Report: Twins Minor Reveals Ranking of Top 5 Relief Pitcher for the Season…

June 6, 2024 Sports_xtreme MINNESOTA TWINS 0

 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month – May 2024

After highlighting the starting pitchers, it’s time to focus on those who enter the game later on.

First, let’s clarify something: I don’t favor using ERA to evaluate relievers. It’s unreliable due to small sample sizes and doesn’t account for a crucial part of a reliever’s job—stranding runners. Instead, I believe strikeouts (dominance) and WHIP are more accurate measures. That said, if a reliever has a notably low ERA, I’ll acknowledge their performance. With that understanding, my list will make more sense. Here are the honorable mentions:

Xander Hamilton, A Fort Myers: 2.93 ERA, 15 1/3 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 30.2 K%
Hamilton made a strong case but was edged out by others who either pitched more innings or allowed fewer baserunners. His 19 strikeouts helped boost his profile.

Taylor Floyd, AA Wichita: 1.74 ERA, 10 1/3 IP, 0.77 WHIP, 30.8 K%
Despite his impressive ERA, Floyd didn’t pitch enough innings to rank higher.

Nolan Santos, A Fort Myers: 2.56 ERA, 17 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 25.7 K%
Santos was held back by his WHIP but logged significant innings and was perfect in save opportunities. Another 2023 pick making our rankings.

Hobie Harris, AAA St. Paul: 2.25 ERA, 12 IP, 0.67 WHIP, 37.2 K%
Harris had an outstanding month despite allowing three homers. He struck out many batters but needed more innings to make the list.

Jacob Wosinski, A+ Cedar Rapids: 1.04 ERA, 17 ⅓ IP, 0.92 WHIP, 23.2 K%
Wosinski’s lower strikeout rate compared to others kept him in the honorable mentions.

John Stankiewicz, AA Wichita: 0.90 ERA, 10 IP, 0.60 WHIP, 23.5 K%
Stankiewicz allowed just one run all month but only pitched 10 innings.

 Top 5 Relief Pitchers

5. Aaron Rozek, AA Wichita: 1.75 ERA, 25 2/3 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 16.5 K%
Despite one start, Rozek pitched as many innings as Darren Bowen and allowed only five earned runs. He held batters to a .216 average and pitched at least four innings in each appearance. The 28-year-old’s early strikeout promise has waned, but May showcased his potential when everything clicks.

4. Samuel Perez, A Fort Myers: 2.95 ERA, 18 1/3 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 34.6 K%
Perez, a rare lefty who strikes out over a third of batters faced, deserved a higher rank but was held back by eight walks. Originally from the Angels system, Perez re-signed with the Twins four times since 2021. He has a career 2.39 ERA across 244 1/3 innings and is transitioning to a starter role.

3. Jordan Carr, A+ Cedar Rapids: 1.71 ERA, 21 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 20.9 K%
Carr, a key player for the Kernels, rebounded from a rough April to return to form. He performed well in the Arizona Fall League and is poised for a return to Wichita, hoping to improve on last year’s performance.

2. Gabriel Yanez, A+ Cedar Rapids: 0.59 ERA, 15 1/3 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 21.3 K%
Yanez allowed just one run in May and three all year, utilizing his slider effectively. He surrendered only nine hits and often worked multiple innings. His standout performance included retiring eight batters over 33 pitches on the month’s last day.

1. Ricardo Velez, A+ Cedar Rapids: 0.69 ERA, 13 IP, 0.91 WHIP, 35.8 K%
Velez, a strikeout machine since joining the Twins, fanned 19 batters in May. He induced ground balls over half the time, making him a formidable closer. Velez earned five wins in May, cementing his spot as the top relief pitcher for the second consecutive month.

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