Pressly looks like a keeper

Whomever scouted Rule V pick, Ryan Pressly, should get a big pat on the back for finding a largely unheralded AA pitcher that has a chance to contribute now in the majors.

At the end of the third game of the season, the Twins were locked neck-and-neck with the Tigers, depleting the entire bullpen besides Pressly and closer, Glen Perkins. With two outs in the ninth and the Twins clinging to a slim, one-run lead, Perkins stood on the bullpen mound waiting to enter the game as the rookie, Pressly sat alone on the bullpen bench.

Suddenly, the Twins strung together an amble of runs and the Twins called Pressly to take Perkins’ place on the bullpen mound. He ambled up to the rubber, noticeably shaking, vibrating almost, and things did not look pretty. His curves were hanging and at one point he bounced two straight fastballs about six feet in front of the plate.

Then, just before the call, he scrambled for a stick of bubble gum, slipped the wrapper in his back pocket and took a long, cool jog into what would be his first major league game. 

And then, everything seemed to click. He gave up a quick single but settled down to retire the next three batters, including striking out Torii Hunter on one of the best curveballs anyone had thrown all day. His fastball was clocked at a respectable 92mph with movement, and he challenged the hitters with no fear or apparent jitters. Like night-and-day from what could have been foreshadowed in the bullpen, pitching like a veteran.

It’s way to early to say if Ryan Pressly will make it through the whole season, or even if he’ll remain when several veteran pitchers, like Anthony Swarzak, Scott Diamond and Rich Harden return from the Disabled List, but the Twins sure did pick a good arm hiding out of nowhere.

Pressly began the 2012 season by posting a 6.28 ERA in 76 innings in high A ball. On the verge of possible release, he was converted to a reliever and suddenly improved to an 2.93 ERA over a small sampling of 14 games and 27 innings pitched in AA. That’s quite a turn-around in a short amount of time, and he comes to the majors as one of the more unlikely contributors in recent Twins history.