P Alex Wimmers (2009 & 2010 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year)

[Buckskin86]

When drafted, some 'experts' deemed Wimmers the pitching prospect from that draft most ready for the big leagues because of his terrific control and a big league changeup. A couple of weeks ago, it was reported to me that Wimmers, too, was experiencing a case of the "yips." He was really struggling with his control in spring training games. I didn't make much of it, hoping that when the regular season started, he would be just fine and there would be nothing to make of it. He was the fifth starter for the Ft. Myers Miracle (Where after signing late last year, he gave up six hits, walked five and struck out 23 in 15.2 innings). Last night, he made his first start of the season. He faced six batters. He walked all four of them and threw three wild pitches before being removed from the game. Hopefully this is a short-term story, but it is one that can't, and won't, be ignored.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/119680594.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Alex Wimmers' disastrous '11 debut
Twins' No. 1 pick can't find plate -- what comes next for top prospect?
By Kevin Goldstein
Baseball Prospectus

On Monday night, right-hander Alex Wimmers, the Minnesota Twins' first-round pick in the 2010 draft, had a season debut that could only be classified as disturbing.

Pitching for High-A Fort Myers in the Florida State League, he faced six batters and walked them all, throwing 28 pitches in the process and delivering almost as many wild pitches (three) as he did strikes (four).

That's a troubling line for any pitcher, but it's made even more so by the fact that Wimmers always had above-average command and control, a skill the Twins have always favored more than other big league teams when it comes to amateur pitchers.

What actually happened is still a mystery, as Wimmers was placed on the seven-day disabled list Tuesday morning with what the team called "flu-like symptoms," while the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that he had struggled in his final exhibition outing as well and will work on his mechanics before attempting a return to the rotation.

Cont..

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insi...espn.go.com/mlb/insider/news/story?id=6343946

Wimmers struggles at Fort Myers
Article by: LA VELLE E. NEAL III , Star Tribune
Updated: April 12, 2011

Righthander Alex Wimmers, the Twins' first-round pick last year, has been removed from the starting rotation at Class A Fort Myers to work on his mechanics after an awful first outing on Monday.

Wimmers was removed from the game after giving up four runs and failing to retire a batter. Of the 28 pitches he threw, only four were strikes. He walked all six batters he faced and was charged with three wild pitches.

According to eyewitness accounts, he threw four pitches that hit the backstop on the fly.

It startled the Twins because Wimmers was known for having good control while pitching for Ohio State. After signing with the Twins following the draft -- which included a $1.33 million bonus -- Wimmers went 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA in four starts with Fort Myers with five walks and 23 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings.

Wimmers was slowed because of a sore hamstring for two weeks during spring training. Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said Wimmers pitched well during spring training games but did struggle in his final appearance before Monday's start.

"Wimmers had a tough outing," said Jim Rantz, the Twins' director of minor leagues, "and we have decided to take him out of the rotation and work with him on the side on a few things. We'll see if we can get him going."

Wimmers was placed on the seven-day disabled list because of flu-like symptoms. But it's his pitching the Twins are most concerned about.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/119739509.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Former No. 1 draft pick Alex Wimmers 'working way back' for Twins in minor leagues
By John Shipley, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

May 18--SEATTLE -- Alex Wimmers, the Twins' first-round pick in the 2010 amateur draft, is still struggling with his control and on the disabled list at Class A Fort Myers.

"He's still working his way back," Twins minor leagues chief Jim Rantz said. "He's still got a ways to go."

Wimmers, 22, was yanked from his first and only start with the Miracle after walking six straight batters and allowing four runs without recording a single out. As such, his official earned-run average is infinity.

"It's still pretty much a location thing with him," Rantz said. "He did recently throw three innings in an extended spring training game. It's not an arm problem or anything. But he threw 82 pitches and walked four or five guys."

Wimmers, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2010 after going 9-0 with a 1.60 ERA at Ohio State, pitched briefly with the Miracle late last season after agreeing to a signing bonus of $1.33 million, going 2-0 with an 0.57 ERA in four starts. In 15.2 innings, he walked five, struck out 23 and allowed just one earned run.

After his rough start, the organization put him on the disabled list with "flu-like symptoms" and shuttled him across the Lee County Sports Complex for extended spring training. The team traced his issues to mechanical problems that may have been caused by a pulled a quadriceps muscle suffered on a follow-through late in spring training.

"He missed a week to 10 days, and after that he came back and had a little bit of trouble

command-wise," Rantz said. "He was late starting the season, and we're trying to catch him up, so we shut him down to get that quad healed and get him back to 100 percent and went from there.

