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Minnesota Twins Rising Pitcher Called Their Difference Maker
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- Minnesota Twins Rising Pitcher Called Their Difference Maker
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
One thing will always be true in the game of baseball: Pitching matters. You can never have enough good pitchers on your team, or in the case of Major League Baseball, in your organization. The Minnesota Twins had a few new arms step up last season, which was necessary given their ace Pablo Lopez took a step back.
This season Rocco Baldelli's starting rotation is expected to look a lot like it did in 2024 . That means there are limited spots out of the gate, and there will be multiple youngsters vying for their slot in the back of a rotation that already has Lopez (Opening Day starter), Joe Ryan , Bailey Ober and Chris Paddack already written into the first for slots.
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David Festa may be the Minnesota Twins next starting gem
Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
One of those youngsters trying to land that fifth and final spot in the Minnesota Twins rotation is 24-year-old David Festa, who was one of those young starters who was relied upon last year when Ryan went down with injuries and other starters underwhelmed. In 2025, ESPN analyst Alden Gonzalez expects even more from Festa.
"[Festa] has the stuff and poise of a front-line starter, and the Twins believe he's due for a big step forward in 2025, which, given their situation, is fitting. The Twins navigated through a typically conservative offseason this winter. Their biggest strides will be internal. It'll come down to Carlos Correa , Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis being healthy, and their young(ish) starting pitchers emerging behind Pablo López . Festa is the one to watch here."
As Gonzalez mentions Festa — 54 1/3 IP | 3.81 ERA | 69 SO | 22 BB — took his lumps out of the gate. 12 earned runs through his first 10 big league frames was hardly ideal. Over his final 12 outings (11 starts), he allowed more than three earned runs just once. In nine of those outings Festa departed having given up two or less runs, including five shutout innings with nine strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs .
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The Twins did send Festa back to St. Paul after his first two outings in the big leagues, but it might have been a quick mental check more than anything. He made one two-inning appearance in the minors before he was back with the Twins just 21 days after being optioned .
Who else is competing for that final Minnesota Twins rotation spot?
There's a reason why Festa showed up on multiple top 100 prospect lists prior to last season. He may not have the ceiling of a number one starter, but he's every bit as talented as a Joe Ryan or Bailey Ober type.
David Festa, Dirty 90mph Changeup. 👌
9th K thru 5. pic.twitter.com/yt5RSNdMxG— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 6, 2024
Last season with the Twins Festa averaged mid-90's on his fastball while evening out the mix by utilizing his slider and an excellent changeup . His 32.1% chase rate will certainly play, and the 12.8% whiff rate can work at the big league level too.
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Minnesota danced around the idea of adding another top-tier arm in Dylan Cease , but the staff appears status quo entering spring training. That will make it difficult for David Festa — who will have to beat out both Simeon Woods Richardson and Zebby Matthews out for that final rotation spot.
Related: Twins Closer Slims Down and is Already Nearing Triple Digits
But even if he doesn't make the rotation out of camp, Festa is sure to be one of the first plucked from St. Paul if/when injuries hit the pitching staff. Given the uncertainty surrounding Chris Paddack and the slew of injuries dealt to the rotation last summer, Festa is likely to get another MLB opportunity soon.
Festa possesses a higher upside than Woods Richardson, so he has that going for him. But no doubt Woods Richardson provided more consistency as a rookie, when the Minnesota Twins desperately needed some.
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A Festa breakout bolsters the Twins
Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images
The strength of the pitching staff starts at the top. ESPN's David Schoenfield is predicting a bounce back year for Pablo Lopez. The Twins will need better than a 4.08 ERA from their ace . He must allow less than the 26 home runs he surrendered a year ago.
We have seen Ryan ( 3.60 ERA in 2024 ) and Ober ( 3.98 ERA in 2024 ) remain relatively consistent the past couple of seasons. If Minnesota could turn Festa into a arm with the same or more production, then the back-end worries for the rotation decrease exponentially.
Related: MN Twins Suddenly Out on Adding Shortstop… and Any Other MLB Free Agents
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Festa has seen solid growth across all of his professional seasons. Home runs got him for the first time ( 1.3 HR/9 at AAA/MLB ) and that's an area he can work to continue limiting damage. It wouldn't be a shock at all to see Minnesota generate another good arm from a late-round selection .
