The Minnesota Twins’ bullpen has improved dramatically in recent years, despite having one of the worst starting rotations in baseball. Tenth best in 2019 and sixth best in 2020, they had a 4.17 bullpen ERA in 2019 and a 3.62 bullpen ERA next year.
Jorge Alcala was acquired by the Twins from the Astros in exchange for Ryan Pressly.
Known for his lightning-fast fastballs and swing-and-miss sliders since joining the Minnesota farm system, he has become a highly sought-after prospect ever since. It was a blow to lose Pressly, but the prospect of Alcala’s success in the bullpen gave fans hope.
This wasn’t just a case of the fans getting carried away. Because of Alcala’s proven track record, the Twins were more than happy to trade Brusdar Graterol in order to acquire the highly regarded pitcher.
First, the Red Sox tried to trade him to the Dodgers, which was canceled, and then they traded him to the Dodgers. However, Graterol’s pitches lacked the same amount of movement as Alcala’s.
In 2019, Alcala made his major league debut, but he appeared in only two. As a result of the Twins’ 60-game season being cut short, he was given more responsibilities in the bullpen in 2020.
As a member of one of the league’s best bullpens, Rocco Baldelli put him in key positions. A 2.63 earned run average, 10.13 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 0.3 fWAR in 24 innings, according to Baseball Savant, put him in the 95th percentile of fastball velocity.
How Tall Is Jorge Alcala?
Jorge Alcala stands at a height of 1.91 m.