Prospect Retrospective: Josh Winder

The Twins selected Winder with their 7th round pick back in 2018 from Virginia Military Institute. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were at the helm of their second draft, and Winder is projected to be a steal at that late point in the draft. Out of the 2018 draft, only two players have debuted, Trevor Larnach (1st round) and Ryan Jeffers (2nd round). In college, He posted a 4.52 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and 9.0 K/9. Winder numbers were hardly outstanding, but the Twins must have seen something that intrigued the scouting department. 

Winder’s professional debut came in the Appalachian League shortly after signing with the Twins. He started nine games (38 2/3 innings) and posted a 3.72 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. Nearly all of his numbers were better than his collegiate career including an improved K/9 and BB/9. Even in a small sample size, there were signs pointing to Winder improving. 

During the 2019 season, Winder continued to carve up lower level hitters in Cedar Rapids. He pitched 125 2/3 innings with a 2.65 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. His strikeout rate dipped from over 9.8 K/9 in his debut to 8.5 K/9, but it's hard to ignore the other numbers he was able to compile. Like many prospects, it looked like the 2020 season was going to be important for his development. Unfortunately, the minor league season didn’t happen, but Winder was able to make improvements outside of game action. 

Winder added to his frame during the shutdown and those results were evident during the 2021 season. His fastball sat in the low-90s when the Twins signed him and last season it averaged 95 mph while topping out in the high-90s. He moved from Double- to Triple-A and was the organization’s lone participant in the Futures Game. He posted career highs in K/9, WHIP, and ERA. His season was cut short by a shoulder injury, but the Twins believe he is healthy and ready to produce in 2022. 

Minnesota’s plan for Winder is to start him as a long reliever, but he will continue to work as a starter later in the season. Expanded rosters to start the season allow teams to carry more pitching, but the Twins need to avoid not using Winder. Last season, Randy Dobnak was pushed from the rotation to long relief, but the club didn’t get him regular use at the season’s start. Look for Winder to be used as a piggy-back starter for others in the rotation that may not be able to go more than four innings. 

When roster sizes decrease, Winder will likely head to St. Paul to get further stretched out as a starter. It’s imperative for the team to get off to a good start. Last season, fans saw the bullpen struggle to begin the year and it impacted the remainder of the season. Minnesota wants to avoid a repeat of that performance in 2022 and Winder can be one of the arms to help Minnesota start the year on the right foot. 

What are your memories of Winder’s time as a prospect? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.