The Minnesota Twins haven't made the playoffs since 2023, but they have a couple players that they can build around. One of them is starting pitcher Joe Ryan.

The 29-year-old went 13-10 with a 3.42 ERA over 31 outings this past season and finished ninth in baseball with a 1.04 WHIP. He continues to be reliable, as he has a 3.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 115 career games.

Ryan was especially valuable to Minnesota in 2025, as it finished 24th in MLB with a 4.55 team ERA. The right-hander was rewarded with his first All-Star selection and will compete for the United States in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Ryan and fellow starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (5-4, 2.47 ERA) are the only two exceptional hurlers on the Twins. It's no surprise that they don't want to trade Ryan, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

“Teams continue to ask the Minnesota Twins about right-hander Joe Ryan, who is under club control for two more seasons," he reported. "The Twins, though, continue to say they are not shopping Ryan, and one person briefed on their talks said they haven’t even discussed him with other clubs since before the GM meetings in early November.”

Ryan is scheduled to finish arbitration and hit free agency after the 2027 season, per Spotrac. Whether or not the veteran sticks around long-term, he's done everything Minnesota could've asked of him so far.

Joe Ryan Was Shrewd Trade Acquisition

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Ryan in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of California State University, Stanislaus. The California native developed in the Rays' farm system until they traded him and fellow pitcher Drew Strotman the Twins in July 2021 for outfielder Nelson Cruz and pitcher Calvin Faucher. 

Cruz was a star at the tail end of his career at the time, as 2023 was his final season. Meanwhile, Ryan was a rising talent, as he got called up to the big leagues in April 2022 after making his first five MLB starts for Minnesota in 2021. He went 13-8 with a 3.55 ERA over 27 starts in 2022, establishing himself as one of the organization's most talented pitchers.

Ryan had a down year in 2023, finishing 11-10 with a 4.51 ERA over 29 starts. However, the 6-foot-2. 205-pounder bounced back with a 3.60 ERA over 23 starts in 2024.

If the Twins re-sign Ryan for the next several years, they'll have a player they can count on at the sport's most important position.