Francisco Liriano

If you haven't heard of this guy, now would be a good time to learn.

Liriano, age 22, was one of 3 players aquired by the Minnesota Twins from the SF Giants in exchange for AJ Pierzynski (the others were Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser), in what has to be one of the most lopsided trades ever.

Liriano has pitched in 4 games for the Twins so far this year, for 8.1 innings pitched. Thus far, the returns have been stellar. In his 8.1 IP, he has struck out 13 while walking just 1 batter, giving up 5 hits (.167 BAA), and a WHIP of 0.72. Oh yeah, and he hasn't allowed a run yet. He mixes a mid to high 90s fastball with a low 90s slider and a mid 80s changeup, which are all extremely good, especially for his age.

While he's coming out of the pen right now, I wouldn't expect that to last too much longer if he keeps pitching like this. With the Twins, winners of 5 straight looking like they could be contenders, it wouldn't surprise me to see Terry Ryan deal Kyle Lohse (in his walk year) for another bat, probably at 3B (although Tony Batista is hitting very well right now). If that happens, look for Liriano to join the already-good rotation to make it even more dangerous.

Francisco Liriano. Get to know the name, because this guy is going to be around for a long, long time.