The 2025 version of the Minnesota Twins will look very similar to the team that left the field after their season-ending loss to the Orioles last September. With the team for sale and the Pohlads with a tight grip on the purse strings, newly minted president Derek Falvey has his hands tied in his attempts to execute significant player transactions. In the past week, they have signed one-year contracts with ex-Twin lefthanded reliever Danny Coulombe, outfielder Harrison Bader, and first baseman Ty France. They are not marquee players but should enhance the team’s depth. And Minnesota is still searching for a shortstop to back up Carlos Correa.
The Twins have a squad that, on paper, should compete for a playoff spot and perhaps the division title. But fortunes have to break in their favor, as their margin for failure is very thin. Avoiding injuries and prolonged slumps will be the key to success. With pitchers and catchers reporting tomorrow, here is a prediction of how the opening-day roster should shake out. Last week, we covered the position players. Today, it’s the pitchers.
Starting Pitchers
Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Baily Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa
The stalwarts of this group return from last year. Lopez was on his way to ace status for the Twins after he compiled an impressive second half of the season in 2023. But his strikeout rate dropped, and his sweeper got pasted by hitters. He is looking to gain momentum after a brilliant second half in 2024, where he posted an ERA of 2.77. Some expect that Joe Ryan might be ready to take the ace mantle. He has missed parts of the last two seasons but throws four pitches effectively (fastball, sweeper, slider, and changeup).
Ober has turned into the quintessential middle-of-the-rotation guy with 190 strikeouts in 177.1 innings, demonstrating the effect of his increased velocity. He also possesses an excellent mix of pitches. This is where things get a little murky. Woods Richardson hit the wall at the end of last season, but he resurrected his career after being mostly written off before last year’s campaign began. But he lowered his arm angle on his delivery, which increased his velocity, and found success for most of the season.
Chris Padack is two years removed from Tommy John surgery but is carrying a $7.5 million contract for this season, and the Twins have not been able to unload his salary. Logic says that he is the favorite to round out the rotation. But I have a feeling that when the smoke clears, young David Festa will head north with the team as their fifth starter. He has a blazing fastball and tallied 69 strikeouts in his final 54.1 innings last season. He has accomplished everything he can at the Triple-A level, and I believe he is ready for his chance.
Waiting in the wings is Zebby Matthews. He was rushed to the majors last season, but with some more seasoning at Triple-A St. Paul, this premium control artist should return to the Twins sometime this season.
Relievers
Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands, Danny Coulombe, Jorge Alcala, Justin Topa, Michael Tonkin, Louie Varland. Brock Stewart
First of all, you notice that I listed nine relievers and not eight. That is because I believe flame-throwing Brock Stewart will start the season on the injured list, still nursing his surgically repaired shoulder. Duran had a very good season in 2024, but a 2 mph drop on his fastball concerns some in the organization. Jax has simply been one of the best relievers in the game for the past three seasons. Look for him to get some save opportunities when Duran is unavailable.
Sands went from being a mop-up guy to someone who was trusted to pitch in crucial game situations. Much of his success stems from his 85-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio last season. He will be counted on for more this season. Coulombe gives the Twins a reliable lefty out of the pen. Although he is injury-prone, he has posted a 2.75 ERA over the past two seasons. Alcala had a fabulous first half last season, posting a 1.56 ERA. But he gave up too many gopher balls down the stretch and lost his reliability. Consistency will be the key to his success.
Tonkin is in his fourth go-around with the team and will mostly pitch low-stress middle innings. However, he still has a lively fastball to punch out hitters. After coming over from Seattle in the Jorge Polanco trade, Topa missed almost the entire 2024 season with a knee injury. The Twins hope the sinkerballer can give them some quality innings this year. This jury is still out on his durability.
Finally, there is Louis Varland. His dreams of being a starter in the bigs might almost be vanquished, but there is no doubt that he could be an effective reliever for Minnesota. His 49 strikeouts in 49.2 innings pitched last season attest to his ability to dominate Major League hitters. Behind them is lefty Kody Funderburk and Rule 5 Draft pick Eiberson Castellano.
Twins Outlook
So, there you have it. The Twins have a nice-looking team on paper. If their veterans stay healthy, their young players rebound from sophomore slumps, their starters reach their potential, and the relief staff is as good as advertised, it will be an enjoyable and successful summer in Minnesota in 2025.
