Fansided

One September callup we want for each MLB team

By Joshua Sadlock

MIAMI, FL - JULY 9: Brent Honeywell #21 of Team USA pitches during the SirusXM All-Star Futures Game at Marlins Park on Sunday, July 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by LG Patterson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JULY 9: Brent Honeywell #21 of Team USA pitches during the SirusXM All-Star Futures Game at Marlins Park on Sunday, July 9, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by LG Patterson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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FORT MYERS, FL- FEBRUARY 26: Stephen Gonsalves #67 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Washington Nationals on February 26, 2017 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
FORT MYERS, FL- FEBRUARY 26: Stephen Gonsalves #67 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Washington Nationals on February 26, 2017 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Twins: Stephen Gonsalves

By the skin of their teeth, the Twins are holding onto the second Wild Card in the American League. Don’t ask me how they’ve done it, but here we are. The Twins are this year’s team to buck the odds and leave the statisticians scratching their heads.

No offense to Kyle Gibson, but the fact that the Twins are contending for a playoff spot while carrying his 5.59 ERA is a small miracle (although the Orioles are also contending with Chris Tillman’s seven-plus ERA and Ubaldo Jimenez’s six-plus ERA, so go figure). Sixteen pitchers have started a game for the Twins this season as they battle injuries and inconsistency in the rotation.

Stephen Gonsalves is the Twins top starting pitching prospect, and he is nearly ready to make his MLB debut. The left-hander’s season got off to a delayed start as he worked through a shoulder injury. That he did not begin pitching until May this year is now looking like a blessing for the Twins because he will be able to push deeper into September without a major innings leap.

Gonsalves does not wow with raw stuff, but has gotten solid results at every level of the minor leagues. He throws a sinking fastball that sits in the low 90s. His secondary offerings are passable. Overall, Gonsalves does not profile as a future ace, but he might offer the Twins more in a playoff race than Bartolo Colon and Dillon Gee, the team’s current number-four and five starter.

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