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Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan is making franchise history, and giving the team real hope approaching the second half of the season. With a 2.72 ERA over 109 1/3 innings thrown, Ryan just posted the best first-half ERA by a Twins starter since Johan Santana in 2007, when the former two-time Cy Young winner recorded a 2.65 mark over 136 innings pitched.
Ryan’s dominance earned him a last-minute nod to the MLB All-Star game, replacing Houston’s Hunter Brown in this year’s Midsummer Classic. It's his first career All-Star selection and well deserved, given how he’s carried the Minnesota rotation through a stretch plagued by injuries and inconsistency.
The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman shared a stat on X, formerly known as Twitter, that highlights just how impactful Ryan’s performance has been.
“Joe Ryan finished his first half with a 2.72 ERA in 109 1/3 innings
The last #MNTwins pitcher with a lower ERA in more innings at this point of a season was Johan Santana (2.65 ERA, 136 innings) in 2007
Ryan earned that All-Star spot and then some”
The Twins’ reliance on Ryan has only grown due to a rash of injuries across the rotation. Pablo Lopez is out with a right teres major strain and expected to miss 8–12 weeks. Bailey Ober (left hip impingement) and Zebby Matthews (right shoulder strain) are both targeting late-July returns. Meanwhile, Erasmo Ramirez is currently on a rehab assignment. With so many key arms unavailable or working back to full strength, Ryan’s consistency has helped stabilize a pitching staff in flux.
The right-hander enters the break with a 9-4 record, 121 strikeouts, a 0.91 WHIP, and a .188 opponent batting average. He’s thrown at least five innings in all 19 starts and allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 of them—earning his status as the anchor of the Twins rotation.
His arsenal—featuring a high-riding fastball, splitter, slider, and curve—makes him tough to square up, and his 2.45 ERA at home shows just how reliable he’s been in front of the Target Field crowd.
Minnesota sits second in the AL Central at 46-48 (.489), trailing the first-place Detroit Tigers by 12.5 games but still firmly in the Wild Card race. With the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals close behind, the playoff picture remains wide open, and the right hander’s consistency will be crucial to keeping the Twins in contention.
Despite earlier trade rumors, Minnesota reportedly has no intention of moving Ryan unless overwhelmed by an offer. With hopes still alive and pitching thin behind him, the front office sees Ryan as a cornerstone piece for 2025 and beyond.
More than just numbers, Ryan’s breakout reminds fans of the dominance they once saw from Santana. If he avoids the second-half drop-offs that have haunted him before, Ryan could be the difference between a midseason fade and a postseason push for the Twins.
