

Both Terry Ryan and Paul Molitor shared today that they expect the Twins to come north with a 12-man pitching staff, meaning they’ll break camp with seven relievers and four bench players. Asked about what the left-handed/right-handed makeup of that bullpen might be, Molitor was more guarded. But Ryan was fairly blunt that he just wants the seven best pitchers, regardless of role.

 

“We might not go with a left, period, if we didn’t have to. We’re going to go with the best guys. Obviously we’ve got [Glen] Perkins, so he’s going to be a left, but whether or not we have any more lefties, that’s going to be up to how they end up responding here.”

For what it’s worth, it sounds like Molitor is already including lefty Brian Duensing in one of the bullpen spots. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be others.

 

One of the guys competing for the left-handed spot pitched today in Port Charlotte. Aaron Thompson threw two innings and Molitor noted that he continues to show that he has a good strikeout pitch against left-handers and enough pitches to be effective against right-handers.

 

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[Linus]

Whether it is Milone or May, I won't get too upset as both can be a part of our future if they pitch well.  Pelfrey on the other hand.......

[Paul Pleiss]

Trevor May seems to be ready. I sure hope Paul and Terry find a spot for him when the team heads north next month.

[h2oface]

“Out of the stretch, he started elevating. He got the strikeout on the high fastball but his pitches were changing,” said Molitor.

 

Bumgarner sure looked good elevating and then elevating more against the royals in game 7. Exactly what is wrong with elevating if the result is a strikeout?

[Dantes929]

I have been defending Millone but really want May to be the guy.   My own prediction is that he will be top three for  the year when all is said and done.    Nice move by Molitor though.   Nothing to be gained by leaving him out there.    Let him build strength and confidence but still notes that his pitches were maybe not being executed at the end. 

[nytwinsfan]

May's performance gets me pumped up. He clearly still needs to work on pitching from the stretch, but whether it is as a starter or a key reliever, this guy is going to be big for us in the future. Very exciting.

[gunnarthor]

I like May a lot.  I said I thought he'd lead the Twins in strikeouts this year so (course, I also said Meyer would get the 5th spot so Nostradamus, I am not).  I really hope he's on the ML roster from the get-go.

[Thrylos]

Milone was pretty awful today.  1st inning was mainly fastballs, but when you are throwing 83-86, it will be batting practice when they opponents time it, and that is what happened the second inning.  He threw pure junk third and fourth.   I am just allergic to junk ball pitchers.  I think that the Twins can do better, and if they think he might have some value to someone else, maybe they can see what they can get. 

 

From Rosario's OBP, to Hicks' hitting and glove, to Schafer's glove and batting average, Robinson actually might have put himself on top of that competition and that is something that the Twins should not stomach.  Let's see what Hicks + Milone or Rosario + Milone can bring as far as a Centerfielder goes...

[big dog]

I want whoever is the best pitcher, and I have no idea who that is, but I will be a lot more excited if May makes the team.

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins have definitely encouraged working up in the zone more in recent years. I talked to several minor league catchers who talked about working with their pitchers on getting the fastball above the hands and in to hitters. The purpose? Strikeouts. Of course, they also want them working on secondary pitches down in the zone. The two-seamer needs to run down in the zone. The slider and curveballs obviously need to be down in the zone. The changeup should certainly be down in the zone. However, if they have enough on the four-seamer to elevate it and miss bats, that is another dimension. 

[Dantes929]

 

“Out of the stretch, he started elevating. He got the strikeout on the high fastball but his pitches were changing,” said Molitor.

 

Bumgarner sure looked good elevating and then elevating more against the royals in game 7. Exactly what is wrong with elevating if the result is a strikeout?

There has been a lot of talk about that.    I guess my feeling is that some fastballs are designed to sink and those should be thrown low.     Up in the zone or even above the zone can be very effective.     I am guessing middle of the zone is the worst spot so if a sinking fastball is thrown there it is left up.   I wish Bert would distinguish between the two and occasionally say a tater pitch was left down in the zone if it was intended to be thrown high.     When watching May and Hughes last year it seemed a lot of the swing and misses were  above the waist.    I am guessing  in Mays case today he was simply losing command and that is usually preceded by throwing higher.

