Joe Ryan

Ryan had a roller-coaster season for the Twins as he had a 2.98 ERA with a 9.65 K/9 and 0.91 WHIP through his first 15 starts of the season. He then seemingly ran out of gas by posting a 8.63 ERA and 1.81 WHIP over this next seven starts before he went on the injured list with a strained groin. His final eight starts after he returned were not much better (5.90 ERA) and the Twins limited him to one short two-inning start in the playoffs. Ryan doesn't have great velocity (92.3 average mph fastball) but has an extremely deceptive four-seam fastball that helped him generate an excellent 29.3% K% and 14.2% swinging strike rate. His weakness is as a fly-ball pitcher (31.6% GB%) he can be prone to the long ball. Home runs were especially an issue last season with a career-worst 1.78 HR/9 driven by a high 14.9% HB/FB%. He usually limits the damage for home runs by typically having one of the lowest walk rates in baseball (5.1% BB%). Ryan will be counted on at the top of the Twins rotation and could improve significantly if he can keep the ball in the park and improve one of his off-speed pitches, which all took a step backward last year.

Ryan showed his late season 2021 callup promise was not fluke as he had a strong rookie season with 13 wins and 3.55 ERA. Ryan doesn't have great velocity (91.5 average mph fastball) but has an extremely deceptive four-seam fastball that helped him generate an above-average 9.2 K/9 and 12% swinging strike rate. As a fly-ball pitcher (27.7% GB%), home runs can be a worry (1.2 HR/9), but he limits the damage with a plus walk rate (2.88 BB/9). He missed three weeks with Covid-19 in late May/early June, but was otherwise healthy. He should provide a steady productive presence at the top of the Minnesota rotation.

As a minor-leaguer, Ryan had always logged very impressive statistics (career 2.67 ERA, 0.87 WHIP) thanks to an extremely deceptive 91-mph fourseam fastball he leaned on heavily (over 60% usage). The Rays opted to cash him out before he ever pitched in the majors, along with pitching prospect Drew Strotman, for 10 weeks of Nelson Cruz. The early returns suggest the Twins landed a long-term rotation anchor. He struck out more than five in only one of his five starts (11 K's against a very weak Cubs lineup), but Ryan was stingy with baserunners (13 in 22 IP) prior to a blowup outing in his final start of the year against the Tigers. There are dozens of pitching prospects with more exciting repertoires, but given the fact that Ryan has good command and is locked into a big-league rotation spot, he is arguably more valuable than all but a handful of pitchers who have yet to make their big-league debuts. The 25-year-old righty threw 92.2 innings last season, so look for him to be limited to around 150 frames this year.

A seventh-round pick in 2018, Ryan didn't get a chance to follow up on his breakout 2019 with another strong statistical season, but he might have been better served getting major-league instruction at the Rays' alternate training site. The 24-year-old right-hander has a plus fastball, strong command and a looping delivery that hitters have a hard time picking up, a package that was enough to dominate hitters in the low minors, but any hope of a future in the rotation would likely require a dramatic expansion of his arsenal. Working with better coaching last year might have helped unlock his embryonic curve, slider and changeup, however. Ryan might make his major-league debut in 2021 if he baffles Triple-A hitters the way he did A-ball opposition, but the repertoire he showed in 2019 could lead to early struggles.

Ryan led all qualified minor-league pitchers in FIP (1.91) and K-BB% (32.4) and finished second in strikeouts (183). Unfortunately, we can't point to a bevy of plus pitches and say that this breakout pitcher has frontline upside. He has one dominant pitch that he threw 75% of the time -- a 70-grade mid-90s fastball -- that is aided by a deceptive delivery and good command. His secondary pitches are so underdeveloped that we can't even say with confidence which offspeed pitches will be a part of his arsenal when he gets to the majors. Ryan's changeup probably has the most potential, but it is still in its nascent stages. He has tried several breaking balls, with his curveball showing the most potential. Ryan will return to Double-A and should reach Triple-A, but as a one-pitch flyball pitcher, his minor-league numbers greatly oversell his readiness to have success in a big-league rotation.