Can the Twins teach power arms to throw strikes?

 La Velle Neal's blog post on the J.J. Hardy trade quotes Twins general manager Bill Smith on Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson, the two pitchers the Twins acquired:

``They are both in the mid- to high 90's. Both throw 95 and above. They have challenges with command and control and whatever but they bring velocity. Coming into our organization and our environment with all of the pitching coaches and adding them into our system, we will try and let our guys work their magic with them.''

It's true that the Twins are pretty good at teaching control. But part of that is who they're working with. They put their scouting and drafting emphasis on control; nobody in baseball was surprised when they used their first round pick on Alex Wimmers, widely regarded as having the best command in the draft pool. They draft pitchers with good control, then they sharpen it.

But they had no more success than the Colorado Rockies did getting Juan Morillo to throw strikes with his 98-mph fastball; they eventually gave up and sold him to a Japanese team. Shooter Hunt has wonderful stuff, but in 2010 he walked 84 men in 67.1 innings (and hit 11 batters, and threw 19 wild pitches).

Citing Hunt is probably unfair; I don't think anybody's figured out how to cure a pitcher who's contracted Steve Blass disease. 

Hoey says his emphasis in the past two seasons had been regaining his velocity after shoulder surgery, suggesting that his command will improve. The Twins are counting on it. They might be able to teach command of the fastball, but nobody can teach a 97 mph heater. 

Three minor league pitchers

The Twins did considerable roster shuffling throughout the organization this week. If you want the details, I'll refer you to LeVelle Neal and Seth Strohs.

I'm struck by three pitchers:

Kyle Gibson, last year's first round pick, pitched poorly in the season opener at High-A Fort Myers, then grabbed the Florida State League by the windpipe until it turned blue. He'll next pitch for Double-A New Britain.

Gibson's a fast tracker, and the Twins are a slow track organization. Mike Leake, also a first-round collegiate pitcher last summer, opened this season in the Cincinnati rotation; Stephen Strasberg, last year's version of the Greatest Pitching Prospect Ever, opened in Double A, has moved up to Triple A, and if such financial issues as arbitration eligibility weren't a factor would have been in the Washington rotation in April.

One difference, of course, is that Gibson works for a team without an obvious hole in the starting rotation. The Twins don't need to push him along. He'll get here soon enough.

Deolis Guerra (photo above) — the one original piece of the Johan Santana trade still in the system — is now in Triple A. His luster dimmed after he joined the Twins organization — he repeated High A in 2008 and pitched worse than in 2007, opened 2009 in High A again and escaped to Double A in midseason with marginal statisical improvement.

He's been quite effective in New Britain this spring, especially in the strike-throwing department (four walks in 29-plus innings). And he's still just 21 — barely.

Gibson's probably the better prospect, but Guerra (who's on the 40-man roster) might beat him to the majors. Again, however, there's no rush.

Shooter Hunt is the other pitcher I wanted to mention, even though he didn't get promoted.

Hunt was a supplemental-round pick in 2008, the 31st overall pick, out of Tulane. The word was great stuff and uncertain command — which made him unusual for the Twins, who love "pitchability" and strikes more than sheer stuff.

He signed fast and ripped through four starts in the Appy League — 19 innings, six walks, 34 strikeouts, 0.47 ERA — and up he went to Low-A Beloit.

Where "the Thing" grabbed him. It hasn't been pretty: 27 walks in 31.1 innings in Beloit (2008), 33 walks in 17.2 innings in Beloit (2009), 25 walks in 15 innings in High Rookie Fort Myers (2009).

It was more of the same in his first outing this year in High A Fort Myers — three walks and no outs. But since then, he seems to have found the plate again, having walked six in 18.2 innings, all in relief.

He is definitely not a guy they're going to push.