Josh Winder

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #6 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Winder was one of the Twins’ most improved arms during the shutdown 2020 season, improving his physicality and showing much better velocity during instructs. He pitched well in his first stints in Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, though he missed the second half of the season with shoulder fatigue.
  
  Scouting Report: Winder is a big and athletic righthander who has always thrown strikes, and now his improved stuff across the board is yielding more strikeouts, with a career-best 10.0 K/9 this season. His fastball sits around 95 mph and touches 98. He pairs that fastball with three solid or better secondaries. The Twins love Winder’s mid-80s slider, which has cutter shape and was his most-used secondary this year, but he also throws a firm upper-80s changeup that generates tons of whiffs and gets plus grades from scouts. He also throws a 12-to-6 curve in the low 80s but uses the pitch more frequently against lefthanded hitters. With his improved stuff, Winder has continued to throw strikes and showcase impressive feel for pitching, and he walked just 1.6 batters per nine across both levels in 2021.
  
  The Future: If Winder were healthy, his combination of size, stuff and command would make for a compelling case as the organization’s top pitching prospect. He’s still solidly in the mix for that label even with his shoulder fatigue, and it does sound like the Twins are happy with his progress, but it adds a bit more risk. Winder has No. 3 starter potential.
  
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #19 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: After a strong sophomore season at Virginia Military Institute, Winder slipped during his junior year when his stuff backed up and he got hit around more. The Twins still liked him enough to draft him in the seventh round. Winder rewarded the organization by leading the low Class A Midwest League with a 2.65 ERA in 2019. He followed up by standing out as one of the most improved prospects in the system during 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: An intense worker, Winder took advantage of the time allotted by the coronavirus shutdown to improve. He arrived at instructional league with improved physicality and a better pitch mix across the board. After previously sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, Winder sat 96-97 mph in camp and also improved his slider to above-average. Combined with his average changeup and curveball, he now has the stuff to profile as a major league starter. Winder has a long track record of above-average control. He has a good feel for sequencing and mixing his stuff.
  
  THE FUTURE: Winder's improvements were highly encouraging. He'll try to carry them over into 2021.
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #25 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: After an excellent sophomore season, Winder struggled as a junior. He continued to throw plenty of strikes, but those strikes were hit harder and more often. The Twins stayed on him however and a year later, he led the Midwest League with a 2.65 ERA, a .205 average against and a 0.98 WHIP.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Winder attacks hitters up and down in the zone with an over-the-top delivery. His 91-94 mph fastball is average at its core, but he locates it well. His 12-to-6 low 80s curveball and his short mid-80s cutterish slider are both average as well. The fastball and curve pair well together and with his above-average changeup that has deception and some depth. He has above-average control and his feel for pitching helps him stay one step ahead of hitters.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Twins were conservative with Winder in 2019, as they let him build on success by staying at low Class A Cedar Rapids all season. If he can do the same in 2020, his rate of advancement should speed up. He is a back-end starter who will have to back up his modest stuff against more advanced hitters.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #223 prospect in 2018 draft
  In 2017, Winder set the Virginia Military Institute single-season record for both strikeouts (112) and innings pitched (107.2) while posting a 3.59 ERA. He excited scouts with a plus fastball in the mid-90s that he located well to both sides of the plate. In 2018, the stuff hasn't been quite as good, as the 6-foot-5 righthander has been more in the 91-92 mph range and fallen into the upper 80s as he's gotten into the third or fourth inning and beyond. His slider has backed up as well and it's more of a fringe-average pitch after being a solid out-pitch last year. While he still managed a respectable walk rate with 19 free passes in 85 innings (2.01 BB/9), his strike-throwing has backed up this spring. He's fanned 91 batters through 85 innings and posted a 5.40 ERA in 14 starts. Winder could still get taken in the fifth or sixth round by a team that's confident he'll get back to his 2017 version, but his stock has slipped a bit this spring.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record:: Winder was one of the Twins&#39 most improved arms during the shutdown 2020 season, improving his physicality and showing much better velocity during instructs. He pitched well in his first stints in Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, though he missed the second half of the season with shoulder fatigue.
  
  Scouting Report: Winder is a big and athletic righthander who has always thrown strikes, and now his improved stuff across the board is yielding more strikeouts, with a career-best 10.0 K/9 this season. His fastball sits around 95 mph and touches 98. He pairs that fastball with three solid or better secondaries. The Twins love Winder&#39s mid-80s slider, which has cutter shape and was his most-used secondary this year, but he also throws a firm upper-80s changeup that generates tons of whiffs and gets plus grades from scouts. He also throws a 12-to-6 curve in the low 80s but uses the pitch more frequently against lefthanded hitters. With his improved stuff, Winder has continued to throw strikes and showcase impressive feel for pitching, and he walked just 1.6 batters per nine across both levels in 2021.
  
  The Future: If Winder were healthy, his combination of size, stuff and command would make for a compelling case as the organization&#39s top pitching prospect. He&#39s still solidly in the mix for that label even with his shoulder fatigue, and it does sound like the Twins are happy with his progress, but it adds a bit more risk. Winder has No. 3 starter potential.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Control: 55
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Winder was one of the Twins’ most improved arms during the shutdown 2020 season, improving his physicality and showing much better velocity during instructs. He pitched well in his first stints in Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, though he missed the second half of the season with shoulder fatigue.
  
