When fans talk about Twins starting pitchers, it seems as if they fixate on Francisco Liriano, Carl Pavano and the cluster of right-handers (Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey, a collective we would like to call Niscovin Burnbakey). If that exhausts or bores fans, they turn to the potential of Kyle Gibson.

Call us crazy, but it sometimes feels as if Brian Duensing -- who tossed three more shutout innings Sunday -- is the forgotten man, with fans not quite sure what to make of him or what to expect.

For the past two seasons, Duensing's calling card has been his versatility. Reliever or starter, it hasn't mattered -- he's always seemed to do the job when called upon. A little closer look, however, reveals that he hasn't merely been good. Duensing has been close to dominant as a starter over the past two seasons, and he is assured of being in that role full-time to start the season in 2011.

His numbers as a starter, over parts of the past two seasons: 22 starts, 12-3 record, 1381/3 innings pitched, 2.93 ERA, while opponents have a .688 OPS against him. That's a starter who is basically giving up an average of two runs while working 6.1 innings every start.

While it would be silly to make direct comparisons to the more dominant and strikeout-oriented Johan Santana, who was a combined 18-6 in 2002 and '03 as a part-time starter in both of those seasons before jumping into the rotation full-time in 2004 and winning the Cy Young Award, it is not unreasonable to think Duensing could be a solid No. 2 or 3 starter capable of winning 15 to 17 games a year when given the chance.

Some of us have been guilty of waiting for the other shoe to drop on Duensing for two years. Will batters catch up to him as they see him more? Perhaps. Does he lack the dominant pitch needed to maintain a dominant rotation spot? Maybe.

Or maybe we'll keep underestimating him until he develops into something more than solid and versatile. Maybe he can be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

MICHAEL RAND