Derek Bender showed off an elite bat for a college catcher during his three-year career at Coastal Carolina, putting up averages of .326/.408/.571 with 32 homers and 153 RBIs in 144 games. The Minnesota Twins saw enough to select Bender in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, using the No. 188 overall pick to bring him into the organization.
The Twins released Bender on Thursday after one of the most bizarre baseball scandals of the season. It involves tipping pitches, elimination from playoff contention, and a desire to begin the offseason early from a player whose professional career might already be over.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel broke the story of the Twins releasing Bender after he was reportedly helping opposing hitters by telling them what pitch was coming during the second game of a Single-A double-header between his Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Bender told multiple hitters for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, a Detroit farm team, the specific pitches being thrown by starter Ross Dunn, sources said.
Lakeland won the game and eliminated the Mighty Mussels from playoff contention with the loss. Why would a catcher be helping the opposing team by tipping pitches? According to ESPN, Bender “had told teammates he wanted the season to be over.”
Bender seems like a fascinating guy after going back and reading some pre-draft coverage. His college career was mostly notable for defiant reaction after hitting this home run earlier this year:
Here’s a good feature on Bender from 2023 explaining how his unique personality and approach to the game.
Bender was struggling at the plate in his first 19 games as a pro in Single-A ball. This might be the last we hear of him.
