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Twins Pitchers Hit 97 MPH Once

By Ted Schwerzler

Sep 7, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Lester Oliveros (48) pitches in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Lester Oliveros (48) pitches in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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In Major League Baseball, pitchers throwing heat currently dominate the game. Unfortunately for the Twins, none of those pitchers are on their team.

The Minnesota Twins are in quite a cold spell right now. Having lost over 90 games for yet another season, Minnesota is looking to its talented farm system as a way to turn the franchise around. Unfortunately, pitching continues to be a problem for Minnesota, and that didn’t change this last season.

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Minnesota has always been a pitch to contact type of organization, and there is not one Twins pitcher you would say has an electric arm. Unfortunately, the statistics show that the though process isn’t wrong either.

Looking at some of the fastest pitches in baseball this season, Minnesota ranks dead last in pitches thrown at 97 miles per hour or above, and it’s not close.

As Hageman notes in his tweet, the Twins threw one pitch at 97 miles per hour this season. Lester Oliveros, the pitcher responsible, was a Triple-A farm hand that was forced into action as the Minnesota rotation was completely depleted.

Although Phil Hughes had an incredible season, he is not known as a fireballer. Watching the World Series and seeing Yordano Ventura touching 98 in the 6th inning makes a Twins fan blush. Knowing Aroldis Chapman closes out games with pitches over 100 miles per hour is unreal.

Terry Ryan has some heat waiting in the minor leagues. Alex Meyer should be a strikeout pitcher in the rotation, and he should have plenty of life out of his fastball. Nick Burdi should also light up the radar gun out of the bullpen. However, those guys both are still waiting on the farm, and meanwhile the Twins went 162 games throwing only one pitch at 97 miles per hour.

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