Donny Breek - 2018

[Breekie18]

http://powershowcase.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/breek-nld-2016-mia-PITCH5-176x300.jpg

 

 

Position: RHP
DOB: November 8th, 1999. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 200 lbs.

Signed as an International Free Agent in 2017 at the age of 17.  During the World Cup U18 in Thunder Bay 2017, he received various offers from organizations and decided to be part of the Twins organization.
The righthander averages a fastball at 90 MPH and tops at 92/93 MPH with great command. His changeup is around the 83 MPH. Besides these two pitches he can throw a cutter/slider and a curveball. But he needs to work on one of these to make it his 3rd pitch. With the daily workouts his velocity should rise a couple of miles in the upcoming years.

The last couple of years he developed greatly and received a couple of individual talent awards in the Netherlands playing for Dutch organization DSS. DSS plays on the highest Dutch level and Donny made his debut at the age of 16.

As part of National Teams U15 and U18, Donny participated in various European Championships with Championships as a result in 2013, 2014 and 2016. In 2016 he won the semi-final versus Germany during the European Championship 2016, which qualified the Dutch to participate in the WC U18 2017.

In games against the USA and Cuba at the WC U18 2017, Donny showed flashes of what he is capable of. But against Japan he really got the attention of the attending organizations. Twins already were following him since he was 14 and decided to make an offer after this tournament.

Donny is expected to arrive at extended spring training and join the GCL Twins.

Fun facts:
• Taylor Clemencia, Matz Schutte (former Twins player) and Donny all started with baseball with the same Dutch organization.
• All three were selected as regional talents to join an MLB supported Dutch Baseball Academy.
• On the European Championship U18 in 2015, Taylor Clemencia and Donny where teammates and both pitched in the finals against Italy.
• In the past Matz Schutte and Donny were teammates in their little league ages.
• Last year former Twins player Tom Stuifbergen became a teammate and assists as a pitching coach in the coaching staff of the team of DSS.
• Donny and Niklas Rimmel, another International signee, played against each other and joined various MLB Camps in Europe together.

Related:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CkkKNRwOqg

European Championship and World Cup stats:
• http://www.baseballstats.eu/2013/nykoping/games/ned.htm
• http://www.baseballstats.eu/2014/paderborn/games/ned.htm
• http://www.baseballstats.eu/2015/ostrava2/games/ned.htm
• http://www.baseballstats.eu/2016/gijon/games/ned.htm
• http://www.wbsc.org/tournaments/2017-u18-baseball-world-cup/stats/pitching/NED/

[Squirrel]

Great stuff!

[goulik]

Thanks for the intro to Breek, you've peeked my interest!

[Breekie18]

This year the organization decided to defer the reportdate for International signees with a month because of the length between extended spring and the start of the GCL competition. Therefore, instead of coming in at the end of March, the players will be starting to come in this week. As for Donny Breek, he arrived yesterday after a long trip and will start his journey with the Twins from now on. 

 

[Breekie18]

In his first pro outing Donny Breek threw 3 innings in relief on Friday the 22nd of June. Although he was pretty nervous for his first outing he did a good job with 2 SO's, 1 W and no hits. This week he'll probably get his first start.

[Breekie18]

In his first start of the season Donny did a good job. In the first game of double header he threw 4 innings plus 2 batters. After 4 good innings, in the fifth he struggeled with his command. He started the inning with 2 walks before being replaced with a 3-0 lead. Both runners scored. After the 5th the score was 3-2. But the bullpen couldn't hold the lead, so Donny had a no-decision. The GCL Twins ended up winning the game in the 7th.

In 4 inning plus 2 batters, his numbers were 6 K's, 3 walks, 1 hit and 2 earned runs.

[Breekie18]

Friday 6th of July, Donny was planned to pitch 4 to 5 innings after Landon Leach. Out of precautionary considerations, he was pulled after 2 innings due to a tired arm. The first of the 2 innings was descent with 3 up, 3 down on a groundball and 2 soft on the handle line-/fly-outs. In the second he worked himself in to trouble bij hitting the first batter and walking the next two. He pulled himself together and struckout the next two before ending the inning on a groundball.

 

In 2 innings he threw 2 K's, 2 walks, 0 hits and 0 runs.

 

It was a privilege to attend some of the GCL games on our stay in hot Florida. Unfortunately our visit to Ft. Myers Miracle on the 4th of July rained out. But we had a great time and it was good to see the kid again.

[Squirrel]

 

Friday 6th of July, Donny was planned to pitch 4 to 5 innings after Landon Leach. Out of precautionary considerations, he was pulled after 2 innings due to a tired arm. The first of the 2 innings was descent with 3 up, 3 down on a groundball and 2 soft on the handle line-/fly-outs. In the second he worked himself in to trouble bij hitting the first batter and walking the next two. He pulled himself together and struckout the next two before ending the inning on a groundball.

 

In 2 innings he threw 2 K's, 2 walks, 0 hits and 0 runs.

 

It was a privilege to attend some of the GCL games on our stay in hot Florida. Unfortunately our visit to Ft. Myers Miracle on the 4th of July rained out. But we had a great time and it was good to see the kid again.

