The wild card race in the American League continues to be as heated as it can get, and the Minnesota Twins are gearing up for the stretch run by calling up one of the fastest-rising prospects in their system, Zebby Matthews, ahead of their crucial three-game series against the Kansas City Royals, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Matthews has been turning heads all season long, and talent evaluators are beginning to buy into the hype the 24-year-old righty has been generating. He is currently ranked as the 98th-best prospect in all of baseball and the sixth-best prospect in the Twins' system, according to MLB.com.
Zebby Matthews was selected by the Twins during the 2022 MLB Draft in the eighth round at pick 234. Matthews qualifies as nothing less than a draft steal after reaching the majors not even after two full seasons in the minors. The 24-year-old has been turning heads thanks to his elite strikeout ability and ability to limit baserunners — hallmarks of a potential star on the mound.
In 97 innings pitched (18 games, 17 starts) across three minor-league levels in 2024, Matthews has been outstanding. He has tallied 114 strikeouts against just seven walks, and he has been good for an overall ERA of 2.59 — warranting his promotion from the Twins.
It remains unclear, however, when Matthews will be making his first big-league start for the Twins. To open up their series against the Royals, Minnesota will be trotting out Pablo Lopez, an experienced hand in the rotation. But the 24-year-old should begin his major-league career, and soon.
A brief scouting report of the Twins' latest call-up, Zebby Matthews
What stands out to scouts is Zebby Matthews' size and effortless delivery from the mound. At 6'5″ and 225 lbs., Matthews finds it very easy to repeat his mechanics, leading to precise pitch delivery. This has led to his infinitesimal walk rate that has had him flying up the prospect ranking boards.
Matthews' fastball sits at 94 to 97 miles per hour, so it's not like he's riding some uninspiring stuff amid his aversion to walks. He rounds out his repertoire with a cutter and slider that can have “dastardly late bite” (per Fangraphs), which he needs against opposite-side hitters since his changeup seems to be a lackluster offering.
Nonetheless, Zebby Matthews projects to be an instant-impact player for a Twins rotation that could end up being the deciding factor between making and missing the playoffs. Ace Joe Ryan, who is leading the team in fWAR with 3.1, is currently on the 15-day injured list due to a Grade 2 teres major strain that may prevent him from suiting back up for Minnesota later on this season.
At present, the Twins are safely within the top three wild card teams in the AL, but nothing is safe given how congested the playoff picture is. The Twins only have a 2.5-game cushion over the Seattle Mariners, the team that's currently the closest to a wild card spot among those who are on the outside looking in, and they have a series against the Royals, a team they're currently ahead of in the standings by just half a game, awaiting them — necessitating Matthews to throw some very crucial innings for the team.
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