Article: What's Gotten Into Kyle Gibson?

[Thrylos]

What's gotten into Gibson:

 

a. He is thinking less, letting it go more and has more confidence.

b. He is not afraid to throw balls.  Like the rest of the Twins' pitchers this season.  This has been the biggest transformation of the staff:  Instead of "pounding the striking zone all the time" and inducing ground balls with either sinkers (Andy) or change ups (Allen), get ahead and then make them chase out the zone.

[Thrylos]

 

 

But, decline the option, and then re-sign him on amicable terms for a lower amount? I'd still see the Twins as a likely landing spot for him as a free agent.

 

Why?  In his three year contract with the Twins, he missed half a season with his suspension and another half with his injury.  We have no idea how he will be when he comes back and he is not getting any younger or better.  I'd rather see other options (Gonsalves, Littel) for the back of the rotation in case of injury...

[Mike Sixel]

No, 2020.

 

If Romero is legit and the Twins get back a healthy May, this offseason should be very interesting.

 

They'll have four pitchers with one remaining year of control: Gibson, Odorizzi, Santana, and May.

 

None of them will bring back a king's ransom but we may be looking at the Twins dishing off some starting pitching this offseason, as weird as that is to say.

And Pineda.

 

Edit. Ninjad, which I should have figured

Edited May 8, 2018 by Mike Sixel

[rghrbek]

Nobody has been more critical of Gibby than me.  Although, I am not willing to say he has fully turned the corner and is ready to be a staple of the rotation, I have been impressed with his improving stats and demeanor.  All very positive.

 

I hope it continues as starting pitching depth...well assuming Lynn becomes not awful, when was the last time we had this kind of starting pitching depth? 

 

 

[howieramone2]

 

Why?  In his three year contract with the Twins, he missed half a season with his suspension and another half with his injury.  We have no idea how he will be when he comes back and he is not getting any younger or better.  I'd rather see other options (Gonsalves, Littel) for the back of the rotation in case of injury...

A broken finger in not an elbow or shoulder injury. I expect him back next season. No one ever gets younger, and he's already more than good enough. 

[gunnarthor]

 

A broken finger in not an elbow or shoulder injury. I expect him back next season. No one ever gets younger, and he's already more than good enough. 

Agreed. Obviously, it depends on how he finishes the year but I would imagine he'd be back either on a new deal or (less likely) the Twins could still just take his option.

[KirbyDome89]

It's nice to not dread Gibson starts. 

 

Hopefully this is the pitcher, more or less, we see all year, but I can't say I'm confident that happens. Fair or not, I'm continually waiting for "bad Gibby," to show up. 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I'm not as convinced as you are that Trevor May belongs in this discussion but the Twins actually have control of him through the 2020 season, so two more years after this one.

Oh, my mistake. For some reason, I thought he was in his final two seasons.

[Doomtints]

Being unpredictable has its advantages. Whatever he is doing differently, let's hope he keeps quiet about it ... and let's hope he keeps changing things up a bit!

[Doomtints]

 

What's gotten into Gibson:

 

a. He is thinking less, letting it go more and has more confidence.

b. He is not afraid to throw balls.  Like the rest of the Twins' pitchers this season.  This has been the biggest transformation of the staff:  Instead of "pounding the striking zone all the time" and inducing ground balls with either sinkers (Andy) or change ups (Allen), get ahead and then make them chase out the zone.

 

 

Perhaps. It should certainly be pointed out that throwing outside the strike zone is an important tool in a pitcher's repertoire.  

[TFRazor]

I don't know what's gotten in to him but whatever he's been having for breakfast he needs to start sharing it with Lance Lynn

[jmlease1]

 

Nobody has been more critical of Gibby than me.  Although, I am not willing to say he has fully turned the corner and is ready to be a staple of the rotation, I have been impressed with his improving stats and demeanor.  All very positive.

 

I hope it continues as starting pitching depth...well assuming Lynn becomes not awful, when was the last time we had this kind of starting pitching depth? 

 

I object. I was SURE I was the most down on Gibson.

