The Minnesota Twins have made a move to call up Cody Stashak. They need reinforcements in the bullpen ahead of their critical series against the New York Yankees. The team is in need of bullpen arms considering their usage since the All Star break. Their division rival, Cleveland Indians, have closed the gap in the division to just three games. With the Indians playing the lowly Toronto Blue Jays, the Twins need all of the help they can get in the back end of their bullpen.
The Need for Cody Stashak
The Twins have had issues with an inconsistent bullpen for the entire year. Outside of rookie Ryne Harper and closer Taylor Rogers, the bullpen has been far from consistent. Since the All Star break, the Twins have had a 4.94 ERA, this puts the team 17th in the league. The bullpen’s FIP backs up that number with a 4.38 and lands them 13th in the entire MLB. The Twins have 4 blown saves, which is ties for second most with the San Francisco Giants and the Tampa Bay Rays.
The bullpen has only had to work 31 innings, which lands them 25th in the league. Those 31 innings have been far from what the Twins are after. It is believed across baseball that the Twins will be searching for bullpen arms come the trade deadline. Unfortunately for the Twins, the reliever market has not started to heat up. The Twins need some consistency from someone other than Harper and Rogers if they want to hold of the Indians for the AL Central crown.
The Scouting Report
Cody Stashak is 25 years old and was drafted in the 13th round of the 2015 MLB draft. Stashak was used as a starter early on, but has since been converted to a reliever in 2018. He has found success as a reliever and might be able to stick in with the big club. Stashak holds a 3.38 ERA across 50.2 innings between Double A and Triple A this season. However, Stashak holds a 1.61 FIP in Triple A which suggests he has been even better than previously thought. The right hander has struck out 71 batters in those innings. He is striking out batters at a rate of 12.6 per nine innings. This shows a type of dominance the Twins have not had as the collective unit is 12th in MLB with a 9.46 K/9.
Stashak features a fastball in the low 90s, so he is not going to over power many guys. His control of his curveball and changeup are what really sets him apart. Having the ability to control his pitches lets him put the ball where he wants and ultimately get guys to chase. On account of this ability, he has seen success and has stranded 80.7% of base runners at the Triple A level. He also does very well keeping the ball on the ground and in the ballpark. Only 4.2% of his fly balls heading out of the park this year at Triple A.
The Conclusion
The Twins have a clear need for someone to step up and give them consistent innings until they find reinforcements. The call up of Cody Stashak is a reward for someone who has propelled through the minors. He can give the Twins multiple quality innings out of the bullpen and give a chance for guys like Harper and Rogers to rest. Stashak will give the Twins a boost while they try to hold the Indians back in the division race.
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