Breakout Starter Named Minnesota Twins’ Minor League POY by Baseball America

By Ted Schwerzler |

Updated: Sep 24, 2024

The Minnesota Twins have hit the skids in a big way at the major league level to finish the season. Their farm system, among the best in baseball, produced many strong seasons though. It’s difficult to pick just one player to be named the Minor League Player of the Year, but Baseball America did just that.

Zebby Matthews is here for the Minnesota Twins

For years the calling card for Derek Falvey has been the pitching pipeline he helped to develop during his time with the Cleveland Guardians. It’s hard to suggest that it hasn’t arrived for the Minnesota Twins this season. With just a week left in the regular season, three rookies are in the starting rotation. Zebby Matthews is among the most surprising of them.

Minor League Player Of The Year For All 30 MLB Teamshttps://t.co/efHs0dTVFk pic.twitter.com/H7z72VklyU
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 23, 2024

Voted as the Twins Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, Matthews has seen a meteoric rise this season. After starting the 2024 campaign at High-A Cedar Rapids, he has now made eight starts in the big leagues. The 5.71 ERA isn’t great, but he owns a 4.08 ERA in September and has given up just a single run in each of his last two outings.

The vast majority of Matthews’ gaudy metric came in a blowup against the Toronto Blue Jays. He has learned from that experience and done what he can to help the Twins stay afloat down the stretch. His incredible 114/7 K/BB in 97 minor league innings this season is why he has experience the rise. That sort of production definitely excites the Twins for his future.

Aside from Zebby Matthews' start against the #BlueJays, here's what the #MNTwins have gotten in 7 starts from a 24-year-old that began the season at High-A:

3.63 ERA
33/8 K/BB

That's a great building block for 2025 as well.
— Ted (@tlschwerz) September 23, 2024

Matthews earned the recognition this season by being a standout arm in the farm system. It stands to reason that he won’t be seeing many minor league ballparks next year.

Twins can pencil Zebby Matthews in for 2025

The 2025 Minnesota Twins starting rotation already has three spots written in pen. Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober are all locks. From there, it seems likely that David Festa has worked his way into an Opening Day roster spot. That leaves one spot for either Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, or Chris Paddack.

Zebby Matthews, 2Ks in the 3rd.

6Ks thru 3. pic.twitter.com/sqVae8EFNI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 25, 2024

Woods Richardson has performed admirably all season for Minnesota. He will likely get the first chance at hanging onto the fifth rotation spot, and he has earned it. Paddack is a prime trade candidate this offseason if the Twins can find someone to take on the contract. Matthews is probably best served with a bit more Triple-A seasoning, but he could make quick work of that assignment.

Starting in the minors isn’t a death sentence, and Minnesota saw it work wonderfully for Ober in 2023. He wasn’t pleased with the outcome, but he earned his way back and then quickly made sure to stick. Matthews could follow the same path and Rocco Baldelli would be pleased to have another trustworthy arm.

The Minnesota Twins have taken their lumps due to young pitching down the stretch. It will certainly prove invaluable over the course of their careers, however.