Tag: Zach Duke

Twins relievers with highest SO/9

What Twins reliever would you call on to get a strikeout when you needed one and convert the save into a win? Maybe this will help you decide. This table shows you most of the top relievers in Twins history.

The criteria covers combined seasons, from 1961 to 2025, At least 90% games in relief, Playing for MIN, in the regular season, requiring Games Pitched >= 25 and Strikeouts per 9 IP >= 9, sorted by descending Strikeouts per 9 IP.

How about this guy?
Query Results Table
Rk Player SO9 G From To Age W L ERA SV IP H HR SO BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/BB
1 Brock Stewart 11.6 83 2023 2025 31-33 4 1 2.33 1 77.1 60 6 100 315 1.164 7.0 0.7 3.5 11.6 3.33
2 Jhoan Duran 11.2 223 2022 2025 24-27 17 23 2.47 74 233.2 184 17 292 955 1.104 7.1 0.7 2.9 11.2 3.95
3 Jovani Morán 11.1 79 2021 2023 24-26 2 3 4.15 1 91.0 69 3 112 386 1.330 6.8 0.3 5.1 11.1 2.15
4 Joe Nathan 10.9 460 2004 2011 29-36 24 13 2.16 260 463.1 309 34 561 1827 0.956 6.0 0.7 2.6 10.9 4.19
5 Sergio Romo 10.5 51 2019 2020 36-37 1 3 3.59 8 42.2 33 6 50 180 1.031 7.0 1.3 2.3 10.5 4.55
6 Pat Neshek 10.5 132 2006 2010 25-29 11 6 3.05 0 129.2 86 16 151 515 1.010 6.0 1.1 3.1 10.5 3.36
7 Cody Stashak 10.4 55 2019 2022 25-28 4 1 4.13 0 72.0 72 8 83 301 1.194 9.0 1.0 1.8 10.4 5.93
8 Taylor Rogers 10.3 319 2016 2021 25-30 17 18 3.15 50 314.2 286 30 361 1296 1.150 8.2 0.9 2.2 10.3 4.75
9 Fernando Rodney 10.3 46 2018 2018 41 3 2 3.09 25 43.2 42 5 50 192 1.397 8.7 1.0 3.9 10.3 2.63
10 Emilio Pagán 10.1 125 2022 2023 31-32 9 8 3.67 10 132.1 105 17 149 547 1.149 7.1 1.2 3.2 10.1 3.17
11 Griffin Jax 10.1 276 2021 2025 26-30 23 29 4.06 15 336.2 289 43 378 1398 1.144 7.7 1.1 2.6 10.1 3.94
12 Trevor Megill 9.8 39 2022 2022 28 4 3 4.80 0 45.0 50 4 49 196 1.489 10.0 0.8 3.4 9.8 2.88
13 Grant Balfour 9.8 55 2001 2004 23-26 5 1 4.63 0 68.0 61 10 74 301 1.456 8.1 1.3 5.0 9.8 1.95
14 Juan Minaya 9.8 35 2021 2022 30-31 3 1 3.08 0 49.2 35 4 54 212 1.208 6.3 0.7 4.5 9.8 2.16
15 Caleb Thielbar 9.8 347 2013 2024 26-37 23 12 3.38 4 320.0 273 33 347 1326 1.188 7.7 0.9 3.0 9.8 3.24
16 Matt Magill 9.7 68 2018 2019 28-29 5 3 4.02 0 85.0 88 15 92 382 1.482 9.3 1.6 4.0 9.7 2.42
17 Tyler Robertson 9.7 42 2012 2013 24-25 2 2 5.54 0 26.0 22 5 28 115 1.385 7.6 1.7 4.8 9.7 2.00
18 Zach Duke 9.4 45 2018 2018 35 3 4 3.62 0 37.1 44 0 39 178 1.580 10.6 0.0 3.6 9.4 2.60
19 Kody Funderburk 9.3 77 2023 2025 26-28 7 1 4.31 2 87.2 91 7 91 391 1.471 9.3 0.7 3.9 9.3 2.39
20 Jorge Alcala 9.3 166 2019 2025 23-29 9 13 4.32 1 187.2 152 31 193 764 1.178 7.3 1.5 3.3 9.3 2.80
21 Ryan O’Rourke 9.2 54 2015 2016 27-28 0 1 4.98 0 47.0 34 6 48 198 1.255 6.5 1.1 4.8 9.2 1.92
22 Michael Tonkin 9.2 175 2013 2025 23-35 5 4 4.44 0 186.2 193 28 190 821 1.404 9.3 1.4 3.3 9.2 2.75
23 Cole Sands 9.1 157 2022 2025 24-27 13 10 4.19 8 195.2 179 21 198 834 1.206 8.2 1.0 2.6 9.1 3.47
24 Tyler Clippard 9.0 26 2020 2020 35 2 1 2.77 0 26.0 19 2 26 98 0.885 6.6 0.7 1.4 9.0 6.50
Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 8/16/2026.

