The Minnesota Twins had a rough 2021 in which they took advantage of certain situations to “retool” their roster and load up on assets to compete in 2022 and beyond.
One of those moves was trading aging slugger Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays for two minor leaguers at the time: one of them was pitcher Joe Ryan.
Ryan was a very solid prospect, but was blocked by the myriad of pitching stars in the organization.
In Minnesota, he is getting what he deserved in Tampa, and anywhere to be honest: an opportunity.
He was called up last year and impressed with a 4.05 ERA in 26.2 strikeout-filled innings.
This time around, he has been even better for the Twins: in 23 frames, his ERA is a microscopic 1.17, and he has struck out 25 hitters against just six walks.
He looks like a seasoned pro when he is on the mound, which is amazing because he is only 25.
Ryan Is Incredibly Stingy With Baserunners And Has A Record WHIP
Ryan is very stingy with baserunners: he doesn’t allow too many of them.
“Joe Ryan of the @Twins now has a WHIP of 0.74 in 9 career starts. That’s the lowest WHIP by any MLB pitcher over his first 9 career starts since Christy Mathewson from 1900-01 (0.70),” Stats by STATS tweeted.
Joe Ryan of the @Twins now has a WHIP of 0.74 in 9 career starts.
That's the lowest WHIP by any MLB pitcher over his first 9 career starts since Christy Mathewson from 1900-01 (0.70).
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) April 28, 2022
To achieve that kind of dominance, a pitcher needs to have some excellent stuff to avoid hitters from barreling or squaring up the ball, but they also need to have incredible control and pinpoint command to avoid walks.
Ryan is very solid in both departments, and the Twins are reaping the benefits.
They now have a rock-solid young starter for years to come, at a very reasonable price.
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