Article: Kernels Roster Taking Shape

[Steven Buhr]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/2785-Kernels-Roster-Taking-Shape

[clutterheart]

Did Mauer say who will be in the starting rotation this year?

[tjsyam921]

Should be another good summer of Kernel's baseball!

[Seth Stohs]

Did Mauer say who will be in the starting rotation this year?

 

I think you can count on Ryan Eades, Aaron Slegers, Felix Jorge, Randy Rosario and Miguel Sulbaran... If they go with a six-man rotation again, Kohl Stewart could factor into that discussion.

[TRex]

Hey Seth, why do you think Sulbaran (overrated, IMHO) will be repeating Low A ball... just organizational depth?

[Steven Buhr]

Mauer indicated they will be going with a 6 man rotation again, thus the 13 man pitching staff to start the season anyway. Sulbaran is with the Kernels group and threw 2 innings of relief yesterday. That doesn't mean he won't be in the rotation, of course, since right now they're just trying to get guys innings of work any way they can.

 

He said there was still a decision or two to be made with the pitchers, but I think Seth's projected rotation would be the same for me, including Stewart.

[cmb0252]

I think you can count on Ryan Eades, Aaron Slegers, Felix Jorge, Randy Rosario and Miguel Sulbaran... If they go with a six-man rotation again, Kohl Stewart could factor into that discussion.

 

Why would two college pitchers in Eades (who draft experts said could be one of the quickest arms to the bigs) and Slegers start in low-A? I'm confused by why the Twins do this.

[Sarah]

Anyone who is looking for a cheap fun baseball trip this summer should check out Cedar Rapids- it's a nice stadium and only about four hours from the Twin Cities. I was there last summer and had one of the all-you-can-eat seats down the first baseline. So many brats, so little time...

[Seth Stohs]

Hey Seth, why do you think Sulbaran (overrated, IMHO) will be repeating Low A ball... just organizational depth?

 

 

The Twins weren't happy with the shape he came to camp in, so he got a late start. He could move up in not too long.

[Seth Stohs]

Why would two college pitchers in Eades (who draft experts said could be one of the quickest arms to the bigs) and Slegers start in low-A? I'm confused by why the Twins do this.

 

 

I would think that most organizations would do this. Slegers is more of a project, so he won't move as quickly, I don't think. But I think there's a chance he could get to Ft. Myers this season.

 

Eades could move quickly, but no real need for him to skip a level. He's not getting to the big leagues this year, so it's more about just getting him innings, getting him adjusted, working on things and moving up.

[nicksaviking]

I would think that most organizations would do this. Slegers is more of a project, so he won't move as quickly, I don't think. But I think there's a chance he could get to Ft. Myers this season.

 

Eades could move quickly, but no real need for him to skip a level. He's not getting to the big leagues this year, so it's more about just getting him innings, getting him adjusted, working on things and moving up.

 

I don't think that's true. I counted last year, and I think there were something like eight healthy collegiate pitchers drafted in the first five rounds in 2013 that didn't pitch in at least low A ball. I'm guessing a good majority of them will get to graduate to high A if they didn't already last year. The Twins starting pitchers didn't get out of Rookie League last year, plenty of clubs didn't even bother putting their early round college arms in those leagues.

 

I'm not making any judgments here but the Twins college age pitchers, at least from 2013, are further behind most of their peers.

[cmb0252]

I don't think that's true. I counted last year, and I think there were something like eight healthy collegiate pitchers drafted in the first five rounds in 2013 that didn't pitch in at least low A ball. I'm guessing a good majority of them will get to graduate to high A if they didn't already last year. The Twins starting pitchers didn't get out of Rookie League last year, plenty of clubs didn't even bother putting their early round college arms in those leagues.

 

I'm not making any judgments here but the Twins college age pitchers, at least from 2013, are further behind most of their peers.

 

Yeah, that's what I thought most clubs did.

[clutterheart]

I think you can count on Ryan Eades, Aaron Slegers, Felix Jorge, Randy Rosario and Miguel Sulbaran... If they go with a six-man rotation again, Kohl Stewart could factor into that discussion.

 

I agree on Eades, Slegers, Jorge

Wouldn't Landa?

Lots of good candidates and I hope they don't punish Sulbaran - Just because of the number's factor.

