A few days ago, at the start of the week, Minnesota Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson announced he would be leaving the organization in the middle of the season.
He will be occupying the same position with the LSU Tigers of college baseball.
The Twins said goodbye in a classy way.
As Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said in a press release:
“Wes Johnson has been an integral part of our organization over the last three and a half seasons and has helped guide our pitchers at the highest level. His leadership, insight, creativity, and ability to effectively work across a diverse team were hallmarks of his time with the Minnesota Twins. His influence and impact will continue to be realized in Minnesota through the pitchers and staff members he helped mentor. We wish him and his family all the best during his next stop at LSU.”
The Twins have appointed Pete Maki as their new pitching coach.
Johnson, who is reportedly in line for a huge raise, also had some things to say to Twins fans.
Thank you Twins Nation! pic.twitter.com/tqfROD5HWB
— Wes Johnson (@WesWesj) July 1, 2022
He Had A Huge Hand In Some Of The Young Pitchers’ Success
Evidently, he is truly thankful for his time in Minnesota, and he helped the team’s staff a lot during his time as the pitching coach.
He is, at least partly, responsible for Jhoan Duran‘s breakout in the bullpen, as well as Josh Winder‘s and Chris Archer‘s success in the rotation.
He helped mold Joe Ryan into a legitimate major league starter, too.
While the Twins bullpen is not particularly good, he has done an amazing job with the rotation.
His decision to leave, while shocking, is totally understandable.
Twins fans surely wish him the best with the Tigers, since they aren’t Detroit ones.