  Scouting Report: Winder is a big and athletic righthander who has always thrown strikes, and now his improved stuff across the board is yielding more strikeouts, with a career-best 10.0 K/9 this season. His fastball sits around 95 mph and touches 98. He pairs that fastball with three solid or better secondaries. The Twins love Winder’s mid-80s slider, which has cutter shape and was his most-used secondary this year, but he also throws a firm upper-80s changeup that generates tons of whiffs and gets plus grades from scouts. He also throws a 12-to-6 curve in the low 80s but uses the pitch more frequently against lefthanded hitters. With his improved stuff, Winder has continued to throw strikes and showcase impressive feel for pitching, and he walked just 1.6 batters per nine across both levels in 2021.
  
  The Future: If Winder were healthy, his combination of size, stuff and command would make for a compelling case as the organization’s top pitching prospect. He’s still solidly in the mix for that label even with his shoulder fatigue, and it does sound like the Twins are happy with his progress, but it adds a bit more risk. Winder has No. 3 starter potential.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After a strong sophomore season at Virginia Military Institute, Winder slipped during his junior year when his stuff backed up and he got hit around more. The Twins still liked him enough to draft him in the seventh round. Winder rewarded the organization by leading the low Class A Midwest League with a 2.65 ERA in 2019. He followed up by standing out as one of the most improved prospects in the system during 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: An intense worker, Winder took advantage of the time allotted by the coronavirus shutdown to improve. He arrived at instructional league with improved physicality and a better pitch mix across the board. After previously sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, Winder sat 96-97 mph in camp and also improved his slider to above-average. Combined with his average changeup and curveball, he now has the stuff to profile as a major league starter. Winder has a long track record of above-average control. He has a good feel for sequencing and mixing his stuff.
  
  THE FUTURE: Winder's improvements were highly encouraging. He'll try to carry them over into 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After a strong sophomore season at Virginia Military Institute, Winder slipped during his junior year when his stuff backed up and he got hit around more. The Twins still liked him enough to draft him in the seventh round. Winder rewarded the organization by leading the low Class A Midwest League with a 2.65 ERA in 2019. He followed up by standing out as one of the most improved prospects in the system during 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: An intense worker, Winder took advantage of the time allotted by the coronavirus shutdown to improve. He arrived at instructional league with improved physicality and a better pitch mix across the board. After previously sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, Winder sat 96-97 mph in camp and also improved his slider to above-average. Combined with his average changeup and curveball, he now has the stuff to profile as a major league starter. Winder has a long track record of above-average control. He has a good feel for sequencing and mixing his stuff.
  
  THE FUTURE: Winder's improvements were highly encouraging. He'll try to carry them over into 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After a strong sophomore season at Virginia Military Institute, Winder slipped during his junior year when his stuff backed up and he got hit around more. The Twins still liked him enough to draft him in the seventh round. Winder rewarded the organization by leading the low Class A Midwest League with a 2.65 ERA in 2019. He followed up by standing out as one of the most improved prospects in the system during 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: An intense worker, Winder took advantage of the time allotted by the coronavirus shutdown to improve. He arrived at instructional league with improved physicality and a better pitch mix across the board. After previously sitting in the low-90s with his fastball, Winder sat 96-97 mph in camp and also improved his slider to above-average. Combined with his average changeup and curveball, he now has the stuff to profile as a major league starter. Winder has a long track record of above-average control. He has a good feel for sequencing and mixing his stuff.
  
  THE FUTURE: Winder's improvements were highly encouraging. He'll try to carry them over into 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After an excellent sophomore season, Winder struggled as a junior. He continued to throw plenty of strikes, but those strikes were hit harder and more often. The Twins stayed on him however and a year later, he led the Midwest League with a 2.65 ERA, a .205 average against and a 0.98 WHIP.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Winder attacks hitters up and down in the zone with an over-the-top delivery. His 91-94 mph fastball is average at its core, but he locates it well. His 12-to-6 low 80s curveball and his short mid-80s cutterish slider are both average as well. The fastball and curve pair well together and with his above-average changeup that has deception and some depth. He has above-average control and his feel for pitching helps him stay one step ahead of hitters.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Twins were conservative with Winder in 2019, as they let him build on success by staying at low Class A Cedar Rapids all season. If he can do the same in 2020, his rate of advancement should speed up. He is a back-end starter who will have to back up his modest stuff against more advanced hitters.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After an excellent sophomore season, Winder struggled as a junior. He continued to throw plenty of strikes, but those strikes were hit harder and more often. The Twins stayed on him however and a year later, he led the Midwest League with a 2.65 ERA, a .205 average against and a 0.98 WHIP.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Winder attacks hitters up and down in the zone with an over-the-top delivery. His 91-94 mph fastball is average at its core, but he locates it well. His 12-to-6 low 80s curveball and his short mid-80s cutterish slider are both average as well. The fastball and curve pair well together and with his above-average changeup that has deception and some depth. He has above-average control and his feel for pitching helps him stay one step ahead of hitters.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Twins were conservative with Winder in 2019, as they let him build on success by staying at low Class A Cedar Rapids all season. If he can do the same in 2020, his rate of advancement should speed up. He is a back-end starter who will have to back up his modest stuff against more advanced hitters.