[cmathewson]

I think you can count on Ryan Eades, Aaron Slegers, Felix Jorge, Randy Rosario and Miguel Sulbaran... If they go with a six-man rotation again, Kohl Stewart could factor into that discussion.

 

I like that, with two changes. i think Sulbaran did enough to earn a promotion (better numbers than Berrios), assuming he got into better shape as camp went along. If so, then Stewart will take his place.

[jokin]

I agree on Eades, Slegers, Jorge

Wouldn't Landa?

Lots of good candidates and I hope they don't punish Sulbaran - Just because of the number's factor.

 

Which "numbers factor"? Too many SPs, or too many LBs?

[twinsfan34]

In this Edition of 2013 College Pitchers...

 

There were 132 college pitchers taken in the 2013 Rule IV MLB Draft. Five were injured and never had a chance to pitch in MLB (e.g. Manea, Stanek, etc), leaving 127 eligible pitchers to be placed among the minor league affiliates.

 

89 of them pitched in A- or higher last year.

 

So, in the same year college pitchers were drafted, about 69% pitched in A- or higher. 2 in 3 of those drafted in the 1st-10th RD.

 

Could we apply this further? Perhaps to where the Twins college pitchers should land in their 1st full season of pro ball?

 

e.g. the 2012 college pitchers class (1st-10th RD)

 

1 pitcher, Josh Conway of the Cubs, has been injured and has yet to accumulate a minor league stat, leaving 110 pitchers meeting the criteria.

 

So 87% were at A or higher. 51% at A+ or higher

- applicable to the Twins as we don't have an 'A' club - not sure which/how they (TBC) classified "A"

 

Source: Thebaseballcube.com

Used: MS Excel 2007

[Steven Buhr]

I'd assume the "A-" level is "short-season A" and the Twins don't have a team at that level. They use Elizabethton as their top "short season" club. In a very real sense, the Twins seem to use E-town as their "short-season A" level. When you take that in to consideration, I don't think the Twins treat there college pitchers much different than other teams do.

 

I think the unusual thing we'll be seeing this year is just how many YOUNG pitchers, both HS guys drafted last year and international pitchers not yet 20 years old, find their way in to the Kernels rotation this summer.

[Seth Stohs]

I also assume that the analysis points out that 2013 Twins draft picks Brian Gilbert and Brandon Bixler pitched for Cedar Rapids last year, the same year they were drafted. Or that the year before Taylor Rogers and DJ Baxendale pitched for Beloit. (Both will start for New Britain this year).

 

The Kernels pitching staff could be quite young with those international signings.

 

Also, Eades came off throwing a lot of innings at LSU, and Slegers threw a lot and into the College World Series for Indiana. Watching their innings is way more important than where those innings come from.

[clutterheart]

Which "numbers factor"? Too many SPs, or too many LBs?

 

I dont know what LB means but I was saying starters.

FM has room. CR does not.

[RedBull34]

I dont know what LB means but I was saying starters.

FM has room. CR does not.

 

Pounds.

[twinsfan34]

Seth, will you be putting together an organizational depth chart? Or have you?

 

I realize, we all can wait until April 4th and the affiliate websites should have the rosters by then.

[Jim H]

This discussion takes place a lot, where prospects(in this case, pitchers) should be placed on the organizational ladder. It does seem that the Twins will often start the year placing certain pitchers lower than many observers feel is appropriate. One thing the Twins will do however, is move players up pretty quickly. Sometimes more than one level in a year, if the player is dominating. This year may be a bit tougher than normal for pitching prospects in the Twins organization, because there seems to be a lot of pretty high end starter prospects, especially in the lower levels.

 

Maybe things will change because of all the starter prospects, but in the past the Twins often got guys to the majors pretty quickly if they were good enough, at a pretty young age. Radke, Liriano, Hawkins all got to majors at pretty young ages without a lot of time in the upper levels of the system. That seemed to be more or less true of certain college pitchers like Baker and Slowey, or even non-college guys like Hendriks even though they were never premium prospects.

 

Hopefully, the Twins try to do what seems appropriate for each prospect, without trying to shoehorn them into some preconceived "route to the big leagues". It can be frustrating for us fans though when certain prospects we are interested in are moved up so slowly.

[Seth Stohs]

Seth, will you be putting together an organizational depth chart? Or have you?

 

I realize, we all can wait until April 4th and the affiliate websites should have the rosters by then.

 

 

I've got it really close, so writing it up and should have it soon.