Minnesota Twins' Pitcher Debuts New Pitch in Spring Training Opener with Effective Results

Minnesota Twins' starting pitcher Chris Paddack debuted his new cutter on Friday in his spring training debut.

Pitching against the University of Minnesota, Paddack threw four cutters with positive results.

Per Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

He focused on throwing his cutter in his second inning, a pitch he started throwing after recovering from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery.

"I've seen guys throw it, but I've never thrown it," Paddack said. "I'm trying to learn how to use it in certain counts, aggressive hitters, behind in the count, whatever that might be."

Paddack threw his 84 mph cutter four times in the second inning. The results included a swing-and-miss and a rolled-over ground ball to first base.

Now fully healthy from elbow surgery, Paddack is going to be a part of the Twins' rotation in 2024. After seeing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda leave in free agency, he's penciled in alongside Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober. The fifth spot is still up for grabs but the newly-acquired Anthony DeSclafani could have the job.

Paddack made his major league debut in 2019 and is 22-21 lifetime with a 4.21 ERA. His best year was his rookie year (2019), when he went 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA for the Padres. He was acquired from San Diego before the 2022 season. He tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in the playoffs this year.

He'll be a free agent after the 2025 season so the Twins are looking at least two full years of his contributions.