The Curious Season of the Minnesota Twins Starting Pitchers
A rollercoaster, simply the only way to describe the season the Minnesota Twins have had up to the All-Star Break. 13-game win streaks and losses in 11 of 12 games barely a month apart. One group of Twins having a similarly bumpy road in 2025 is the starting pitching staff. Their rollercoaster ride started right away in late March when, over the opening four games, the starters posted an ERA of 11.25.
A couple of horrendous starts from Bailey Ober and Chris Paddack sent the Twins right behind the eight-ball to start the year, dropping to 0-4. The starting staff responded well in April, though, posting an overall ERA of 2.85 in the first complete month of the Major League season. Highlighted by a pair of seven-inning shutouts by Joe Ryan, the boys from Minneapolis were showing they had the potential to be a shutdown unit. The only problem? The team was 13-18 at the end of April. Multiple issues contributed to the record, but the biggest problem for the starters was their inability to pitch deep into games. Over those first 31 games, a Minnesota starter completed the sixth inning just eight times. In those eight games, the team was 6-2. This put far too much pressure on the bullpen to consistently cover four or more innings, causing problems in holding onto leads.
On May 3rd, the Twins finally broke through. Entering a game with the Red Sox with a record of 13-20, the Twins would not only win but parlay that win into 12 more to skyrocket up to 26-20. The turnaround can be attributed to clutch batting and improved bullpen play. Yet one overlooked piece to that run was the continued dominance of the starting pitchers boasting a 2.87 ERA over the streak, while also pitching deeper into games. Over the 13-game win streak, Twins starting pitchers completed the sixth inning seven times and recorded six quality starts. Nearly matching the counts they had over the opening 33 games.
Sadly, it was time for the rollercoaster to turn the next corner on both the Twins' season and the performance of the starters. On June 3rd and 4th, the Twins suffered injuries to starting pitchers Pablo López and Zebby Matthews, neither of whom has returned to the rotation. The Twins sat at 34-27 after Matthews' final start, and with how the team had played overall, still had much confidence in the rotation's ability to step up. Instead, all they did was faceplant.
From June 5th to the end of the month, the Minnesota starters were ransacked, surrendering an ERA of 6.41. Bailey Ober, in particular, was looked to while the rotation was thin, and he was picked apart. In five starts in June, he gave up 30 runs and an ERA of nine. Chris Paddack also left something to be desired in his five June starts after the bite from the injury bug, posting an ERA of 7.81. The team record reflected the struggles, dropping five games below .500. Throughout the team's struggles, Joe Ryan has been a highlight. He finished June with a 2.86 ERA on the way to an all-star nod. Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa also seemed to find their footing by the end of June. The trio of Ryan, Festa, and Woods Richardson put together 16.2 scoreless innings over the Mariners and Tigers from June 25th to the 27th.
Those starts flipped the momentum back one final time. In July, the Twins’ starters have a much more respectable 3.77 ERA. Ryan has, of course, been great, only allowing four runs in 18 innings pitched. It’s Simeon Woods Richardson's rise over the last stretch that has been extra promising. He’s given up just two runs in his last four starts and five runs in his last six. Manager Rocco Baldelli has pulled Woods Richardson early so far. In each of his last three starts, he’s thrown under 80 pitches. Only time will tell if continued success means a longer leash for the 24-year-old. The Twins have bounced back nicely and won the last three series against the Rays, Cubs, and Pirates to keep them firmly in the playoff hunt.
The Twins are just two games under .500 at the All-Star Break. More importantly, just four games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. The race for the division seems over since the Tigers have been one of the league's best all season. It’s been a curious season, yet the Twins’ playoff hopes are far from over, and if the starters can avoid a June-like collapse from happening again no way anyone can count this team out. Minnesota gets action back underway on Friday against the Colorado Rockies.
