Game Score: Twins 3, Blue Jays 1

Nice to see our future beat our past.  No walks is the most impressive number in Ober's line.  His WHIP is down to 1.20 now.

Oh, and my grandma can bunt better than Andrelton Simmons.

The bullpen really has been lights out (except for the completely unpredictable Colomé). Also, I’m feeling optimistic about Ober and Ryan as mid-rotation arms next year.

Nick Gordon gets a bit more impressive every few games.

Think it's safe to pencil Ober in the 2022 rotation.

Fun to see Buxton take his draft mate deep. Boy that was a draft: Buxton, Berrios, Duffey, Rogers, and although the Twins cut him loose, Chargois.

So we just need to go 4-4 to avoid 90 loses.

Another example tonight of how a mid market team can compete : a league minimum pitcher gets through five in good shape and hands over the reins to a shutdown pen - btw, beating the guy who wants $30MM/year.
 

An entire staff like this will cost a team no more than 1-1.5 Berrios’s. 
 

With the continuing trend of longer at bats and shorter pitch counts, more winning teams will have a deep, reliable and relatively cheaper (compared to starters) pen. This will be the Twins strategy over the next two years. 

What a pleasant surprise Ober has been.  May be less work for the FO this winter than thought a couple months ago.

Over has really made an impression. I hope he can build on it. 

Come on Rocco.  Let Ober pitch longer.  If you are counting on him next year you need to stretch him out a little.  Oh that's right you think 5 innings is enough for a starting pitcher then you witch about having to use your bullpen.  Learn how to handle the pitchers please.

37 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

Come on Rocco.  Let Ober pitch longer.  If you are counting on him next year you need to stretch him out a little.  Oh that's right you think 5 innings is enough for a starting pitcher then you witch about having to use your bullpen.  Learn how to handle the pitchers please.

 

Ober has pitched more innings this year than he has in any year, college or professional. This is the first time he's made 20 starts and he hasn't pitched over 100 innings since he was 18 (7 years ago). They want him to get through a full season healthy so they can seriously look at him as a guy who can pitch 150-180 innings next season. He's had significant injury issues and never pitched an inning above AA before this year. He's gone from being a fringe prospect to a projectable part of the rotation for next year. I'd say they're handling him just fine.

Unfortunately all the Twins continuing to beat the Blue Jays means is that the Yankees are going to make the playoffs.

That stinks, IMO.

On 9/25/2021 at 8:17 AM, Whitey333 said:

Come on Rocco.  Let Ober pitch longer.  If you are counting on him next year you need to stretch him out a little.  Oh that's right you think 5 innings is enough for a starting pitcher then you witch about having to use your bullpen.  Learn how to handle the pitchers please.

 

I truly doubt it is Rocco’s solo decision to be limiting Ober’s usage this year.  I believe it to be an organizational decision.