I was at the Miracle game on the 4th ... waiting, waiting, waiting ... until my Mom and I decided to leave, just minutes before the game was officially called. We went to the game the next day, so we still got a game in.

 

Glad you were able to get to Florida to see Donny play!

[Breekie18]

We did the same thing. Left about 7.50 PM.

[Breekie18]

In the game against the Rays on July the 11th, Donny threw 4 innings. With 2 K's, 1 BB and 6 hits against him, the Rays scored 3 earned runs. His ERA jumped from 2.00 to 3.46. The Rays jumped on his curveball, which was a bit high that day. After leaving the game with a 2-3 score, the Twins got on top of the Rays and won the game. This left Donny with another no-decision and he still has a W-L record of 0-0.

[Breekie18]

In his 3rd start of the season, Donny had a reasonable outing. He's working on some new grips on his fastball and it takes some time too get the right feeling. In the first 2 innings, of his 4 inning outing, this cost him a couple of walks. All together the Orioles couldn't score a run on him. With 4 K's, 3 BB's and 2 hits, he was replaced in the 5th with the score still 0-0. So again, no descision.

 

After 5 outings he's got some nice stats. When he can lower his walks per game, he will only do better.

 

IP: 17.0

ERA: 2.65

BB: 10
SO: 16
AVG: 0.158
WHIP: 1.12

 

[Breekie18]

Yesterday Donny got his first professional win. He really had it going. Last week I mentioned that when he would lower his BB ratio, he only would do better. Well, yesterday he did.  In the 5 innings against the GCL Rays, he threw 9 K's, 1 BB and they could produce only 1 hit against him. While the Twins scored a couple of runs and the bullpen kept the Rays from scoring, after 6 outings he has himself a W-L record

 

Numbers after 6 outings:

 

IP: 22.0

ERA: 2.05

BB: 11
SO: 25
AVG: 0.137
WHIP: 0.95

W-L: 1-0

[Breekie18]

 

Donny named Minor League pitcher of the week

[diehardtwinsfan]

so obviously, you're a fan. Can I ask how long you've followed him?

[Breekie18]

 

so obviously, you're a fan. Can I ask how long you've followed him?

 

I follow him for 18+ years now

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I follow him for 18+ years now

Kind of figured.

[Breekie18]

After a couple of good outings, the game on August 1st was tough. In the 2nd inning the GCL Orioles got on base with a walk and a pair of singles. Unfortunately with 2 outs with a 2-strike count, Donny left the ball to much over the plate and Trey Whitley hit a triple. This made the score 4-3. After this inning, the GCL Orioles got on base a couple of times and managed to score one more (unearned) run in the fourth. The Twins lost the game in the 8th.

 

cumulative numbers:

 

IP: 26.0

ERA: 2.77

BB: 12
SO: 30
AVG: 0.167
WHIP: 1.04

W-L: 1-0

[Breekie18]

It's been a while since the last post. The last 2 outings of Donny were shortened cause of heavy rain.

 

On August the 11th against Donny threw 3 innings before the game got suspended with a score of 0-0. The game was resumed on August the 18th as part of a doubleheader. In the second game of that day, Donny got the start. So in theory he started both games of the DH.

 

The first game was won by the Twins.

 

The second game got suspended after 4 innings and was resumed the next day. In this game Donny lasted 3.1 innings and was replaced after he got muscle cramp in his calf. The resumed game was lost. This wasn't his best game a he had a bit of trouble finding the zone. Although he came behind in the count a couple of times he got 5 K's. Besides that he was hit hard and surrended 4 runs (3 earned) and 6 hits.

 

With only one week left, the GCL Twins are still a playoff candidate with 2 games behind the Red Sox and the Rays. It's going to be tough, but it's possible. If not, most of the players will go home next week after a long (first) professional season. 

 

IP: 32.1

ERA: 3.06

BB: 15
SO: 37
AVG: 0.200
WHIP: 1.18

W-L: 1-1

[Breekie18]

Last Friday was the final start for Donny in his first professional season. The GCL Twins were already eliminated for first place and for the playoffs. 

In the first inning the GCL Red Sox managed to score a run on a double and a single. It was the lone run of the game and Donny settled in after this. The Twins gathered a run here and there and won the game with 7-1.

Most of the players went home after Saturday's final game. The International signees will do the same in the next couple of days. A select privileged group is invited for an additional strength camp from October till the X-mas holidays. These players will return to Ft. Myers after a month of rest.

 

Final numbers for the season.

IP: 37.1

ERA: 2.89

BB: 17
SO: 41
AVG: 0.197
WHIP: 1.15

W-L: 2-1

[Dman]

I've been watching the box scores and I think this kid might have what it takes.  Have to love the K\9 and the WHIP.  Shows me he is attacking hitters and having success doing it.  It is too early to tell if he is for real or not as numbers in lower levels don't mean as much as the competition hasn't been weeded out much at those levels.  If he can't develop that third pitch he still looks like a good arm for the pen.  I hope he ends up a good one as the Twins need all the good pitchers they can get.

[goulik]

Let us know whether he stays in Florida or comes home. Thank you for the updates this year on his progress and I look forward to following him next year on line again.