[bird]

When a hitter golfs a pitch at his ankles over the fence, I know what Bert Blyleven's comment was even with the sound off. "He left that one up in the zone, and [your hitter's name here] dropped the barrell of his bat on the ball."

[Shane Wahl]

May is clearly the better choice than Milone. It isn't even funny at this point. 

[Old Twins Cap]

The Twins look for reasons why a younger player is not quite ready for the Bigs.  After Kubel, Bartlett and Guerrier last year, and legions in the years prior, it's never the right time to bring young talent, but, it's always the perfect time to bring veterans -- who then go on to underperform and create a void that has to be filled by untested players.  Yeah, there's more talent in the system finally, but it is still irritating to see the Twins FO never quite take the bit in its mouth:  It's about rebuilding, not retooling with aged parts.

[stringer bell]

If May continues to throw as well as he did yesterday, he will win the fifth starter position. Milone was rocky for two innings, but retired the last seven he faced. Pelfrey is in the mix, too. Ten days to decide.

[Platoon]

I think it should be May. He has the looks of a workhorse type pitcher, with some upside and stability. And hopefully he is part three of the next decent starting rotation. (The last one was a long time ago). Milone is what he is, a "crafty lefty". Crafty is good when your ball is darting just off the edge of the plate. Crafty turns to crappy when it's not! Even if he moderately succeeds as a starter he has no real value as trade bait. Now we turn to Pelfrey. I would put him in the bullpen. He throws hard, has not had a lot of success as a starter, I think is on his last contract year, and is owed a lot of money. I don't agree with the money issue as a determining facto but the FO does, and he is going to be somewhere. I just would not put Milone or May in the pen, and start him. I really think he has his future as a reliever.

[travis.aune]

pitches in the zone in my opinion is fools gold.  If you don't throw 95 those pitches are going to be deposited in the bleachers.  You can't live up in the zone, but i do think you need to take your shots.  Phil Hughes is a great example he is overpowering in the early innings and caan live up in the zone.  However, in the 4th-5th inning you usually lose 1-2 mph on your fastball so if you dont get the ball down your going to get hurt.  Another reason Hughes was so successful was deep F-7's at target field were homeruns at Yankee Stadium.  So he knew he could throw more pitches up and get away with them because of the ballpark.  So really it is a combination of things, velocity, location, ballpark.  The thing that I think Hughes learned last year when you start getting your fastball up then its time to mix in your breaking pitches more and just when guys are ready for that you sneak that fastball by him.  I know I am rambling, but I think Trevor May is far from a finished product and think he could use a little bit more time in Rochester to figure out the things that Phil Hughes figured out last year.  Just my 2 cents

[mikelink45]

 

pitches in the zone in my opinion is fools gold.  If you don't throw 95 those pitches are going to be deposited in the bleachers.  You can't live up in the zone, but i do think you need to take your shots.  Phil Hughes is a great example he is overpowering in the early innings and caan live up in the zone.  However, in the 4th-5th inning you usually lose 1-2 mph on your fastball so if you dont get the ball down your going to get hurt.  Another reason Hughes was so successful was deep F-7's at target field were homeruns at Yankee Stadium.  So he knew he could throw more pitches up and get away with them because of the ballpark.  So really it is a combination of things, velocity, location, ballpark.  The thing that I think Hughes learned last year when you start getting your fastball up then its time to mix in your breaking pitches more and just when guys are ready for that you sneak that fastball by him.  I know I am rambling, but I think Trevor May is far from a finished product and think he could use a little bit more time in Rochester to figure out the things that Phil Hughes figured out last year.  Just my 2 cents

Hughes learned in the big leagues.  There is only so much learning in the minors.  Let's start getting young arms in the bigs while they are still young.  We put up with Nolasco, Correia... because they were vets.  I want the Twins to get over that and start putting the young pitchers with major league coaches on major league mounds.

[nicksaviking]

Hughes learned in the big leagues. There is only so much learning in the minors. Let's start getting young arms in the bigs while they are still young.