"Now we've got him on a program working on his throwing and mechanics and working him in extended so he can get work in without a game on the line."

Cont..

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/159278016

 

[Buckskin86]

Alex Wimmers, the back-to-back Big Ten pitcher of the year at Ohio State who was a first-round draft pick by the Twins last June, walked all six batters he faced and was removed without getting an out in his first start this season for Class A Fort Myers Miracle. In his first outing since, Wimmers pitched four innings (70 pitches) in an extended spring training game Saturday and, according to Smith, is making progress. "We're trying to get him back on track," Smith said. "He's working hard and we've just have to be patient and help him get back to the level of success he was having before."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/122809624.html?page=2&c=y

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_zupYZjsV4"]YouTube - ‪On the back fields with... Alex Wimmers‬‏[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Charley Walters: Twins' top draft pick Alex Wimmers is struggling
Pioneer Press
Updated: 06/01/2011

Undated courtesy photo of Ohio State University baseball player Alex Wimmers. The Minnesota Twins chose the right-handed pitcher as their first round pick,the 21st player chosen in the 2010 baseball draft. Photo courtesy of OhioStateBuckeyes.com

The Twins won't get to draft until No. 30 in the first round Monday. But the departure of Orlando Hudson to San Diego and Jesse Crain to the Chicago White Sox as free agents last year will give the Twins the Nos. 50 and 55 overall picks, too.

"So we'll get three good players; it's a decent crop to pick from in the early part of the draft," Mike Radcliff, who oversees the Twins' draft, said Tuesday.

The Twins' first-round draft pick last year, Ohio State pitcher Alex Wimmers (21st overall), has been a bust in his first full minor league season.

The 22-year-old right-hander has pitched in just one game for Class A Fort Myers, getting no one out, walking six and giving up four earned runs in a start. Wimmers, who received a signing bonus of $1.33 million, has an earned-run average of infinity.

"He's struggling right now," said Radcliff, the Twins' vice president for player personnel. "He's got some issues with health (groin), issues with command and issues with his delivery. He had to get shut down for a while and get him started again. He's not on track right now."

Radcliff admits Wimmers' start has been a disappointment.

"The best-case scenario is you want a guy, no matter where he starts - the lowest level or some other level - you want him to do good," he said. "The worst-case scenario is to struggle. You want guys to have confidence when they're starting their pro
Advertisement
careers.

"Everybody's going to struggle at some point, but you hate to see it right out of the chute."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_18178968?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1

 

[Buckskin86]

Wimmers improves, but won't see the mound soon
Article by: PATRICK REUSSE , Star Tribune
Updated: June 2, 2011

The Twins have 10 pitchers and five position players that are on disabled lists with their full-season farm clubs at Rochester, New Britain, Fort Myers and Beloit. There are three more players disabled that were slated to play for the short-season team at Elizabethton.

The injuries vary from the tragic to the distressing. Paul Bargas, a lefthanded pitcher obtained over the winter for catcher Jose Morales, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Paul Kelly, a prospect with a chance to be an efficient shortstop in the big leagues, again lost the feeling in his right hand and has undergone surgery for a circulation problem.

There is another reaction from the Twins when it comes to pitcher Alex Wimmers: paranoia.

Wimmers is a righthanded pitcher from Ohio State. The Twins gave him a $1.33 million signing bonus last August. They were hoping for another college starter that could take the fast track, as has Missouri's Kyle Gibson, the 2009 first-rounder.

"Alex threw fine the little we saw him late last season," farm director Jim Rantz said. "He was throwing well this spring, before we had to shut him down the last week or 10 days of spring training with a minor groin problem.

"We put him in the fifth spot in the rotation at [Class A] Fort Myers. He made that start and couldn't get it over."

Cont...

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/122991308.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Minor details: Wimmers, Sano, Kepler, Roberts, major leaguers
Posted by: La Velle E. Neal III under Twins Farm System, Twins prospects, The draft Updated: June 15, 2011

Righthander Alex Wimmers will pitch in another intrasquad game tomorrow, which will be his next attempt to regain his control that has shockingly and inexplicably left him this year.

Wimmers began struggling late in spring training and made one start for Class A Fort Myers on April 11. He left that game with several walks, wild pitches and infinity for an ERA.

Since then, he's been working on the side, throwing in simulated games and intrasquad games and trying to talk his problems out with Twins coaches and others. He's even spoken with local sports psychotherapist Rick Aberman.

Still, Wimmers hasn't gotten it all back.

