Repetoire: Fastball, Curveball, Slider
Fastball: Pino does not overwhelm batters with his fastball, but he does have the ability to spot it wherever he wants. His fastball sits in the mid-to-high 80s, and he uses it to set up some great off-speed stuff. While his fastball is not a putaway pitch, it does seem faster when mixed in with the rest of his arsenal.
Other Pitches: Pino has a great curveball and slider, and it is used to rack up strikeouts. A pitcher who does not throw that hard is not supposed to have such a great strikeout to innings pitched ratio, but Pino knows his pitches, and uses them to their full potential. He has great command over his entire arsenal, and he is only going to get better as he begins to fill out his 6’3’’ frame.
Pitching: Pino is a bulldog, and he is someone who is going to eat up innings no matter what role he pitches in. He has shown the ability to go late into games, and already has multiple complete games in his career. He is also a very confident pitcher, showing confidence in all of his pitches, and throwing any one of them as a payoff pitch. If he continues to show this kind of reliance in his stuff, he is going to be tough to deal with in any situation.
Projection: Pino has been worked in every kind of role on a pitching staff, and has had success no matter where his team fits him in. He has been used as a starter, reliever, middle relief, set-up man, and a closer, and his numbers speak for themselves.
ETA. 2010 Pino was once considered one of the top arms in the Twins organization, but he will need a successful 2009 season to get back to that status. When he is healthy, there is no doubt that Pino can be dominant, but he needs to prove that he is all the way back in 2009. With a good start to the season, Pino will likely be heading to Rochester, where he can regain his status as a top arm in the Twins organization.
Marte having the week of his career
