A year ago, the Minnesota Twins took a chance on young rookie Joe Ryan for Opening Day, and he didn’t disappoint with a solid 3.55 ERA over 27 starts. However, Ryan will need to make some adjustments as he gears up for his sophomore season, aiming to achieve more consistency against tougher competition.

When the Twins traded Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays, they scored Ryan, a top-100 prospect with an impressive 9.2 K/9 ratio. In 2023, Ryan is unlikely to start on Opening Day and may find himself 5th in the rotation, but with the likes of Tyler Mahle, Pablo Lopez, and Kenta Maeda bolstering the team’s depth, there is still plenty of potential for him to shine as a back-end starter.

The AL Central is a somewhat weaker division, so facing stronger teams is where Ryan will need to step up his game. In 2022, Ryan struggled against teams above .500, allowing a .760 OPS and 14 of his 20 home runs in such matchups. His ERA in these games was 4.81, compared to 2.31 against weaker opponents. Addressing this disparity will be a key focus for Ryan in 2023, as the Twins will face every team in baseball for at least one series.

To help him achieve greater consistency, Ryan has added a new slider and a split-change to his repertoire. He also worked with Driveline during the offseason to refine his pitching skills. If he can push his ERA toward 4.00 against strong teams, it will undoubtedly help unlock even more potential for him and the Twins.

With the starting pitching depth the Twins have right now, there’s every reason to be excited about Ryan’s prospects in the coming season. His development will hinge on whether he can perform well against stronger teams, and we won’t have to wait long to find out if he’s up to the challenge.