Twins Select Matt Canterino with 54th Overall Pick

Like this pick, but my god, does that guy have some weird delivery.  

Edit the headline please, move the "with" to the right of Matt Canterino

Like the pick. He’ll need to fix that loopy delivery. Base runners will have field day

Wes Johnson has some work to do with the windup but he has nice size.

Definitely a bullpen delivery at the moment, but this seems like the somewhat unorthodox kind of guy Cleveland has done well developing. 

Congrats to Matt Canterino!!!!!

BPro article today: Expanding the Zone: Examining 2019 College Pitcher Workloads.

Of the 10 pitchers, only Matt Canterino and Nick Lodolo have been used as starters in nearly all of their three seasons.

Portion of games where pitcher had over 110 pitches: Canterino 12% 2017, 12% 2018, 13% 2019. For 2019, Manoah was at 44%, Jameson 38%, Thompson and Kirby 29%.

Games in which a pitcher was not provided enough rest for the length of his outing, Pitch Smart Violations per game: Manoah 25%,Jameson 25%, Canterino 0% (6 and 12% in 2017 and 2018).

Posted this in the draft thread, but thought I would also post here:

Big fan of this pick. Disagree that the delivery is a negative unless there are injury concerns. I have yet to see an explanation or read about why there should be.

Baseball America rated him as the best control in the country pre-draft. He repeats his mechanics and can control the ball. His delivery makes it hard to read over his hand and his over the top delivery creates a really nice downward plane and will lead to a lot of ground ball outs and the downward movement you see on his spike curve as well as some of the movement you see on his fastball.

Sure, he’ll refine his delivery like any pitcher but I think the funky delivery is a plus until it’s proven not to be rather than the other way around. The only real argument I’ve seen for changing it is that it seems like something to do because it looks different than prototype, which isn’t actually a reason at all unless that difference in pitching motion is causing control issues through unrepeatablility or injury concerns.

I think he’s going to be a starter of the good Odorizzi or Gibson version. Really excited.

Here’s a good article I found with a nice profile:

https://www.google.c...-matt-canterino

A couple of quotes from that article:

**Canterino also does the little things to help his cause, including having an above-average pickoff move. However, there’s still a concern that he may eventually be a reliever. Why should this be a concern, when he’s get the build, control, athleticism and repertoire to be successful as a starter? Rice does have a history of its pitchers breaking down physically at the professional level. More than that, however, it’s due to his unorthodox, high-effort delivery with a head jerk. It is that delivery, however, that just may give him the deception he needs at the professional level to help supplement good, albeit unsensational, stuff.**

**One side note — in Baseball America’s preseason list of loudest tools, Canterino was listed as having the best control. Certainly after looking at his results over the past couple seasons, it’s difficult to refute that analysis.**

Wes Johnson working with a Rice U pitcher is like next-level scary. 

Would you mind elaborating?

Thanks.

Sounds like he may be a bit of possible steal at this point.  I am no expert on potential for injury based on his delivery, if it is any more likely than any other delivery.  However, he strikes guys out at high rates, so even if he becomes only a bullpen guy is that really a knock anymore?  

I think twins1095 has a point. The odd delivery seems to add to the deception of the pitches. His hook looked great.

Seems like Rice was careful with his outings based on the stats above

Wayne Graham retired at the end of 2018.

I think as much, or more concern than injury, is that he isn't going to be able to control the running game with that delivery.

Scout reports state he holds runners will with a good pickoff move, and not many teams run now a days.  Also, his K rate has been high in college, if he can carry that over, running on him is not as effective, because striking out hitters at plate means no sac flies.