Article: Twins 2015 Short-Season Minor League Pitcher Of The Year - Williams Ramirez

[Seth Stohs]

This week, we have handed out the Twins Daily Minor League Awards, and today we get to the final award. Yesterday, Jeremy wrote about the top performing short-season hitters. Today, we will look at the Twins short-season pitchers who put up great numbers. There were several quality arms who spent time with the GCL Twins and the Elizabethton Twins.First, a reminder of our previous awards:

• Hitter of the Year – Max Kepler
• Starting Pitcher of the Year – JO Berrios
• Relief Pitcher of the Year – Trevor Hildenberger
• Short-Season Hitter of the Year – Jermaine Palacios

Short profiles of our top five are to follow, but first, some players worthy of Honorable Mention.

 

Honorable Mention:

• Lachlan Wells, GCL Twins: 10 G, 9 GS, 5-2, 2.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 47.1 IP, 35 H, 11 BB, 49 K.
• Cody Stashak, Elizabethton Twins: 10 GS, 5-2, 3.43 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 39 H, 11 BB, 53 K.
• Miles Nordgren, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Elizabethton Twins: 17 G, 11 GS, 1-3, 2.62 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 72.0 IP, 82 H, 13 BB, 42.

Pitcher of the Year

 

Here are the top six vote-getters for Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year.

 

#4 (Tie) – Eduardo del Rosario, GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins: 11 GS, 3-2, 2.81 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 51.1 IP, 42 H, 9 BB, 53 K.

 

 

Eduardo del Rosario signed with the Twins in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent one season in the Dominican Summer League. He came to the States in 2014. As a 19-year-old, he went 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA in 17 games out of the bullpen. He returned to the GCL this year, but this time he was given an opportunity to start. He went 3-2 with a 1.90 ERA in 10 starts before finishing with one start in Elizabethton. He continued to be a strike-thrower.

#4 (Tie) – Kuo Hua Lo, Elizabethton Twins: 19 G, 14-1, 1.44 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 15 H, 8 B, 43 K.

 

 

Lo was signed by the Twins in June of 2011 out of Taiwan. He spent one season in the GCL, but he has spent the last three seasons in Elizabethton. As a 20-year-old in 2013, he went 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA in 38 innings. In 2014, he was 3-0 with a 3.98 ERA. This year, he was the Appalachian League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He was incredibly dominant. He gave up less than a hit every other inning. He had decent control, and he became a big strikeout pitcher.

#3 – Andro Cutura, Elizabethton Twins: 11 GS, 3-2, 1.34 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 60.2 IP, 46 H, 15 BB, 49 K.

 

 

Cutura was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2014 out of Southeastern Louisiana. However, he didn’t pitch last year due to injury. He was slowed in spring training and went to extended spring training. The 22-year-old has very good control and does a very good job of keeping the ball in the ballpark. With health, he will start 2016 in Cedar Rapids, but could pitch at a couple of levels.

#2 – Dereck Rodriguez, Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle: 15 G, 14 GS, 6-4, 3.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 75.1 IP, 74 H, 19 BB, 66 K.

 

 

Rodriguez was the Twins sixth-round pick in 2011 out of high school in Florida. The son of Ivan Rodriguez was drafted as an outfielder and spent that summer and the next in the GCL. He hit .222 with 11 doubles and three homers in 2013 in Elizabethton. After that season, he became a pitcher. In 2014, he went 2-2 with a 1.05 ERA in 17 games out of the bullpen for the E-Twins. In 2015, he became a starter and pitched well. While waiting for the Appalachian League season to start, he pitched in one game (two shutout innings) for the Miracle. He also went up to Cedar Rapids and gave up seven runs in seven innings over two starts. He was the opening night starter for the E-Twins and pitched well enough to be named the Appalachian League’s Pitcher of the Year. He was 6-3 with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Genetics has provided him with a very strong arm. Patience will be needed to keep pushing forward.

Starting Pitcher of the Year – Williams Ramirez, GCL Twins: 11 G, 10 GS, 4-3, 1.05 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 51.1 IP, 25 H, 20 BB, 58 K.

 

 

The Twins signed Ramirez in December of 2012 out of San Juan, Dominican Republic. He had only just started pitching. Previously, he was an outfielder and third baseman. He began pitching just over three years ago. He has a very strong arm and a good feel for his secondary pitches. He just had never pitched before.

He turned 23 late in the season, but with the arm he has, he remains at least an intriguing prospect. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He went 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 2013 as a 20-year-old. In 2014, he went 4-1 with a 1.81 ERA.

In his first six games this year, he gave up just one run in 26.1 innings (0.34 ERA). Opponents hit just .088/.207/.113 (.319). Then in his final five games started, he posted a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings despite a 1-3 record. In his starts, he never gave up more than two earned runs.

Clearly he will need to work on his control, but there is strong potential for him to become special.

 

There you have it, the top pitchers in the short season. What do you think? How would you rank them?

 

 

The Ballots

 

In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers:

• Seth Stohs – 1) Williams Ramirez, 2.) Eddie del Rosario, 3.) Miguel Gonzalez, 4.) Kuo Hua Lo, 5.) Andro Cutura
• Jeremy Nygaard – 1) Dereck Rodriguez, 2.) Williams Ramirez, 3.) Andro Cutura, 4.) Cody Stashak, 5.) Miguel Gonzalez
• Cody Christie – 1) Williams Ramirez, 2.) Dereck Rodriguez, 3.) Eduardo del Rosario, 4.) Andro Cutura, 5.) Kuo Hua Lo
• Steve Lein – 1) Williams Ramirez, 2.) Kuo Hua Lo, 3.) Cody Stashak, 4.) Andro Cutura, 5.) Miguel Gonzalez
• Eric Pleiss – 1) Andro Cutura, 2.) Williams Ramirez, 3.) Dereck Rodriguez, 4.) Miles Nordgren

Feel free to discuss. How would your ballot look?

 

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[Jham]

Looks like some promising arms.  Do we know anything more about their stuff and how it will play at higher levels?

[Madre Dos]

Eduardo will probably start next season in Elizabethton.  He came by the house and ate and has already picked out his bed for next season.