WOLFSON: Zack Littell to Make MLB Debut Tuesday

likey - want to see these guys get a chance

Really looking forward to seeing what he can do. Nothing against him, because he really has been productive as he'll and seems to know how to pitch. I'm thinking he's the guy because Slegers may not be ready yet after his long stint a couple days ago, Gonsalves had a recent and poor outing and Mejia just started. Seems Littell is deserving and the most ready for his next turn.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence, but of that quartet, Littell is also the only one who was acquired under the Derek Falvey regime."

I don't think it is. 

Cool, I didn't think we'd get to see Littell quite yet. He's still young and he'll likely need more time at AAA, but it'll be great to see him pitch for the first time. I think he can be a solid #4 starter in the majors if things go right. It also reminds me how good of a deal the Jaime Garcia flip was - getting Littell and Enns for Ynoa was a fantastic flip. By the way, Huascar Ynoa is struggling at single A for the Braves right now (5.62 ERA, 1.51 WHIP).

Does he have more than two pitches?  An ok 3rd pitch?  I worry about starters who only profile two pitches...curious it wasn't 'Gonsoves

That's what is most surprising. Slegers seemed to have "passed the test" vs. the Royals- his "long stint" was only 5.1 IP and 83 pitches, and he would basically be pitching with his normal days off. 

Normal rest is every 5 days, not 6      Other than Slegers, Littell is the only other starter to choose from that has pitched well this year in Rochester. They might as well see what he has got at the major league level.

Cool, I didn't think we'd get to see Littell quite yet. He's still young and he'll likely need more time at AAA, but it'll be great to see him pitch for the first time. I think he can be a solid #4 starter in the majors if things go right. It also reminds me how good of a deal the Jaime Garcia flip was - getting Littell and Enns for Ynoa was a fantastic flip. By the way, Huascar Ynoa is struggling at single A for the Braves right now (5.62 ERA, 1.51 WHIP).

Nothing against Littell or the trade, but maybe Huascar Ynoa will be in the majors sometime as well. In his last start,: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER/R, BB, 9 K. CJ Wittman of BPro mentioned him in May 30 Minor League Update:

Ynoa is the younger brother of former $4.2M dollar bonus baby Michael Ynoa. Huascar was signed by the Twins during the 2014 J2 period for $800K and later traded to the Braves for Jaime Garcia. He features a plus fastball, average changeup and slightly below-average curveball but the main concerns have always been his well-below-average command. He’s likely headed for a bullpen role in the future but only 1 BB in 6 IP is encouraging.

Off topic, but the next player mentioned was:

Jose Miranda, 2B, Twins (Low-A Cedar Rapids): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, R, 6 RBI.

Miranda was a 2016 second-round pick by the Twins out of Puerto Rico. Miranda had a solid end to the 2017 season and was considered one of the better hitting prospects in that league. He provides average defensive value all over the diamond but he’s gotten off to a slow start this year at the plate. If he could hit at a fringe-average level with the same power grade, he could be a utility piece in the future.

Seemed like a given that Sleggers would get the chance after his outing in KC. Kind o sucks for him, but it will be interesting to see what Littell can do.

I have felt throughout the Falvey era that they lean towards their own Acquisitions over the players they inherited. I'm happy for Littell but I have to believe that Gonsalves has to be frustrated by seeing so many go up before he even gets a chance. So I hope littell is great and Romero comes back from his last loss, but I hope we soon see Gonsalves too.

Congrats to Littell!

SSS, but the Twins have looked at both LaMarre and Cave as OF callups. Now, they've had a chance to see Slegers. Second SP called up is Littell. Seems if a player is on the 40-man and has performed at AAA, they'll give them a taste of the bigs. Good for scouting, good for the player - even if it's only one game.

Congrats to Littell!

 

SSS, but the Twins have looked at both LaMarre and Cave as OF callups. Now, they've had a chance to see Slegers. Second SP called up is Littell. Seems if a player is on the 40-man and has performed at AAA, they'll give them a taste of the bigs. Good for scouting, good for the player - even if it's only one game.

The 40 man piece is the key. They don’t know which injuries are ahead and what kind of flexibility they will need on the 40 man roster. If a guy is going to be added to the 40 man roster at this point, they better be extremely confident that the player is here to stay and will make an impact.

Good for Littell.

Pretty good timing to get a kid pitching well up for a start. If they take 3 of 4 from Cleveland today, then go do some damage in a 4 gamer with the Sox, they could find themselves back working striking distance. They have a couple of tough series outside of the division this month (Bos and LAA), but they have another set with Cleveland, as well as the White Sox, Tigers, and Rangers.

I'm surprised they didn't go with Slegers, but one of the reasons not mentioned so far for choosing Littell is to give him a little positive reinforcement. He and the team are all well aware that this is a one-and-done callup and he's pitching against an inferior team so it's a relatively low-pressure situation. It's much different than, for example, becoming part of the rotation replacing an injured starter during the heat of a pennant race. I hope the team tells him that and that he should just let it fly.

There are lots of baseball decisions I don't like, such as the ridiculous minor league rule for extra innings.  But I like the effect the 26th man has had since put on the books (was it last year?). 

It gives teams a chance to bring up top prospects for one game in 'the show.'  And what a benefit for those young prospects to get that first feel of what it is like to pitch on the biggest stage.  And there are no hard feelings when sent back down because they knew from the start that is what would likely happen.  This is one rule that makes sense and is working....love it!

His fastball typically sits in the low 90s, but it's said to have a high spin rate and it pairs nicely with his slow curveball. That may not sound like a combination that can dominate,

Tell that to Johan Santana.

It was written years ago that it's not about the fastball velocity alone, but the difference in velocity between the fastball and the changeup. Too little of a difference doesn't work, nor does too much of a difference. There's a 'sweet spot.'

There are lots of baseball decisions I don't like, such as the ridiculous minor league rule for extra innings.  But I like the effect the 26th man has had since put on the books (was it last year?). 

 

It gives teams a chance to bring up top prospects for one game in 'the show.'  And what a benefit for those young prospects to get that first feel of what it is like to pitch on the biggest stage.  And there are no hard feelings when sent back down because they knew from the start that is what would likely happen.  This is one rule that makes sense and is working....love it!

And for the Twins, it gives them a chance to drop one game of a doubleheader more often than they should.

Who cares about all the other crap, I hope he blows them away!

Who cares about all the other crap, I hope he blows them away!

I liked what I saw from Littell in spring training, so I'm excited to see what he can do at the MLB level.

Seemed like a given that Sleggers would get the chance after his outing in KC. Kind o sucks for him, but it will be interesting to see what Littell can do.

Does the rule that a player needs to stay in the minors for 10 days after being sent down apply for the 26th man for a DH?  If so, that is one reason Slegers could not be brought back up.

If not, I'm with you Howeda.