One of the (new) guys: Mike Minor

With the Texas Rangers pitchers and catchers reporting a couple of days ago, I figured maybe we need to learn about some of the newbies — the guys added to the organization over the winter. So I decided to make this a series, one player each week… well maybe twice a week. I don’t know, I’m literally making this up as I type, rules are not set in stone. I wrote them in the mound and I can erase them with my cleat at anytime. (Yes, I had to prove my knowledge with a baseball metaphor and now you instantly trust me, right?)

Anyway.

Mike Minor.

While Minor was terrific as a reliever in 2017, the Rangers would like for him to transition to the rotation. His best season as a starter was in 2013, when he started the most games of his career (32) while with the Atlanta Braves, who selected him 7th overall in the 2009 draft. That year, Minor went 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA and a 3.37 ERA in 204 IP over 32 starts, including one complete game that season.

After signing with the Rangers, MLB Cut4 listed his top 5 best career starts, all of which are before August of 2013.

Minor struggled in 2014, putting up a 4.77 ERA in 25 starts, and then didn’t pitch in 2015 due to rotator cuff inflammation in March which led to surgery in May for a torn labrum. Minor signed a two year deal prior to the 2016 season with the Kansas City Royals, who signed him knowing he would likely miss most of the 2016 season while recuperating.

Minor ended up pitching out of the bullpen for Kansas City in 2017, finishing with a 2.55 ERA and a 2.62 FIP with 88 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings. He got his first career save after pitching the 9th inning in the game that ended Cleveland’s 22-game win streak.

Minor most likely won’t be in the bullpen for the Rangers… who could maybe, possibly, probably use help there but whatever. He arrived in Spring Training where he’ll basically be competing with a couple other pitchers, including fellow possible starter/possible reliever, Matt Bush, for a spot in the rotation. Minor should have a better chance of making it into the rotation than Bush, and Minor said he signed with Texas in part because they were committed to giving him a chance to start.

Personally, I’m thinking either place he’s put, Minor could be an asset. Based off his numbers last year alone, I’d prefer to see him in the bullpen and see if he can have a season close to his 2017 season. But considering he has experience in a starting rotation, I’m not as skeptical about him vying for a spot like I am with Matt bush.

All we can really hope for is that he is a better starter than Nick Martinez (really no offense to him but that’s kind of the bar here, right?)

Finally, what kind of post of mine would it be without a gif of the new Ranger?

However, the only gif I could find of Minor is him striking out Rua so...