 

Still no ready to declare him fixed and finally living up to his talent, but I am rooting for him. but I've been burned too many times to be convinced on 7 starts. that said, if he can keep putting up Game Scores in the 60s and pitch consistently into the 6th inning...I'll revise my opinion at the all-star break. Until then, he's still "the Tease".

 

No question the peripherals are better this year (I don't love the walks, but for this level of Ks I think you can live with it) and his approach and pitch mix has definitely changed for the better. Hope it continues well for him. He does need to get deeper into games, though. not a fan of a starter leaving before the 6th in about half their starts. 

[jmlease1]

 

Lynn is that one year great deal like Kendrys Morales was a one year great deal.  Nothing better than FA to fix your team.  Keep bringing up the young guys.

 

I don't get this. Bringing in Kendrys Morales didn't work for us, but that's because he had a bad year, not because he was a bad player. Morales turned around the next season and was a fine player for KC right back in line with what he's been doing before the world fell out from under him in MN/Sea. And while he was overpaid the next year, he was still a useful player. (and now he's aging out of MLB)

 

The decision-making process was sound, it just didn't work out.

 

Lance Lynn made be another one of those situations, but it's too early to say. he had a bad month. Let's talk again in June and see if this still looks like a mess. (and remember, the Twins cut bait on Morales towards the end of July)

[goulik]

I will be honest. I never have been a big Gibson fan but what he has done this year has made me question my stance. I do not mind getting proven wrong in this manner...

[Vanimal46]

Most of the responses here have been positive, and it's deserved for him turning it around.

 

However, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. He's had stretches nearly every season where he looks great, then reverts back to bad Gibby.

 

If he continues at this hot pace, I will be very tempted to sell high. Since, as others mentioned, Erv, May, Lynn, and Gonsalves are in the mix this year at some point this summer.

[dbminn]

My two cents on Gibson - 

 

He was good in 2014 and very good in 2015. He pitched hurt in 2016. It was bad enough he changed his mechanics for the 2017 season. He was also really tentative through July 2017. I believe it was the first game he started in August, right after his one-start demotion to AAA. He wasn't attacking. Molitor visited the mound basically chewed Gibson out. He was solid from that point to year's end.

 

This year, Rowson has him using his FB up in the zone (Allen started it last year but he's more accurate this year). His four-seam FB use has gone from 13.6% in 2016 to 24.8% this year. All of the reduction comes from sinkers and change ups. He's throwing breaking pitches the same amount of the time.

 

The final change is actually trying to put people away with his slurve (stats say he has both a curve and slider). Biggest problem I had with the past regime wasn't "pitch to contact". All teams want SP to be efficient. The problem was not teaching pitchers to have a strikeout pitch available when it's needed. It's always been a good pitch but he never used it as a 2-strike weapon (like Thrylos said, "out of the zone").

 

I'd say the reasons he's better are: he's healthy, making better use of his fastball and more aggressive. Like someone else said, "he's getting out of his own way".

 

And Sixel, I'm still holding to the 4.25 ERA prediction I made at the end of last year.  

[AlwaysinModeration]

Anyone else looking forward to the Gibson-Ohtani matchup on Saturday?

[Doomtints]

 

If he continues at this hot pace, I will be very tempted to sell high. 

 

Who would buy high for him?

Yes he is improved, yet so far this year he has just 3 quality starts in 7 games. He has not been flawless.

 

He has two straight years of a 5.07 ERA.

 

He has to put up Cy Young numbers before anyone will look at him as anything except a serviceable end of the rotation guy.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Doomtints

[Vanimal46]

Who would buy high for him?

 

Yes he is improved, yet so far this year he has just 3 quality starts in 7 games. He has not been flawless.

 

He has two straight years of a 5.07 ERA.

 

He has to put up Cy Young numbers before anyone will look at him as anything except a serviceable end of the rotation guy.

By "sell high" I meant the Twins could actually fetch a decent prospect if he keeps it up. Whereas the last 2 years I doubt they were able to generate any interest in Gibson.