Logan Darnell

Logan Reece Darnell

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 210 lb.
• School University of Kentucky
• High School Goodpasture Christian High School
• Debut May 6, 2014
• Final Game September 21, 2014
• Born February 2, 1989 in Nashville, TN USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Starting pitcher Logan Darnell played briefly for with the Minnesota Twins in 2014.

Darnell was 11-3 with a 1.20 ERA and 129 K in 77 IP, while hitting .360, making All-State. As a senior, he fanned 112 in 62 innings and had a 8-1, 1.57 record while hitting .362. He finished as the school's career leader in wins (28) and strikeouts (345). He made All-State in both baseball and football. As a college freshman, he walked 14 in 17 2/3 IP and had a 4.08 ERA. He was 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in the New York Collegiate Baseball League and Baseball America named him the top prospect. He was 5-6 with 3 saves and a 4.50 ERA as a sophomore. That summer, he was 5-1 with a 1.60 ERA and .159 opponent average for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots of the Alaska Summer Collegiate League. His junior year at Kentucky, he went 5-3 with a save and a 5.62 ERA.

He was taken by the Twins in the 6th round of that year's draft, one pick after Joey Terdoslavich. The scout was Earl Winn. Darnell signed for a $125,000 bonus.

With the Elizabethton Twins in 2010, Darnell was 2-3 with a 2.08 ERA in 11 games (5 starts). The next season, he was 11-6 with a 4.37 ERA in 26 starts split between the Beloit Snappers (2-2, 3.78 in 6 G), Fort Myers Miracle (8-3, 4.17 in 15 G) and New Britain Rock Cats (1-1, 5.58 in 5 G). He was third in the Twins chain in wins behind B.J. Hermsen and Liam Hendriks.

With New Britain again in 2012, Darnell was 11-12 with a 5.08 ERA in 28 starts. He was among the Eastern League leaders in wins (tied for third with Hermsen, Mike Kickham, Jake Pettit and Craig Westcott), losses (tied for 4th with Gonzalez Germen), innings (156, 6th, between James Avery and Daniel Rosenbaum), hits allowed (193, 1st, 7 more than Avery), runs allowed (91, tied for second with Avery and Greg Peavey), earned runs (88, 2nd to Deck McGuire's 94) and wild pitches (11, tied for 8th with Avery). In the Twins farm system, he tied for third in wins (behind Jason Wheeler and Hermsen), tied for first in losses, was third in IP (after Hermsen and Wheeler), led in hits allowed, was second to Madison Boer in runs and earned runs allowed and tied Esmerling Vasquez for third with 98 Ks.

In 2013, with New Britain and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, he was 10-10 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). In his first taste of Triple-A action that year, he was 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). He was a much sharper 6-6, 2.61 in AA that year. He was 4th in the Twins chain in wins, tied Virgil Vasquez and Hermsen for second in losses (3 behind Pat Dean), was second to Dean in innings pitched and hits allowed and was second with 120 strikeouts (39 behind leader Trevor May).

He opened 2014 with Rochester and had a 1.69 ERA after four starts (with no decisions). Minnesota called him up when Aaron Hicks went on the DL. He had a superb pro debut in working the final three innings of a 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians on May 6th. Relieving Sam Deduno in the 6th, he retired Asdrubal Cabrera, Lonnie Chisenhall and Yan Gomes 1-2-3. In the 7th, he again went in order, this time against José Ramírez, Ryan Raburn and Nick Swisher. In the 8th, he tossed a third perfect frame, fanning Michael Brantley, getting Carlos Santana on a pop fly and David Murphy on a grounder back to the mound for a perfect three-inning debut. When the Twins signed Matt Guerrier shortly thereafter, though, Darnell was optioned back to the minors. In all he pitched 7 times for the Twins, including 4 starts, going 0-2, 7.13.

Sources

• 2014 Twins Media Guide
• University of Kentucky bio

Related Sites

• Logan Darnell on mlb.com
• BR Minors page