``He's done better his last two outings,'' said Twins director of minor leagues Jim Rantz. ``Don't look at the pitching line because he's walked five or six guys, but he's improved as far as getting closer. We want to get him into a game with the Gulf Coast League team when that season starts.''

The Twins are baffled. You ask them about Wimmers and they just shrug their shoulders. Wimmers was the 2010 college pitcher of the year while at Ohio State and the Twins selected him in the first round that year. In four starts late last season, Wimmers was 2-0, 0.57 with five walks and 23 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.

The Twins hoped Wimmers would move quickly through the organization, somewhat similar to the way Kyle Gibson has. But Wimmers came to camp this year a different pitcher.

All the Twins can do now is support him and hope his old form kicks in.

``We're going to hang in there with him and be patient with him,'' Rantz said. ``It's his confidence. He's worked hard and I think he's going to make it back (to official games) here in the next couple of weeks.''

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/123927099.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Twins farm director Jim Rantz watched 2010 first-round draft choice Alex Wimmers, who had been shut down because of control problems, give up three hits while walking two in two innings at extended spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday. "Wimmers is making progress, but he has a long way to go," said Rantz, who is optimistic the former Ohio State standout righthander will regain his form in time.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/124168473.html

 

[Buckskin86]

The Twins continue to pitch last season's top draft pick, Alex Wimmers, at their Gulf Coast League rookie club in Fort Myers, where they don't keep stats, and say he's progressing. In his only start at Class A Fort Myers this season, Wimmers, the former Ohio State star, didn't get anyone out and still has an earned-run average of infinity.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_18492467

 

[Buckskin86]

Daily Dish: Alex Wimmers Returns To The Mound
Posted Jul. 18, 2011
By J.J. Cooper

Alex Wimmers' second outing for high Class A Fort Myers went much better than his first. The Twins' 2010 first-round pick out of Ohio State walked six batters and didn't record an out in his first appearance this April. The Twins quickly shut him down as Wimmers tried to shake off Steve Blass disease as he lost the ability to throw strikes.

It's only been two outings, but the early returns are at least a sign that he's headed in the right direction. Wimmers walked one batter in a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Twins, and on Sunday, Wimmers also walked one in a scoreless inning.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2011/07/daily-dish-alex-wimmers-returns-to-the-mound/

 

[Buckskin86]

A WIMMERS SIGHTING

Alex Wimmers, the Twins' first-round pick in 2010, is back on the mound after battling control issues, issues so bad he had to confer with local sports psychotherapist Rick Aberman.

Wimmers began the season with Class A Fort Myers, but in his season debut he walked six and threw three wild pitches. It was learned at the time that he had struggled with command during spring training. He was pulled from the rotation and spent several weeks working through his problems at the Twins' facility in Fort Myers, Fla.

Wimmers returned to the mound on July 17 with a scoreless inning. He gave up two hits and a walk in his next outing. But he walked four on Saturday in his most recent outing, giving up two earned runs.

But the Twins are in baby steps mode with Wimmers, who was one of the best pitchers in college during his final year at Ohio State.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/126191058.html

 

[CleveBucks]

Wimmers pitched last Wednesday - 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB

maybe he's starting to get back on track

 

[Buckskin86]

Alex Wimmers, the 2010 first-round draft pick who had some troublesome control problems earlier this season, tossed four scoreless innings of relief for Class A Fort Myers on Saturday, with one walk and six strikeouts. In six relief appearances since coming off the disabled list, the 6-2 righthander has 23 strikeouts and eight walks in 17 innings out of the bullpen. He could be ready to rejoin Fort Myers' starting rotation soon.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/127137488.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Twins farm director Jim Rantz said he saw 2010 first-round pick Alex Wimmers pitch two innings this week, and the former Ohio State star, who has had serious control problems earlier this year, finally looked like he has regained some of his old form. The righthander pitched six innings over this past week, giving up two earned runs. But he still has a way to go.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/127980543.html?page=2&c=y

 

[Buckskin86]

Miracle's Wimmers no-hits Jupiter
Sep. 3, 2011
Written by
special to news-press.com

Alex Wimmers pitched a seven-inning no-hitter Saturday night as the Fort Myers Miracle completed a doubleheader sweep of the host Jupiter Hammerheads.

Wimmers (2-3) allowed just two walks in a 1-0 victory. One Jupiter runner was erased in a double play, the the other was caught stealing. Oswaldo Arcia made a catch against the right-field wall for the game's final out.

Wimmers, the Minnesota Twins' first-round draft pick in 2010 out of Ohio State, struck out five Jupiter batters.

http://www.news-press.com/article/2...-hits-Jupiter?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports