B.J. Hermsen Stats & Scouting Report

IP	563
ERA	3.725
WHIP	1.332
BB/9	2.11
SO/9	5.243

Full name Brett Joseph Hermsen
Born 12/01/1989 in Masonville, IA
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School West Delaware
Drafted in the 6th round (186th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2008 (signed for $650,000).

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After reaching 93 mph with his heavy fastball and showing a nice slider last summer, righthander B.J. Hermsen projected as a possible sandwich-round pick. But he broke his collarbone as a football quarterback in the fall, which set him back. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder hasn't been in top physical condition, and both his fastball (down to the mid-80s) and his slider regressed this spring. He did touch 92 mph at the Perfect Game Predraft Showcase in mid-May, but scouts saw a lot of effort in his delivery and still didn't like his slider. Unlikely to receive a significant bonus, Hermsen could join Warren at Oregon State.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Hermsen's timing might get him to the big leagues, as the Twins are desperate for starters in the majors and he's coming off his best season. Signed for $650,000 as a 2008 sixth-rounder, he won the organization's minor league pitcher of the year award in 2012 after leading the system in innings (163) and ERA (2.88) with an Eastern League-best 1.6 walks per nine innings. His big frame makes him a durable workhorse, but despite his size he's no power pitcher. Instead, Hermsen works off his sinker and slider to get groundballs. His fastball velocity improved over the course of last season, from 85-89 mph early on to 88-90 mph with a high of 92. While the pitch has sink, it succeeds more because Hermsen locates it well and throws it with good downhill plane. His slider lacks depth and is more of a cutter at 83-85 mph. His sinking changeup has the potential to be an average pitch, though he tends to tip it off by slowing his arm speed. A high school quarterback, Hermsen nevertheless is a below-average athlete with a deliberate delivery that makes it tough to control the running game. Armed with good fastball command, he should start 2013 in the Triple-A rotation and could earn innings in Minnesota. Added to the 40-man roster in November, he has a ceiling of a fifth starter.
Hermsen was a multisport athlete at West Delaware High (Manchester, Iowa), earning all-star honors in football (as a quarterback), basketball and as both a pitcher and shortstop in baseball. He signed for a $650,000 bonus as a sixth-round pick in 2008. He had his best year as a pro in 2011, finishing the year in high Class A and leading the system with 11 wins. Hermsen doesn't have a plus pitch and profiles as a back-of-the-rotation innings-eater if his fastball velocity improves. His best trait is his fastball command, which is average and still can improve. He smoothed out some rough edges in his delivery and got more aggressive last year with the aid of pitching coordinator Eric Rasmussen. Those changes helped Hermsen touch 90 mph at Fort Myers after his promotion, though he often works at 82-88 mph. He throws a fringy curveball and an improving changeup, but neither consistently puts away hitters. Twins officials are united in agreement that he has excellent makeup and competitiveness, but they're split on his future, with some wondering if he'll ever throw with the power befitting his big body. Hermsen is headed back to high Class A to open 2012.
The Twins planned on having Hermsen spending 2010 in Elizabethon, but injuries at Beloit gave him the opportunity to make 12 starts in low Class A. He flirted with a no-hitter June 17, getting four outs away before settling for a one-hit shutout at Cedar Rapids. That game was only an hour from Hermsen's home, and he had plenty of friends and family in attendance. Perhaps he was amped up, because he had his best fastball of the year, sitting at 90-92 mph. The near no-no improved Hermsen's record to 4-1, 3.43, but he lost his last five starts at Beloit and was bumped back down to Elizabethton. He doesn't really have no-hit stuff, as he pitches to contact and presently doesn't have a plus pitch. Instead, he throws strikes with a four-pitch mix, highlighted by a two-seam fastball that sits at 86-89 mph. With his loose arm and easy delivery, he should develop more fastball velocity down the line. He has a big, durable body and profiles as a durable innings-eater, working off his sinking fastball and slider, which can reach the low 80s but lacks depth. Hermsen's curveball shows more promise but lacks power in the low 70s, and he also has some feel for his changeup. If he adds velocity to his fastball and curve, he'll fit perfectly into Minnesota's pitching mold with his projected durability and feel for the strike zone. Hermsen is ready to return to low Class A for a full season in 2011.
Hermsen was the top pitching prospect in Iowa in 2008, despite breaking his collarbone the previous fall while playing quarterback for his high school football team. Iowa has no spring baseball at the high school level, so the Twins followed him through the summer after drafting him in the sixth round, buying him away from Oregon State for a $650,000 bonus. He pitched in instructional league and then had to wait until June 2009 to make his pro debut as part of a talented Gulf Coast League rotation. Some club officials say Hermsen had the most upside on the GCL staff, including Adrian Salcedo. Hermsen's fastball velocity is just average, as he sat in the upper 80s and touched the low 90s last season. But he throws downhill with good plane and pounds the bottom of the strike zone, helping him finish second in the GCL by allowing 7.4 baserunners per nine innings and fifth with a 1.35 ERA. He projects to have plus command if he continues his low-maintenance delivery, which will require staying in good shape and not getting too big. He repeats his mechanics well for a young 6-foot-6, 230-pounder, leading to his excellent 42-4 K-BB ratio. His slider is another pitch geared to get early contact, and he has made progress adding a changeup. Hermson has earned Nick Blackburn comparisons for his durable build and ability to work off his fastball. He should join Salcedo in the Beloit rotation this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

Hermsen projected as a possible sandwich-round pick in 2008 before breaking his collarbone playing football. He fell to the Twins in the sixth round and didn't sign for $650,000 until August, so he made his pro debut in 2009. Hermsen doesn't throw as hard as you might expect from a 6-foot-6, 230-pounder, but he commands his high-80s fastball to both sides of the plate. He also throws a slurvy breaking ball at 79 mph, and a 74-75 mph changeup with good sink and a little tailing action. While not overpowering, Hermsen has very good control and keeps the ball down in the zone, inducing a lot of grounders.