Twins on trading spree like none seen in many a year

In the last five days of July the Falvey/Levine regime traded five experienced players off their big league roster and acquired 12 players that includes five pitchers, 4 outfielders and 4 infielders. The departed players have appeared in 2,674 games and the pitchers have notched 160 wins. The acquired players have no wins by the pitchers in the big leagues and have played in a total of 899 big league games of which Logan Forsythe has 807.

I grant you that Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar were both going to be free agents at the end of the season. Lance Lynn has not performed up to expectations, Zach Duke performed pretty much as expected and Ryan Pressly was probably over-worked but was a decent relief pitcher. The team itself has under-performed dramatically but to be fair I think the same can be said of the Twins “on the field” management staff. 

Continue reading Twins on trading spree like none seen in many a year

Notes from the Twins Game Notes

The Twins open the 2018 season with 13 players on their 25-man roster who were not on the Twins 2017 Opening Day roster: pitchers (9) – Jose Berrios, Zach Duke, Trevor Hildenberger, Tyler Kinley, Lance Lynn, Gabriel Moya, Jake Odorizzi,  Addison Reed, and Fernando Rodney; catcher (1) – Mitch Garver; infielders (2) – Ehire Adrianza and Logan Morrison; outfielder (1) – Ryan LaMarre.

Of the 25 players on the Twins active roster, 11 began their professional careers in the Twins organization. Tyler Kinley is the only player looking to make his major league debut. The oldest on the club is Fernando Rodney (41 years, 11 days) and the youngest is Gabriel Moya (23 years, 2 months, 20 days).

Zach Duke was signed to a one-year contract December 28, Tyler Kinley was selected in the Rule 5 Draft, Lance Lynn was signed to a one-year contract March 12, Jake Odorizzi was acquired via trade with Tampa Bay on February 17, Addison Reed was signed to a two-year contract January 15, Fernando Rodney was signed to a one-year contract (club option in ’19) December 15, Logan Morrison was signed to a one-year contract February 25, Ryan LaMarre was signed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training November 22. The Twins had just five new players on their 2017 Opening Day roster.

The Twins are returning to their original radio home for the 2018 season in 830 WCCO. The Twins were broadcast on ‘CCO for the first 46 years of their existence from 1961-2006, since then they have been on ESPN 1500 from 2007-12 and Go 96.3 from 2013-17. It is about time!

Source: March 29, 2018 Minnesota Twins Game Notes

Ask and you shall receive

I know that a few days ago I blogged that I wanted to see the Twins do something for the here and now versus the future and the Twins must have been listening because they rushed right out and signed 34-year-old left-handed reliever Zach Duke, another former Tommy John surgery survivor for their collection. The Twins must be big believers that you need TJ surgery on your resume to be a big league pitcher or that once you have TJ surgery you can avoid arm injuries for a few years.

Zach Duke in 2016

I can’t be critical of the Twins signing Duke for a song (slightly over $2 million plus a possible additional $1.5 million in incentives) and who knows, he might be helpful. Zach Duke was a 20th round selection by the Pirates in 2001 and made his big league debut in 2005. Duke spent 2005-2010 with the Pirates and was used strictly as a starter before being moved to the bullpen by Arizona in 2011. Since then Duke has pitched for the Nationals, Reds, Brewers, White Sox and the Cardinals. Since Duke became a full-time relief pitcher, he is 13-11 with a 3.18 ERA in 287 games while striking out 248 batters in 243.2 innings.

So it just goes to show that you have to be careful what you wish for because they just might come true. Now I am hoping to find that the Twins have signed a legit starting pitcher but in my heart I know they will go out and sign a Jason Vargas type of starter.