With key bullpen pitchers possibly leaving via free agency, Minnesota Twins rookie pitchers could see opportunities to fill roles in 2025. Caleb Thielbar and Trevor Richards are set to hit the free agency market. Those departures will prompt the Twins to pull from their impressive list of talented young arms to fill these vacated spots. Thankfully, the performances of a handful of Twins’ rookie pitchers in 2024 give them options to bolster their pitching staff.
Breaking Down Minnesota’s Young Pitching Core
Back-End Starter
With the emergence of Bailey Ober and the consistency of Pablo López, the top of the rotation for the Twins is solid. After these two veteran starters, the Twins need depth. When Healthy, Joe Ryan will hold down the third spot but injuries have impacted his playing time for consecutive seasons. After Ryan in the third spot, it was a carousel of starters. Simeon Woods Richardson had a strong 2024, starting 28 games with a 4.17 ERA. Richardson’s ERA was the fourth-best among the ten staring pitchers used by the Twins this year.
Richardson consistently delivers a strong strikeout rate, with 117 strikeouts in 133 2/3 innings pitched. This is a rate of 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings, indicating his ability to get batters to swing and miss. His relatively low walk rate also makes him a strong candidate for a spot in the back half of the pitching rotation. Limiting his walks to only 3.2 per nine innings this past season demonstrates a pitcher who has control. A consistent starter like Richardson can add depth, which is crucial given Joe Ryan‘s injury history.
Middle Relief
Having a high strikeout rate of 77 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings, David Festa shows some promise. This yields a solid strikeout rate of 10.8 per nine innings, indicating an ability to overpower hitters. His 4.90 ERA across 13 starts shows he could be a spot starter if needed. However, his best use would be as a middle reliever to work on his command to improve on his 2024 1.32 WHIP. With a respectable K/BB ratio of 3.35, any improvement to his command will make Festa a dangerous pitcher on the mound. Needing to most likely replace spots in the bullpen from Thielbar, Richards, and Josh Staumont, having Festa step in to fill one of those roles makes sense.
Setup Man
Even though he had a smaller sample size of 20 1/3 innings in 2024 with the Twins, Scott Blewett had an impressive 1.77 ERA. Combining his ERA with a 1.23 WHIP, Blewett demonstrates good control that could propel him into a higher-stakes role such as a setup man. During his limited time with the Twins, Blewett only gave up two home runs. Having a 0.9 home run per nine innings rate shows a pitcher with command and the ability to keep the ball in the park. Limiting base runners through this command gives the Twins versatility with Blewett. If he demonstrates this consistency, there is a clear path to more innings in the Twins bullpen.
Role Potential
Kody Funderburk has the potential to be a valuable member of the Twins’ pitching staff in 2025, thanks to his versatility as a middle reliever or a spot starter. His development in the upcoming year will be crucial for this potential. This past season, Funderburk recorded only 32 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings and had a 1.62 WHIP. Funderburk has a solid foundation to develop his command further with a 2.13 K/BB ratio. That shows his potential of striking out twice as many batters as he walks. If he can reduce his walks by improving his command, Funderburk could emerge as a reliable option to fill any gaps created by free-agent departures or injuries.
Bright Future
The departure of key players from the Twins’ bullpen opens up valuable opportunities for emerging young talent. 2024 has set the stage for these promising pitchers to showcase their abilities and potential contributions to the team. These rookies may play a crucial role in the Twins’ plans for the 2025 season. Whether as starters or vital relievers.
Main Photo: © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