Yup, because they aren't going to have that 95 MPH fastball forever. Use it before you lose it, don't waste it on International League batters.

Edited March 22, 2015 by nicksaviking

[DJSim22]

Send May down to the minors even if you think he's the #5 guy.  The #5 guy likely won't pitch much the first few weeks anyway. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

Send May down to the minors even if you think he's the #5 guy. The #5 guy likely won't pitch much the first few weeks anyway.

I would be surprised if the Twins or any team skipped the 5th starter much anymore.

[twinsnorth49]

I've been surprised all Spring about the lack of talk on May getting the 5th spot, another outing like that I don't see how they can't. Don't get me wrong, I know they are good at finding reasons not to but I think it's time to give him the ball out of the gate, just like Gibson the year before.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

“Out of the stretch, he started elevating. He got the strikeout on the high fastball but his pitches were changing,” said Molitor.

 

Bumgarner sure looked good elevating and then elevating more against the royals in game 7. Exactly what is wrong with elevating if the result is a strikeout?

Nothing, if that's what you're trying to do as a pitcher... Scott Baker thrived on a rising fastball that was missed or popped up weakly.

 

If the pitcher isn't trying to elevate but does it on accident, that usually means he's throwing it right down the pipe.

[h2oface]

 

..... Another reason Hughes was so successful was deep F-7's at target field were homeruns at Yankee Stadium.  So he knew he could throw more pitches up and get away with them because of the ballpark.  

This is a bit off topic, but I see this claim a lot, and it needs to be addressed. This still doesn't appear to be true. Just as the Metrodome was bigger in virtually all dimensions than Target Field..... (but is commonly and wrongly referred to as more spacious............)

 

http://www.ballparkmagic.com/PlayingField.html

 

.....other than just down the left field foul line and maybe the first 20-25 feet in, new Yankee Stadium is more spacious in left field than Target.

 

http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/YankeeStadium_II.html

 

[jimmer]

 

Nothing, if that's what you're trying to do as a pitcher... Scott Baker thrived on a rising fastball that was missed or popped up weakly.

 

If the pitcher isn't trying to elevate but does it on accident, that usually means he's throwing it right down the pipe.

By rising fastball do you mean a high fastball.  Physics tells us that a pitches don't rise. Sam Fuld's dad did a study on this, by the way :-)

[diehardtwinsfan]

There's only so much learning you can do in the minors.  I think Meyer still has things to learn.  I think May is ready and needs to be in the majors.  Millone, I'd trade him personally.  I think at the end of the day you can get him for cap space, which is still a pretty good return on Sam Fuld.

[laloesch]

 

There's only so much learning you can do in the minors.  I think Meyer still has things to learn.  I think May is ready and needs to be in the majors.  Millone, I'd trade him personally.  I think at the end of the day you can get him for cap space, which is still a pretty good return on Sam Fuld.

 

Agreed. However, the Twins seem to have a fascination with Mike Pelfrey and Milone.    

[jimmer]

 

There's only so much learning you can do in the minors.  I think Meyer still has things to learn.  I think May is ready and needs to be in the majors.  Millone, I'd trade him personally.  I think at the end of the day you can get him for cap space, which is still a pretty good return on Sam Fuld.

Not saying you're wrong about Meyer and May, but I'm interested in knowing why you feel this way other than the fact the Twins sent Meyer down already and they haven't done so with May (along with May having a few games in the majors with wildly inconsistent results).

 

Also, cap space?  Please elaborate.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Not saying you're wrong about Meyer and May, but I'm interested in knowing why you feel this way other than the fact the Twins sent Meyer down already and they haven't done so with May (along with May having a few games in the majors with wildly inconsistent results).

 

Also, cap space? Please elaborate.

International signing cap space. With the Twins rumored to be in on what's-his-face (DR SS), they could use more international cap space.

[Brock Beauchamp]

And before anyone writes in Milone or Pelfrey, remember last season. A good portion of this board had written Gibson out of the rotation because the Twins soooo love their veterans.

 

Personally, I'm pulling for May to get the job. I felt that way last September and nothing has changed.