Twins Spring Training Notes: 3/8/2018

Here are my latest Twins' Spring Training notes:

• Kyle Gibson leads Twins starters with 5.40 pitches per inning pitched (newcomer Jake Odorizzi is second with 5.68, Adalberto Mejia follows with 5.75,  Fernando Romero with 6.00, Aaron Slegers with 6.57, Jose Berrios with 6.60, Phil Hughes with 6.92, Stephen Gonsalves with 7.36 and Aaron Sanchez ends the list with 9.00.)  Last season Gibson had 16.5 pitches per inning pitched, right at his career aveage of 16.4.  His career Spring Training average is 6.8.  Yes batter swing more during Spring Training, but this is a significant positive difference for Gibson. 
• As far as relievers go, Gabriel Moya who has had a great Spring leads the list with 5.60 whereas Trevor Hildenberger whose spring is not exactly great tails with 10.91.  As I previously indicated, I believe that the bullpen battle for spots behind Fernando Rodney, Addison Reed, and Zack Duke is wide open.  This might mean that Moya and Hildenberger go opposite directions come April.
• Robbie Grossman and Kennys Vargas appeared in exactly the same games (8) and have exactly the same at-bats (20) this Spring, but not quite the same results:  Grossman in hitting .100/.250/.100 and Vargas .300/.417/.450.  Both are fighting for a spot on the Twins' bench this season.  A reminder that Grossman's contact (1yr /$2M) is not guaranteed; both players are out of options as well.  
• None of the remaining catchers in the Twins' camp has an OPS higher than .649.  This number belongs to Mitch Garver who is hitting .091/.286/.364.
• Twins starters should be hitting 4 to 5 innings per appearance next week.
• Their number 8 overall prospect, Zack Littell, was among the Twins' first cuts, but he impressed the Twins' management in his brief stay with the big club.
• Interesting story about Twins' number 28 prospect Charlies Barnes, in his home town newspaper.
• Former Twins' old-school manager is already budding heads with his new-school pitching coach, about how to run a bullpen.  Thankfully, it is not the Twins' bullpen.

I will be making more such notes in somewhat regular intervals few times a week and daily when I am at Fort Myers. To see all the notes and coverage of the 2018 Twins' Spring Training, including live reports from Fort Myers in the second half of March, please visit here.